Mechanical advantage tourniquet

A tourniquet for restricting a flow of blood through or from an appendage, the tourniquet comprising:

• a base mountable on the appendage, the base having a first end and a second end;
• a mechanical advantage power system mounted on the base for controlling a pressure of the tourniquet on the appendage, the power system comprising:
• a windlass;
• a platen slidably mounted on the base;
• at least one flexible element extending between the windlass and the platen, the at least one flexible element passing around at least one engaging element on the platen to provide a mechanical advantage upon retraction of the flexible element by the windlass;
• a strap having a first end coupled to the platen for circumferentially tightening the tourniquet on the appendage;
• and
• a coupling connecting a second end of the strap to the base to close the tourniquet around the appendage;
• whereby, upon operation of the windlass, the platen is pulled along the base, thereby tightening the tourniquet.

A pressure control apparatus for applying pressure to a body part, the pressure control apparatus comprising:

• a base for positioning the apparatus on the body part;
• the base having a first end and second end;
• and
• a mechanical advantage power system mounted on the base, the system including a rotatable retracting device positioned on the base and a member slidably positioned on the base;
• a flexible element connecting the retracting device and the slidable member, the flexible element extending around at least one engaging element of the slidable member to provide a mechanical advantage;
• and
• a rotating means for rotating the retracting device to pull the flexible element into tension by wrapping the flexible element around the retracting device and thereby pull the slidable member along the base to tighten the apparatus.

A tourniquet, comprising:

• a C-clip having a first end and a second end, the C-clip having material memory to circumferentially open to accept an appendage therein and return to its original state so to be held in place on the appendage;
• a windlass mounted on the C-clip, the windlass configured to tighten the tourniquet to apply pressure to the appendage;
• a platen slidably mounted on the C-clip between the first end of the C-clip and the windlass;
• at least one flexible element connecting the platen and the windlass, wherein the at least one flexible element extends around at least one engaging element of the platen to provide a mechanical advantage;
• a strap having a first end coupled to the platen and a second end coupled to the C-clip,
• whereby the platen is pulled along the C-clip toward the windlass upon operation of the windlass to tighten the tourniquet.

A tourniquet comprising:

• a base comprising a first end and a second end;
• a platen slidable along the base;
• a strap comprising a first end coupled to the platen and a second end coupled to the base;
• a tightening mechanism mounted on the base, the tightening mechanism comprising:
• a windlass;
• at least one flexible element extending from the windlass to an anchor point, the at least one flexible element passing around at least one engaging element of the platen to provide a mechanical advantage upon operating the windlass to pull the platen along the base to tighten the tourniquet.