Abstract: This invention is directed to advanced hemorrhage control wound dressings, and methods of using and producing same. The subject wound dressing is constructed from a non-mammalian material for control of severe 5 bleeding. The wound dressing for controlling severe bleeding is formed of a biomaterial comprising chitosan, a hydrophilic polymer, a polyacrylic polymer or a combination thereof, The kind of severe, life-threatening bleeding contemplated by this invention is typically of the type not capable of being stanched when a conventional gauze wound dressing is applied with conventional 10 pressure to the subject wound. The wound dressing being capable of substantially stanching the flow of the severe life-threatening bleeding from the wound by adhering to the wound site, to seal the wound, to accelerate blood clot formation at the wound site, to reinforce clot formation at the wound site and prevent bleed out from the wound site, and to substantially prohibit the flow of 15 blood out of the wound site.

Abstract: An aqueous solution of polyacrylic acid is placed in a mold, frozen, and freeze-dried to form a sponge-like polyacrylic acid structure. The sponge-like polyacrylic acid structure is compressed by the application of heat and pressure to reduce the thickness and increase the density of the sponge-like polyacrylic acid structure to form a densified polyacrylic acid structure. The densified polyacrylic acid structure is preconditioned by heating to form a wound dressing. The wound dressing can be applied to control severe, life-threatening bleeding from a wound at a wound site of a person.

Abstract: This invention is directed to advanced hemorrhage control wound dressings, and methods of using and producing same. The subject wound dressing is constructed from a non-mammalian material for control of severe bleeding. The wound dressing for controlling severe bleeding is formed of a biomaterial comprising chitosan, a hydrophilic polymer, a polyacrylic polymer or a combination thereof. The kind of severe, life-threatening bleeding contemplated by this invention is typically of the type not capable of being stanched when a conventional gauze wound dressing is applied with conventional pressure to the subject wound. The wound dressing being capable of substantially stanching the flow of the severe life-threatening bleeding from the wound by adhering to the wound site, to seal the wound, to accelerate blood clot formation at the wound site, to reinforce clot formation at the wound site and prevent bleed out from the wound site, and to substantially prohibit the flow of blood out of the wound site.

Abstract: The portable ventilator of the present invention provide a hands-free ventilatory support device in critical care, emergency and resource limited environments. The portable ventilator utilizes ambient air and includes a two dual head compressor system to provide a consistent air supply to the patient. The ventilator device is battery operated and is capable of providing up to 60 minutes of care. In a preferred embodiment, the portable ventilator of the present invention also includes a pneumatic subsystem, a control subsystem, a power subsystem and an alarm subsystem. The portable ventilator of the preferred embodiment includes a dual head and single head compressor system that operates alternatively, to provide a consistent and continuous inhalation and exhalation cycle.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to chitosan-derivative compounds and structures, methods of making chitosan-derivative compounds and methods for controlling, inhibiting and enhancing microbial populations in a variety of environments. The present invention is also directed to the control, inhibition and enhancement of microbial populations in animals, particularly humans. The microbial populations include bacteria, viruses and other pathogens where control of microbial populations are a necessity. The chitosan-derivative compounds of the present invention include chitosan-arginine compounds, related chitosan-L/D unnatural amino acid compounds, chitosan-acid amine compounds, chitosan-L/D natural amino acid derivative compounds, co-derivatives of the chitosan-derivative compounds, salts of the chitosan derivative compounds, and chitosan-guanidine compounds.

Abstract: Intense environmental or working conditions can impede an individual's evaporative cooling mechanism normally responsible for thermoregulation during exercise or exertion. Non-invasive physiological monitoring capabilities are needed to more precisely define the cardiovascular responses and identify markers of impending failure of compensatory mechanisms prior to collapse or onset of irreversible pathology. The oxymetry method and system of the present invention provides non-invasive, continuous remote monitoring and analysis of cardiovascular and pulmonary function that overcomes accuracy and monitoring deficiencies of current oximetry systems.

Abstract: The portable ventilators of the present invention provide a hands-free ventilatory support device in critical care, emergency and resource limited environments. The portable ventilators utilize ambient air and include a two dual head compressor system to provide a consistent air supply to the patient. The ventilator device is battery operated and is capable of providing up to 60 minutes of care.

Abstract: An emergency life support system including a patient ventilator for mechanical breathing assistance; a capnograph to monitor CO2 for ventilation effectiveness; a pulse oximeter for measuring blood stream oxygen saturation; a carbon dioxide sensor; an electrocardiograph (ECG) to monitor cardiac performance; an infusion pump; and alarms and a data recorder. The preferred embodiment uses an oxygen generator to deliver oxygen, to generate electric power to run the ventilation system, and to warm IV fluids and resuscitated air. The generator has electronically controlled valves and a modified valve system that offers the ability to select the oxygen concentration in the air delivered to the patient.

Abstract: This invention is directed to advanced hemorrhage control wound dressings, and methods of using and producing same. The subject wound dressing is constructed from a non-mammalian material for control of severe bleeding. The wound dressing for controlling severe bleeding is formed of a biomaterial comprising chitosan, a hydrophilic polymer, a polyacrylic polymer or a combination thereof. The kind of severe, life-threatening bleeding contemplated by this invention is typically of the type not capable of being stanched when a conventional gauze wound dressing is applied with conventional pressure to the subject wound. The wound dressing being capable of substantially stanching the flow of the severe life-threatening bleeding from the wound by adhering to the wound site, to seal the wound, to accelerate blood clot formation at the wound site, to reinforce clot formation at the wound site and prevent bleed out from the wound site, and to substantially prohibit the flow of blood out of the wound site.

Abstract: The portable ventilator of the present invention provide a hands-free ventilatory support device in critical care, emergency and resource limited environments. The portable ventilator utilizes ambient air and includes a two dual head compressor system to provide a consistent air supply to the patient. The ventilator device is battery operated and is capable of providing up to 60 minutes of care. In a preferred embodiment, the portable ventilator of the present invention also includes a pneumatic subsystem, a control subsystem, a power subsystem and an alarm subsystem. The portable ventilator of the preferred embodiment includes a dual head and single head compressor system that operates alternatively, to provide a consistent and continuous inhalation and exhalation cycle.

Abstract: A significant number of rescue workers are killed or injured each year as they conduct searches within damaged or burning structures, unaware that the structure is in imminent danger of collapse. The present invention provides a system and method for detecting and monitoring structural damages which are irreversible and which lead to inevitable collapse of a building or structure. The system includes at least one accelerometer that is housed in a device that is mounted on an exterior surface outside the burn area, and within the reach of the rescue worker. The device communicates with a remote display that provides visual and/or audible signals to indicate imminent collapse of the structure.

Abstract: Home care monitor systems are used to monitor physiological parameters of a user who is remotely located from a health care provider. The measured physiological parameters can be transmitted via telephone lines or a modem to a server component, which provides a queries database and a measurement database for storing the measured physiological parameters and generating queries to the user based on the measurements. The response to the queries, the measured physiological parameters and other data can be accessed by and transmitted to a remote health care provider to ascertain the health of the user.

Abstract: The portable ventilators of the present invention provide a hands-free ventilatory support device in critical care, emergency and resource limited environments. The portable ventilators utilize ambient air and include a two dual head compressor system to provide a consistent air supply to the patient. The ventilator device is battery operated and is capable of providing up to 60 minutes of care.

Abstract: Intense environmental or working conditions can impede an individual's evaporative cooling mechanism normally responsible for thermoregulation during exercise or exertion. Non-invasive physiological monitoring capabilities are needed to more precisely define the cardiovascular responses and identify markers of impending failure of compensatory mechanisms prior to collapse or onset of irreversible pathology. The oxymetry method and system of the present invention provides non-invasive, continuous remote monitoring and analysis of cardiovascular and pulmonary function that overcomes accuracy and monitoring deficiencies of current oximetry systems.

Abstract: A significant number of rescue workers are killed or injured each year as they conduct searches within damaged or burning structures, unaware that the structure is in imminent danger of collapse. The present invention provides a system and method for detecting and monitoring structural damages which are irreversible and which lead to inevitable collapse of a building or structure. The system includes at least one accelerometer that is housed in a device that is mounted on an exterior surface outside the burn area, and within the reach of the rescue worker. The device communicates with a remote display that provides visual and/or audible signals to indicate imminent collapse of the structure.

Abstract: An emergency life support system including a patient ventilator for mechanical breathing assistance; a capnograph to monitor CO2 for ventilation effectiveness; a pulse oximeter for measuring blood stream oxygen saturation; a carbon dioxide sensor; an electrocardiograph (ECG) to monitor cardiac performance; an infusion pump; and alarms and a data recorder. The preferred embodiment uses an oxygen generator to deliver oxygen, to generate electric power to run the ventilation system, and to warm IV fluids and resuscitated air. The generator has electronically controlled valves and a modified valve system that offers the ability to select the oxygen concentration in the air delivered to the patient.

Abstract: A system for assessing organ function couples light emitters into an optical fiber delivery assembly of which the tip extends to or into an internal organ and illuminates tissue; the device senses temperature at the tip, and a collection fiber collects light scattered, reflected or emitted by the surrounding tissue. Control and processing modules drive the laser diodes and process return spectral signals, e.g., to assess metabolic activity and detect onset of shock. A prototype uses four laser diodes with peaks at 735, 760, 805 and 890 nm, with a front end splitter providing a reference beam to a photo detector for normalizing detection output and correcting the signal samples. The device may include a plurality of laser diodes and may select subsets of the sources to tailor spectral illumination to different target enzymes, metabolites or other compounds.

Abstract: A system for assessing organ function has a plurality of light emitters of distinct spectral characteristics are coupled into a percutaneous fiber delivery assembly with a tip extending to or into an internal organ to illuminate organ tissue. The assembly includes a delivery optical fiber, and a collection fiber that collects and returns light scattered, reflected or emitted by the surrounding tissue to a detector at the proximal end. The device also senses temperature at the tip. Control and processing modules drive the laser diodes and process the return signals. The instrument may assess general metabolic activity by detecting light absorption of a linked substance, for example at a peak attributed to deoxygenated hemoglobin and/or at one or more peaks attributed to oxygenated hemoglobin. Preferably, change of a parameter such as pulse oxygen saturation together with one or more other parameters such as temperature are detected to provide an indication of organ function, e.g., the onset of shock.

Abstract: A portable care facility includes at least one container defining a generally box-shaped configuration in a closed condition. The container is sized for transport and shipping and is constructed and arranged to be openable and expandable from the box-shaped configuration into a larger, operative configuration defining a space sufficient to conduct certain procedures therein. Tenting structure is provided in the container and is sized and configured to be supported over the space to define a ceiling over the space and to extend in at least one direction generally outwardly from the space to define a covered triage area.

Abstract: A pump and a method for pumping liquid or fluid through a pair resilient es includes a shuttle block which partially compresses the tubes in a balanced, alternating manner. The resilient tubes are held in a parallel relationship with a predetermined space defined therebetween. Within the predetermined space, a shuttle block is oscillated along the linear axis to partially compress the tubes in an alternating fashion. As one of the two parallel tubes is compressed, fluid is pumped out of the tube and at the same time fluid is drawn into the second tube as the latter tube resumes its original shape. The resilience of both tubes also is used to assist the pumping action in a balanced fashion, thereby providing a pump that has low power consumption and is lightweight.