Meet TRON: A TeleRobotic Operator Network

The Telerobotic Surgery Operative Network (TRON) project has just completed an exciting major milestone – the delivery of the Taurus-M telesurgical robot prototype to TATRC’s Medical Robotic and Autonomous Systems (MedRAS) Lab.

MEDCOM CSM Hough Hones his Simulation Skills at TATRC

On 24 November, TATRC was privileged to host Command Sergeant Major Diamond Hough, of the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), as well as our own CSM, Victor Laragione, for a briefing on current initiatives and a tour of our Simulation facility.

MEDRAS Presents at Health IT Summit on 3D Printing Innovations

On 10 November 2020, Mr. Nathan Fisher presented as a panelist at the Department of Defense & Government Health Information Technology Summit held in Alexandria, VA sponsored by the Defense Strategies Institute (DSI).

Congratulations to TATRC’s Q1 Employee of the Quarter!

Team TATRC would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Ethan Quist, Robotics Engineer for TATRC’s Medical Robotics & Autonomous Systems (MedRAS) Division.

MHS operational innovations continue in battle against COVID-19

Operational medicine performed by deployed military medical personnel has always driven innovation, and this was more important than ever in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Army Seeks Robots to Transport Wounded Troops

The Army is examining ways to use autonomous vehicles to bring injured soldiers off the battlefield.

In September, Pennsylvania-based company RE2 Robotics received $1.1 million in Small Business Innovation Research funding from the Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center to work on a dexterous two-arm system called the Autonomous Casualty Extraction, or ACE.

Telemedicine Goes to Cyber Quest 20

Almost 20 years of military conflict has led to our front line medical personnel being trained to a higher level of clinical skills in order to treat battle trauma.

Employee Spotlight: TATRC Welcomes New Biomedical Engineer to the MEDRAS Team

Mr. Zachary “Zack” Buono has joined the TATRC team as a new Biomedical / Aeronautical Engineer. He has a background in Biomedical and Surgical Systems and will be supporting several exciting robotics projects in casualty evacuation and mission medical support.

MEDRAS Demos Clinical Decision Support System Prototype

Earlier this past summer, Dr. Amy Papadopoulos from TATRC’s Medical Robotics and Autonomous Systems Lab (MEDRAS) and Tami Rougeau demonstrated a prototype of a clinical decision support system for Mr. Jay Wang from the U.S. Army Medical Materiel and Development Agency.

Military health officials pivoted to help attack COVID-19

The military’s ability to pivot quickly to fight enemies doesn’t just apply to air, sea, ground and space forces. The military medical system has been in a unique position to respond to the urgency of COVID-19 on a number of fronts, defense health officials said.

Coronavirus is shaping military medicine for the future

For the military, the coronavirus pandemic is starting to echo lessons of war and shape the defense medical system in new ways, just as conflicts did in the past.

In the 2000s, military medicine had to learn on the fly how to deal with injuries from improvised explosive devices. The Defense Department put more resources into stopping bleeding, saving limbs and treating brain injuries. Those resources led to innovations and changes in medicine.

TATRC & WRAIR Team Up on New Device to Shield Surgeons While Treating COVID Patients

An old English proverb says, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” That never proved to be more true than now, while we witness our Nation striving to adapt and fight against the invisible enemy known as COVID-19.

TATRC Rises Up and Aids the “Front Lines” in the Battle Against COVID-19

COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the world, leaving despair and isolation as a feeling that many are trying to grow accustomed to. However, with all trials that Americans have faced, we have risen up and shown the world there are always helpers standing by, waiting to assist.

Dr. Gary Gilbert, TATRC’s “MISL Man,” Blasts Off into Retirement

Tuesday, 23 June 2020 marked the end of an era as COL (R) Dr. Gary Reed Gilbert, TATRC’s renowned thought-leader, pioneer, and innovator known throughout the world of military medicine, said farewell and officially began a well-earned retirement!

New Invention Helps Protect Healthcare Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic

If necessity and innovation are the driving forces behind invention, then the “COVID-19 Airway Management Isolation Chamber,” or CAMIC, is the perfect creation. The device, conceived, designed, built and tested by Military Health System and the Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) personnel, may be the answer to protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19 and other viruses during patient care.

A new device from Army doctors could be a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19

A team of Army doctors may have found the answer to the personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages impacting health care workers who are on the front lines of the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

A new device, called the COVID-19 Airway Management Isolation Chamber (CAMIC), is the brain-child of military doctors and researchers at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington State, and the Fort Belvoir Army Community Hospital in Virginia, among other institutions.

US Army doctors invent COVID-19 isolation chamber to protect hospital staff

BETHESDA, Maryland -- Army doctors working at hospitals within the Defense Health Agency have prototyped an isolation chamber that can be placed over the head and chest of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

MISL Lab Introduces New “Combat Evacuation Mission Module” Project

TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) has joined forces with the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) and Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR) on a new Science and Technology (S&T) effort entitled, “Combat Evacuation Mission Module” (CEMM), a Medical Robotic and Autonomous Systems (MedRAS) S&T Task Area project.

TATRC Research Supports U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

On 10 January 2020, TATRC supported the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery’s (BUMED) effort along with the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) to characterize the use of the CORNET STINN 4G LTE Manpack Radio for use as a communications enabler for Virtual Health in a tactical environment.

TATRC Welcomes NEW Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Engineer

Dr. Amy Papadopoulos, D.Sc. joins the TATRC team to support the MISL Lab as the AI and Machine Learning Engineer. The desire to help others has been a significant factor in many of Amy’s life decisions and she believes that joining the TATRC team will allow her to continue on this path.

TATRC Adds a Robotics Engineer to the MISL Team

Mr. Ethan Quist is the latest new hire to join the TATRC team as a Robotics Engineer working in our MISL lab supporting our Robotics efforts. He has recently graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a M.Eng. in Robotics. While there he concentrated in Medical Robotics and Rehabilitation Robotics.

TATRC Welcomes a NEW Project Officer to the Team!

Mr. Oliver Allen joins the TATRC Team as a Project Officer. He will primarily be supporting the MISL lab and their projects by assisting with research and collection and filing of communications and reports.

Congratulations to MISL’s Rebecca Lee on Employee of the Quarter!

Ms. Rebecca Lee of TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab is the Q1 Employee of the Quarter at TATRC HQ for continuing her outstanding work and untiring efforts as a Medical Robotic & Autonomous Systems (MED-RAS) Research Projects Biomedical Engineer. Ms. Lee represents the future of Army medical technology research and engineering. She aggressively and enthusiastically takes on and promptly completes any program management task, whether it involves science and engineering or administrative, managerial or training tasks.

No Pilot, No Problem: Unmanned “Flying” Laboratory Lifts Off in a TATRC First

Team TATRC does it again! On 29 October, the first flight and demonstration of the DP-14 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) was successfully held at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range in New Jersey. The project originated from TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab and concluded the first phase of a research collaboration between TATRC, the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Lab (USAARL), and DPI UAV Systems (DPI).

TATRC Visits UK’s Ministry of Defense to Establish a Collaborative Research Partnership

Last fall, TATRC personnel packed up and headed off to visit the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) Surgeon’s Office to collaborate with the United Kingdom’s military telemedicine lead, Lt Col Oliver Bartels. Mr. James Beach, Project Manager from TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab traveled as part of a multi-Service delegation, along with Dr. Greg Burnett from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Mr. Jeff Luciano from the Program Management Office, Special Operations Forces Support Survival Equipment Systems. Over the course of four days hosted at the MOD’s main building and the HMS President in London, the group met with 46 MOD personnel to conduct capability demonstrations with the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit (BATDOK™), and to discuss TATRC’s research roadmap for Virtual Health.

TATRC’s MISL Lab Hits the Range at Ft. Dix for their Annual Research Event

TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Laboratory (MISL) has been at it again. Last summer the MISL team conducted another research event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) ranges in New Jersey. This year’s event concentrated on collecting data on the latest research project that is focused on cloud capability on a military tactical radio network.

TATRC & NATO Look at Autonomous Tactical Evacuation in Munich

Following an initial meeting in the National Capital Area in April of the NATO Human Factors in Medicine (HFM) Autonomous Tactical Evacuation Exploratory Team (ET) chaired by Dr. Gary Gilbert, TATRC’s Lead for the Medical Intelligent Systems Lab, subject matter experts from multinational military departments of France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States came together again for a follow-up in Munich, Germany from 24 - 26 Sep 2019 to conclude the panel’s initial work.

TATRC Research Shines at 2019 MHSRS

Team TATRC made their way to the sunshine state in Kissimmee, Florida from 19 – 23 August for the MHS Research Symposium (MHSRS). The Annual MHSRS, held at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, is the Department of Defense’s premier scientific meeting that focuses on Combat Casualty Care (CCC).

Congratulations to TATRC’s Q3 Employee of the Quarter!

Mr. James Beach of TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems / Operational Medicine Laboratory was selected as TATRC’s Employee of the Quarter for his continuing excellent work and untiring efforts as a Research & Support Project Manager for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Joint Medical Exchange & Dissemination of Information for Combat Casualty Care (J-MEDIC3) Project, and for leading the efforts in supporting field evaluations of operational telemedicine and tactical medical information exchange technologies in collaboration with USSOCOM, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Army PEO Aviation, and the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC).

Another Successful Symposium with the Special Operations Medical Association

The 2019 Special Operations Medical Association’s (SOMA) Annual Symposium (SOMSA) was held 7 - 10 May in Charlotte, NC and key personnel from TATRC actively participated at this important yearly event. SOMA, a non-profit organization, focuses on the education and training of the Special Forces and Special Operations Combat Medics, who are often alone and unsupported in both tactical or non-tactical circumstances in remote, austere, and hostile environments.

TATRC Participates in its 3rd Pentagon Lab Day

Team TATRC had the honor and pleasure of being a part of the third biennial Department of Defense Lab Day 2019 held at the Pentagon Courtyard hosted by the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) which took place on 25 April.

Honorable Thomas McCaffery Visits USAMRDC

On 22 April, TATRC had the privilege of briefing the Honorable Thomas McCaffery, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD-HA), during his visit to USAMRDC HQ. Mr. Nate Fisher, of TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab, was on hand to demonstrate to Mr. McCaffery the key concepts of medical robotics and autonomous systems.

Joint Team Researches Battlefield Virtual Health of the Future

A joint team of collaborators came together at Camp Bullis, TX from 8 – 12 April to review and provide initial feedback on TATRC’s Medical Data Cloud (MDC) research study by examining multiple medical functional areas enhanced through innovative technology solutions.

Dr. Gary Gilbert Leads NATO Working Group into Unmanned Territories

For several years now, TATRC has performed research, mostly via Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) initiatives, in enabling technologies that allow combat casualties on future battlefields to be evacuated via unmanned “Robotic” ground or air systems.

General “Mike” Murray Tours USAMRDC and TATRC

On 26 February, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) had the privilege and honor of hosting General John “Mike” Murray, AFC Commander, for a demonstration, tour, and briefing of the Command, which included TATRC as one of the highlighted participants.

TATRC Revisits Tracking Battlefield Casualty Care through Joint mHIC/MISL SBIR

TATRC is excited to announce the launch of two new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects to address tracking combat casualty care in the pre-hospital setting.

USAARL Trains TATRC on Using an Environmental Factors Data Acquisition System

Can Unmanned Vehicles be made safe for evacuating combat casualties from hostile environments? That is the question which prompted ongoing collaboration between TATRC and the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) in research aimed at developing methods for measuring environmental factors that could affect patient safety onboard unmanned ground and air systems.

MISL Says “Aloha!” from Hawaii during Island Marauder Exercise

This past Fall, team members from TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) traveled to Oahu, Hawaii, where they performed training, network integration, and testing of telemedicine systems in support of the Island Marauder exercise.

TATRC Partners with PEO Aviation to Test AeroMednet at Network Integration Exercise 18.2

TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) sent a team of four personnel to participate in the Army’s Network Integration Exercise (NIE) 18.2 in partnership with Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX this past Fall.

Research, Development, & Evaluation of a Simulated Theater Cloud-based Architecture Supporting Multiple EHR Systems

At the end of FY18, TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) successfully completed its research of a JPC-1-funded three-year Medical Cloud Connectivity for Combat Casualty Care (MC5).

TATRC Provides Research Transition Support to USSOCOM

On 24 October 2018, Mr. James Beach, Project Manager for TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab, traveled to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Headquarters in Tampa, FL, to support Mr. Jeff Luciano, the Assistant Program Manager for the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) program.

TATRC Hosts Officers from the Korean Armed Forces Nursing Academy

On Tuesday, 13 November, TATRC had the distinct honor of hosting three senior military leaders from the Korean Armed Forces Nursing Academy for a morning of briefings on our key initiatives and focus areas, followed by an interactive tour and demonstration of our top technologies in the areas of Simulation, Unmanned Systems and Robotics, and Operational Telemedicine.

MISL Travels the Globe in Search of Unmanned Systems Partnerships

Dr. Gary Gilbert, Mr. Nathan Fisher and Ms. Rebecca Lee of TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab, along with several other representatives from the U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (MRMC), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and Air Force 59th MDW, traveled to Israel in early September.

TATRC Holds Telesurgical Consultation Test During MISL Evaluation Event

The U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), held a telesurgical consultation test and evaluation event at TATRC, 4-7 September 2018. TATRC conducted a proof-of-concept capabilities study to meet research objectives on multiple systems to perform tactical telemedicine & communications integration testing, as well as operational and technical proof-of-concept research objectives for Prolonged Care.

TATRC’s MISL Team Takes to the Podium at 2018 AUSA Medical Symposium & Exposition

The 2018 Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare Army Medical Symposium and Exposition was held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Center in San Antonio, TX from 27-28 June. The goal of the symposium was to educate and inform the attendees on a wide-array of challenges and opportunities for Army medicine in an increasingly complex world.

TATRC Demonstrates Op-T-med Capabilities at Army Science Conference

Summer sizzled this past August with TATRC heating things up in the District! On 22 – 23 August, two members from the Medical Intelligent Systems Laboratory (MISL) represented TATRC at the 2018 National Defense Industrial Association’s Army Science & Technology Symposium and Showcase.

TATRC Congratulates Mr. Tom Bigott, Q4 Employee of the Quarter

Mr. Tom Bigott, Project Manager supporting TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) has been named TATRC’s Employee of the Quarter for Q4 for his continued excellent work and untiring efforts supporting three significant MISL Projects: 1) Joint Program Committee – 1 (JPC-1) funded Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care, 2) MRMC funded P6.7 electronic Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Card / DD1380 implementation for site of injury and pre-hospital enroute care in Army and Marine Corps tactical ground formations, and 3) the Virginia Tech Medic’s Ruggedized SMART Phone GUI project.

TATRC Chair & ASBREM Convene Autonomous Medical Evac Workshop

In preparing to address the medical needs of future conflict, Dr. Gary Gilbert, TATRC Chair of the Joint Medical Unmanned Systems Working Group (JMUSWG), worked in concert with the Executive Secretary of the Armed Services Biomedical Research and Evaluation and Management (ASBREM) to plan, organize, convene, and execute an Autonomous Medical Evacuation (AME) State of the Science Workshop.

New training mannequins bleed, breathe, move, scream -- all to help Soldiers save lives

The U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, held a telesurgical consultation test and evaluation event at TATRC, 4-7 September 2018. TATRC conducted a proof-of-concept capabilities study to meet research objectives on multiple systems to perform tactical telemedicine & communications integration testing, as well as operational and technical proof-of-concept research objectives for Prolonged Care.

TATRC Staff Participates in AHS Mission Command & Interoperability in MDB Seminar

Two key staff members from TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) were invited as guest speakers to present at the Army Health System Mission Command and Interoperability in Multi-Domain Battle (MDB) Seminar, 3-6 April, at the Health Readiness Center of Excellence (HRCoE) at Joint Base San Antonio, TX.

Military Integration & Utility Evaluation of Telemedicine Capabilities over 4G LTE Manpack Radios

TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL) entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with CORNET Technologies on 4 June.

Team TATRC Participates at Annual SOMSA Conference

Eight members from Team TATRC participated in this year’s Special Operations Medical Association’s Scientific Assembly (SOMSA) in Charlotte, North Carolina from 14 – 17 May.

Newly Formed Army Futures Command Visits TATRC

On 17 April, TATRC was pleased and honored to host Lieutenant General Edward C. Cardon for a visit and tour of our initiatives and capabilities. As LTG Cardon is an advocate of “disruptive innovation,” visiting TATRC to learn about how we rapidly prototype and think outside the box was a natural fit.

TATRC Goes Dutch — Medical Officers get VIP Tour and Demo

On 6 June, TATRC had the distinct honor of hosting three Dutch Military Medical Officers, representing the Netherlands Surgeon General’s office. COL Albert Riedstra, Lt. COL Eric Onnouw, and Lt. COL Marc de Bruijn were on site to visit USAMRMC, and came to TATRC specifically to learn about Virtual Medicine, Operational Medicine, Robotic & Autonomous Systems, and Medical Modeling & Simulation.

TATRC Briefs at the Army Marine Corp C2 / SA Convergence IPT

Two members of TATRC’s Medical Intelligent Systems Lab (MISL), Mr. Carl Manemeit and Mr. James Beach, briefed the Army-Marine Corps (A/MC) Command, Control and Situational Awareness (C2/SA) Convergence Systems Engineering Integrated Process Team (IPT) on Operational Virtual Health research concepts.

New CRADA Agreement in Place with Sensogram Technologies, LTD

The Operational Telemedicine team under TATRC, pursues research objectives that support medical data exchanges of information for Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) in the Prolonged Field Care environment to enhance the delivery of healthcare by military medical personnel from the point of need throughout the continuum of care in the operational environment to a Role III facility.

It wasn’t that long ago when the concept of the future—this time beyond time, this collection of years on the horizon somewhere—was just that, a simple concept. But as we move from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) onto a newer and more complex version of the battlefield, the future is beginning to look increasingly familiar—more and more like a direct reflection of the past.

Several members of Team TATRC were invited to Carlisle Barracks in PA to participate in a weeklong ‘deep dive’ into the topic of how the Army will employ robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) in a future operating environment using the Multi-Domain Battle (MDB) framework.

Several members of Team TATRC were invited to Carlisle Barracks in PA to participate in a weeklong ‘deep dive’ into the topic of how the Army will employ robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) in a future operating environment using the Multi-Domain Battle (MDB) framework.

Mr. Nathan Fisher, Project Manager for Medical Robotics and Autonomous Systems with TATRC’s Operational Telemedicine Lab, has been selected the TATRC Employee of the Quarter for Q2.

Ms. Tee Dockery is a Cellular End User Device Software Engineer at TATRC, where she will be doing Android application development for the Operational Telemedicine Lab.