Swing-Away Winch Cathead Guard

Shrimp boat operators use two trawl retrieval mechanisms mounted on the same winch frame. The main spools are used in the first operation; the shrimpers stand within inches of rotating cathead drums and guide incoming wire rope onto the main spools. Second, lazy lines are wrapped multiple times around each of the two spinning catheads (horizontal beams that raise and secure the anchor). Lastly, the guarding ends are pulled by the operators to cinch the rope to the rotating spool aiding trawl retrieval, but poses a hazard for operators to get entangled in the spinning cathead spools.

Emergency Maritime Battery Charger

Boats and other watercrafts have emergency lifesaving equipment like strobe lamps to help rescuers locate individuals overboard in the event of a disaster. The battery life of the equipment is limited, so the amount of time rescuers have to find the victims is also limited. An emergency battery charger that can power emergency equipment is needed to remove this limitation.

Mobile Instrumentation for the Detection and Sampling of Aerosol Particles

Hazardous airborne particles pose a risk for health and safety in a variety of environments and thus detection of these small particles is essential. Current particle magnification systems are bulky and require a lot of power for operation, making them unsuitable to easily detect and analyze small particles in mobile and personal settings.

Occupational Health: Wearable Kneel-Sit Support Device for Manual Labor and Heavy Industry Applications

This CDC-developed technology describes a novel ergonomic device that supports a portion of the worker's weight while kneeling, relieving the knee pressure and pain common to many manual labor occupations. Unfortunately, many of the devices that have been used in the past to relieve pressure on the knees are bulky, heavy, and of questionable durability.

Occupational Safety: Portable Exposure Assessment System for Prevention of Musculoskeletal Injury

CDC researchers have developed the Portable Exposure Assessment System (PEAS), a field-based, remotely deployed tool to monitor and provide early warning of working conditions that have a high likelihood of musculoskeletal injury. PEAS is a noninvasive, real-time, instrument-based system. Sensor technology simultaneously measures and collects data regarding the body loads and awkward postures imposed by package handling as well as driving-related, low-frequency vibrations.

Hearing Safety Devices: System for Monitoring Exposure to Impulse Noise

This CDC-developed technology entails a system for monitoring and assessing the risk of auditory damage from exposure to impulse noise, such as noise created by construction machinery and firearms. Noise dosimeters have been used extensively over the past two decades to document personal exposure to noise and assure workplaces comply with permissible noise exposure levels. However, due to older methods of calculating "noise dose," current noise dosimeters often inaccurately determine the risk of an impulse event.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for Non-Destructive Assessment of Epithelial Integrity

This technology includes a novel apparatus and method that utilizes Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to assess the integrity of epithelial cell membranes non-destructively. By applying frequency-modulated voltage signals and facilitating fluid exchange on both sides of the epithelial tissue, this technology allows researchers to characterize membrane-specific responses with unprecedented accuracy.

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