Monthly Archives: April 2014

Briefcase Into a Helmet?

bike helmet

Jeff Woolf suffered a near death injury almost twenty years ago from an impact from an oncoming car. The only reason why he’s alive today is because he was wearing his helmet. Over 50% of Americans do not routinely wear a helmet while riding a bike. When a survey was taken, many replied with it being an inconvenience. To counter the survey, Jeff Woolf created a fold-able helmet that compares to the size of a textbook. Using the same concept of traditional helmets, he uses a hard plastic foam to surround softer foam to cushion an impact. The trick in his concept is that the hinges between the six sections of the helmet is internal flexible links created from foam as well. There is no metal or hard plastic reducing its safety. The product will no longer be an inconvenience because it can fit into backpacks, suitcases, laptop cases, ects. As it has already passed European safety tests, it is looking to pass U.S. standards in the next few months.

This concept should be very appealing in the U.S. As parents constantly fight for their kids to be safe, this could be a solution. The idea that only an inch of foam can protect someones head completely leaves me with doubt, but as polymers continue to be innovated, I believe technology can prove me wrong. This invention should be a big business boom only momentarily. For sure, there are patents on the product, but it’s only a matter of time until Toys R Us, Target, and other big name family stores will provide a cheaper model.

http://www.morpherhelmet.com/

http://www.cycling-republic.co.uk/article/interview-jeff-woolf-obe-inventor-morpher-helmet

http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/invention-awards-2014-stash-your-bike-helmet-briefcase

 

Battlefield Innovation

xstat-combat-injury-treatment-injectable-spongesIn the Afghanistan and Iraq war, 90% of soldier deaths were resulted from blood loss. Medics are packed down with over 1/3 of their body weight with medical supplies. RevMedx is within its final stages to changing reality. They have created a product that will replace putting gauze inside bullet holes. Instead of shoving in gauze as far as 5 inches deep. RevMedx has created a syringe like injector that will push pill-sized sponges that expand, closing up the hole while at the same time sterilizing it . The product XStat would close up a hole within 15 seconds. Even though it is still looking for FDA approval, this product could be used outside of the battlefield. Emergency responders, law enforcement, and ambulances can all benefit from this product decreasing mortality rates significantly.

The issue I see with this product is that it is much harder to pull out every pill sized sponge in comparison to gauze. If not every sponge is pulled out, it could create a serious blood infection if the surgery is not finished with perfection. Popular Science wrote an article about this invention, but failed to talk about the extraction of these sponges.

http://www.revmedx.com/#!xstat-dressing/c2500

http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/how-simple-new-invention-seals-gunshot-wound-15-seconds

http://www.gizmag.com/xstat-combat-injury-treatment-injectable-sponges/30710/