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Shrimp Bandages Clot Blood Faster
dwbryson writes "A new bandage technology uses ground up shrimp shells to instantly clot blood when applied to an open wound. These new bandages were developed and are being produced exclusively for the military (at $100 for a 4x4" square), but the company who makes them is hoping to mass market them to general consumers."
But how much are they overcharging the military for these things?
Do I die a slow, fearful death from blood loss, or a slow bloated death from shellfish allergies. I'll be heading to Walgreens to get one of those cheap "I'm allergic to ..." medical tags just in case they start using them in Ambulances any time soon.
Given what you said about the cost it seems like something ideal for the back of an ambulance. Pricy, but urban ERs see a lot of major trama, I belive that is were battlefield surgeons frequently train. Then again you are talking about using a pricy item in a situation where people are less likely to be able to pay....
The company freely admits that the bandage is composed of a very ubiquitous shrimp-derived compound and vinegar. So why $100 a bandage? Either because:
1 - Their product is difficult to manufacture
2 - They give money back to the Wild Shrimp Rights Society
3 - They have a patent
4 - Their customer is the military, and they don't care paying up the wazoo for that sort of thing, because their money is free (i.e. yours, the taxpayer's)
Two of these four possibilities seem correct to me...
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>> Keep in mind that the United States and European armies are the only military forces that don't use disposable regiments
I don't think that's right. The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) puts a big premium on survival of individual soldiers.
Also, I don't think it's a difference in ideology so much as 1st world vs 3rd world realities. Medical treatment for basic needs is pretty lacking in many parts of the world, forget staff trained to handle battle wounds...
Guns, they got. Doctors, they don't.
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I wonder how this will affect those allergic to seafood or shellfish? I know a few people that that are deathly allergic to shrimp, would the military one be able to use this on those that have been screened? Could it cause more harm that good? The technology sounds very interesting though.
Most people are willing to pay $100 if their car breaks down for a tow. Is $100 that much for something to save your life? That's half a days salary at a decent job. Equipping every active US soldier with one of these would cost maybe $10M. Not a big deal in the defense world.
the only place outside of the military which strikes me as obvious is a construction site.
Let's see... Hunting, mountain climbing, oil rigs, cargo ships... basically anywhere where medical aid is hard to get to, and the chance of serious injury is high. They might also be useful for paramedics and air ambulance crews to have.
"I'm not impatient. I just hate waiting." - My Dad
There is no price that is too much for human life.
It's understandable to think that it's a crazy price for this. I don't know the specifics of the funding from the government, but usually initial high prices are the result of years of research and development. That R&D has to be paid for some how.
Now, that's not to say that the "government" has never paid stupid amounts of money for things like toilet seats and hammers, but in the case of medicine it's usually justified. Again, I don't know the details but this is usually the case for this sort of thing.
There are similar remedies that until recently were too costly to give to the public, surgical glue based bandages for one. Now you can get them at the grocery store for just a little more than traditional bandages.
This is just like any new technology, like LCD displays. Eventually the R&D will be paid for, and they will be produced in quantities that will become acceptable for the average person to purchase.
-illc0mm
So, what are their own goals?
How much would you charge per week to drive some cases of coke to soldiers for Haliburton, knowing that chances are you'll be dead within a year of working there.
Personally, I'd accept $10,000/wk, but only with a military or mercenary escort.
You have to pay a lot to get someone to be a supply line for the military, because you might as well have a gigantic "bomb me please" sign on all sides written in Arabic.
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$100 for the military probably translates to about a 25 cent cost, $75 in bribes and campaign contributions (is that redundant?), and $24.75 in profit.
I would bet that after the initial novelty wears off, they'll probably cost about as much as those silver bandages Curad makes.