In partnership with Canadian air ambulance provider Stars, Skytrac Systems has successfully tested in-flight medical data transfer from a new five-blade Airbus Helicopters H145D3. Skytrac used a combination of satellite and cellular connectivity via its ISAT-200A Iridium satcom and DAL-200 cellular/Wi-Fi communications unit to provide dynamic data routing through various channels for real-time patient data.
Metrics such as O2 and CO2 saturation, pulse rate, and blood pressure acquired from onboard medical devices can be viewed by transport physicians remotely through secure servers in real-time. In 2020, Skytrac and Stat Medevac successfully ground-tested the transmission of encrypted medical data from a Zoll X series monitor/defibrillator.
According to Skytrac, transmission of real-time medical data in-flight will enable healthcare practitioners to access data such as 12-lead electrocardiogram reports before patients arrive at the receiving hospital, saving valuable seconds during one of the riskiest phases of care. Telemedicine applications may also be enabled, pending the availability of the required onboard equipment.
Stars provides air medical transport from bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. Since 1986, Skytrac has developed flight following, flight data, and communications technology. Its systems are certified on more than 900 airframes and its online data management portal is used by 7,500 customers worldwide.