Hypothermia Survival Bag

Description (excerpt)

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/653,477, filed 30 May 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by the United States Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Discussions with medical personnel revealed shortcomings with current equipment for treating and transporting hypothermic patients. Current approaches may utilize a simple water barrier, such as a poncho as a bottom layer, with a sleeping pad on top. A first sleep system or sleeping bag is placed on top of the sleeping pad. The hypothermic person may be wrapped with a blanket and placed into a second sleep system. This approach has numerous shortcomings, including highly reduced patient access; patient access at ground level, which results in environmental intrusion and significant heat loss; use of two sleep systems for one patient; ineffective insulation in extreme cold temperatures; relies on external heating to begin heating the patient; does not accommodate the full range of patient statures and girths, especially clothing or equipment that must remain on due to the nature of the injury; does not facilitate movement of a stabilized patient; does not isolate the patient from heat loss to the ground or due to fluid run-off; and can only be used once. What is desired is equipment that aids caregivers in providing care to an exposure- or trauma-induced hypothermic Soldier during extreme cold weather operations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hypothermia survival bag comprises a waterproof base further comprising a water repellent shell outer layer and a waterproof liner, wherein the waterproof base with insulated walls has a bathtub configuration having a head end, a foot end, and left and right sides; an insulated top panel attached to the waterproof base at the foot end, and removably attached to each of the left and right sides with left and right side zippers, wherein the left and right side zippers extend from the foot end to the head end, wherein each of the left and right side zippers includes a plurality of pulls permitting each of the left and right side zippers to be selectively opened in multiple places simultaneously; a foot box; a hood having a brim; and a patient card pouch attached to an outside of the insulated top panel. The zippers have multiple pulls which makes it possible for medical personnel to access a patient very selectively, without the need to open an entire side of the bag. The bathtub shape of the waterproof base is advantageous in elevating the zippers to the level of the insulated top panel. The elevated zippers aid in keeping snow, rain, groundwater, and other environmental materials out of the survival bag. According to a first embodiment, the hypothermia survival bag may further include a plurality of side transport loops, a head transport loop, and a foot transport loop attached to the water repellent shell of the waterproof base. It should be emphasized that the side, head, and foot transport loops are not attached to the waterproof liner, but only to the outermost layer, the water repellent shell. The plurality of side transport loops, the head transport loop, and the foot transport loop may be selectively attached to the water repellent shell of the waterproof base in order to accommodate a stabilizing board between the plurality of transport loops and the water repellent shell of the waterproof base. According to a further embodiment, the insulated top panel may include a duck bill extension at the head end. In a similar manner, the insulated top may include a chest extension to provide extra insulation around the head opening of the hood. According to another embodiment, the bottom interior of the waterproof base may include a plurality of insulating layers selected from the group consisting of batting with aerogel, a durable water repellent shell, an absorbent pad, and a perforated spacer pad. One or more of the layers may be doubled, if desired, so as to achieve the desired performance goals. According to a further embodiment, each of the interior left and right sides of the waterproof base may include an insulating curtain attached adjacent the left and right side zippers, the insulating curtain hanging down to the bottom interior of the waterproof base. According to another embodiment, each of the left and right insulating curtains may include a plurality of insulating layers selected from the group consisting of a batting layer, a batting layer with aerogel, and a metallized shell. One or more of the layers may be doubled, if desired, so as to achiev