This invention relates to a novel, real-time blood loss quantification device for use in surgical and obstetric settings. This system estimates blood volume absorbed by surgical gauze or sponges by extracting hemoglobin into a fixed-volume reagent, then quantifying absorbance using optical detection methods. This solution improves accuracy over gravimetric and camera-based blood measurement methods and can be used in clinical, low-resource, and emergency settings. Background: In contrast to vital signs, blood loss is not automatically and continually tracked. Currently, the standard of care to estimating blood loss is by visually estimating the surgical field, which studies have proven highly inaccurate. Surgical teams frequently over-transfuse blood during procedures in an attempt to make up for this, not only putting patients at serious risk but also wasting valuable resources. This invention aims to provide an accurate, low-cost, and real-time tool to quantify blood loss in the operating room, minimizing subjectivity and enhancing clinical decision-making regarding transfusion and resuscitation. Applications:
Advantages: