Ponte Vedra-based company sends cutting-edge wound care to Ukraine

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Cutting-edge medical technology has arrived in Ukraine with the help of one local group based in the Jacksonville area.

Through new technology called ActiGraft, Israeli medical company RedDress donated 400 blood-clotting wound care systems last week to hospitals in Ukraine. The systems will help those suffering from serious injuries and severe trauma.

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Action News Jax spoke with Robert Mueller who is RedDress’ general manager. He explained how the systems work.

“At point of care in about 15 minutes, we take the patient’s own blood and convert that into an autologous piece of tissue -- which we place into the wound bed once a week,” Mueller said. “It’s basically to trick the body into thinking a chronic wound is an acute wound and start that healing process over again.”

RedDress said this is the first time their technology will be deployed and used in a war zone. It’s typically used in hospitals or a care setting — not on an active battlefield.

ActiGraft was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, and the technology is often used for things like diabetic foot ulcers and pressure injuries.

Once the kit is opened, you’ll find visual instructions on the lid. Inside are gloves, a phlebotomy kit to draw the blood, a procedure tray to make the tissue and other necessary items.

“We’ve partnered with our distributor there to ensure we have physicians trained to do the procedure and deploy it in the hospitals there to help civilians and families heal,” Mueller said.

As the group puts it, the need overseas is urgent.

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“Our slogan is healing is in our blood,” Mueller said. “Being that we use our own blood to heal ourselves -- so kind of following that mantra is taking that healing theme and hopefully deploying that to Ukraine.”

Mueller said the ActiGraft systems have arrived in Ukraine and the training is active.

They’re expecting the technology to be deployed in the field any day now.

“We hope this is just a small piece to help start that healing process,” Mueller said.

Just last year, RedDress’s ActiGraft was recognized as one of the year’s “Top 10 Innovations” by Podiatry Today, a medical trade journal.

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