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
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!!