LifePort's business is built on a core of innovative air medical interiors. For over three decades, we have diligently worked on improving the safety and speed at which patients are transported via helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. Over the years, we have seen a number of innovations that have drastically improved in-flight safety for patients.
Improving in-flight safety ultimately improves patient care. It is a priority for us. The more efficiently and safely patients can be transported to a hospital, the better the overall outlook for their health.
Below are just a few examples of the most important innovations our industry has produced in recent years. If you have ever had the opportunity to work in the air ambulance sector, you probably appreciate them as much as patients do.
Zero-Lift Stretchers
Zero-lift, roll-on stretchers were a game changer when they were first introduced. You might assume they were designed only for air ambulance crewmembers. But they weren't. Crew members certainly do benefit from reduced physical stress when loading patients into the aircraft. But the patients themselves are safer for it.
The stretchers make for a smoother transition between ground and aircraft. They reduce jostling, bumping, and other forms of impact energy that could further injure a patient. They also make it possible to perform complex procedures in-flight, procedures like airborne intubation.
Ergonomic Layouts
Another great innovation in air medical interiors is the ergonomic layout. Similar to office ergonomics, we utilize ergonomics in designing medical interiors for a number of purposes:
- Optimizing control panel accessibility
- Maximizing interior workspace
- Increasing crew member efficiency
All these things work together to make crew members more situationally aware and enable them to respond to changes in a patient's condition more rapidly. Crew members can focus on their patients rather than having to merely make the best of what they have in a cramped and poorly designed space.
Medical Device Integration
Perhaps the most important innovation in recent years has been the introduction of medical device integration made possible through robust electrical systems. We now have the capability of mounting some of the most advanced medical devices on walls and in ceilings.
Devices can even be mounted on stretchers. Crews have access to more medical devices for monitoring and treating patients in-flight.
Hand-in-hand with medical device integration are enhanced oxygen systems. Modern medical air interiors can now be outfitted with high-capacity liquid oxygen systems that offer a larger and more reliable oxygen supply during transport. This effectively allows air ambulance services to extend their mission capabilities, potentially saving more lives in the process.
Composite Material Construction
Composite materials play an ever-increasing role in designing and manufacturing air medical interiors for both helicopters and planes. Composites are known for their high strength-to-weight ratios, allowing for stronger construction with less overall weight.
Building interiors with composite materials gives pilots more flexibility in terms of payload. That could mean more patients on board or the ability to take more equipment to a disastrous site. Both have direct impacts on patient safety.
The Innovation Continues
Air ambulances have come a long way thanks to advances in aircraft and interior design. LifePort is thrilled to be part of the innovations that continue making air medical transport safer and more efficient. The innovation continues as we seek to make things even better than they are now.
Our company was built on air medical interiors. They still hold a special place in our company culture and a place of high priority in terms of innovation. Air medical interiors will continue getting better if we have any say in it.
