2 August 2016, 11:34 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A new design for a combat tourniquet to stop blood flow in limbs following injuries on the battlefield has been unveiled by Russian medical engineering firm Medplant, media reported Monday.
The one-handed tourniquet enables the life-saving procedure to be performed single-handedly, the company’s tactical medical instructor told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
"The tourniquet’s design enables a soldier to apply it single-handedly to an injured extremity. You only need to strap it on with the help of a hook-and-loop fastener and rotate the handle, providing pressure that stops the bleeding," he said.
The new tourniquets have been tested by the country’s elite police squads and by the Kirov Military Medical Academy in the extreme Antarctic climate. The tests revealed several advantages of the Russian design over the SOF and CAT versions, used by the US Army.
"Our tourniquets are more practical and easier to use in comparison to their western analogues," the instructor said.
He pointed out that US tourniquets would unravel if not pulled until they are very tight, while the Russian model is provided with a row of security locks that allow the user to pause during the procedure.
