Freelance Traveller

by Robert O'Connor

Automeds

Initially a stretcher which can serve as an ICU bed with all equipment (monitors, ventilator, IV pumps) built in. Additional featured become available at higher tech levels.

TL 9+ systems have inbuilt grav modules to offset mass.

Medkits/Doctor's Bags, Advanced Bandages/Enhanced Healing, and First Aid Kits.

The doctor's bag contains the equipment and drugs necessary to
- conduct a resuscitation (no chest drains or defibrillator)
- perform minor surgery (e.g., suture a laceration)
- treat common ailments (allergy/asthma/heart attack or failure/pain and some common infections).

Higher tech level bags contain better drugs and instruments.
Portable labs are usually carried at TL 9+
Medscanners are usually carried at TL 12+

First aid kits contain bandages, antiseptics and occasionally slings and foil blankets (the latter for treating hypothermia). Advanced bandages described in the Trauma articles. They make use of gentle growth-quickening and tissue culture technologies, and will enhance the healing of Superficial and Minor injuries:
- double the rate of recovery at TL 9+
- triple the rate of recovery at TL 12+

The advanced bandages are impregnated with growth promoting factors (and repair machines if your Traveller universe permits). Alternatively, advanced healing could be a course of pills to go along with 'dumb dressings'.

Drugs

It is assumed the main determinant of price is TL.
Base price (TL × 16) if TL 9 or less; (TL × 40) if TL 10+; × 10 per tech level below TL of introduction (TL 9-, else -4).

In the table below, TL refers to tech level of introduction. Base Price is per unit or fraction thereof, at late TL of introduction; novelty price is price per unit or fraction thereof at initial development (early TL of intro), or one TL earlier. Prices should be discounted 20% per TL above TL of intro, to a minimum price of 20% of listed base price.

Notes:

• Banked blood needs to be grouped below TL 9 (incompatible blood transfusion is equivalent to a Destroyed level drug overdose). At TL 9+, all banked blood and blood products are stripped of blood group antigens and this no longer applies. Ensure group compatibility with impromptu infusions! Blood requires refrigeration at 4°C. It has a usable life of eight weeks.
• Other IV fluids come in 0.1, 0.5 and 1L bags. Cost is 5Cr per litre.
• Local anaesthetics are liquids for injection or topical creams or patches at TL 7+.
• General anaesthetics are available in injectable form from TL 5+. Continuous IV infusion often supplants inhalational anaesthesia from TL 9+.
• Medical slow drug is restricted availability (must prove ability to provide ICU or hospital ward level care).
• Most drugs do not require refrigeration, merely storage in a cool dry place.

Investigational Equipment

Laboratories

For simplicity, assume that the shipboard lab module described in FF&S is equivalent to a ground-based lab. In a very large hospital or pathology service, each discipline may require a separate lab, e.g., anatomical pathology, microbiology, haematology, biochemistry, etc.

 

The portable lab

The TL 8 portable blood lab is 1.5kg and 1.5L in volume.
A drop of blood is placed in a small well on a cartridge about half the size of a playing card. The cartridge is inserted into the lab box, which interrogates the sensors on the cartridge. Analysis is complete within two minutes. Results are displayed on an LCD screen on the front of the box.
Cartridges are disposable, and cost 2-4Cr each.
The lab box costs 3000Cr, and runs on a rechargeable battery.

 

The TL 9 lab can also perform microbiological analyses on body fluids. It costs 4000Cr. Size and weight are identical. Micro cartridges are 5Cr each. Results are obtained in five minutes.

Scanners, etc.

X-ray machines

Fixed installations at TL 4.
By TL 6, mobile units (300kg, 1m3) are available.
Small (radar gun) sized fluoroscopes are available as early as TL 5, but their penetrance and resolution is relatively low.

 

Ultrasound machines

Begin as large mobile units (300kg, 1-2m3) at TL5.
Small Doppler (flow/no flow sensing) devices are available by TL 8, which are the size of a transistor radio).
Small imaging devices do not become available until TL 12 (pocket med scanner).

 

CT scanners

Fixed installations.
Price begins at 2MCr at TL7 falling to 0.25MCr by TL 9

 

MR scanners

Fixed installations. Considerable magnetic shielding is required.
Price begins at 2MCr at TL8 falling to 0.25MCr by TL 10.

 

Antiproton CT scanners

Meson scanners

Fixed installations.

Design as C-PAWs or meson guns with a discharge energy of 1kJ and a range of 2m.

 

Gravisonic modulator

Begins as an installation (rate as 1G inertial compensation for 2m3) at TL9 and gets smaller as TL improves (treat as ultrasound : 300kg/1m3 at TL 12, 100kg/0.3m3 at TL 13).

 

The Medscanner

As described in previous publications.
TL 12, weight 0.2kg, volume 0.1L, cost 10500Cr.

 

Medscanner-computer

TL 12, 2kg, 1L, 25000Cr

Life Support Devices

Dialyzer, Heart-Lung Machine

TL 7 : dialysis, cardiopulmonary bypass :- 300kg, 1m3

 

Life-Support suit

Can provide heart/lung/liver/kidney replacement.
Requires surgical procedure to connect to patient.
(Difficult, Medical, Dex).
Has no armour rating.

Outpatient visits (going to the doctor)

The standard consultation fee is 20Cr for fifteen minutes. More eminent physicians may charge much more than this.

The cost of attendances is built in to the cost of hospital care (see trauma rules), for simplicity.

Surgical Instruments

First available at TL4, volume 4l, mass 4kg, cost 2000Cr. Usually considered part of a theatre setup. This set will suffice for procedures up to Major level damage ; it has sufficient equipment for a single procedure in a single region (long or complex surgery may require 6 or more sets of instruments).

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