Tricorders
Dr. Bones McCoy would be so proud.This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science And with the latest in space-age healthcare. At a disaster site, it's important to triage--that is, decide who to treat first based on who's sickest. Problem is, it can take three to five minutes just to check a single patient's body temp, heart rate and breathing. Enter the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Tech Solutions group. They've developed a device called the Standard Patient Triage Tool. It looks a lot like the famed Star Trek "tricorder," and is ALMOST as impressive. The SPTT uses laser doppler technology taken from landmine detection and acoustic speakers. It can measure vibrations in the neck's carotid artery-- from as far as 40 feet away. The measurements are instantaneously converted into numbers emergency personnel can read to assess a patient's condition. The team says they hope to test the first SPTT very soon . . . but right here on Earth, NOT in a galaxy far, far away. Aww. And when will we get communications gear like Lieutenant Uhura? Just asking.
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