Concept:

Infant/child car seat with attached USB flash drive that retains valuable medical/contact information for the child in case of emergency.

Need:

In cases wherein a parent and/or caregiver have been incapacitated or killed in an automobile accident, a simple, inexpensive and readily available USB memory device attached to the child’s car seat can provide a source of lifesaving information for the child.

The USB flash drive, commonly referred to as a “Thumb Drive” can be loaded with valuable information such as the child’s name, date of birth, picture, emergency contact information (relatives, physician, etc.), and relevant medical history including: allergies to medications, past hospitalizations, etc. which are deemed critical for appropriate treatment of the child. This memory device can provide a voice for the child in circumstances where the parent/caregiver is unable to do so. A simple USB memory stick can provide the necessary treatment information to emergency medical personnel in such unfortunate circumstances.

Implementation:

USB flash drives have no fragile moving parts, are small, lightweight and very inexpensive. It is envisioned that the USB flash drive would be attached to a car seat via an appropriate retention clip that would allow Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel to quickly and easily remove the device during extraction of the patient from the vehicle. EMS could interrogate and/or download the contents of the memory device enroute to the hospital or simply transfer the USB memory stick to hospital personnel upon arrival. Hospital personnel can then download and examine the information stored in the device to provide the most appropriate treatment for that particular patient.

Communication of necessary, emergency medical information for infants/children who are unable to do so on their own. The proposed idea would provide a ‘voice’ for the child in circumstances where the parent/caregiver or child is unable to communicate to medical/rescue personnel as a result of an auto accident. There have been cases where a parent/guardian has been killed or severely incapacitated from an auto accident and cannot answer basic questions related to the child’s medical history who was in their care at the time of the accident. If the parent/guardian cannot communicate, or are transferred to a different receiving medical facility than the child (depending on the severity of their injury) then the USB flash memory device would be transported along with the child such that at a minimum, the receiving facility would at least know the infant’s name and emergency contact information.

Benefits:

If the idea were to become a reality, both parent and child would benefit. The idea is an extremely simple example of convergence of two common technologies that, when combined, can become a lifesaving tool for a child. This idea provides an inexpensive way for a parent to ensure their child’s safety in their absence by providing pertinent information to appropriate personnel at the time when it is needed most. The idea provides peace-of-mind for the parent and reliable, possible life-saving information for the child.