The support of the head and neck complex is critical in all activities including sport, powersports, safety and the military. Attempts to support the neck have failed due to restriction in functional range of motion and comfort. Kapsul Tech is proud to announce its release of the Atlas Shirt. The Atlas shirt provides unparalleled, unrestricted protection and performance enhancement to the Head/Neck complex. Unparalleled, since Kapsul Technology is the only Dynamic Neck Stabilization Technology (DNST) product on the market, in the field, on the field, in the snow or wherever sport or activity happens. Kapsul’s patented solution helps protect the neck (and brain) through the dissipation of force. These forces can include Concussive Force, Repetitive Sub-Concussive Trauma, Posture and Vibration. The technology uses proprietary medical-grade, rate absorptive, viscoelastic foams against the skin and across joints to reduce joint acceleration, under stress and/or strain. The dissipation of force increases joint stability through reducing the load on active (muscles) and passive (ligaments, joint surfaces, etc.) support systems. It also mitigates the risk of injury, pain, strain, and fatigue to empower athletes and service members to do what they love, at their highest level, for as long as possible. All this in a form where the user barely feels it is there, until support is required.

Kapsul Tech was formed in 2015, built around the idea of empowering athletes and service members to do what they love longer through the provision of enhanced support to critical areas of the body. Kapsul is supported by leading edge research facilities and a consortium of Orthopaedic Surgeons, who are responsible for the Worlds leading athletes, including the NFL, CFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, Rugby and World Cup Skiing. The Kapsul Atlas was designed to seamlessly integrate into existing equipment under a variety of conditions and environments.

Why the Neck? To this point there is no solution that supports the neck that does not hinder the neck’s ability to move with an unrestricted range of motion. On the field or battlefield, this range of motion is crucial to optimal performance. Joint mobility comes at a cost. The more mobile the joint, the less stable those joints are. Your neck is especially vulnerable when you perform activities that tire the muscles and challenge ligaments and soft tissues that are the joints’ natural support system. This weakening of your neck’s natural support system and destabilization of its joints render you more susceptible to serious injury and pain from sudden impacts, low-force impacts, repetitive motion, and prolonged postural positions. The neck also controls the motion of the head and the brain housed within it. Acceleration/Deceleration of the neck create a relative acceleration of the brain inside the skull. Support and control of these motions in the head may protect the brain, particularly in conditions that don’t involve blunt force trauma directly to the head.

How does this relate to service members? Members of the military are athletes in their own right. Asked to perform tasks under duress and while carrying heavy loads. Body armor, helmets, night vision and weapon systems all place extreme load on the body. Additionally, the tasks we ask service members to complete, parachute insertion, mobility operations and general combat operations, while wearing kit, produce countless injuries and long-term disability. Kapsul understands this problem and its transition to military products was the clear next step. Actually, the product was born, designed and tested with the military athlete in mind. No single sporting category has the physical demands of the military athlete and injury statistics clearly demonstrate this. Kapsul Tactical will provide stand-alone solutions such as the Atlas shirt, and they are currently working with elements of USSOCOM and CANSOFCOM to develop the next generation of Kapsul protections. These innovations will include the complete integration of the Kapsul collar with existing Programs of Record, including combat shirts, flight suits, dry suits and tactical vests.

While the neck was its first choice, given the number 1 and 2 injuries sustained by US Forces were TBI and Neck Injury, Kapsul is also working to develop integrated support systems for other areas of the body, like the lower back and knees. Lots more to come from Kapsul!

More info on Kapsul and the Atlas Shirt can be found at www.kapsultech.com.

We thought this recent blog post by CRO Medical was worth a share.

The CRO Medical Hybrid IFAK has been in circulation for over five years, with over 10,000 units sold. We designed this product as an improved medical fanny pack for POI care during the first ten minutes of treatment. The bag dimensions accept a six-inch ACE wrap packed vertically in the pouch. The molle wings allow two CRO Medium Bleeders to attach for expanding the kit. There are endless ways to utilize this product. Here is one medic’s approach to packing, treatment, and planning using the Hybrid IFAK.

Why is this fanny pack more valuable to a medic?

It’s compact and allows me to carry all of my lifesaving interventions that are more advanced than a teammate’s standard IFAK. These advanced interventions include diagnostics, drugs, advanced airway, and IV/IO admin. I can provide point-of-injury care for the first ten minutes of treatment and upgrade my patient’s condition as I prepare for Damage Control Resuscitation. I accomplish all of this using only my Hybrid IFAK. This product allows me to rapidly deploy treatments, only needing to drop my med bag if the patient needs blood. The integrated waist belt will let me quickly switch the Hybrid IFAK from back to front and stow it again when not used. The versatility of this product is unmatched for POI care. 

What are some of the desirable features of this bag?

The customizable bungee retention in this bag is excellent. It expands your carrying capabilities on your waist instead of filling up space on your plate carrier. It doesn’t limit you to certain-sized items fitting in premade loops but provides excellent retention and easy customization. This feature is unique to CRO and found in all of their equipment. The internal vertical sleeve pockets are convenient for flatter and smaller items, as they can hold many of them, including NCDs, casualty cards, chest seals, etc. However, one of the best features is the wings on the sides of the IFAK that can fit CRO Medium Bleeder pouches or tourniquet covers.

How do you utilize this product while treating a patient?

After doing a rapid MARCH assessment or treating a casualty that is being treated by teammates already, I can quickly reach into the Hybrid IFAK and access a premade kit such as an IO, IV, or suction and pass it off to somebody to use. At the same time, I can focus on blood admin/preparation, drug admin, or preparing more advanced interventions as needed. The ability to carry medic-specific items in the “hybrid” IFAK style pouch is ideal and makes a ton of sense for medics integrated into a team. 

What other uses have you found?

I had extra space in one of my Medium Bleeder pouches after packing a pulse-ox and EMMA device. I decided to throw in some basics that aren’t lifesaving interventions but still are valuable for patient care. Tape is always needed, and by running the bungee through the roll of tape at the top of the pouch, I found that it sat perfectly above the pulse-ox and EMMA to give the bag a fuller feeling. Additionally, I found room for a headlamp. Headlamps are always needed in a pinch, and if I were to only have my Hybrid IFAK on in a dark environment, I could quickly reach in and throw that on and continue patient care.

Please describe your methodology for packing this product and how it relates to the MARCH algorithm.

When building out my Hybrid IFAK, I wanted it to be more advanced than a teammate’s IFAK and have enough interventions to treat a casualty or two almost entirely without digging into my med bag. It has primary interventions for “M” in the MARCH algorithm (extra wound packing supplies) and advanced interventions for ARC (cric kit and basic suction/finger-thoracostomy kit/IV/IO, along with a premade TXA kit). It is a perfect middle-ground between an IFAK and my med bag.

What have you found while using this product while running trauma lanes?

While training, the Hybrid IFAK sits on my lower back. When I need to treat a patient, I rotate it around to grab supplies quickly, and if I’m in a secure position and can sit on the patient for a few minutes, I detach it from my waist and place it next to me or on the patient. Running slimmer mag pouches/placards makes visualizing its contents much easier when it’s on your waist. Wearing a dangler pouch below my plate carrier tends to impede working out of the Hybrid IFAK, making things a little more awkward regarding accessibility. I suggest running either a dangler or the Hybrid IFAK, but not both.

Please describe other benefits of integrating this product into your planning and treatment of casualties.

In short, the compact size and customizability of the Hybrid IFAK give me the confidence to treat one or two patients without digging into my med bag. By fully utilizing the Hybrid IFAK, I increase my maneuverability and save valuable size/space in my med-bag.