MIME Technologies has its ‘eyes in the skies
MIME Technologies has announced a smart device set to “revolutionize” how medical events are managed in the air, potentially benefiting the thousands of travelers who fall ill on flights annually.
A team of physiologists, technologists, and aviation medicine specialists have created a new wireless technology – ‘Aiber’ – expected to provide “fast and accurate” support to cabin crew, pilots and clinicians on the ground. Not only does this device aim to improve the care of passengers but it could reduce the number of unnecessary diversions the airline industry makes each year.
Aiber will introduce ‘live’ streaming passenger data to the ground, creating a real-time digital communication between the crew, the passenger and clinical support. A wide range of medical events including burns, allergic reactions, and potential heart attacks will be able to be handled with “more informed decisions” whilst in the air. The technology will allow the crew to decide whether to divert or continue the flight whilst remaining at the passenger’s side and automatically transmitting important information, hoping to reduce human error.
Dr Tim Stevenson, previous Head of Health Services at Virgin Atlantic Airways and Company Medical Adviser at Easyjet told LARA, “Medical teams at all airlines are constantly trying to deliver best practice…this could be in the middle of the ocean or over a wide expanse of territory, with few diversion options.” Altitude can produce issues when dealing with affected passengers, to which he commented, “Aiber helps the crew on board make appropriate, evidence-based decisions. The ability to communicate so efficiently with the ground-based medical support teams, who can advise on particular avenues of treatment or indeed appropriate diversion options for the best possible treatment, is priceless.”
Aiber will be suitable for both business and commercial airlines. It integrates wireless, clinical-grade, heart sensing equipment, specifically designed for non-medical professionals like a cabin crew. By “providing ‘eyes in the sky’ on flights”, Aiber expects to assist in a seamless handover to the emergency services that meet the aircraft.
Anne Roberts, Co-Founder, and CEO of MIME Technologies commented, “An in-flight medical event, even of a minor nature, can be hugely stressful for cabin crew. Our affordable technology guides them through their first aid training but, crucially, it live streams medical event updates to the ground.”
Former cabin crew member, Alan Cowan-Moore, now Curriculum Head of Travel and Tourism at the City of Glasgow College stated, “Aiber offers a technological solution to support cabin crew in situations. The potential to reduce the need for diversions, through effective identification of medical conditions, is of enormous benefit for both customers and airlines.”