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Safety Sphere - Ultimate motorcycle airbag suit
Rejean Neron's Safety Sphere is a protective suit which inflates to a man-sized sphere, completely enveloping the rider in the event of a crash. It inflates in five hundredths of a second, cushioning the rider for any impact (except perhaps those into giant spikes) and consists of a loose fitting coverall suit comprised of two layers of fabric.
Neron explains: "The outer layer is made up of a highly resistant parachute type material. The inner layer is made up of a thin, moderately elastic synthetic material. In a collision situation, the passengers are thrown from the motorcycle, the cord connecting them to the motorcycle seat disconnects, the electrical voltage plummets, and the electronic circuit processor inside the belt buckle housing of each occupant connects the 9 volt battery to an electric igniter in the back housing of their respective suits." This triggers the firing of an explosive canister of propellant called nitrocellulose.
Neron is a motorcycling idealist who believes bikes could play a massive role in alleviating congestion in 21st century cities, if only riders' fear of crashing's consequences could be reduced to those of the prang-happy car driver. He's been working on the Safety Sphere for many years, through 'countless' iterations and is now looking for backing to bring the design to production.
Brain Cooling for Patients with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy / HIE
During gestation, the unborn infant faces a variety of threats, including umbilical and placental problems, difficult delivery, and serious illnesses with the mother. If an infant does not receive an adequate supply of oxygen to the brain, such as from asphyxiation, this can result in a condition called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE causes injuries to the baby's brain from asphyxia or hypoxia.
If the baby's brain is starved of oxygen or blood, especially over a period of hours, the infant's brain will attempt to repair the problem. Depending on the severity of the HIE, the baby's brain may or may not be able to repair itself. If the condition of the HIE is mild, the brain should be able to repair itself, however, if the condition is serious, the infant's brain attempting to repair the problem may actually cause even more damage.
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy occurring at birth may cause serious brain damage to the infant by lowering the oxygen and reducing the heart's output. When the baby is resuscitated, there will be a sudden increase of blood flow and oxygen, which may end up causing even greater brain injuries to the baby, as the brain is trying to repair the problem.
During hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a procedure called brain-cooling may help the infant reduce or even avoid the chances of permanent and severe brain damage, and therefore have a healthy life. Brain cooling uses a cooling cap or water filled blanket that lowers the infant's temperature to 91 degrees Fahrenheit for 72 hours. By lowering the temperature of the baby, the metabolic rate slows, preventing dangerous chemical reactions from taking place that could trigger additional rounds of dangerous reactions. Once the baby is subjected to 72 hours of brain cooling, he or she will be slowly and gradually warmed up to a normal body temperature for the next 6 hours. Studies show that properly applied, brain cooling procedures have reduced death and disabilities in infant's with HIE.
An infant with HIE should only be subjected to the brain cooling procedures if the following conditions apply:
If the infant suffered brain damage from HIE.
The gestation period for the infant is greater than 36 weeksBe initiated within the first 6 hours after birth.
Brain hypothermia, is induced by cooling a baby to around 33 degrees Celsius for 3 days after birth and has recently been proven to be the only medical intervention that reduces brain damage and improves a baby's chances of normal survival after birth asphyxia. Brain cooling has become widely used in neonatal units throughout America.
Cool treatment: advances in therapeutic hypothermia
Therapeutic hypothermia is widely used as a routine part of treatment for cardiac arrest, and there is evidence to suggest that it could also be beneficial in patients who have had a myocardial infarction (MI).
These are both highly active areas of research, and in this article we summarize the findings of some very recently published studies and reviews. In addition, we talk to Professor David Erlinge, a leading researcher investigating the potential of therapeutic hypothermia in cardiology, who provides an overview of current knowledge.
Hypothermia after cardiac arrest
The author of a review published in July in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine made the point that mild therapeutic hypothermia is a recommended intervention for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation. However, "first-responders, emergency-room staff, and intensive-care teams have been slow to adopt and integrate it in to a comprehensive post-resuscitation strategy".
The review covered the proposed mechanisms by which hypothermia has a therapeutic effect, including a reduction in neuronal metabolism in the early stage of ischemic injury, a reduction in glucose and oxygen consumption by the brain (minimizing the supply-demand mismatch), and a decrease in the rate of release of excitatory amino acids that would normally trigger cytotoxic cascades after injury.
Overall, the author concluded that, based on published clinical data, "survivors of cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation have improved neurologic outcomes if they are cooled to a core body temperature of 32-34 degrees Celsius for 24 hours as soon as possible after reaching the hospital".1
Meanwhile, a new study of 140 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest confirmed the potential survival benefits of therapeutic hypothermia. The study, published in Circulation in July, found that there was a 20% increase in the risk of death (95% confidence interval 4% to 39%) for every hour of delay to the initiation of cooling.2
A separate small study of cardiac arrest cases at a single center found that cerebral performance category scores were significantly better at discharge and after 6 months in patients who had undergone cooling, compared with those who had not.3
Hypothermia after MI
While therapeutic hypothermia has been shown to improve outcomes, including the preservation of neurologic function, after cardiac arrest, the evidence for a beneficial role after MI is currently less strong. Can hypothermia help preserve myocardial function?
A good summary is provided by a systematic review published in June, in which the authors discussed findings from 2 feasibility trials and 3 randomized controlled trials published before July 2010. The authors noted that the mean infarct size ranged from 2% to 14.1% of the left ventricle in patients treated with hypothermia, and from 8% to 13.8% in control patients.
The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) was from 0% to 6.2% in patients treated with hypothermia, and from 3.9% to 10% in controls. All-cause mortality, meanwhile, occurred at a rate of 0% to 3.4% in the hypothermia groups and 2.2% to 10% in the control groups.
The authors added that subgroup analyses indicated that therapeutic hypothermia may reduce infarct size in patients with anterior wall infarction. They concluded that, overall, “more evidence is needed to determine whether therapeutic hypothermia is associated with improved infarct size, MACEs, or all-cause mortality”.4
The specialist view
Some of this evidence on the effects of hypothermia in MI may be provided relatively soon. Commenting on the current understanding of the value of therapeutic hypothermia with regard to the treatment of cardiac arrest and MI, Professor David Erlinge, head of the Department of Cardiology at Lund University Hospital, Sweden, told GetInsideHealth:
“Therapeutic hypothermia is now recognised in all major guidelines as standard treatment for cardiac arrest, and it is has been successfully implemented in most of Europe for several years. In many countries specialists have reported increased survival of patients, typically going from 30% to 50% some years after introducing hypothermia. At a recent meeting in Japan a few weeks ago I heard similar stories coming from US sites.
"With hypothermia for MI, we are still at the research stage. We recently did a pooled analysis of the ICE-IT and RAPID MI-ICE studies, and when you combine the data you see significant improvements in infarct size. It looks promising, but we need a large trial: the CHILL-MI trial has just started, it will involve 10 sites in Europe, and we are the first site to enrol patients. We started a month ago and have included 6 patients so far. In total the trial should include 120 patients, and we think we will be able to report the first data in the first half of next year [2012]."
To learn more about some of the research on therapeutic hypothermia in acute MI being conducted by Prof. Erlinge, see the separate video interview conducted earlier this year at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting: http://www.getinsidehealth.com/en/Library/Articles/en/2011/May/ACC-2011-Hypothermia-being-actively-pursued-to-preserve-myocardium-in-acute-MI/.
High-tech hypothermia
The treatment and care of heart patients is always evolving, often dramatically, and one therapy in particular now may help cardiac arrest survivors in central Alabama.
Emergency departments in the U.S., Europe and Australia have been experimenting with a treatment called therapeutic hypothermia (TH) over the last several years.
For reasons that aren't clearly understood, the induced hypothermia -- or a rapid cooling of the body -- reduces brain damage and reduces the brain's demand for oxygen. That helps preserve the patient's neurological function once the body recovers.
One example: A patient who suffered cardiac arrest in the University of Alabama at Birmingham emergency department was successfully revived -- after 90 minutes of chest compressions -- and then was treated with TH. He eventually made an amazing recovery with no neurological deficits. His story was reported in The Birmingham News and on area TV stations in early 2010.
Dr. Henry Wang, associate professor and vice chair for research in the emergency medicine department at UAB, talked to the media at the time about that patient's remarkable recovery, and about UAB's work with TH.
In early September, Wang presented a session on therapeutic hypothermia to a large room packed with physicians, nurses and other medical staff at Baptist Medical Center South, who were getting ready to start their own TH program.
Dr. Paul Moore, a cardiologist with Montgomery Cardiovascular Associates, attended Wang's presentation, and afterward said that his colleagues were very interested in therapeutic hypothermia. He called the therapy "very promising."
Moore related a story about a man who collapsed on a street in London. After he was resuscitated, he was treated with TH, and recovered. He became Moore's patient after he was transferred to Alabama.
Moore said he doesn't think it will be difficult to get a patient's family on board with the treatment. Families have come to expect new medical technologies, he added.
Thermahelm meeting with SBK Superbike in Imola, Italy, Sep 2011
Welcome to Imola!
We were invited to the WK Superbike organized by SBK. The motor race took place on a circuit with a historical reputation - Enzo & Dino Ferrari. This is where Ayrton Senna, a famous Formula 1 pilot, passed away after a crash in ‘94.
This was the very first time we have attended such a unique event. We felt like kids in a candy shop. It was so weird to be there. Everything around us was surreal. Our senses were awakened for a great show.
It is not only about the bike race. It is all about emotions and adrenaline.
Yes, SBK is not to be compared to Motor GP. Here, pilots ride ‘normal hyper sport bikes you and I can buy. SBK organizes races for passionate motor riders, enabling people to get close to the event.
We were not normal visitors like the other 70,000 rushing to the circuit to get the best spot. No, we were VIP’s! Indeed, we felt like VIP’s. The SBK organization did everything they possibly could to make us feel unique, part of their family.
SBK is not just an organization; they are committed people who have a real passion for motor sport. We feel that passion too.
We came especially to Imola in order to meet with Paolo Alberto Flammini, co-Founder and President of SBK. He invited us to meet with him to talk about our unique product, the HALO Motorcycle Helmet. The purpose of our meeting was also to talk about a possible partnership in term of sponsoring.
During a typical Italian lunch, we talked to Paolo Alberto Flammini about our concept and the possibilities we see with SBK. His enthusiasm was real. He sees in our HALO Motorcycle Helmet not only a great and innovative product. He sees a complete breakthrough in motorcycling safety.
Indeed, we have a common mission that is to awaken people’s awareness about riding a bike safely.
We not only came for the great Italian food. We were there to watch, smell, hear & touch what the SBK is. We were assigned two SBK managers, Edoardo and Nigel, who were our guides during the weekend. They are true masters in the way they pamper their guests.
Before going anywhere, we were given badges and a key cord. These were not just normal badges. We had just been given badges to access the VIP hospitality lounge, the paddock, the pit-lane and finally the grid.
We walked through the crowd. It smelt of summer; the temperature was rising up to nearly 30 degrees Celsius. There were so many things to be seen that our eyes got tired. We were exited by what we witnessed. We pinched ourselves as we realized we are part of a great and unique event.
We saw many photographers with mammoth lenses; we saw huge motorcycle teams van/buses. We saw numerous glamorous ladies, walking with slinky suits and umbrellas. We were right in the middle of a catwalk…
Isn’t SBK about race bikes? Yes it is! We nearly forgot that…
We walked towards the Paddock where the teams were standing.
It is high-tech business. Mechanics put heated blankets on the tires. Isn’t it warm enough outside?
We are told one of the best WSBK riders is Carlos Checa. He rides on a Ducati 1098R for Althea Racing Team. He is on the top of the bill of the SBK 2011 championship. He is an icon in the motor sport.
We were so fortunate to have come so close to look at his bike. A few hours later, we were face to face with him on the gird. We had a few minutes to take some photographs. We were not the only people around him. Carlos Checa was surrounded by teammates, hostesses holding an umbrella to protect him from the sun, photographers, mechanics, cameramen, fans, and us!
We were lucky enough to be invited to watch the start in the tower from which the start is given. It is unbelievable that we were allowed to be there. A limited amount people have been lucky enough to be where we were. It feels great!
1 minute to go and the beasts were ready to be unleashed. The noise and the smell was just amazing. Off they went at incredible speed.
It was challenging to freeze Checa in the lens of our camera. He rides up to 325km/h! After 22 laps, Carlos Checa was the winner, with remaining 3 points to become World Champion.
We found ourselves walking back to the SBK VIP lounge. It is hard to describe what we just witnessed. We were so proud to be part of such an incredible event.
Chapeau to SBK and his team of committed people for the great present they have given us.
Unforgettable memories…
Emmanuel Kuehn