P-TQ (2018)
During my research in 2017, I found out that there is limited data on hemorrhaging control of pediatric patients. The reason for this is that in most developed countries children are very safe and rarely suffer traumatic injuries like blasts and gunshot wounds.
However, the world's conflict zones are different. 30 to 40 percent of the injured are 14 years old or younger. Children in the 4 to 10 years old group make up most of these injured as they are very active but lack knowledge of the real world (for example, picking up explosives intentionally because they thought it’s candy or toy). As these conflict zones lack resources these cases are rarely studied. This leaves a large knowledge gap in the medical field.
Reports by humanitarian organizations indicate that current tourniquets fail to stop bleeding on small children, which leads to the born of P-TQ (pediatric tourniquet) to prepare the world to face the large-scale world so that kids could be protected.
This project was in collaboration with Save the Children UK, the Imperial College Centre for Blast Injury Studies and strongly assisted by Dr. Emily Mayhew.
P-TQ , the first pediatric tourniquet designed for people in all age, even for 0 years old small patients.
Early-stage prototype.
Showcase on the infant.
A 5 years old girl, Nora, tried to learn how to use the P-TQ if needed. She thinks the P-TQ looks like some kind of candy.
P-TQ with packaging. The orange P-TQ is the final version, where bright color makes the user to operate in dark easier.
The grippy pattern make the tourniquet easier to use when it or your hands are covered in blood.
The brightly colored package of the P-TQ makes it stand out from the other gear in a medical kit. Often times a tourniquet is the first tool needed in the event of major hemorrhaging. The front of the package has a QR CODE which brings up detailed instructions. On the back is simple pictorial instruction. The concept of the package is inspired by the condom packaging which allows users to use one hand to open. Instruction illustration is drawn by Nick Hsu.