EpiShuttle isolation pod helps save lives and protects air ambulance staff

Transport of patients with coronavirus infection pose a set of risks. The isolation pod EpiShuttle allows for transport of highly infectious patients by air while keeping doctors and pilots safe.

Thanks to donations, Luxembourg Air Rescue was able to commission an EpiShuttle for their helicopters last year. The much-needed isolation stretcher allows for fast and safe transport of Covid-19 patients to hospitals, even across borders.

– We are very grateful to our donators making the purchases of this important equipment possible, improving safety and the quality of our services, says René Closter, CEO and President of LAR.

Luxembourg Air Rescue was awarded the 2020 Adenauer-De Gaulle Prize together with the DRF Luftrettung for their outstanding cross-border achievements during the corona crisis. Covid-19 hit the Franco-German region hard, and in a joint effort, the two air ambulance services took the majority of helicopter flights transporting French patients to hospitals in Germany.

– The EpiShuttle isolation pod has been crucial to our operations during this ongoing pandemic, and it will undoubtedly be most needed in the future, says René Closter. 

Transporting patients in an EpiShuttle, medical staff do not have to wear fully protective gear. As well as providing safe transport, this single-person transport system makes operations more efficient. After transporting each highly contagious patient without an isolation stretcher, helicopters must be disinfected, which can take up six hours, according to LAR.- Transport is a security gap in emergency preparedness and contingency plans. Pandemics require much complicated patient logistics. LAR and DRF set a great example of how to cross-country patient transport can help maximize our healthcare systems’ capacity, says Ellen Cathrine Andersen, CEO, EpiGuard.

The Norwegian company EpiGuard and a team of Norwegian doctors are behind the EpiShuttle, which has been in high global demand since the outbreak of Covid-19. The single-patient isolation and transport system can be connected to a ventilator if needed.

Luxembourg Air Rescue is a non-profit organization founded in 1988, currently operating six air ambulances and six rescue helicopters carrying out more than 3000 missions a year.