A phone book-sized surgical kit designed for the world’s most extreme environments

In extreme environments where evacuation isn’t an option and urgent care is needed, a new surgical technology steps in to fill the gap — one that can fit inside of a backpack and costs a fraction of traditional field setups.

The WildOR Kit, developed by Dr. Neil K. Reid and a team of medical engineering students from the Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine (EnMed), is designed to help medical teams perform life-saving surgeries in harsh, resource-limited environments.

The kit also features the Adjustable Retracting and Tool-holding (ART) system developed by Carson Benner and Avinav Saini, two second-year medical engineering students at Texas A&M EnMed in Houston, enabling enhanced precision and stability of instruments during on-field invasive surgeries.

“What if you needed lifesaving surgery, but there wasn’t an operating room nearby?” Benner said. “We’re answering this question differently: what if the operating room came to you?”

Prolonging ‘the golden hour’

The WildOR kit, along with the ART system, pushes the boundaries of medical intervention by equipping providers with an operating site and tools to perform common invasive procedures when medical evacuation isn’t possible.

“There’s a well-documented concept called ‘the golden hour of trauma care,’ when patients are far more likely to survive major trauma if treated with definitive surgical care within the first hour,” Benner said. “With this system, we are able to provide care quicker and extend that golden hour, buying critical time until a patient is treated in a higher-resource care setting.”

The kit supports a wide range of procedures, including chest tube insertions, laceration repairs, wound debridement, damage control surgery and even limb amputations.

The newly introduced ART system also allows surgeons to position and stabilize tools efficiently — even if only one hand is free.

“It isn’t just a surgical and operating pack,” said Benner. “It’s a lifeline.”

Designed for crisis, ready for anywhere

Engineered for extreme and remote conditions, the WildOR kit prioritizes mobility, speed and ease of use — from combat zones to potential space applications.

“It’s adaptable to numerous applications: active combat zones, humanitarian disaster missions, wilderness medicine and even potentially use in low-gravity environments,” Benner said.

The kit isn’t limited to extreme settings. It can also be used in situations of mass casualty.

“It’s also applicable in traditional health care settings, where it can supplement existing capabilities,” Benner said. “Say the infrastructure of a hospital or city is overwhelmed, the WildOR kit could expand on existing care capacities.”

Built for the field, at a fraction of the cost

Traditional field kits often fall short due to their limited surgical capabilities, challenges in transportation and sterile set up, and high manufacturing costs.

The WildOR kit addresses these limitations with a modular system that maximizes impact while minimizing barriers to care — all packed into the size of compact phone book.

“It’s easily transportable to even the harshest environments, and customizable for various scenarios. We’ve also focused heavily on the manufacturing process that allows for reuse and significantly lowers costs,” Benner said.

The kit securely attaches to the patient, deploying a sterile surgical site and variety of tools without the need for an instrument tray or scrub tech. The ART system positions and stabilizes these tools, enabling a solo provider to perform invasive procedures with precision — no assistant required.

“With the ART system, we included as many degrees of freedom as possible for flexibility, visualization and exposure, to closely resemble an operating room,” Benner said. “You can position and lock the ART system to the WildOR kit in under 30 seconds, and it costs less than $25 in raw materials.”

Redefining the future of emergency medicine

While the team is testing the surgical kit both in simulation and operational settings, early feedback has been enthusiastic.

“There are currently protocols being developed to investigate how the device functions during a simple procedure that can be performed in under 15 minutes with minimal training,” Benner said.

The WildOR kit marks a turning point in emergency care. Its rare combination of affordability, portability and potential to improve clinical outcomes is designed to meet the moment — wherever that moment may be.

“Working on this project really has opened up my eyes on the opportunities for surgical and procedural innovation,” Benner said. “I believe that there are exciting possibilities and applications ahead.”

For more information about Benner, visit here.

The technology is detailed in Annals of Emergency Medicine.