View Full Version : Merlin Chinook
air pig
2nd May 2009, 12:00
Hi,
To anyone in the SH fleet. An enquiry, can a 240v volt inverter be fitted to the above so that we can run a cardiac assist device on a 240v ac power cable. Battery life is reputedly one hour and we all know how accurate that can be! The reason I ask is that the people I work for are trying to move a critically ill patient from Manchester to London, Preferably by air as the conditions are such that a 3 to 4 hour road journey may not be good for the patient and also in the terms of logistics. I know it has been done with the Glasgow ECMO team using the duty Herc at times :D:D:D
I ask about Merlin or Chinook as they have a tail ramp and lifting the patient plus equipment is physically difficult or impossible and risky in that he patient equipment cannot be dis-connected or allowed to be moved from the vertical as it is a centrifugal pump.
Talking to the manufactures, the equipment is already CAA/FAA flight cleared for use in the air.
Small evac choppers as used by the ambulance service are not big enough to allow equipment or allow enough patient access.
Destination is not far from HQ Air Command.
If anybody can pm me with information on who to contact or details I would be grateful.
Many thanks.
Regards and have a good bank holiday
Air Pig.
ps: not got swine flu yet!!
MacBoero
2nd May 2009, 12:09
If all else fails...
Get a car battery, preferably a sealed one, or a big(ish) sealed gel battery and an inverter. The only other thing to watch out for is the inverter type. Cheap ones are not pure sinewave output, which may cause problems with some equipment. Pure sine inverters are easy enough to get hold of, just that they are more expensive.
MacBoero
2nd May 2009, 12:11
Just had a thought...
I think Maplins do an emergency battery pack for jump starting cars that contains a battery and inverter in one device.
TheWizard
2nd May 2009, 14:04
air pig,
you have a PM
air pig
2nd May 2009, 14:58
Wizard,
Thank you.
Regards
air pig.
minigundiplomat
2nd May 2009, 16:01
There has been talk of defib equipment interfering with the CH47 FADEC in the past. Doesn't mean it cant be done, just means a few safeguards need to be in place.
No ideas about the Merlin - thankfully!
TheWizard
2nd May 2009, 16:08
Yes, thankfully for us too. :p
air pig,
Glad to help
Happy Dayz
2nd May 2009, 16:20
Sar Sea Kings carry this tasking out routinely, the patient can be lifted up onto the aircraft through the cargo door, using the winch if necessary, they carry a power adapter that can be plugged into the aircraft supply to suppliment the ecmo teams equiment.
Hope this helps.
air pig
2nd May 2009, 16:35
Happy days,
Many thanks.
Regards
Air pig.
minigundiplomat
2nd May 2009, 19:37
Yes, thankfully for us too.
Are you all still TS/TV, generally undecided or a little of each?
Wasn't sure as there are two sqn's now.
TheWizard
2nd May 2009, 20:56
Are you all still TS/TV, generally undecided or a little of each?
Wasn't sure as there are two sqn's now.
BANTER
In case of emergency with nothing funny to say revert to stuff from 6 years ago
(btw, it's "two sqns" - see the difference?)
If all else fails...
Get a car battery, preferably a sealed one, or a big(ish) sealed gel battery and an inverter. The only other thing to watch out for is the inverter type. Cheap ones are not pure sinewave output, which may cause problems with some equipment. Pure sine inverters are easy enough to get hold of, just that they are more expensive.
What ever you do, do not do this !
Ask your local engineers about Noise ! not the aural kind, Chinook especially.
N707ZS
3rd May 2009, 10:04
If it helps Antonov 26s have tail ramps you should be able to find one quite quick, BUT not sure about the electrics.
Gainesy
3rd May 2009, 10:25
Don't leave us in suspense Air Pig, happy outcome hopefully?
air pig
3rd May 2009, 13:35
Hi Gainsey.
Colleagues looking at putting it together me only the hired help, but the problem maybe pad tolerances in particular size and stress, if not able to use the hospital pad, distance from remote site to hospital transfer and escort by local plod, and the return of staff and equipment up north.
Thanks
Air pig.
Winch-control
3rd May 2009, 14:27
'can run a cardiac assist device'.
Why the requirement for 240v when the journey is less than 3 hrs?
All carry on propaq/monitor/pacing devices from the Zoll 1600 onwards are capable of this.
Indeed your closest SAR or Air ambulance will provide this facility fo you.
air pig
3rd May 2009, 15:26
Hi Winch control
System internal battery life one hour, cannot attach power unless 240v external power source. Do you trust internal battery life, I know I don't despite what it may say on the tin. Never really designed for transfers as patients normally too sick to transport but we have got the customer into a condition where we can move them for a different system.
Propak uses extended battery cells which this does not have, and it is power hungry, even ground transport uses an inverter in an ambulance for the move, but we feel that movement by air is a better option for the patient, if possible, that is why I threw out to the Pprune community for some guidance and advice.
Regards
Air pig
air pig
6th May 2009, 09:03
Many thanks to all who replied, did not need to transfer patient who went to theatre for heart transplant at 04:30 this morning, still in theatre at time of writing.:):)
Once again thanks for the input, will keep info on the back burner for the future.
Regards to all.
Air pig.
moggiee
7th May 2009, 09:48
Fingers and toes crossed for a happy outcome.
air pig
14th May 2009, 15:21
Hi all.
Many thanks for the input about moving the patient. unfortunately, he died three days post-operatively of complications.
Once again thanks for your valuable input and now we will be able to discuss the transport in a more rational manner rather than doing it on an ad-hoc basis.
Regards to all.
Air pig.
Winch-control
14th May 2009, 16:43
Was the question ever asked of the SAR or indeed cH47 community if they could firstly supply the helo and secondly do the job. Wouldnt change anything, but just thinking!
air pig
14th May 2009, 18:01
Hi Winch Control.
We had got to a point of planning to transfer, which I asked advice of the Pprune community, when a Heart became available which was the best option, unfortunately the outcome was not what we expected having had great success with the system over the past three years.
UK aeromed transfers in this sort of situation is usually accomodated one way or the other.
Regards.
Air pig.