Gauze to pack, a cup to focus pressure, a shield for an eye and a sheet to cover a wound — in one package, applied with movements that still work when fine motor skills do not.
At a glance
10 things to know about the OLAES Modular Bandage
What is inside the wound pad, what each part is for, and where it sits in TCCC.
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01
Six features, one package
Hook-and-loop control strips built into the elastic wrap, a true pressure cup, a plastic occlusive sheet, 3 m of sterile gauze, a non-adherent wound pad that holds the gauze, and a securing clip.4 TacMed's point: the advanced parts are tucked away, used if needed and ignored if not.3
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02
The pressure cup puts pressure on the wound
The cup focuses pressure on the wound site, where it helps occlude damaged vessels, instead of spreading it around the limb, and it reduces the manual pressure a responder has to hold.3 It is transparent, so bleeding that is not controlled stays visible.3
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03
It comes out as a rigid eye shield
Removed from the bandage, the pressure cup serves as a rigid eye shield for ocular injuries.3,4 For a penetrating eye injury, the TCCC Guidelines call for a rigid eye shield, not a pressure patch.1 Cover the eye; never press on it.
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04
Three meters of gauze in the pad
Sterile gauze is zig-zag packed inside the non-adherent wound pad and feeds out for packing, so gauze and bandage come from one package.3,4 It is plain gauze. For life-threatening bleeding from a wound you can pack, pack a evidence-based standard hemostatic first — Combat Gauze is the evidence-based hemostatic dressing of choice1 — and use the OLAES to lock it in.
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05
The occlusive sheet
A plastic sheet sits behind the wound pad; TacMed lists it for chest or abdominal injuries.3,4 For an open chest wound, the TCCC Guidelines call for a vented chest seal, or a non-vented seal if no vented seal is available — carry a dedicated chest seal. For eviscerated abdominal organs, TCCC calls for a moist sterile dressing or a water-impermeable covering; clear plastic food wrap is one of its examples.1
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06
Control strips and a securing clip
Hook-and-loop control strips keep the elastic from unrolling during application, even if the roll is dropped, and the securing clip locks the finished bandage in place so your hands are free for the next casualty.3,4
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07
Gross motor skills only
Stress degrades fine motor skills. The OLAES wraps without direction changes around hooks or bars, and the elastic stays flat instead of twisting into a cord.3
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08
Three sizes, all with NSNs
4 in. (OAL-4, NSN 6510-01-558-3342) and 4 in. flat-packed (OALFP-4, NSN 6510-01-631-7893) weigh 3 oz; 6 in. (OAL-6, NSN 6510-01-558-3443) weighs 3.7 oz. Every size unrolls to 48 in. ± 2 in.3,4
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09
Not on the evidence-based device list
The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list names tourniquets and hemostatic dressings and has no pressure-bandage category, so the OLAES is not evidence-based standard.2 Pressure dressings still have a defined role: the TCCC Guidelines call for converting limb tourniquets to hemostatic or pressure dressings once a casualty meets the conversion criteria.1
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10
Class I, sterile, six-year shelf life
FDA lists the OLAES as a Class I compression dressing (product code MHW), exempt from 510(k).5 It is sterile and single use,5 latex-free,3 and carries a 6-year shelf life from the date of sterilization.4 Protected by U.S. patents 7,652,190 and 8,163,973.6
How to apply the OLAES
In the order taught in TCCC, TECC and public bleeding-control courses.
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1Tourniquet first on a limb. Life-threatening limb bleeding that a tourniquet can control gets a tourniquet first.1 The OLAES is for the bleeding that a pressure bandage can hold.
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2Pack a wound that needs packing. Find the source and pack tightly to it — a firm "power ball" first, then every corner filled. Use a hemostatic gauze for life-threatening bleeding, or feed out the gauze stored in the OLAES pad.3
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3Hold direct pressure. With a hemostatic gauze, at least 3 minutes per the TCCC Guidelines1 — and until the bleeding has stopped.
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4Center the cup. Place the wound pad with the pressure cup centered over the wound.7
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5Wrap it flat. Wrap the elastic around the limb; the control strips keep the roll from unraveling if you drop it.3
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6Lock it. Secure the finished bandage with the securing clip.4,7
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7Check it. Make sure the bandage is in the right spot and watch the wound through the transparent cup.3,7 If a packed wound keeps bleeding, remove the packing and repack with fresh gauze.1
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8Hand it off. Tell the receiving team what is packed in the wound and keep reassessing.
Where it fits
- Moderate bleeding — TacMed's stated intended use4
- Locking packed hemostatic or plain gauze under pressure once the wound is packed
- A pressure dressing after a trained provider converts a limb tourniquet1
- A penetrating eye injury — the removed cup as a rigid eye shield, with no pressure on the eye1,3
- Life-threatening limb bleeding a tourniquet can control — tourniquet first1
- An open chest wound — use a vented chest seal1
- Packing into the chest or abdomen — never
- Replacing a hemostatic in a life-threatening wound you can pack — pack a evidence-based standard hemostatic first
The evidence
No peer-reviewed study of the OLAES Modular Bandage is indexed in PubMed. What governs its use is TCCC doctrine and its FDA classification.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCCC Guidelines, 1 May 2026 | Expert review · guideline | Pressure dressings, penetrating eye injury, open chest wounds and abdominal evisceration | Convert limb tourniquets to hemostatic or pressure dressings when criteria are met; rigid eye shield, not a pressure patch; vented chest seal for an open chest wound; water-impermeable covering for eviscerated organs |
| Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts, 15 December 2021 | Expert review · device list | Devices recommended for combat casualty care | Tourniquets and hemostatic dressings are listed; no pressure-bandage category |
The OLAES is a Class I, 510(k)-exempt compression dressing (FDA product code MHW).5 For life-threatening bleeding, the evidence base belongs to tourniquets and the evidence-based standard hemostatic dressings packed underneath it.
How it compares
The three OLAES sizes side by side, and the OLAES that carries a hemostatic gauze.
| OLAES 4 in. | OLAES 4 in. Flat Packed | OLAES 6 in. | OLAES Hemostatic 4 in. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part number | OAL-4 | OALFP-4 | OAL-6 | 85-0020 · 85-0024 (flat packed) |
| Width | 4 in. | 4 in. | 6 in. | 4 in. |
| Gauze in the pad | 3 m sterile gauze | 3 m sterile gauze | 3 m sterile gauze | ChitoGauze® PRO, 3 in. × 12 ft |
| Hemostatic agent | None | None | None | Chitosan |
| Weight | 3 oz (85 g) | 3 oz (85 g) | 3.7 oz (105 g) | 2.7 oz (77 g) |
| Shelf life | 6 years from sterilization | 6 years from sterilization | 6 years from sterilization | 5.5 years at production |
| evidence-based standard | No | No | No | Carries ChitoGauze PRO, a evidence-based standard gauze |
Part numbers, lengths, weights, NSNs and shelf life from TacMed's product information and specification sheet;3,4 OLAES Hemostatic data from TacMed's product information and device records.8,9
Build the system
The hemostatic version, the gauze and tourniquet that come first, the chest seal and eye shield it does not replace, and other pressure bandages.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Available Options:
- 4" Bandage
- 4" Flat-Packed
- 6" Bandage
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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