Project Proposal

Honolulu, October 17th 2002.

To:     Dr. Suthers, Project Development Director.
Ref:    EMACS - Emergency Medical Acute Care Systems

 

Dear Dr. Suthers:

Please find enclosed for your consideration the basic description of the project we discussed on Tuesday October 15th.

* Background:

Mountaineering casualties are of overwhelming concerns to climbers and their relatives. Unfortunately, traditional emergency rescue of climbers in death threatening situations beyond 26,000ft has proved grossly inefficient, dangerous, short-sighted, while unnecessarily exposing rescuers to the same death threatening conditions affecting the endangered climbing party in the first place.

EMACS, Emergency Medical Acute Care Systems, a concept I developed to address this issue proposes itself as a new paradigm in the field. Based on the premises of climbers’ responsibility and self reliance and supported by recent advances in computer systems and wireless networks, EMACS entirely dismisses traditional mountaineering rescue as a dangerous, outdated, and cost intensive proposition.

In a major paradigm shift EMACS addresses the issue most and foremost in a preventive fashion. From the ground up it is designed to prevent life threatening situations to arise in the first place. In its curative aspect, EMACS provides a no less remarkable alternative to traditional mountaineering rescue. Through the use of GOES satellites and radio based stations it enables climbers to establish real time communication with an hospital based medical team for instant diagnosis and treatment of sick or injured climbers.

* Hypothesis:

The system prototype, the first of its kind, is intended to prove that computer based network technologies can be used as a cost effective alternative to traditional mountaineering rescues by allowing constant monitoring of high risks patients.

* System Requirements:

Fundamental requirements for the proposed system are:

- Small Size

- Low weight

- Low learning curve

- Economically viable

- Low power consumption

* System Goals:

The aim of this research is to develop a prototype of the system using light weight, low-power computer components affording at all times easy access to a high altitude climber.

By developing this prototype one should be able to test the feasibility of EMACS as a cost-effective way of broadcasting a climber’s vital signs in real time from the mountain. Close monitoring of the patient in situ should  lead to a far better assessment of a climber’s medical condition than traditional rescue type operation offer. Further, it should improve climbers medical care by accelerating the decision making process through early diagnosis and correction of a life threatening condition .

 

* System Components:

System hardware would consist of an iPAQ pocket PC and FDA approved vital signs sensors. Interaction with the system would be done visually and via voice input & output through the use of wireless network technology.

System software will be custom Java software optimized to provide rapid display of information.

The following parameters will constantly be monitored by the software:

- Oxygen saturation

- Blood pressure

- Pulse

- EKG

- Respiration rate

- Surface & core body temperature

- ETCO2

The system will communicate at all times with vital sign sensors, a GPS tracking device, and if necessary with a medical team through the use satellites and radio based stations.

 

* System Usability Studies:

Usability studies will be critical to the system operational and economic success.

Due to its use in an extreme an inhospitable environment the system interface must be simple, clear and concise regardless of its inherent complexity.

 Additionally, the system must afford easy interaction under physical stress and with minimal intellectual effort through thick gloves and goggles in both very bright and poorly lit environment.

* Cost:

The system will use standard off the shelf hardware and its initial cost for the system is estimated to be around $500.00.

Please let me know at your earliest convenience whether we should pursue this project under formal project development guidelines.

Sincerely,

Marc A. Le Pape