The US Army has awarded Minnesota’s 3M Company a $34.2-million contract to develop medical solutions for traumatic wounds, infection, and associated healing processes.
The agreement aims to produce treatments applicable to austere environments, specifically during mass casualty and delayed evacuation scenarios, as outlined in the US Department of Defense’s Combat Casualty Care Capability Assessment (CCCRP).
CCCRP’s objectives are the reduction of mortality and morbidity due to battlefield injuries through new life-saving methods, biological and mechanical systems, surgical approaches, and remote physiological monitoring.
During the program, 3M will also support examinations of biofilm control and healing of acute trauma from burns, blasts, and gunshot wounds in military and civilian settings.
The agency will work with the Naval Medical Research Unit – San Antonio, the 59th Medical Wing Science & Technology Office of the Chief Scientist, the University of Minnesota Medical School, and the University of Texas Health Science Center throughout the initiative.
Funds awarded will run four separate product solutions covering prototyping, formulation, and clinical studies in preparation for product registration.
The project will coordinate with six principal researchers working at three different US locations. Approximately 125 personnel will be operating related efforts from 2023 to 2027.
Enhancing Point-of-Injury to Facility Treatment
3M Health Care Research & Development SVP Raymond Chiu underscored the significance of the resulting solutions for the US Army’s future traumatic wound treatment operations.
“Successful treatment… requires a continuum of care that begins with easy-to-use dressings and effective infection prevention that can be applied at the point of injury, continues with portable solutions for transport, and transitions to more sophisticated solutions in hospital settings suitable for rehabilitation and reintegration of patients,” Chiu explained.
“3M is proud to be working with civilian and military partners to bring these solutions to fruition.”
