Thornhill Medical’s flagship technology shines in live demonstration of modular surge solution for large scale civilian medical emergencies.
Thornhill Medical’s MOVES® SLC™ technology showcased its strengths in a recent large-scale civilian disaster-preparedness exercise, reinforcing its value as a true dual-use solution capable of delivering ICU-level care in emergency settings. Featured in an August 2025 demonstration of a modular medical surge facility, the mobile, multifunction life-support system marked a key milestone in a multi-year pilot project supporting the U.S. National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which aims to design, develop, and validate rapidly deployable modular or convertible medical facilities that can be quickly activated to expand surge capacity during national emergencies. The exercise also highlighted advanced capabilities, including multi-patient telemetry and centralized patient monitoring.
The exercise demonstrated the full setup and operation of a prototype Modular Surge Unit (MSU), designed for rapid deployment at NDMS partner hospitals and capable of supporting up to 1,000 patients per day for as long as 100 days during large-scale medical or national security emergencies. The demonstration highlighted MOVES SLC’s role as a mobile ICU device within both the MSU’s General Medical-Surgical and Intensive Care patient ward configurations.
The pilot site featured a prototype modular medical facility in trailers and soft-wall tents, built to boost surge capacity in national security emergencies.
Oxygen independence, compact size vital in austere surge environments
During the exercise, Thornhill Medical’s Marc Whedbee briefed participants on MOVES SLC’s range of functions and showcased its performance within the austere, space-constrained environment of the surge facility.
“MOVES SLC was designed for environments where space, power, and time are constrained,” said Whedbee, explaining that the technology is compact and battery-operated, requires no external oxygen, and can be set up quickly to enable ICU-level care in approximately 10 minutes. “Its rapid deployment and seamless transition from litter to bedside to wall mount sustains acute and critical care across the full continuum, from transport through recovery. Combined with its advanced multi-patient telemetry and remote monitoring, MOVES SLC is ideally suited for high-tempo surge operations.”
“MOVES SLC can be set up in about 10 minutes to deliver ICU-level care, with a compact, battery-powered design, seamless transition, and advanced multi-patient telemetry—making it ideal for high-tempo surge operations.”
“Simply put, we were built for this,” Whedbee added.
The prototype MSU used for the demonstration was a hard-sided trailer outfitted as an 8-bed mobile medical unit with a central nursing station. Each patient bed featured a wall-mounted MOVES SLC unit, paired with a large-screen HDMI display in addition to the touch-pad interface. This setup maximized information visibility and patient access while minimizing clutter, cables, and tripping hazards for clinical personnel.
Telemetry prototype unlocks new capabilities in multi-patient care
A key feature demonstrated during the exercise was MOVES SLC’s Multi-Patient Telemetry Solution. Currently pre-commercial, Thornhill Medical’s proprietary telemetry software enables wireless, centralized monitoring of multiple patients at a central nursing station.
“Our use of telemetry for multi-patient monitoring is another ground-breaking first for this kind of medical technology,” explains Keqin Chen, product manager for MOVES SLC and MADM™, Thornhill Medical’s mobile anesthesia device. “From a single central nursing station, clinical personnel have a real-time view of patient status, with the ability to zoom in on individual devices for detailed vital signs and ventilation data. It’s a significant step forward in enabling better patient care and improving the efficiency and versatility of patient care teams.” The telemetry can also link multiple care facilities or trailers to a central monitoring hub and supports secure remote monitoring from an off-site location.
Launched in October 2023, the NDMS pilot project is funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The project, which aims to enhance the speed, scale, and quality of response to large scale civilian medical emergencies, has brought together partners including Thornhill Medical, Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) and leading medical providers in a team led by Deloitte Consulting LLP.
During 2024, the project team developed a prototype MSU design that could be deployed and tailored to any NDMS partner hospital site, along with a training plan and implementation framework. Throughout 2025, the prototype design and deployment framework were refined, culminating in the live set-up and demonstration of the MSU in August 2025. Following the demonstration, stakeholders noted the operational value of the solution, particularly its ability to support rapid expansion of critical care capacity without relying on fixed hospital infrastructure.
Pilot project showcases MOVES SLC in dual-use scenarios
For Thornhill Medical, the project underscores the company’s long-standing focus on developing technologies that perform reliably in both military and civilian contexts.
“As a true dual-use platform, MOVES SLC enables life-saving care wherever it’s needed, from Ukraine’s underground medical facilities, to ships, air ambulance and medical transport vehicles, to fixed and temporary hospital settings,” said Thornhill Medical’s Chief Technology Officer, Drew Miller. “We continue to innovate, adding capabilities like telemetry for remote monitoring, Total Hemoglobin (SpHb) measurement and more to expand its impact and transform critical care in emergency situations.”
“As a true dual-use platform, MOVES SLC enables life-saving care wherever it’s needed.”
The NDMS pilot exercise reinforces MOVES SLC’s proven versatility as a dual-use platform, capable of delivering ICU-level care in diverse environments. With ongoing innovation and real-world deployment across military and civilian settings, Thornhill Medical continues to advance life-saving solutions for critical care in emergencies worldwide.
