Providing first aid for stab wounds is complicated by the lack of proper qualifications in police officers, which, as a result, can lead to a large loss of blood and even death of the victims. The sad statistics of crimes with the use of cold weapons inspired the American student Joseph Bentley from Loughborough University to create the original REACT device, capable of stopping bleeding from a knife wound in a matter of seconds without the involvement of qualified medical personnel.
The REACT device is made in the shape of a handgun and will allow police officers to plug a stab wound on the spot, stop bleeding and preserve the health and sometimes the life of the victim. Using REACT, even an inexperienced police officer is able to provide first aid to a victim and wait for qualified personnel to arrive.
The design of the REACT handgun consists of two main parts: a medical silicone sleeve for wound packing and a portable drive. A tamponade is inserted into the stab wound, and the actuator inflates the tampon to fill the entire wound space. As a result, bleeding can be stopped in just 30 seconds.
Joseph Bentley has applied for a patent for the REACT handgun, but it will take a long time to test it and conduct a full cycle of clinical trials to enable the real implementation of the device.
