Following an accident time is of the essence and, in the adrenalin fuelled aftermath of such incidents the emergency services invariably have to work frantically amidst the chaotic throng of police, fire crews and over inquisitive onlookers in order to assess the status of the injured who may be drifting sporadically in and out of consciousness.

A wealth of information has to be amassed concerning blood groups, known drug allergies and the extent of the injuries sustained in as quickly as possible so as to enable correct prioritisation of care and, in the heat of the action, even the slightest mistake occasioned by something not being documented or communicated correctly can cost lives.

Conceptualised by Indian designer Saravanan Nagasundaram, and featured in Popular Science and Core77’s Personal Security Design Challenge, the Bluetooth enabled band aid could ensure that nothing is overlooked as the device will immediately allow paramedics not only to ascertain a victim’s blood type and allergies but also to gauge the overall priority of the patient thanks to a small screen embedded into the plaster allowing text display and real-time colour coding regarding the patient’s status, thus ensuring that the paramedics time is correctly proportioned according to the severity of the injuries sustained.

Not only that, but thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, a complete picture concerning the number of injured parties and their relative severities can be centrally pooled via a Paramedics Pad at the accident scene and transmitted directly to the receiving accident and emergency units allowing them to be fully prepared with the appropriate drugs, equipment and human resources well in advance of receiving the casualties.

Link: Core77, post by Andrew, the cool guy behind the cool site Thoughts from the Sidelines.