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By vinstar7
#20053
My sister had breast cancer about 6 years ago and she had issues with using the seat belt, since she had radiation and chemo treatments. Sadly, like most radiation treatments, you have raw and very painful wounds. Sometimes she didn't wear her seat belt and other times she put the strap behind her back, which is terribly unsafe and can also get her a ticket. Anyhow, I was thinking there should be a attachment or some sort of seat belt created for people with chest injuries. It's painful enough to go through what they are suffering, but it would be great if someone created a safe ergonomically seat belt attachment for this case. I just know it's not safe to put the strap behind your back, but I am thinking there are probably other positions the strap could fall and still keep you secure if you were in an accident.

Reward: Just a note that it was in the works, and a link to see it or hear about it once it's on the market. blessings!
By helco
#20121
How's about rubber or plastic blow-up doughnuts of various sizes? The hole in the doughnut could be placed where the wound is, and the seat belt could be fastened across the inflated part. A kid's inflatable plastic lifebelt would probably do the job.
By vinstar7
#20125
Thanks for the thought much appreciated, I think a inflated option or attachment would be a great solution, but I think it would have to be more than just a child's toy. Maybe if it was formed to fit safely on the seatbelt so it stays in place and is safe to use while driving. Thanks for the feedback!!
By helco
#20126
You're right, a child's toy probably would not be sturdy enough. The inflatable donut would have to be able to move on the seat belt to accomodate the placement of the wound. Maybe velcro could be used to keep the donut positioned properly.
#20154
helco wrote:You're right, a child's toy probably would not be sturdy enough. The inflatable donut would have to be able to move on the seat belt to accomodate the placement of the wound. Maybe velcro could be used to keep the donut positioned properly.
Yes, but who said there would only be one wound? There's no reason to constrict yourself to just one wound that might or might not fit in the circle. Perhaps we should reinvent the "wheel", and instead of seat belts (which, admittedly, hurt quite a bit when you're flying around) perhaps we could use...something? I really don't know how to reinvent it, but if we're going to make something that could work with an assortment of wounds, bruises, or stuff like that we'd need something sturdy, flexible, and could still hold the person safely during a car crash. But if we reinvent the seat belt, we may have to reinvent the seat for ease of use. And if we do that, we might as well change the shape and layout of the car itself, depending on how we change the seat so that the securing material (I won't call it a belt anymore since I don't want to restrict myself to a belt that would dig into your skin during a crash.) would...secure (Sorry, but I couldn't think of a better word. sorry if it sounds redundant.) properly, and before all that we'd have to figure out how to make a securing mechanism that would hold people with injuries, disabilities, and/or chronic disorders (like something in the genes or whatever- that wouldn't be temporary, and they'd probably have a personalized seat for the person, but perhaps we could make a universal seat?). So now I'm thinking of some form-fitting gel that could somehow mold itself to the human body when the person sits down in it. Maybe some substance that can be heated to gel-like density by some metal on the back of the seat, and cools down with the press of a button? Then you could mold the gel around yourself so that it covers the non-injured parts, and leave the injured parts bare. And when it cools down via some switch or another (perhaps voice-activated?) it can turn into...something more sturdy. Or perhaps it can just be gel-like all the time, and only turn solid under sudden changes in pressure, like during a car crash. That way you can bypass the cooling and heating, and just protect yourself during a crash, where the initial jolting would make the gel that's presumably coated around you and connected to the seat turn into some solid that would keep you in the seat. I dunno. Just putting something out there for review and constructive criticism.
#20155
On second thought, that was a complete rant that arose from reading too many sci-fi books, since I was talking about the chair this whole time and I should have been talking about the seat belt, which I should take as a given that I can't change. After all, why should I reinvent the "wheel"? So now I'll think about the belt. Um...how about...I got nothing. My creativity was spent on the chair already. Sorry, but I got nothing, although perhaps there's some other way to secure a human without getting too much stress on the chest, where the wound is? I...just can't think of anything. Sorry.
By sparks
#20751
A chest protector molded to the patient could be worn. It could be designed to redirect the pressure and contact points during a collision. There are body jackets already out there for patients in wheel chairs that need support and positioning. What if the seat belt attached to the rear of the jacket and the wearer zipped themselves into the jacket when they entered the car? Extrication during a bad crash might require additional training from first responders.
#20774
Nice thought. It's something that straps you in better, goes over your chest and clicks into place in the centre of your chest I believe...it's just to make sure you stay against the back of the seat and are not able to bend forward at the waist. Seat belts are intended to reduce injuries by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle, or other passengers. If there's one thing we know about our risky world, it's that seat belts save lives.
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