“Plasma Knife” Gets Field Tested, No Force Necessary

You’ve got to love experimental Army projects. Between the recently-hushed up mini-nuke, and a plasma knife that’s now going into field testing, it’s like they’re turning all of our sci-fi movie and video game fantasies into real life weapons and tools. Indeed, the plasma knife resembles a Lightsaber in description alone, consisting of heated, ionized gas that effortlessly cuts through flesh. But the twist is that this knife is used for healing, rather than harming.

It’s intended for soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan who survive a bullet or a bombing, and need to stop the bleeding in order to survive. Like a red-hot iron, the knife cauterizes open wounds, but with greater precision. When time is of the essence, the plasma knife can be a life saver, but it also prevents infection. When stranded in remote locations where there’s no medic in sight, troopers can use the plasma knife to melt their own flesh and form a bandage. So, what does it look like? It’s not clear from Wired’s report, but it’s probably pen-sized, a lot like the tool used in radiosurgery, but with a separate wearable power pack. Theres no word on when the plasma knife will become standard issue, or when our army will finally be equipped with plasma rifles. [via Wired]