We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GC Medical Science corp.

Download Mobile App




Events

25 Jul 2025 - 27 Jul 2025

Prototype Ambulance Drone Could Increase Cardiac Arrest Survival

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 09 Nov 2014
An autonomously navigating unmanned [uninhabited] aerial vehicle (UAV) can deliver a defibrillator to infarction patients within minutes.

Developed by Alec Momont, BSc, an industrial design graduate student at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; The Netherlands), the autonomously navigating drone can also assist bystanders on the site by providing direct feedback from emergency medical service (EMS) personnel via a live streaming audiovisual connection to instruct them in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures, automated external defibrillator (AED) use, or other treatments.

The drone, which weighs 4 kg and can carry another 4 kg of equipment, finds the patient's location via the caller's mobile phone signal, and makes its way to the scene via global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation technology, flying at speeds of up to 100 km/h. More...
The first prototype has been designed to transport an AED to a patient inside a 12 km2 zone within one minute. This response speed, coupled with a network of such drones, could increase the chance of survival following a cardiac arrest from 8% to 80%.

“It is essential that the right medical care is provided within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest; if we can get to an emergency scene faster we can save many lives and facilitate the recovery of many patients,” said inventor Alec Momont. “This especially applies to emergencies such as heart failure, drowning, traumas and respiratory problems, and it has become possible because life-saving technologies, such as a defibrillator, can now be designed small enough to be transported by a drone.”

“Currently, only 20% of untrained people are able to successfully apply a defibrillator; this rate can be increased to 90% if people are provided with instructions at the scene. Moreover, the presence of the emergency operator via the drone's loudspeaker helps to reduce the panic of the situation,” added Mr. Momont. “In short, the ambulance drone helps to save lives by extending existing emergency infrastructure with a network of fast and compact UAVs capable of bringing emergency supplies and establishing communication, anywhere.”

The ambulance drone was developed in collaboration with Living Tomorrow (Brussels, Belgium), but there are still a number of obstacles in the implementation of the ambulance drone network, as autonomous flight is not permitted under Dutch law. The drone also still needs to be field-tested and necessitates improvements in its object avoidance system.

Related Links:

Delft University of Technology
Living Tomorrow



Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
New
Lateral Lumbar Interbody Spacer
CALIBER-L
New
Trocar
TAN RoTaLock Trocar
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to HospiMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Hospital Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of HospiMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of HospiMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of HospiMedica International in digital format
  • Free HospiMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The milli-spinner can shrink blood clots without rupturing them (Photo courtesy of Andrew Brodhead/Stanford)

New Technology More Than Doubles Success Rate for Blood Clot Removal

In cases of ischemic stroke, where a blood clot obstructs oxygen supply to the brain, time is critical. The faster the clot is removed and blood flow restored, the more brain tissue can be saved, improving... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable biosensor platform uses printed electrochemical sensors for the rapid, selective detection of Staphylococcus aureus (Photo courtesy of AIMPLAS)

Portable Biosensor Platform to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections

Approximately 4 million patients in the European Union acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections each year, with around 37,000 deaths directly resulting from these infections,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.