CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/450689
FEBRUARY 2015 46 CompositesWorld FOCUS ON DESIGN By Jef Sloan / Editor-in-Chief Managing weight in emergency medical transport Repetitive-strain risk for first responders sends emergency equipment provider back to the drawing board to develop more ergonomic cot. » Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) help people who are injured, severely ill or otherwise in need of emergency medical care, but also put themselves at risk via contact with diseased or poten- tially physically violent patients and exposure to injury associated with fre, explosive devices and trafc around vehicular accidents. Often overlooked, however, is back injury — well known in the profession, but little known outside of it — from repetitive lifting. EMTs bear the weight of both the patient and the stretcher (EMTs call it a cot) as the cot's legs are retracted and the patient is moved into or out of an ambulance. For years, ambulance cots have featured manually operated, adjustable-height platforms, which enable EMTs to load patients onto cots at or near the elevation of foor, chair, bed or car seat on which they fnd them. When the patient is securely onboard, the cot is typically raised by the EMTs, manually, to full height and then wheeled to the ambulance. Critically, most of the energy of lifting and lowering is provided by the EMTs, as the cot's legs are extended or collapsed. Cot manufacturers eventually developed motorized units that take the manual labor out of leg extension and contraction. One motorized solution came from emergency medical services (EMS) equipment supplier Ferno (Wilmington, OH, US), but the company recognized that the weight management issue was more complex. Most conventional ambulance cots in the US feature aluminum tube construction and rely on two hinged, X-style support legs that are connected to its four wheels via a rectangular frame at the ends of the legs. Because they are interlocked, the four legs and all four wheels move in concert. Getting the patient up stairs, over curbs, across grassy ground, muddy roads or other variable terrain and around highway barriers to the ambulance in relative comfort and safety often requires that EMTs either partially or fully collapse the leg structure (motorized or not) and then bear the full weight of the patient to keep the cot stable. Years of repetitive weight-bearing can lead to chronic and debilitating back injury for an EMT, potentially cutting short his or her career. Motorized, de-coupled legs To solve the problem, Ferno began development work on what would become the iN∫X (pronounced "in-ex"), the world's frst EMS cot that features two pairs of motorized, indepen- dently operated legs. With the touch of a button, EMTs can raise or lower the front or back legs, as needed, and can keep one leg set deployed, in most cases, to help support patient weight as they negotiate stairs and other challenges. Tim Wells, global emergency product manager at Ferno, says the company conceived of the iN∫X fve years ago and then, through a series of focus groups, fne-tuned the design and confrmed that it was on the right track. Initial reaction to the design, Wells says, was overwhelmingly positive. "EMTs and fre personnel looked at the iN∫X and could see right away the advantage," says Wells. "Tis is a love-afair career, and EMTs have a real passion for what they do. Stronger, more flexible cot design When EMS OEM Ferno Composites (Wilmington, OH, US) recognized a need in the patient transport market for a cot system that would minimize weight-bearing by EMTs who face the risk of repetitive-stress back injuries that can shorten a frst responder's career, it introduced the iN∫X, with independently operated composite front and back legs. Source / Ferno