On: Car Mechanic Dreams Up a Tool to Ease Births

[Scaevolus]

This looks much safer than the alternatives of forceps, vacuum extraction, or C-section.

The intuitive leap from "extracting cork in wine bottle" to "extracting baby in birth canal" happening during a dream is fascinating. Neurons rearranging during sleep cause the oddness of dream logic and can find unexpected correlations -- like the link he found.

[tantalor → Scaevolus]

It appears to be very comparable to vacuum extraction. In fact it allows the same ~40 lbs of pulling force. (http://www.odondevice.org/device.php)

However, the device looks a lot less likely to fail (let go) than vacuum extraction, due to the firmer grasp.

[Scaevolus → tantalor]

Similar effects, but the force is spread over a larger area, and shouldn't swell the scalp.

[JshWright → Scaevolus]

On top of that, the force is spread over an area that is much more suited to withstanding that force (as opposed to the as-yet unfused parietal bones of the skull)

[TrainedMonkey → Scaevolus]

Additionally better friction coefficients when getting the head out - should make things somewhat easier as well.

[rsanders → Scaevolus]

That's important. My older son had severe jaundice due in part to the hematoma caused by use of a vacuum extractor during a difficult birth.

[dopamean → tantalor]

Looking at the picture in the Times article I'm having a hard time understanding how this doesn't hurt the infant's neck.