USAISR, MIT Lincoln Laboratory team up on AI tool for nerve block anesthetics
The U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Organ Support and Automation Technologies team is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory to develop a new device for providing regional pain control in trauma patients while they are still at or near the point of injury.
The device uses advanced artificial intelligence technology to recognize and map the location of regional nerve bundles on the patient’s body and automatically guide a needle to the correct location for delivery of pain control medications. A safety mechanism prevents needle insertion until the appropriate anatomical target has been identified. These features will enable the device to be used by medics with little or no expertise in providing regional anesthesia, making it ideal for use in mass casualty events and other scenarios where such experts will likely be in short supply.