 
Every second counts at the scene of a trauma or on the battlefield. And Dallas-based Estill Medical Technologies, Inc. has developed an innovative product that helps medical personnel save lives in those critical situations.
The Thermal Angel Blood and IV Fluid Infusion Warmer is used by medical personnel to warm those fluids and help prevent a serious condition, fluid-induced hypothermia. Because the product is small and battery powered, it is easier to use and can be put in place more quickly during a patient's treatment.
"Other products weigh between 40 and 100 pounds and require A/C power, so they're not mobile and are difficult to set up," said Jay Lopez, chief operating officer of Estill Medical Technologies. And the other fluid warming products take much longer to work.
"In an emergency situation, there isn't time to wait," Lopez said. The product can also be put in place on the accident or battle scene and left there as the patient is transported by ambulance or military vehicle to a hospital and then used for days.
The U.S. military is the largest customer for the product.
"They use them as quickly as we can make them," Lopez said. Estill employs six in Dallas and manufactures the devices overseas. The product's prototype was developed in 1998, and it was first used in surgery in 2000.
The company is exploring partnerships with large multinational companies to make its product available in other countries. More than 100 potential customers would like to use it, including foreign governments, militaries and disaster relief specialists, Lopez said.
-Lisa Tanner
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