ARTIS awarded Development Contract with US RDECOM

ARTIS has been awarded a $270,000 development contract with the US Army, Research Development of Engineering Command (RDECOM) through the Technology Support working Group (TSWG) for the development of an integral pass through protective patch for level A protective garments.

Avon Protection Systems (APS) will provide a customer point of contract role and will use the co-operative effort of ARTIS who will lead the development of the patch and adhesive system and ISI who will integrate their existing pass through technology with the integral sealing patch.

The development will address a need for an emergency patch device for first responders working in immediately dangerous to life and health environments (IDLH). The patch will be used in situations where an emergency responder is trapped or incapacitated and is running low on air. In this situation there is an immediate and critical need to re-supply air to the individual until they can be removed to an uncontaminated environment. Using the patch system a rescuer, after making an incision in the stricken responders suit, (Figure A) is able to patch in a replacement air system using a connector and air line supplied as part of the system (Figure B). The suit incision is then re-sealed using the integral patch to protect the responder from further contamination until he can be removed from the area. A key challenge is to develop an adhesive system for the patch which is field deployable and capable of being applied by a responder wearing full protective equipment. ARTIS are ideally placed to meet this challenge having worked on many similar systems for personal protective equipment

The 10 month contract will result in the delivery of 10 prototype systems for evaluation by TSWG.