This device facilitates the safe removal of a helmet from a trauma patient without jarring the wearer’s spinal column. In various sports and activities, including football, motorcycling, F-1, and NASCAR, participants may wear a helmet to shield their head against injury and trauma following an impact. Most helmets comprise a hard plastic shell lined with padding, extending down over the wearer’s ears, and can also include a mask or guard to protect the face. In the case of an injury, quick access to the wearer’s head is crucial to provide appropriate medical care, such as breathing assistance. However, the snug design of helmets makes their removal without distressing the wearer’s spinal column challenging.
Researchers at the University of Florida have designed a device to assist in removing a helmet from an injured wearer’s head. By prying the sides of the helmet apart, it enlarges the head opening, enabling a medical provider to slide it off the patient’s head without risking spinal damage.
Facilitates the helmet removal from an injured wearer’s head while limiting manipulation of the spinal cord
This helmet-removal device comprises two arms extending from a hub component. The distal end of each arm attaches to a helmet engagement component. These components have an aperture with a configurable width to interlock with respective edges or surfaces on the sides of a helmet, proximate to the wearer’s ear or jawline. The device can incorporate several pairs of removable engagement components to remove helmets with different characteristics. Upon activation by applying an operating force, the angle between the two arms increases, prying the opposite sides of the helmet apart and enlarging the opening. The operating forces can include a lever and motor or fluid forces, such as a hydraulic system or a pressurized gas container. The hub component incorporates a locking pivot mechanism to keep the angle between the two arms constant while using the device. When not in use, the device can take on a collapsed configuration for efficient storage, with the arms telescoping out to an extended-use configuration when necessary.