AFSOC medics evaluate innovative diagnostics device

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kentavist P. Brackin
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  In the near future, Air Commandos may be able to provide fast blood analysis to their fellow wingmen on the battlefield.

Medical personnel from the 1st Special Operations Medical Group and Air Force Special Operations Command recently began evaluating the Alere EPOC, a portable blood analyzer, on Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Portable blood analyzers are able to perform basic lab tests outside of medical facilities such as measuring blood gases and electrolytes in several minutes using a minimal amount of blood. In the special operations medical community, its main uses are trauma and airway management.

“The more information we have, the better we can take care of someone,” said Tech Sgt. Britton Adams, 1st Special Operations Support Squadron independent medical technician. “Being at the forefront of deployed environments, we may have limited capabilities and equipment. Some basic labs assessments provided by blood analyzers can assist in prioritizing some casualties, and additionally guide treatments until the patient can get to surgery or evacuated to a higher level of medical care.”

During the evaluation, personnel conducted various operational tests on the EPOC to see how it matched to the iSTAT, a blood analyzer model currently employed throughout the Air Force.

“We’re conducting [evaluations] of the EPOC to see if it’s a feasible tool for our SOF medical community,” said Joseph Montalvo, Air Force Special Operations Command medical Technology manager. "The overall goal is to be lighter and leaner, and in this case bring our medical capabilities closer to the point of injury.”

One of the biggest differences between the devices noted by Hurlburt medical personnel was in the test cartridges used to analyze blood samples.

“It was surprising to see how little cooling the EPOC requires compared to the iSTAT,” said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Ingles, 1st Special Operation Medical Support Squadron lab technician.

Ingles noted the iSTAT cartridge has to be used within minutes of being removed from cooling temperatures. The EPOC card can be left unrefrigerated for up to 24 hours after removal.

“Having a card that can be left unrefrigerated for longer periods means deployed medics won't have to carry extra refrigeration equipment just to use the EPOC card,” said Lt. Col. Luna Marybeth, 1st SOMDSS diagnostics and therapeutic flight commander. “This means our medics have a smaller footprint in the field.”

In coordination with the Air Force Medical Evaluation Support Activity, the final decision on whether or not to actually implement EPOC blood analyzers is slated to be made after final formal testing later this year.