The Mechanical Advantage Tourniquet (MAT)

Recent geo-political and natural disaster events have shown that one of the primary threats to victim’s survival is blood loss. In particular, the global war on terror has demonstrated specific vulnerabilities in critical blood loss due to damaged limbs. In late 2003, American Special Operations Forces requested the urgent supply of a tourniquet with some special requirements including; operation by one-hand, application and occlusion in less than a minute, applicable to trapped limbs, no external power, quick release and reset, weighing less than 230 grams, and having a 10 year shelf-life. Within seven weeks, Cybertech Medical Product Development delivered the first prototype of the Mechanical Advantage Tourniquet (MAT) to the DoD that solved all of their desired requirements, and to-date is the only device to do so. It’s unique modulated constriction makes the MAT safe to use in preventing tissue damage and loss of limb.

Three independent military medical tests conducted in 2005 have shown the MAT to be the fastest, easiest-to-use, most efficient and most preferred device in stopping critical blood loss and saving life and limbs. The MAT is the best performing tourniquet tested by the Army, Navy, and Marines.

The MAT has been selected as standard equipment by Homeland Security, and has been deployed to AFT, Border Patrol, military troops throughout the world, and is now used to protect the highest members of the US Government and other dignitaries. The MAT is now part of the Tactical Emergency Medical training courses of many police departments, and is being utilized by EMS services and ER departments.

The MAT won a Gold 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA Award). The Industrial Designers Society of America and BusinessWeek cosponsor the IDEA competition. BusinessWeek selected the MAT in their feature “Design for a Dangerous Planet” in the July 10 “Best Product Design of 2006” issue.

The MAT has been designed, developed and brought into production by Cybertech and Ewing Design Group.

About Bio Cybernetics International

Bio Cybernetics International is the nation's dominant orthotics and trauma products supplier for hospitals and EMS. For more than 7 years, BCI has met the needs and exceeded the expectations of providers throughout the healthcare continuum, including hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS).

About Ewing Design Group

Steve Ewing founded Ewing Design Group in 1994 under the principle that superior products create superior brands. Ewing Design Group does this by designing and engineering products that out-perform the competition, have strong brand identity and emotional appeal.

Their approach to the design problem solving process is holistic. Acting as the hub of the development team, they work with the client's customers, retailers, sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and service departments to uncover the needs, wants and desires of all the key players. This results in products that are more than just improvements over their predecessor, they are class leading.