Pull wound carbon fiber poles can achieve lightweight, compact, and rigid emergency stretchers

September 06, 2024

Emergency medical stretchers, especially those used by the military, require a series of parameters that are difficult to achieve: they must be lightweight, foldable, and easy to carry in backpacks; Must be durable enough to withstand rough handling and potential harsh environments; It must also be sturdy enough to safely transport patients.

Epsilon Composite is a company that produces various components from aircraft pillars to utility conductor cores. In the following two years, the Epsilon team developed the Blacklite telescopic stretcher and applied for a patent.

Essentially, this design consists of two parallel poles, which are made up of a series of telescopic tubes. One pole is installed inside the other, and a flexible fabric is suspended between the two poles. There is a transverse reinforcement device consisting of two parts in the middle to increase stiffness.

Each parallel rod is composed of eight carbon fiber telescopic tubes. Each fiber tube is equipped with a metal ring at the end, which is bonded to the metal ring. The metal ring serves as both a connection point for the stretcher fabric and an additional reinforcement device to prevent cracking or other damage.

The individual carbon fiber/epoxy resin reinforcement ribs are made through extrusion technology, which can achieve 100% unidirectional fiber. The reinforcement device is horizontally connected to the fabric stretcher to increase the rigidity and stability of the patient and stretcher.