Omni Measurement Systems, Inc.
AMXD ®: A New Extended-Wear Bladder Relief System Developed for the
U.S. Air Force
Jerry Reid
Omni Measurements Systems, Inc. has developed extended-wear,
semi-automatic bladder relief systems for female and male aircrew
for the U.S. Air Force. The Advanced Mission Extender Device (AMXD
®) is designed for extended flights in aircraft without toilet
facilities. Use of other bladder relief devices including male
piddle packs and female diapers require unstrapping, partial
undress, and
excessive movement within the cockpit.
Three accidents (two F-16s and one A-10) have been reported
involving male piddle packs, resulting in loss of life and
aircraft. Some aircrew members also dehydrate prior to long
missions in order to avoid relieving their bladders while in
flight. Dehydration impairs performance and can lead to serious
health problems. Recognizing this problem, the Air Force made
aircrew bladder relief the Number
Two priority for Life Support in 2004.
The self-powered AMXD ® improves aircrew members' combat readiness and permits them to concentrate on mission objectives without distractions or interruption. No unbuckling, undressing or maneuvering is required.
The AMXD ® has undergone extensive laboratory and human testing at Omni's facility, human ground trials at Seymour Johnson and Luke Air Force Bases, and altitude and vibration testing at Brooks-City Air Force Base. The U.S. Air Force conducted in-flight Safe-To-Fly certification during the Spring of 2006. Safe-To-Fly was awarded to the AMXD ® in November of 2006.
The AMXD ® includes a small, battery-operated pump unit, a disposable urine collection bag, a disposable, inflatable cup for males, and a disposable, inflatable pad for females. The lightweight cup and pad are discretely worn under the flight suit and remain in a deflated state when not in use. A small hose is attached to the front end of the cup and pad. To activate the system, the aircrew member retrieves the hose from the flight suit and plugs the hose and a collection bag into the pump unit. The pump inflates the cup or pad to create a reservoir for urine. The aircrew member pushes a button on the pump to extract the urine into the collection bag. Upon completion, the aircrew member detaches the cup/pad hose from the pump unit and places the hose back into the flight suit.
The AMXD ® system can be used multiple times during a mission. After the mission, the aircrew member disposes of the cup or pad and collection bag. Between flights, a cleaner unit sanitizes the pump unit in seconds, and a charger unit recharges the battery pack.
The AMXD ® is being repackaged for Chemical-Biological (CB) use so that the entire system can be worn comfortably and unobtrusively inside the CB suit. This capability will allow soldiers to relieve their bladders safely without breaking the seal of their protective suit.
To download the full paper CLICK HERE (.PDF)
