The SCEPTRE Suction Device: Bridging Portability and Performance in Combat Medicine.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Effective airway management is crucial for emergency and combat care.
• Portable suction devices are needed for effective airway clearance in austere environments.
• Existing portable suction devices present a trade-off between power and portability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact, lightweight portable suction device for emergency and combat settings.
• To address the limitations of existing portable suction devices lacking sufficient performance or portability.

Main Methods:

• The Suction Capability for Emergencies: Portable Technology for Responders (SCEPTRE) device was designed with end-user feedback.
• Performance testing included vacuum pressure, air flow rate, and liquid flow rate using water, blood, and vomit simulants.
• SCEPTRE was compared to the SSCOR Quickdraw and Laerdal V-VAC, with performance normalized by device weight and volume.

Main Results:

• SCEPTRE demonstrated a vacuum pressure of 266.7 ± 2.1 mmHg and an average air flow rate of 3.44 ± 0.04 L/min.
• Liquid flow rates for SCEPTRE across simulants were consistent, with high normalized flow-to-weight (8.25 L/min/kg) and flow-to-volume (7.05 × 10⁻³ L/min/cm³) ratios.
• SCEPTRE exhibited superior weight- and volume-normalized efficiency compared to competitors.

Conclusions:

• SCEPTRE provides satisfactory suction performance across relevant physiological fluids.
• The device demonstrates high weight- and volume-normalized efficiency, outperforming competitors.
• SCEPTRE shows significant potential for use in combat and prehospital care settings.