By David Ponce
As was pointed out to us last time we discussed exsanguination, applying a tourniquet is not always the smartest thing to do. It should only be done when someone’s life is seriously at risk. And you should always be mindful that there’s a chance they could lose a limb is it’s kept on for too long. Of course, if you’re bleeding profusely from somewhere and don’t do something about it, you might die. Applying pressure to the wound is one solution, but the ITClamp goes about it slightly differently:
Inspired by a simple hair clip, Filips designed a device called the ITClamp. The ITClamp is essentially a sterile, plastic clamp approximately five centimeters in length, with curved needles along the “jaws” of the device. In a trauma situation, the responder clamps the device along the wound. The curved needles and the shape of the ITClamp draw the wound up into the device and anchor it with even pressure, allowing the blood underneath to create a clot around the wound and help stop the bleeding until the victim receives further medical attention.
Yeah so… the teeth basically bite into your flesh and then the clamp sucks it up and clamps it shut. Ouch! But hey, beats dying.
The company expects the product to sell for around $65 sometime in late 2012, pending regulatory approval.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ MedGadget ]
It does look painful!
This article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last week