Wilsonville-based SAM Medical has been honored with a top award from the U.S. Army.
The SAM Junctional Tourniquet received a Greatest Innovation Award for 2015, the company announced. The company began developing it in 2010 to prevent bleeding in the groin and shoulder areas.
Hemorrhages in those areas often result from blast injuries from improvised explosive devices and carry a high amputation rate.
SAM developed a tourniquet based on another of its products, the SAM Pelvic Sling. The end result was a tourniquet that reduces the chance of a pelvic fracture and compresses the artery. The Army Medical Command selected it for use in the field.
According to SAM Medical, the tourniquet was the unanimous choice of the Army, NATO and Israeli military medics when they were asked, “If you went to war tomorrow, which junctional tourniquet would you take?”
The SAM Splint is the biggest selling emergency splint in the world. With that and “pre-hospital” products, including the tourniquet and a chest seal, the company has been seeking new markets ranging from NASCAR to consumer outdoor retailers.