Development of a compact and national patient aeromedical transport unit

• Grant number: 15/00998-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: August 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Aerospace Systems
• Principal Investigator: Luís Henrique Médici Colus
• Grantee: Luís Henrique Médici Colus
• Company: LHColus Tecnologia Ltda. - ME
• City: São José dos Campos
• Associated research grant(s): 17/26104-8 - Development of a compact and Brazilian patient aeromedical transport unit, AP.PIPE

Abstract

Currently, the attendance and life support systems of medical patients are imported, and their installation in aircrafts, for a rapid transportation, depends upon approvals whose documentation is commercialized by foreign companies. Besides this factor, implying in high costs and the need of an importation process, the portability of many existents systems is not ideal for the aerial transport; the low modularity impairs an easy and quick use in other types of transport or application, and some functionalities are not available for some types of application. In this context, this project aims to offer to the market a different value proposition, integrating life support functionalities in a single system, in order to: allow a lower attendance time at the local, without waiting the arrival of an essential resource; to allow the integral support since the beginning of attendance, by means of a complet set of functionalities; and to allow the continuous support during all patient transportation, by the functionalities integration in a single system. The product object of this project will be developed from a litter developed to the aerial transport by the company writing this proposal, adapted for the integration in a structural base for off-the-shelf life support equipment installation, with own energy and oxygen sources, besides an adapter system to fix it in several types of aircrafts, fixed or rotating wings, and the consequent ANAC approval. The system structure construction, from light aeronautical materials of easy acquisition, will allow the use without restriction in small aircrafts, as helicopters as from general aviation, without impact on the quantity of integrated equipment. Besides, the structures cost, of national construction, will allow a significative reduction on the final product price to the customer. The capacity of the structure to carry more equipment will allow a bigger portability, in a way that patient will receive support from all needed resources without waiting another equipment arrival, like an advanced mobile unit; without the need to connect another resource during transportation; and without the need to disconnect resources when arriving to a intensive treatment center or attendance of a hospital. The system modularity will allow to integrate functionalities only available through external modules, facilitating the operation and allowing expansion. The ANAC approval for use in aircrafts will allow a reduction to the final product price, once the foreign products embody in their price a significative value just to make available to the customer the needed approval documentation. (AU)