Drone-Delivered Defibrillators (The 3D Project)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Drone-Delivered Defibrillators (The 3D Project). A mixed-methods evaluation of integrating drone-delivered Automated External Defibrillators into the ambulance service response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
IRAS ID
318417
Contact name
Christopher M Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Warwick
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Only 10% people survive after a cardiac arrest in the community. Delivering an electric shock to the heart using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which are found in public places, greatly improves someone's chance of surviving. AEDs are safe for members of the public to use, even if they have not been trained to use them.
However, it is often difficult to find a nearby AED quickly enough to improve someone’s chance of survival. Drones may be a way of getting an AED directly to the scene of a cardiac arrest in a timely manner.
In this project we will:
1. Demonstrate that a drone can effectively and safely make a long-distance flight carrying an AED.
2. Integrate drone systems with ambulance systems. This will allow a drone to be quickly activated after a cardiac arrest is recognised by professionals during a 999 call, and for the 999 call operator to communicate with the drone pilot in real-time during flight.
3. Ask people who may or may not have used an AED in real-life cardiac arrests about their experiences, and what they think about how an AED delivered by drone might have helped them at the time.
4. Perform test flights. A participant in our research study will find a simulated cardiac arrest patient (a resuscitation manikin) and make a 999 call. The ambulance service will activate the drone and we will test how effectively the entire system works from 999 call to final delivery of the AED.The research team includes researchers from the University of Warwick, Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, drone specialists, and members of the public.
At the end of this study we will have a fully-functioning drone-delivery system for AEDs. We could then investigate this system in future studies to see if we can save lives during real-world cardiac arrests.
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
24/WA/0034
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion