21 Mar Volatus Aerospace AED Drone Delivery with World’s Smallest AED Supplied by MediQuest
Canada is one-step closer to having life-saving AEDs delivered by drones to remote locations across the country. In a demonstration working with the Simcoe County Paramedic Services at Horseshoe Resort in Simcoe County Ontario a Volatus Aerospace drone showed the potential for rapid delivery of a MediQuest Automated External Defibrillator (AED) which could markedly improve survival for cardiac arrest patients.
MediQuest supplied a FRED Easyport AED for the demonstration. The FRED Easyport is the world’s smallest AED weighing in at only 490 grams (1.1 lbs). “This lightweight AED can increase the operating distance of a drone making it an ideal payload for this type of life saving event”, said Matt Metcalfe, MediQuest’s Vice President. “We know that response times for arrival of an AED on the scene of a cardiac arrest need to be as short as possible to maximize positive outcomes. AED technology is very intuitive making the use of these devices easy even for relatively untrained responders. Responders just need to have quick access to the device.”
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada says that if AEDs are used within 3-minutes of a cardiac arrest, more than 70% of victims could be saved. Delay inproviding CPR and using an AED results in about a 10% drop in survival per minute of delay.
Regulatory changes are still needed in both Canada and the United States with respect to air traffic management, but drone issues are currently being reviewed and their use will become reality in the foreseeable future.
MediQuest is at the forefront of AED technology, providing full service education, sales, and service of Health Canada approved AEDs.
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