Ally Form, designed by Royal College of Art (RCA) graduate Ela Neagu, is a self-applicable bandage designed for use in cases of heavy bleeding. Neagu designed Ally Form to provide first aid support to people who lack training in the field of paramedics.
“First aid kits can be easily bought but most of them are not designed for severe scenarios or for self-application,” says Neagu.
With this in mind, the RCA graduate designed Ally From to bring healthcare solutions for severe scenarios into the home environment. In the case of severe accidents where a patient is bleeding heavily, stopping the hemorrhage by applying pressure is one of the main objectives of a paramedic – Ally Form empowers patients to be able to stop themselves from bleeding out while waiting for professional medical assistance to arrive.
A certified St John’s Ambulance first aider, the innovation design engineering graduate used her knowledge of both first aid and engineering to recreate the structure of a bandage. Her first aid knowledge guided her to apply the same application technique as a tourniquet (a constricting or compressing device, used to control blood circulation to an extremity for a period of time) into the design.
Neagu’s engineering skills enabled her to weave the “figure of 8” structure into the textile. Embedding the “figure of 8” wrapping system directly in the textile reinforces the structure of the textile and allows controlled and even pressure. Neagu has engineered the basic expertise of paramedics and first aiders into the textile of the bandage for simple application.
Ally Form also reassures the panicked and injured user of the application method through a series of communication graphics printed onto the fabric. Ally Form is designed for use on the arm or thigh.
