Hemafuse Surgery Demo © Image Courtesy of FINCA
As the war in Ukraine wages on, the need for life-saving support continues to grow. The invasion has caused a tremendous loss of lives and the tragic destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure. Across the globe, organizations and everyday heroes alike have come together to donate whatever possible in order to help those whose lives have been torn apart, from food to clothing and even blood.
There has been a global shortage of donated blood, both due to a string of cancelled blood drives over the COVID-19 pandemic and a reluctance among the public for fear of becoming infected with the virus. In Ukraine, where many are wounded and in need of urgent care, the need for blood is dire. Sisu Global, in which FINCA—a charity with operations in the U.S. and Canada—has invested, has created a way to fill that need. Sisu’s solution is a life-saving medical device, the Hemafuse system.
Hemafuse is the flagship product of Sisu. The system allows a surgeon to capture and reuse a trauma patient’s own blood as an alternative to using donor blood. This process saves on both blood resources and time, especially in cases where enough blood of a certain type is not available.
Medical research also indicates that recycling a patient’s own blood reduces the likelihood of complications like rejecting donor blood. Using one’s own blood, a process called autotransfusion, thus leads to safer surgical outcomes, improved diagnostic capability, and better community health overall. Another benefit is the shortened wait time to perform surgery, as there is no waiting period for the donor blood to arrive. A single use of the Hemafuse device can salvage up to three units of blood, which saves the equivalent amount in donor blood for other patients. This helps free up resources and brings down costs when donor blood is in short supply.
Sisu Global designed Hemafuse to solve the core challenge of the global donor blood shortage. In Africa, it is distributed through medical device distributors and Amref, the continent’s largest health development NGO. The system has already been saving lives in Africa and other parts of the world where there is a shortage of donated blood. Hemafuse can be a lifesaving solution for many trauma patients in Ukraine, where blood is in high demand.
The Hemafuse system operates simply: a patient’s blood is pulled up through a filter that removes clots and particulates. The blood is then pushed through tubing into a blood bag, where it waits to be transfused into the same patient, all without the use of electricity.
To date, the first shipment of 500 Hemafuse devices is in the hands of medical personnel on the frontlines to save lives in Ukraine, but more is needed. All devices will be taken directly to Kyiv, where they will be used to save the lives of those in need of a blood transfusion.
In partnership with U.S. and Ukrainian aid organizations Army SOS, Horizontal Connections, For Well Being, and Twin Global, Hemafuse is ready to deliver devices necessary for 1,000 surgeries.
FINCA and Sisu Global stand united with Ukraine. With your help, Hemafuse can provide life-saving care for Ukrainians.
