Patent ID: 8287452

Claim:
A portable apparatus for monitoring at least one vital sign of a subject in a medical emergency at an emergency site, the apparatus comprising: a fluid bladder transformable between a stowable arrangement having a first footprint and a deployed arrangement having a second footprint, the second footprint being larger than the first footprint, the fluid bladder in the deployed arrangement having a top surface of sufficient size to fully support at least a torso portion of the subject in a reclined position and having a puncture resistant bottom layer configured for use at the emergency site, the fluid bladder having a sensor integral with the fluid bladder and in fluid communication with a fluid within the fluid bladder, the sensor configured to detect a pressure within the fluid bladder from the subject positioned on the fluid bladder; a controller configured to determine the at least one vital sign of the subject positioned on the fluid bladder from changes in the pressure within the fluid bladder due to the subject positioned on the fluid bladder; and a triage condition indicator configured to indicate a care urgency level based on the at least one vital sign of the subject, wherein the fluid bladder comprises a fluid outlet configured to release fluid from the fluid bladder, and wherein the sensor is fluidly coupled to the fluid outlet and configured to detect pressure fluctuations within the fluid bladder via the fluid outlet.