Innovative Israeli thermal patch designed to save soldiers’ lives on the battlefield

Israeli start-up company Rescue Heat has developed an innovative thermal patch that could potentially revolutionize live-saving treatments for soldiers on the battlefield.

The company is the brainchild of Hagay Weisbrod, CEO of Noyad Biomed and Dr. Amit Lehavi, director of the Pediatric Anesthesia Unit at the Rambam Health Care Campus, two seasoned professional with both medical and military expertise.

Hypothermia is life-threatening medical condition that happens when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, leading to a rapidly decreasing body temperature. Serious injuries and blood loss on the battlefield can lead to this dangerous condition.

Rescue Heat addresses this life-threatening challenge with the development of a thermal patch that rewarms the body, preventing the deterioration of a patient’s medical condition. At the moment, the new medical innovation has passed feasibility tests on healthy skin in a laboratory environment.

In addition, the thermal patch has been sent to Israel Defense Forces for empirical testing during real battle conditions in the Gaza Strip.

"In trauma situations, such as combat injuries, the body may go into shock and lose heat for various reasons, such as blood loss, the inability to maintain body heat due to peripheral blood vessel constriction, and sometimes simply lying on the cold ground," Dr. Lehavi explained.

He has accumulated valuable experience during many rescue and relief missions in realistic settings.

"Once the body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the body enters a state of hypothermia, and various body systems stop functioning as they should. In the context of injuries and bleeding, the main danger in these situations is that hypothermia affects blood clotting, leading to uncontrolled bleeding and an increased risk to life," Lehavi said.

Adi Shalev, manager of the Rescue Heat project, stressed that the company’s goal is to prevent hypothermia by keeping the patient’s temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the critical 95-degree level.

"This temperature serves as the safety limit for skin attachment, revolutionizing the process of directly applying the sticker to the injured body and significantly enhancing heat transfer compared to existing alternatives. We aim to maintain the injured person's body temperature within the normal range of 98.6 degrees," Shalev explained.

If proven successful, the innovative Israeli thermal patch could eventually become part of the standard equipment for the Israeli army, as well as U.S. forces and many other militaries around the world.

The Jewish state, known internationally as the Start-Up Nation, has established a reputation for innovative excellence. Many Israeli innovations were developed as solutions to real military challenges. For instance, the famous Israeli Merkava tank is a product of hard-won Israeli battle experiences.

It is uniquely designed to maximize crew security by placing the engine in the front of the vehicle rather than in the back, as is the standard for most battle tanks in the world. New Merkava versions also have advanced and upgraded defensive capabilities against anti-tank missiles, mortars and grenades.