Clinical evaluation of the Life Support for Trauma and Transport (LSTAT) platform

Developments in the human machine interface technologies and their applications: a review

Human-machine interface (HMI) techniques use bioelectrical signals to gain real-time synchronised communication between the human body and machine functioning. HMI technology not only provides a real-time control access but also has the ability to control multiple functions at a single instance of time with modest human inputs and increased efficiency. The HMI technologies yield advanced control access on numerous applications such as health monitoring, medical diagnostics, development of prosthetic and assistive devices, automotive and aerospace industry, robotic controls and many more fields. In this paper, various physiological signals, their acquisition and processing techniques along with their respective applications in different HMI technologies have been discussed.

A novel first aid stretcher for immobilization and transportation of spine injured patients

Effective immobilization and transportation are vital to the life-saving acute medical care needed when treating critically injured people. However, the most common types of stretchers used today are wrought with problems that can lead to further medical complications, difficulty in employment and rescue, and ineffective transitions to hospital treatment. Here we report a novel first aid stretcher called the “emergency carpet”, which solves these problems with a unique design for spine injured patients. Polyurethane composite material, obtained by a novel process of manually mixing isocyanate and additives, can be poured into a specially designed fabric bag and allowed to harden to form a rigid human-shaped stretcher. The effectiveness of the emergency carpet was examined in the pre-hospital management of victims with spinal fractures. Additionally, it was tested on flat ground and complex terrain as well as in the sea and air. We demonstrated that the emergency carpet can be assembled and solidified on the scene in 5 minutes, providing effective immobilization to the entire injured body. With the protection of the emergency carpet, none of the 20 patients, who were finally confirmed to have spinal column fracture or dislocation, had any neurological deterioration during transportation. Furthermore, the carpet can be handled and transported by multiple means under differing conditions, without compromising immobilization. Finally, the emergency carpet allows the critically injured patient to receive multiple examinations such as X-ray, CT, and MRI without being removed from the carpet. Our results demonstrate that the emergency carpet has ideal capabilities for immobilization, extrication, and transportation of the spine injured patients. Compared with other stretchers, it allows for better mobility, effective immobilization, remarkable conformity to the body, and various means for transportation. The emergency carpet is promising for its intrinsic advantages in the pre-hospital management of accident victims.

The physiology analysis system: an integrated approach for warehousing, management and analysis of time-series physiology data

The physiology analysis system (PAS) was developed as a resource to support the efficient warehousing, management, and analysis of physiology data, particularly, continuous time-series data that may be extensive, of variable quality, and distributed across many files. The PAS incorporates time-series data collected by many types of data-acquisition devices, and it is designed to free users from data management burdens. This Web-based system allows both discrete (attribute) and time-series (ordered) data to be manipulated, visualized, and analyzed via a client's Web browser. All processes occur on a server, so that the client does not have to download data or any application programs, and the PAS is independent of the client's computer operating system. The PAS contains a library of functions, written in different computer languages that the client can add to and use to perform specific data operations. Functions from the library are sequentially inserted into a function chain-based logical structure to construct sophisticated data operators from simple function building blocks, affording ad hoc query and analysis of time-series data. These features support advanced mining of physiology data.

Robotic surgery: from past to future—a personal journey

A review of the history of robotic surgery--from its beginnings in a collaboration of engineers, computer scientists, and a plastic surgeon from Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and the NASA-Ames Research Center to the next generation of systems on the drawing board in the Department of Defense--provides a rich and colorful look at the author's participation in its development. Although Dr. Satava has participated in the development of other systems (orthopedic, ophthalmologic, and neurosurgical) that have contributed to the current distribution of robotic, computer-aided, and image-guided surgical systems, this article focuses on the development of the telemanipulation systems used for thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic surgery. Based upon emerging technologies, speculation is provided on the next generation of systems.

Maximizing a transport platform through computer technology

One of the most recent innovations coalescing computer technology and medical care is the further development of integrated medical component technology coupled with a computer subsystem. One such example is the self-contained patient transport system known as the Life Support for Trauma and Transport (LSTAT(tm)). The LSTAT creates a new transport platform that integrates the most current medical monitoring and therapeutic capabilities with computer processing capacity, creating the first "smart litter". The LSTAT is built around a computer system that is network capable and acts as the data hub for multiple medical devices and utilities, including data, power, and oxygen systems. The system logs patient and device data in a simultaneous, time-synchronized, continuous format, allowing electronic transmission, storage, and electronic documentation. The third-generation LSTAT includes an oxygen system, ventilator, clinical point-of-care blood analyzer, suction, defibrillator, infusion pump, and physiologic monitor, as well as on-board power and oxygen systems. The developers of LSTAT and other developers have the ability to further expand integrative component technology by developing and integrating clinical decision support systems.