Sep 8, 2025 06:29 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1097376
INTRO: In the UK there are more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) annually, but fewer than 10% of people survive. Early CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restart the heart can at least double the chance of survival. AEDs are safe for the public to use, even without training, but it can be difficult for bystanders to locate and retrieve one quickly during an emergency.
Researchers at the University of Warwick teamed up with the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and autonomous drone specialists SkyBound for a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) study to test the feasibility of drone-delivered AEDs.
They tested using drones to fly defibrillators in response to 999 calls as part of emergency simulations in a remote countryside location where ambulance crews would usually be delayed in reaching by road.
Chief Investigator Dr Christopher Smith, University of Warwick, said: “Ambulance services work as swiftly as possible to get to patients who have suffered cardiac arrests. However, it can sometimes be difficult to get there quickly. AEDs can be used by members of the public before the ambulance gets there, but this rarely happens. We’ve built a drone system to deliver defibrillators to people having cardiac arrest which could help save lives.
“We have successfully demonstrated that drones can safely fly long distances with a defibrillator attached and maintain real-time communications with emergency services during the 999 call. We are in a position where we could operationalise this system and use it for real emergencies across the UK soon.”
In the study, the researchers designed a system to deliver an AED attached by a winch to a DJI M300 drone following a 999 call... (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: In the UK there are more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) annually, but fewer than 10% of people survive. Early CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restart the heart can at least double the chance of survival. AEDs are safe for the public to use, even without training, but it can be difficult for bystanders to locate and retrieve one quickly during an emergency.
Researchers at the University of Warwick teamed up with the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and autonomous drone specialists SkyBound for a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) study to test the feasibility of drone-delivered AEDs.
They tested using drones to fly defibrillators in response to 999 calls as part of emergency simulations in a remote countryside location where ambulance crews would usually be delayed in reaching by road.
Chief Investigator Dr Christopher Smith, University of Warwick, said: “Ambulance services work as swiftly as possible to get to patients who have suffered cardiac arrests. However, it can sometimes be difficult to get there quickly. AEDs can be used by members of the public before the ambulance gets there, but this rarely happens. We’ve built a drone system to deliver defibrillators to people having cardiac arrest which could help save lives.
“We have successfully demonstrated that drones can safely fly long distances with a defibrillator attached and maintain real-time communications with emergency services during the 999 call. We are in a position where we could operationalise this system and use it for real emergencies across the UK soon.”
In the study, the researchers designed a system to deliver an AED attached by a winch to a DJI M300 drone following a 999 call... (MORE - details, no ads)