Military emergency tourniquet
The military emergency tourniquet is a device for rapidly and easily reducing or stopping blood flow to a limb. The tourniquet utilizes a closed loop system and includes a twistable strap, a base including two opposing entry apertures and an exit aperture, a windlass and at least one receiving loop. The twistable strap is slidably positioned through the opposing entry apertures and the exit aperture thereby forming a closed loop. The windlass is positioned outside of the closed loop and is affixed to one end of the strap. The windlass includes an aperture capable of sliding the opposing end of the strap therethrough. The receiving loop receives an end of the windlass and is affixed to the base.
1. A tourniquet, comprising:
a) a twistable strap having first and second ends;
b) a base comprising two entry apertures at opposite ends of said base and an exit aperture, wherein said twistable strap is slidably positioned through said entry apertures and said exit aperture thereby forming a closed loop;
c) a windlass positioned outside said closed loop, said windlass affixed to said first end of said twistable strap, said windlass defining an aperture through which extends said second end of said twistable strap so as to permit sliding of the second end of said twistable strap through said aperture so that pulling on said second end of said twistable strap decreases a diameter of said closed loop, said first end of said strap being affixed to said windlass so as to extend through said aperture, said aperture having a length and width conforming generally to a shape of said strap so as to prevent rotation of said second end of said strap in said aperture during twisting of said windlass, said windlass being rotatable to twist said first and second ends of said twistable strap on one another to form a twisted portion and thereby constrict said closed loop, said twisted portion of said twistable strap extending from said exit aperture of said base;
d) a receiving loop for receiving an end of said windlass when said twistable strap is in a twisted condition, said receiving loop affixed to said base.
2. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said twistable strap is constructed from nylon webbing.
3. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein an interior portion of said closed loop comprises a gripping structure, said gripping structure at said second end of said strap bearing against said first end of said strap at said aperture.
4. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said gripping structure is a rubber based material.
5. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said base is formed as a sandwich configuration comprising an upper portion of nylon webbing sewn along two of four perimeters to a lower portion of nylon webbing and an opening formed in said upper portion to define said exit aperture.
6. The tourniquet according to claim 5 , wherein said exit aperture comprises two exit apertures, wherein each of said two exit apertures provides an exit for a corresponding one of said two entry apertures.
7. The tourniquet according to claim 6 , wherein said upper portion comprises two upper portions of nylon webbing, said two upper portions being sewn to said lower portion to form two passageways through which respective ones of said first and second ends of said strap are slidably disposed.
8. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said strap exits said exit aperture approximately perpendicular to said base.
9. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said windlass is a rod.
10. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said windlass is a rod of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, carbon fiber and metal alloy.
11. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , further comprising complementary portions of a hook and loop fastener attached on one hand to said windlass and on the other hand to said receiving loop such that said windlass can be fastened to said receiving loop by said hook and loop fastener.
12. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said aperture in said windlass is an elongated aperture.
13. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said windlass is attached to said strap by feeding said strap through said aperture of said windlass and attaching said strap to itself by connecting a fed portion of said strap to an unfed portion of said strap to form a loop through said aperture.
14. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said base is constructed of nylon webbing.
15. The tourniquet according to claim 1 , wherein said base includes first and second sleeves through which are slidably disposed first and second ends of said twistable strap.
16. A tourniquet for application about a limb of a patient, comprising:
a strap having first and second ends;
a base of a flexible material having opposite ends, said base having first and second sleeves in alignment with one another, said first and second sleeves having respective entry openings at said opposite ends of said base and having exit openings adjacent one another and spaced from said opposite ends, said strap passing through said first and second sleeves of said base so that said first and second ends extend from respective ones of said exit openings and so that a portion of said strap extending from said entry openings forms a loop with said base ;
a windlass connected to a first end of said strap, said windlass defining an aperture through which passes said second end of said strap in sliding relation so that pulling on said second end of said strap will decrease a diameter of said loop, said windlass being rotatable to twist said strap to thereby reduce a diameter of said loop;
said first end of said strap being connected to said aperture of said windlass by being looped through said aperture so as to be disposed in side-by-side relation with a portion of said second end of said strap that passes through said aperture of said windlass, said first end of said strap being in contact with said second end of said strap at said aperture, said aperture having a length and width conforming generally to a cross-sectional shape of said strap so as to prevent said second end of said strap from twisting in said aperture during twisting of said windlass and thereby maintain said first end of said strap and said second end of said strap in side-by-side relation as said windlass is twisted; and
a receiving loop on said base positioned to receive said windlass when said windlass has been rotated to twist said strap so that said receiving loop holds said windlass to resist untwisting of said strap.
17. A tourniquet as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said first and second ends of said strap pass through said aperture of said windlass and are in side-by-side contact at said aperture.
18. A tourniquet as claimed in claim 17 , wherein said first end of said strap is connected to said windlass by looping said first end through said aperture of said windlass and securing said first end to said strap to form a second loop encircling a portion of said windlass at one side of said aperture.
19. A tourniquet as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said receiving loop is a first receiving loop, and further comprising:
a second receiving loop on said base, said first and second receiving loops being disposed on opposite sides of said exit apertures to receive opposite ends of said windlass.
20. A tourniquet as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said second receiving loop includes a securing buckle and strap.
21. A tourniquet for application about a limb of a patient, comprising:
a strap having first and second ends, said first end of said strap including a first loop;
a windlass in a shape of an elongated rod and defining an elongated aperture in said rod, said first loop of said first end of said strap encircling a portion of the windlass at one side of said aperture so as to connect said first end of said strap to said windlass, said second end of said strap extending in sliding relation through said aperture in said windlass so as to be disposed in side-by-side relation with said first end of said strap and to thereby form a second loop of said strap, said aperture being of a shape so that said first end of said strap and said second end of said strap are in contact with one another in said aperture, said sliding relation of said second end of said strap through said aperture causing said second loop to decrease in diameter when said second end of said strap is pulled, said windlass being rotatable to twist said strap at the portions thereof disposed in side-by-side relation to form a twisted portion to thereby reduce a diameter of said second loop;
a base affixed in sliding relation to said strap at the twisted portion to prevent capture of skin or clothing during twisting of windlass when said second loop is disposed about a limb of the patient; and
a windlass retaining member on said base, said windlass retaining member being selectively engagable to said windlass to hold said windlass so as to resist untwisting of the twisted portion of said strap.