At the recent Connecticut EMS Conference, there were a number of new products and services displayed — some I’ve never seen anywhere before.
Iron Duck
Iron Duck unveiled a Tactical Rapid Patient Mover.
At first I thought is was just another soft stretcher, until I saw it demonstrated. It is made of 1050 ballistic nylon, one of the toughest fabrics. It also has a low-drag coefficient making moving people easier.
It has three-rigid panels inside, at the head, feet and hips. This offers protection and improves patient comfort on uneven terrain.
More importantly, the two unreinforced sections allows it to be applied in a unique way. It is folded in a z-fold and can be placed under the head, then pulled out underneath the patient in one smooth move.
It has several handles inside the outer edge of the stretcher that are not sewn outside where they can get snagged. It also comes with a drag strap and shoulder harness. This allows one person to provide most of the locomotion.
Measuring only 13-inches by 15-inches, you could easily pack a bunch of them into a large plastic tote for disaster applications.
iSimulate
iSimulate demonstrated their ALSi Simulator, a high-fidelity training aid that uses two iPads that talk to each other on a wireless network.
The instructor uses one to remotely control the other, which is mounted in a bag that looks like a modern 12-lead monitor.
It is an inexpensive system considering all it can do.
LifeLine Ambulance
Speaking of iPad based EMS products, I took a look at maybe one of the simplest and easiest to use EPCRs I’ve ever seen. LifeLine Ambulance in Boston originally developed AmbuPad, which has now been spun off as WebMedic Pro.
It uses a ruggedized iPad combined with software and a secure Verizon connection. You can run it with practically no training and it is inexpensive. There are no massive upfront costs or upgrade fees. For only $99 per month, you get the entire package including the iPad.
CASMED
I got a sneak peek at a new stand-alone vital signs monitor at the Southeastern Emergency booth. It was just cleared by the FDA in June. The CASMED 740SELECT is a compact and lightweight monitor that should be well received by BLS providers.
It works with adult, pediatric or neonate patients. The parameters include non-invasive BP, either Masimo Rainbow SET SpO2 or Covidien Nellcor OxiMax SpO2 and Covidien FILAC 3000 Predictive Temperature. It has a gorgeous 7-inch TFT-LCD display with a wide viewing angle and an anti-glare coating.
Pyng Medical
The last new thing I saw was the FastResponder from Pyng Medical. This is their latest version of a compact, battery free sternal IO access device. The original worked well but was a little scary looking. This latest version is much less so. It is simple, reliable and easy to store in your med kit.
It is specially designed to be easy to learn and easy to use, even for first-timers. It also features low profile tubing and it’s very quick to secure.
