Officials said the military was conducting trials in which electric
current was used to stop the bleeding of soldiers during battle. They said
the hundreds of volts of electricity could result in rapid clotting that
could save lives.
"This is a new technology that goes beyond anything else available," an
official said.
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The military trials took place in 2010 in cooperation with the Medical
Corps. Officials said the military was working with Tel Aviv University in a
project led by Professor Ofer Barnea.
The project included the development of a portable electrode that
could provide up to hundreds of volts of electricity within a micro-second.
The trials have shown that such a surge could constrict blood vessels in
chicken eggs.
So far, no testing has been conducted on humans. Officials said this
could take place by 2015.
The use of electricity to stop bleeding was developed by a U.S.
professor, Daniel Palanker of Stanford University. The method was examined
during meetings between military researchers from Israel and the United
States.
Israel has sought to enhance military medicine as part of efforts to
prepare for a regional war. The military's Medical Corps has already
developed an enhanced version of the traditional tourniquet as well as
medication for head injuries.