Illuminated Display Subframe for Battlefield Triage Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current triage systems face challenges in accurately and quickly assessing the medical condition and prioritizing care for individuals, especially in imperfect conditions such as battlefield settings where visibility is limited, and there is a need for a method to provide triage information at a distance and in varying visibility conditions.
Innovation Solution
A networked triage system using an illuminated display system with a plurality of light emitters emitting different wavelengths, where a selector chooses the appropriate light emitter based on a lighting operation sequence to provide information on the user's status, including injury degree, likelihood of survival, and location, and combines this data with sensor information to create an identification signal for transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional triage assessment methods are used in battlefield settings, then medical personnel can evaluate patient conditions, but the assessment cannot be quickly provided or read at a distance due to smoke, dust, and changing weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded triage tags with distinct colors (red, yellow, green, blue) to represent different priority levels. These colors are visible through smoke, dust, and changing weather conditions, allowing medics to quickly assess and prioritize patients at a distance without being obscured by environmental factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual intermediaries (colored tags and markers) that mediate between the patient's condition and the medic's assessment. These visual markers can be seen from a distance through environmental obscurants, enabling quick triage decisions without requiring close contact or clear reading of detailed information.
2Loss of information
If medics provide detailed written triage assessments, then accurate patient information is recorded, but the medic is personally at risk from battlefield conditions and the assessment takes too much time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the triage assessment into distinct priority levels (red, yellow, green, blue) that can be quickly assigned based on immediate observation. This segmentation allows medics to make rapid decisions without writing detailed assessments, while still capturing the essential triage information needed for patient prioritization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables medics to perform preliminary triage assessment by quickly assigning color-coded tags that indicate priority levels. This preliminary action can be done rapidly in the field, with detailed assessments completed later when conditions permit, reducing the time medics are exposed to battlefield risks.
3Loss of information
If traditional triage tags are used in complete darkness or underwater settings, then patient information can be recorded, but the determination of triage status becomes improbable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses luminous or fluorescent materials in the triage tags that can be activated by light sources. In complete darkness, these materials can glow or fluoresce when exposed to light, making the triage status visible without requiring ambient light. This allows medics to assess and prioritize patients even in dark or underwater settings.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and accurate prioritization of injured individuals for treatment and transport, even in challenging conditions like smoke, dust, or darkness, by providing visual information through light emissions and integrating sensor data for comprehensive assessment.
Implementation Method 1
Each light emitter provides a different predetermined wavelength of light than the other light emitters from the plurality of light emitters
Data Source
AI summary
An interface module for a display interface of an illuminated display system including an operating subframe and a selector coupled to the operating subframe. The operating subframe is coupled to a plurality of light emitters. Each light emitter provides a different predetermined wavelength of light than the other light emitters from the plurality of light emitters. Each respective predetermined wavelength provides information relating to a corresponding predetermined status. Each desired light emitter is chosen from the plurality of light emitters according to a lighting operation sequence. The operating subframe includes a module processor coupled to the plurality of light emitters and the selector, a removable external memory device, and an external memory processor, and a bus coupled to the module processor and the removable external memory processor. The module processor stores illuminated light emitter information in a computer readable format within the removable external memory device.