Lifesaving success sees expansion of Sweden's defibrillator drone project
Swedish company Everdrone's lifesaving unmanned aerial vehicles are to be used extensively across the region of Västra Götaland after a successful collaboration on a project to deliver defibrillators to those in need of swift medical assistance.
Everdrone and the region's government began the collaboration in 2020 and the positive impact on emergency response efforts means they have signed a deal to expand the project - with a view to making it permanent.
In addition to providing defibrillators, the drones will soon be able to transmit live-view imagery of accident sites to provide vital time-sensitive information for making quick decisions before first responders arrive at the scene.
The improved response times have resulted in the fastest delivery of a defibrillator of 2 minutes and 27 seconds - a time Everdrone CEO Mats Sällström said his firm hope to improve by as much as 60 seconds in 2023.
"I see the decision to extend our cooperation with Region Västra Götaland as proof of the value-adding benefits of our service," said Sällström. "Still, the possibilities left to explore are numerous."
The collaboration was responsible for a medical first in December 2021 when an Everdrone UAV delivered a defibrillator that helped save the life of a 71-year-old man who collapsed on his driveway in Trollhättan. The man was shovelling snow in his driveway when he suffered a cardiac arrest - but thanks to the combination of the drone, an immediate emergency call, and the quick actions of a doctor who happened to be passing on his way to work, the man's life was saved.
"I can't put into words how thankful I am to this new technology and the speedy delivery of the defibrillator. If it wasn't for the drone I probably wouldn't be here," said the 71-year-old patient.
