Lock It Up: Exploring and Prototyping the Smart Tourniquet

Abstract

The most common cause of combat and mass shooting fatalities is massive hemorrhaging, which is treated via the use of tourniquets. Research has exposed a distinct lack of innovation in this field, with no electronically controlled or powered tourniquets, and as such, this group sought to create a smart tourniquet prototype to prove its feasibility. A prototype smart tourniquet was developed, utilizing a ladder belt and specialized housing. Plethysmography was used to gather data, processed by an onboard Arduino computer and openRB-150 chip. Outputs were used to drive a servo for automatic application and tightening. Considerations were made for size, speed and ease of application. The project resulted in a successful prototype, tested for strength, function in different environments, and ease of application. The final culminating test was a fully powered occlusion test, proving the feasibility of a smart tourniquet. Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, Medical Engineering, Plethysmography, TCCC, Robotics, Tourniquet, Ratchet, Micro-controls