MDC Signs Contract with Henry Jackson Foundation

MDC is pleased to announce a new contract with the Henry Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine for the design and development of a wearable device for the detection of hemorrhage. Under the $703,000 subcontract MDC will design, build, and test a wearable device that implements the US Army’s APPRAISE algorithm for hemorrhage detection.

Hemorrhage is the most common preventable cause of death after major trauma, disproportionately afflicting young adults and adolescents. It is the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. The APPRAISE algorithm for detection of hemorrhage was developed by a team led by Dr. Jaques Reifman of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, (BSHAI) which he leads.

In the 12 month project MDC will work with Dr. Reifman and the teams at BHSAI and HJF to create a small device that captures key vital signs in real-time and processes them with the APPRAISE algorithm to produce a display of the probability that hemorrhage is imminent or underway. The device will be tested along side an existing version of the algorithm which has been verified in tests with accident victims during medevac transport. During the final months of the project the team will meet with the FDA to determine the regulatory path forward.

As the project develops MDC will consider creation of a startup company to license the technology (from the US Army) and to carry the technology into the marketplace.

“This project is the first of several that we are developing with the Henry Jackson Foundation, a great partner for MDC. I would like to recognize the contributions of Dr. Linda Yaswen-Corkery of HJF, who not only helped with the initial creation of MDC when she was at the University of Maryland, but also served as an invaluable liaison with HJF.” said Dr. Gil Blankenship Founder of MDC.

About Henry Jackson Foundation

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing military medicine. We serve military, medical, academic and government clients by administering, managing and supporting preeminent scientific programs that benefit members of the armed forces and civilians alike.

Since its founding in 1983, HJF has served as a vital link between the military medical community and its federal and private partners. HJF's support and administrative capabilities allow military medical researchers and clinicians to maintain their scientific focus and accomplish their research goals.

About the MDC Studio

The MDC Studio is the operational unit of the Maryland Development Center Partnership, which was founded in 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. MDC Studio functions as a MedTech Startup Studio that provides engineering support, business development services, and funding to create and support companies commercializing medical devices. The Studio works with inventors to develop their ideas into working prototypes and marketable products and form companies that will grow and create value for both their shareholders and all of society. MDC Studio Baltimore is located in the historic Wilkens-Robins building in the heart of Baltimore, near the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins University where MDC’s founding partners and affiliates practice, teach, and research state of the art surgery and medicine.