Mark B. Barron (born Mark Bowen; 1958) is an American entrepreneur and inventor. He is the founder of Public Transportation Safety International Corporation (PTS), which invented and produces the S-1 Gard Dangerzone Deflector for transit buses and the Minimize Danger Zone (MDZ) Shield for school buses.
Early life Mark Barron was born in San Diego, California. At the age of five, he and his family relocated to Los Angeles, CA. His parents were divorced by the time he was eleven years old; subsequently, he was sent to reform school."Mark Barron biography" . Retrieved 9-28-12.
Professional life Barron is who invented and patented the Chemo Cap, a therapeutic hypothermic device, in 1979.Bowen, Mark. Cap structure for creating temperature controlled environment for reducing alopecia. Patent No. 4425916. U.S. Patent Office. Filed 1979-06-01, issued 1984-01-17.Lawrence, Gary (September 2, 1979). "Cap helps prevent patient's loss of hair in cancer treatment". Valley News, Los Angeles, CA, p. 7. The Chemo Cap was designed to prevent alopecia from chemotherapy treatment by freezing the scalp and decreasing blood flow to areas of hair growth during administration of the drug. While success was initially limited, more recent "cold caps" have recently achieved more widespread adoption and shown success rates of 80 to 90 percent with certain chemotherapy regimens,Braff, Danielle (January 4, 2012). "Cold caps show promise in keeping hair through chemo". Chicago Tribune.Weiss, Stefanie (January 11, 2011). "Breast cancer patient uses super-chilled headgear to try to retain her hair". Washington Post. in addition to helping prevent cerebral palsy in babies,Cronin, Fran (January 31, 2012). "What To Do For Oxygen-Deprived Newborns? Cool Them Down". WBUR.org. providing neuroprotection after cardiac arrest, inhibiting stroke paralysis, and as cryotherapy for migraine headaches.
In subsequent years, he launched ventures in long-distance telecommunications and legal referral consulting.Ibid, 1.
In 2025, Barron founded and developed Trust Fund Battle, an educational gaming platform focused on youth decision-making and incarceration prevention.
Public Transportation Safety Int'l Corp. In 1994, Barron invented the S-1 Gard Dangerzone DeflectorBowen, Mark A. Safety Guard. Patent No. 5462324, U.S. Patent Office. Filed 1994-04-15, issued 1995-10-31. and founded Public Transportation Safety International. The S-1 Gard is a device installed in front of the dual right rear wheels of transit buses, engineered to deflect a person out of the path of the wheels, preventing injury or death. It is currently installed on bus fleets in major cities such as Los Angeles,Rapp, Eric (September 2002). . MTA Scoop, Los Angeles County. Washington D.C.,Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (April 29, 2003). "Metro sees benefit from the installation of safety devices called S1 Gards " . Press Release. ChicagoHilkevitch, Jon (September 20, 2002). "CTA plan designed to deflect accidents". Chicago Tribune. and Baltimore.Maryland Transit Administration (2010). MTA Media Guide 2010-2011, p. 17.
In 2010, PTS launched the MDZ Shield as an alternative to the S-1 Gard for school buses."Device designed to eliminate bus rear wheel danger zone gap". January 28, 2011. School Bus Fleet.Gray, Ryan (October 11, 2012). "C.E. White: First Installation of MDZ Shield to Protect Students from Being Crushed by Bus Wheels" . School Transportation News.
Bel Air X Bel Air X is an on-demand telepresent service application which utilizes personal assistants who will go to stores or merchants and purchase items for consumers. Bel Air X is unique in that the personal assistant can transmit images of the items via an imaging capturing device from the store to the consumer so they can see what the item looks like as if the consumer was actually there in-person. The assistant can also show other similar products to the consumer if they prefer to make product substitutions.
Personal life In 2005, Barron purchased"Property valuation of Bel Air Place, Los Angeles, CA: 1100, 1101, 1105, 1110, 1111 (tax assessments)", City-Data.com. Retrieved 9-28-12. the home of music producer Quincy JonesRyon, Ruth (August 21, 2005). "A dream vibe on the Westside". Los Angeles Times. in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles. The home was previously occupied by singer Connie Francis,Dulin, Dann (March 2004). "Where the Boys Went" . A&U Magazine. and later singer Julio Iglesias,Ryon, Ruth (December 7, 1986). "Quincy Jones Buys Residence in Bel-Air". Los Angeles Times. who made it famous in 1984 by naming his multi-platinum album 1100 Bel Air Place after the home. In 2010, Mark Bowen legally changed his name to Mark Bowen Barron.April 22, 2010. Metropolitan News-Enterprise, Los Angeles, CA.
References
External links Mark B. Barron (Personal Site) S-1 GARD (Official Site) MDZ Shield (Official Site) Consumeron (Official Site)