Combat casualty care technology receives FDA breakthrough designation for the 'AI-GUIDE'

Published Feb. 4, 2026
59th Medical Wing Chief Scientist’s Office, Science & Technology

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --

The Defense Health Agency Director, Dr. David Smith, showcased a significant breakthrough in combat casualty care when he visited San Antonio, Texas, in April 2025, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Device Designation to the "AI-GUIDE" system, with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory.

A demonstration of the AI-GUIDE system is done during a visit to VelocityTX in San Antonio, Texas, April 2025. The AI-enabled robotic ultrasound device recently received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and is designed to help frontline medical personnel rapidly establish vascular access in austere combat environments. (Photo by Steven Galvan)

This artificial intelligence-enabled system is designed to assist frontline medical personnel in establishing rapid and accurate vascular access in austere combat environments. The DHA supports this innovation through funding to create a system that helps frontline medical providers establish vascular access efficiently and precisely in combat zones with limited resources.

The AI-Guide (Artificial Intelligence-Guided Ultrasound Interventional Device) is a robotic medical technology developed by researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. It is designed to assist frontline medical personnel - especially those in military or remote settings - in rapidly and reliably gaining vascular access (such as inserting an intravenous line or catheter) in high-stress, low-resource environments. The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program designation represents a significant achievement for battlefield medical care.

The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program accelerates the development and evaluation process for medical devices that deliver superior treatments for fatal medical conditions. Notably, Dr. Jason Rall and Col. Wayne Causey of the 59th Medical Wing-Science and Technology and the 959th Medical Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, supported MIT LL by collaborating under the Data Transfer Agreement with Brooke Army Medical Center, which enabled the AI-GUIDE project.

The AI-GUIDE device operates within a DHA research program that focuses on noncompressible torso hemorrhage because it represents the primary cause of preventable combat deaths in current military operations.

Military medical personnel participate in a familiarization and validation demonstration of the AI-GUIDE system at the Fort Bliss Medical Simulation Center in El Paso, Texas. The AI-enabled technology supports rapid vascular access and is intended to improve treatment of noncompressible torso hemorrhage, a leading cause of preventable combat deaths. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Olivia Cobiskey-Haftmann)

The identification of internal bleeding sources through invasive surgical exploration causes delays in administering life-saving treatments for NCTH. The DHA accelerated innovation by providing animal experiment data from swine models that simulated battlefield injuries to MIT LL. To accelerate innovation, the DHA provided MIT LL with a comprehensive data set from the 59th Medical Wing, derived from animal experimentation using swine models designed to simulate battlefield injuries.

These data were collected to support an ongoing study titled “Localization of Noncompressible Torso Hemorrhage Using. Minimally-Invasive Endovascular Techniques to Detect Battlefield Relevant Injuries.” The goal is to test and refine technologies capable of localizing internal bleeding without the need for surgical intervention.

Under Dr. Brian Telfer's leadership, MIT LL is conducting advanced analysis and modeling to interpret these data. This work is expected to yield a final report and multiple technical outputs. Collaborators will also contribute to scientific manuscripts and presentations.