New blast device issued to Aust soldiers

Australian troops are to receive better and faster treatment after being caught in an explosion thanks to a new device being rolled out in Afghanistan.

The blast gauges measure the pressure wave created by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have the potential to collapse lungs and cause massive brain damage even if a soldier is not caught in the blast itself.

Unveiling the devices in Sydney on Monday, Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said the gauges would help medics provide faster and better treatment.

'This is very important because when people are involved in an IED they may not have any physical manifestations of the blast, but depending on the nature of the blast they may have internal injuries or brain injuries,' the minister said.

Mr Snowdon said the gauges, which are about the size of a 50-cent coin, would light up in red, amber or green after an explosion - red indicating a very high danger of internal or brain injury.

About 400 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan have already received the devices, with another 10,000 of the items due to be rolled out over the next year.

Each soldier will wear three devices - one on the chest, another on the shoulder and a third on the back of the helmet - to measure the blast wave from all directions.

Measurements will be stored on a database to provide a point of reference for future explosions.

Mr Snowdon said the blast gauges would help with ongoing research into explosions and traumatic brain injuries.

'There's a lot we don't know about mild and traumatic brain injury and the impact of explosive events,' he said.

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New blast device issued to Aust soldiers