The objective is to evaluate stowage and deployment methods for the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) during microgravity. The specific objectives of this experiment are: (1) to evaluate the stowage and deployment mechanisms for the medical supplies; and (2) to evaluate the procedures for performing medical scenarios. To accomplish these objectives, the HMF test mini-racks will contain medical equipment mounted in the racks; and self-contained drawers with various mechanisms for stowing and deploying items. The medical supplies and pharmaceuticals will be destowed, handled, and restowed. The in-flight test procedures and other aspects of the KC-135 parabolic flight test to simulate weightlessness are presented

Benz, Darren

Bueker, Richard

Gosbee, John

Lloyd, Charles W.

Orsak, Debra

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

ATLS -- STOWAGEAND DEPLOYMENTTESTING OF_-'DICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
/
N 9 1 - 3 2 7J'8 5
PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS:
CO-INVESTIGATORS:
FLIGHT DATE:
John Gosbee, M.D. (KRUG)
Darren Benz (MDSSC)
John Gosbee, M.D. (KRUG)
Charles_oyd, Pharm. D. (NASA'_
Richard Bueker (KRUG)
Debra Orsak (MDSSC)
April 20, 1990
OBJECTIVE:
Evaluate stowage
microgravity.
and deployment methods for the HMF during
TEST DESCRIPTION:
The specific ob_tivesof this experiment are: 1) to evaluate the stowage and
deployment mechanisms for the medical supplies; and 2) to evaluate the
procedures for performing medical scenarios. To accomplish these objectives,
the HMF test mini-racks will contain medical equipment mounted in the
racks; and self-contained drawers with various mechanisms for stowing
and deploying items. The medical supplies and pharmaceuticals will be
destowed, handled, and restowed.
IN-FLI GHT TEST PR OCEDLrRES:
Each of the stowage mechanisms will be evaluated by performing the
following procedures: 1) destowage; 2) deployment; 3) unpacking from
card or container; 4) dispensing, assembling, or handling; 5) repacking onto
the card or container, and then 6) restowage.
MEOzc.4L EVALUATIONSON _ KC-135:1990 FuGtrr IOU'ORT Su_gAgY
_109 n
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910023471 2020-03-17T14:59:55+00:00Z
ATLS -- STOWAGE AND DEPrOYMEN'rTEs'rxNc OFM_'DICALSUPPrn:S
AND PHARMACELrrICALS
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS
Stowage Mechanisms
The card method (see diagram) used several foam core cards with different
supplies and medications attached to them. The attachment methods were
small bungee cords, cu t-outs in the card, and glueing the overwrap material
to the card itself. The container method used an empty plastic tray (4 x 8 x
2), with a sealed cover that could be partly opened to access the contents.
These trays were restrained within the drawer with foam (see diagram).
Deployment methods
The cards could be restrained with velcro onto a MRS-mounted metal tray
and other surfaces of the drawers. Some cards had notches to "snap" into
the handles of the drawers. The plastic trays had velcro on the bottom to be
deployed onto the velcro-covered metal tray.
Layout (see diagram)
• Space utilized: Full width of KC-135, and 10 feet of length
• Two metal racks (19"x30"x48")
• Four rack-mounted drawers
Three - 5" x 17.5" x 30" drawers
One - 10 x 175" x 30" drawer
Inner drawer restraint devices
• Upper access cards with stowed items: 5 and 10 inch drawers
• Front access cards with stowed items: 5 inch drawer
• 4 x 8 inch trays within foam insets: 5 inch drawer
HMF prototype Medical Restraint System (MRS)
• Waist harness/straps for each "CMO"
• Rope around perimeter of MRS table
• One point tether straps attached to floor or base of racks
MF.DICALEVALUATIONSON THEKC-135:1990 Fuam" REPORT SUMMARY
110
ATLS-- STOWAGEAND DEPLOYMENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
Plastic Tray Drawer Layout
_0 I'
MEDICAL EVALUATIONS ON TIlE KC-135:1990 Fuc/rr REPORT SUMMARY
111
ATLS -- S'rowAcE ^_ Dn, LO,a_fEn'r TEs'rlnc OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
January 26, 1990
John Gosbee, M.D.
VELCRO
STRIPS
/
/
l
t
VELCRO
STRIPS/
\ " .. _ 5 Inch Front Ac(iessx
\ " --... _ Card Drawer \
MEDICAL RESTAINT \ \ ..... I _"
SYSTEM (MRS) __J'_/ \\
/ , I \\\ \\ _ "_
x'x. [ I0 inch Upper Access !
. "_ { C__rdDr_wer i
es_-_- --
%|
HMF -------" k "_
\MINI- RACK
MEDICAL EVALUATIONS ON TI_ KC-135:1990 Fucm" REPORT SUMMARY
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ATLS -- STOWAGEAND DEPLOYMENTTESTING OFMEDICAl. SUPPLIES
AND PHARMAC_rr]CAtS
Data acquisition
• In-flight written questionnaires
• Post-test debriefing
• Still and video photography
RESULTS
5-inch front access drawer
• Drawer front opened easily
• Tongue that was used to hold door open perpendicular worked great
• Cards slid out without trouble, but occasionally got jammed when
putting them back in, or one of the items got cought up on the drawer
opening.
• Pill bottles under loops were easy to remove, ONLY if the user held the
unrestrained end of the card fixed.
Pills went all over when trying to dispense into a baggy, or hand
Bottles were hard to replace on the card under the loops
Main deployment area used was the mountable card and the top of the
drawer that had velcro.
• Cards and deployment surfaces didn't match up well, and therefore the
cards were merely fixed loosely on one end, but not truly "restrained"
so that items could be removed without holding onto the free edge of
the card.
• This was true for the other 5 inch and 10 inch cards as well
• The shuttle-type, push up pill bottle failed. The only way to extract a
pill was to "peel" back the plastic triangles and "flip" out one or more
pills.
• The top of thisdrawer was used for deployment, but was unsatisfactory
because it wasn't flush with the edges of the drawer.
MEDICAL Ev.4LtLarloNs o_v_ KC-135:1990 FLIGHTREPORT SUMMARY
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ATLS -- STOWAGE AND D_LO_ENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
10-inch upper access drawer
• The poor one-ended deployment was accentuated since these cards had
more and larger items attached.
• Unpacking from the loops was good
• Unpacking from loops and an "edge" was no better, and a bit worse
than loops alone for the 4x4's
• Again, with objects on both sides of the cards, they would never lay fiat
on any surface.
• In addition, you couldn't see what was on the other side of the card
• The "briefcase" type card that folded open onto the metal tray deployed
very nicely, and stayed fixed upon the tray during the accessing of items
under loops on the card.
5-inch upper access drawer:
• The cards slid out easily
• Poor deployment schemes, as above
• Some syringes and plungers were stowed separately in a standard box.
• There was no "clean" way to deploy these when assembling the
syringes.
5-inch drawer with plastic trays:
• 4x8 plastic trays (packs) destowed easily with one hand
• Packs could be deployed onto the metal tray (with velcro) so easily, that
they could be thrown onto the surface and stick down froma distance
of 2-4 feet.
• Removal of one or more items from the packs was easy (Some packs
were hard to tear open with the ad hoc use of staples)
MEDICAL EVALUATIONSON_ KC-135:1990 Fuc;m" R_PoRr Su_RY
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ATLS _ STOWAGE AND DEPLOYMENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
Sometimes the operator(s) would open the packs to much (90% of the
way), which allowed all of the items out at once
Restowage into the packs was easy, except for flexible items like
sponges or cloth masks, which bunched up and had to be "stuffed" in.
The packs restowed easily into the foam drawer with one hand.
SUMMARY OBSERVATIONS
. All of the cards were easily destowed from the different drawer types.
In restowing these cards, it was easy to misalign cards. This was
partially due to the fact that the cards were constructed of foamcore,
which is more difficult to maneuver. Also, this may be eliminated by
making each card location specific.
. There were problems in deploying the cards once they were removed
from a drawer. It was somewhat of a hindrance to have velcro on the
blind side of the card. It wasn't always obvious where the velcro would
be, and as a result the card was often turned over to find out how to
attach it. Lack of commonality continually caused a delay in deploying
cards. When velcro was placed on the "blind side" of the card, or the
side not facing the CMO when the card was destowed, the deployment
attachment site was especially hard to spot. It was determined that
restraint mechanisms for cards (velcro was used for this flight) must be
uniform in location and method.
The metal tray used on this flight had a raised surface around it's edge.
This made it less appealing as a deployment surface. Firm attachment
was impossible because the card couldn't lie fiat. A level tray would be
much more appropriate. Further thought would be required to
determine the orientation for the velcro attachment points.
Cards deployed to the front of the drawer had parallel attachment
points, and were unstable. It was suggested that stability could be
increased by attachingcards with parallel and perpendicular restraints.
Use of the top of the front access drawer as a deployment surface was
much the same as using the metal tray. Since this was not a fiat surface
area, cards didn't attach very well.
MaDICaL EVAI.tlATIOIVSON Ttfl¢KC-135:1990 FLZaarr RFa_oar Su_RY
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ATLS m STOWAGE AND DEPLOYMENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
The card tray attached to the drawer front stuck fairly well, but lacked
stability during unpacking. Once again, added perpendicular restraints
could be used to increase the strength of this deployable surface.
The card tray "notched" to the drawer handle was completely unstable.
This was partially due to the fact that it was constructed from foamcore,
and wasn't as rigid as necessary. Even if the card was attached well, a
torquing effect may still occur, making unpacking impossible.
. Different containment methods were viewed as more advantageous
than others.
Items glued on cards worked well.
Restraining items with loops received mixed reviews. This was an
efficient method, but a CMO with larger hands would have some
difficulty. A loop attached permanently on both sides tended to be
easier to slip items out of, although it was harder to restow items into
this restraint. A loop attached permanently on one side allowed free
clearance to lift the item off of the card. These were cumbersome to
detach, however, and also presented problems for restowage, especially
when items required a certain orientation. Where multiple items were
restrained under one bungee it was difficult to remove one item at a
time.
An easy method of stowage and unpacking was found with items fixed
in slots which were attached to cards. These items were easy to unpack
and to restow. This method, however, is only practical for fiat items
(such as gauze).
Packaged items that were rolled up and attached to the card worked
fairly well. If these items had any memory, however, they would tend
to stay in their rolled configuration. Also, this method is only feasible
for items which do not require to be kept fiat.
Individual items attached with velcro were easily unpacked and
restowed.
All of the items mentioned previously required two handed destowage.
The "kits" with velcro on the bottom were very easy to destow one
handed (deployed easily to the tray surface). They worked well even
MEDIC.4L EVALUATIONSON 2"HEKC-135:1990 F_a1_-'rI_PORT SUMMARY
m 116
ATLS_ STOWAGEAND DEPLOYMENTTESTING OFMEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUtiCALS
.
without internal restraints, because items were densely packed within
the kit. This packing tended to create a problem in restowing any
unused portions. Also, only items that lent themselves to stacking
could be restrained in this manner. Although more thought might be
involved to fully develop this mechanism, it is seen as a viable stowage
concept.
"Kits" made from cards worked fairly well. They presented a method
of placing several items anticipated to be used repetitively in one
convenient package. They were heavier than regular cards and therefore
more cumbersome to handle. Because of the increased weight of the kit,
it is more difficult to attach to the metal tray, and to restow in the
drawer. Once again, this is partially explained by the material used in
it's construction. Items within the Kit would most appropriately be
placed in the order used.
Two sided cards were unsuccessful. Not only did they present a
problem in seeing what was on the card, they could not be laid fiat for
restrain with velcro. Even if they were somehow restrained, they
would have to be flipped after a period of time to access items on the
other side. This problem could be solved if this card had another
mechanism (beside laying parallel to a deployed surface) of restraint.
Items requiring assembly, such as syringes, generated a lot of trash. It
was recommended that items such as these not be kept in a box (and
then restrained to the card) if possible.
ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Items need tobe stowed on one side of card only. If items or kits excede
the space available on one side of a card, a 'briefcase' card is a possibility.
2. Restraint mechanism for cards needs to be common in both method and
location on the card.
° The concept of having a work surface (ie either a separate pullout 'work
tray' or a work card within a tray) is a good idea. The restraint of cards
once deployed needs to be worked with the design of the MRS.
4. A method of restraining pills in bottles or in bags is necessary (e.g., the
Freeman 1 device). A bottle alone with separate bags in which to place
MEDICAL EVALUA170N8 ON THEKC-135:1990 FLran'r REI_,oRr SUMMARY
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ATLS -- STOWAGE AND DEPLOYMENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
the pills after dispensing is unacceptable.
5. 'Clips" should be used whenever possible. The use of rubber bands
should be limited, espedaUy in the case of bottles. Rubber bands (or
bungees) might be suitable for some central supply items. Further
research on the subject is needed.
6. The current Shuttle pill bottle should be redesigned. The Freeman 1
device needs to be explored.
7. Pladng syringes in separate boxes is not optimal. This causes undo
waste, takes up too much space, and is not easy to work with. Clips may
be an adequate stowage and deployment device for pre-filled syringes.
8. Connections between loose items, such as the syringe and its cap,
should be evaluated to decrease floating trash.
9. Plastic 'packs' need to be considered as a stowage and deployment
device - possibly as a complement to the tray concept. It is possible the
packs can be designed to restrain any amount of items.
10. Restowage a consideration that needs to be addressed? We need to see
how it works once contents of the pack is low.
11. For visible aids, what about see through cards to allow CMO to see
deployed restraint mechanism.
12. Human restraint is also a factor when exploring deployment and other
restraint methods. This must be clearly defined to evaluate card
restraint methods, areas for restraints, etc.
13. Cards must have a fiat surface to restrain them in a stable fashion with
velcro, or be bungeed down on either end of the card.
14. Additionally, it is inconvenient and difficult to "see" both sides of the
card at once. A card that "folds out" like the Foley card may be better
if you plan to use every item on the card in rapid sequence.
15. Cards or deployable tray cards need to have a more stable attachment
mechanism than just a few strips of velcro on one end.
16. It was not obvious preflight, but it seemed that there are some inherent
MEDICAL EVALUATIONSON _ KC-135:1990 FUGRT RzPoRr Suaoc4ay
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ATLS _ STOWAGE AND DEPLOYMENT TESTING OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
AND PHARMACEUTICALS
problems involved in trying to restow used (or partially used) items on
cards. It is almost always true that the shape of the item before
unpacking and use differs from the shape of the replacement item.
17. It was apparent that deployment should be an integral part of the
Medical Restraint System (MRS).
18. By placing deployment surfaces on the MRS, CMOs of varying stature
could comfortably use these work surfaces.
NASA PHOTO REFERENCE
$90-35999 - 36000
Demonstrating weightlessness
$90-36015
Transfer of pills from bag to container in 0-g
$90-36022 - 26
Deployment of medical supplies from stowage
$90-36035 - 38
Deployment of medical supplies from stowage
$90-36050 - 51
Demonstrating weightlessness
$90-36055
Deployment of medical supplies from stowage
$90-36066- 73
Deployment of medical supplies from stowage
MEDICAL EVALUATIONSON _ KC-135:1990 Fuam" R.CPORTSU_,,.RY
119



ATLS-stowage and deployment testing of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals

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