The ambulance drone that could save your life: flying defibrillator can reach speeds of 60mph

Published: 00:12 a.m, 29 October 2014.

Source: Mark Prigg for mailonline.

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2811851/The-ambulance-drone-save-life-Flying-defibrillator-reach-speeds-60mph.html

Science field: Technology and medical field.

Summary:

A student has revealed a prototype 'ambulance drone', a flying defibrillator able to reach heart attack victims within precious life-saving minutes. The drone tracks emergency mobile calls and uses the GPS to navigate. Once at the scene, an operator, like a paramedic, can watch, talk and instruct those helping the victim by using an on-board camera connected to a control room via a livestream webcam.

Glossary:

-         Defibrillator: an apparatus for stopping fibrillation of the heart by application of an electric current to the chest wall or directly to the heart.

-         Propeller: a device having blades radiating from a central hub that is rotated to produce thrust to propel a ship, aircraft, etc.

-         Insulin: a protein hormone, secreted in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, that controls the concentration of glucose in the blood. Insulin deficiency results in diabetes mellitus.

-         Infancy: an early stage of growth or development.

-         Steer: to follow (a particular course).

-         Drown: to (cause to) die from being put under water.

Review:

Hundreds of people die every year suffering a cardiac arrest, and only a little percent survive. The main reason is that paramedics can’t arrive in time, it takes at least 10 minutes for them to arrive. The problem is that brain damages startsto occur already around de 4_th to6_th minute after cardiac arrest. With this new ambulance drone invention we could save the life of the sick person with early access to a defibrillator. This drone can help to prevent the extension of brain damages by acting faster on the spot. Another person should help in the process to reanimate, but that’s not an easy step. A problem of this invention could be that some persons won’t be able to help because they are scared or afraid to do more damage or pain to the person with cardiac arrest and people can act irrationally in such situation. This ambulance drone is still in experimental phase but maybe in a nearer future this drone also could transportinsulin injection for diabetic peopleand it could carry oxygen masks for people trapped in a fire,… Essentialsin emergency medical care that can make the patient survive in critical situations until paramedics arrive on the scene.

Written by Rebeca Mees