A non-vented seal does its job the moment it goes on. The rest of the job is yours: watch the breathing, and burp the seal the moment it gets worse.
At a glance
12 things to know about the HALO Seal
Where a non-vented seal fits in TCCC, what it does and does not do, and the study that tested this exact seal.
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01
A non-vented seal has a defined place
The TCCC Guidelines dated 1 May 2026 call for a vented chest seal on every open or sucking chest wound, and a non-vented seal when a vented one is not available — followed by monitoring for a developing tension pneumothorax.1 The civilian-focused C-TECC accepts non-vented seals used with serial reassessment, burping and decompression.14 Most seals placed on U.S. casualties with chest wounds in Afghanistan were non-vented.13
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02
What it does — and what it cannot
The HALO Seal is an occlusive dressing that covers the wound and provides a mechanical barrier, so air is no longer drawn in through the chest wall.4 It has no vent: air leaking from an injured lung inside the chest has no way out until someone burps the seal.
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03
This exact seal was tested
U.S. Army researchers used the HALO as the unvented seal in a 2013 swine study. Both it and a vented seal restored breathing within five minutes; with air still leaking into the chest, the unvented seal led to tension pneumothorax in all 8 animals after about 1.4 L, while the vented seal held through 2 L.10 That finding moved TCCC to vented-first.9
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04
Burping is the built-in safety valve
The large pull tab is there to place the seal and to lift an edge so trapped air can escape; the instructions direct re-sealing as required.4 If breathing worsens, the TCCC Guidelines direct burping or removing the seal, and decompression by trained providers.1
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05
Know what worse looks like
The instructions list the warning signs of a developing tension pneumothorax: sharp chest pain, faster breathing, shortness of breath, a fast heart rate or low blood pressure, blue or discolored skin, lips or nails, and bulging neck veins.4
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06
Two adhesives, not one
A hydrogel infused with scrim — a reinforcing mesh that adds strength and limits gel migration — plus an outer tape edge as a second adhesion zone. The manufacturer states it adheres in damp, dry, sandy and hairy conditions and in the presence of moisture, pleural fluid or blood.3,4 The first step is still to clean and dry the skin.
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07
Adhesion in the one human study
A 2021 systematic review found a single chest seal study with human participants (Supinski et al.); in it, adherence did not differ significantly among the Asherman, Bolin, HALO, HyFin, Russell and valved SAM seals.12
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08
Two seals for two holes
The instructions direct a second seal on any additional chest wound,4 and this pouch carries it. Check the back, sides and armpits — an exit wound on the back is the one most often missed.
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09
Big seal, small pouch
Each seal measures 8.35 × 6.06 in. (21.2 × 15.4 cm), folded in thirds into a 5.5 × 7.5 in. IFAK pouch about half the size of the flat pack.3,5 The large footprint lets the adhesive reach intact skin all the way around the wound.
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10
Rated −30 °F to 140 °F, six-year shelf life
Medical Devices, Inc. rates the HALO Seal from −30 °F to 140 °F (−34 °C to 60 °C) with a six-year shelf life; its FDA device record lists the same storage range, non-sterile, single use and not made with natural rubber latex.3,7
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11
In the military supply system
The two-pack carries NSN 6510-01-698-3420, cataloged as an occlusive adhesive dressing, IFAK two-pack.3,8
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12
Not on the evidence-based device list — and no chest seal is
The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list dated 15 December 2021 names no chest seal, so the HALO Seal is not evidence-based standard; absence from the list does not by itself mean a product was tested and failed.2 It is an FDA-registered, Class I (510(k)-exempt) occlusive wound dressing made by a company that launched HALO in 2009.5,6
How to apply the HALO Seal
The sequence from the manufacturer's instructions and the TCCC Guidelines — with the monitoring a non-vented seal depends on.
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1Expose and find every hole. Cut clothing away and look and feel front, back, sides and armpits. Life-threatening bleeding is controlled first — tourniquet, packing, pressure dressing.
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2Cover it now. Put a gloved hand over the hole — or have the casualty do it — while you open the pouch at a tear notch.
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3Wipe it. Clean and dry the skin around the wound: blood, sweat and debris all fight the adhesive.4
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4Peel and place. Remove the clear liner without letting the gel touch anything else, then place the seal gel side down, centered over the wound.4
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5Press, don't stretch. Smooth it on with light pressure from the center out. Do not stretch the seal.4
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6Seal the exit. Apply the second seal the same way on any other chest wound.4
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7Position and watch. Unconscious and breathing: recovery position. Conscious: let them sit up or take whatever position helps them breathe.1 Watch closely — a non-vented seal depends on it.1,4
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8Worse? Burp it. Lift an edge with the pull tab to let trapped air escape, then press it back down — or remove the seal. Trained providers follow the Guidelines' decompression direction if breathing does not improve.1,4
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9Hand it off. Tell the receiving team a non-vented seal is on, where, and whether it has been burped.4
Where it fits
- Open or sucking chest wounds when no vented seal is available1
- Entry and exit wounds from the same injury — two seals in one pouch
- Kits built to a protocol that specifies a non-vented seal, with monitoring and burping trained14
- A backup to vented seals in a larger bag
- Packing — never pack gauze into a chest or abdominal wound
- Over a protruding or impaled object — stabilize the object instead4
- Post-surgical wounds — a listed contraindication4
- Leaving unwatched — a non-vented seal needs someone monitoring breathing1
- Practice — train on a chest seal trainer, not a live seal
The evidence
Every study cited above, what it tested, and how strong it is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kheirabadi et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2013 | Animal · crossover | Unvented HALO vs vented Bolin seal on an open chest wound with an ongoing air leak, 8 swine | Both restored breathing within 5 min; the unvented HALO led to tension pneumothorax in all 8 after ~1.4 L of air, the vented seal held through 2 L |
| Kheirabadi et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2017 | Animal · comparative | Five vented seals on a bleeding open chest wound, 26 swine | Success ranged from 6/6 (Russell, Sentinel) to 0/4 (Bolin); vent design mattered |
| Schachner et al., Ann Thorac Surg 2022 | Bench · ex vivo | Improvised seals on a pig chest wall with a simulated open pneumothorax | Wet rescue-blanket squares sealed 5 of 5; plastic foil from a gauze wrapper sealed 0 of 5 |
| Schauer et al., J Spec Oper Med 2017 | Human · combat registry | 62 U.S. casualties with gunshot or puncture wounds to the chest, Afghanistan | 74.2% received a chest seal; most seals placed were not vented |
| Butler et al., J Spec Oper Med 2013 | Expert review · TCCC change 13-02 | evidence-based review of open pneumothorax care after the 2013 swine data | Vented chest seal first; non-vented if no vented seal; monitor, burp or remove, decompress |
| Margolis et al., J Spec Oper Med 2014 | Expert consensus · C-TECC | Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care review of vented vs non-vented seals | Vented seals likely add benefit; non-vented users reassess, burp and decompress; no clear outcome superiority proven |
| Paquette et al., J Spec Oper Med 2021 | Systematic review | Six quantitative chest seal studies, 1990–2020, including one human-participant adhesion study | No significant adherence difference among six seals including HALO in the human study; device-level evidence limited |
| Lyng et al. (NAEMSP), Prehosp Emerg Care 2024 | Expert review · position statement | Structured review of EMS traumatic pneumothorax care | EMS may consider a vented seal in a spontaneously breathing patient; seals may be harmful during positive-pressure ventilation |
Strongest to weakest: human data, then animal studies, then bench work. The 2013 swine study is the one that tested the HALO Seal itself; its model kept adding air to the chest, which is exactly the situation in which a non-vented seal has to be burped.
How it compares
The HALO line side by side, with the vented seal most often weighed against it.
| HALO Seal (2-pack) | HALO Vent (2-pack) | HALO Combo | HyFin Vent (twin pack) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maker | Medical Devices, Inc. | Medical Devices, Inc. | Medical Devices, Inc. | North American Rescue |
| Vented | No — fully occlusive | Yes — four vents | One of each | Yes — channel vent |
| Seals per pack | 2 | 2 | 2 (1 HALO Seal + 1 HALO Vent) | 2 |
| When the Guidelines use it | When no vented seal is available — then monitor1 | First choice1 | Vent on the first hole, Seal on a second | First choice1 |
| Published swine data | Unvented arm, 2013: tension pneumothorax in 8 of 8 with an ongoing air leak10 | Not among the brands compared | Same two seals | Held in 4 of 6 with a bleeding chest wound11 |
| evidence-based standard | No | No | No | No |
The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list (15 December 2021) names no chest seal of any brand;2 absence from the list does not by itself mean a product was tested and failed. Both HALO seals measure 8.35 × 6.06 in.3,5
Build the system
The vented HALO options, the large-format HALO, a trainer, and the other three jobs in the kit.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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