Next-generation medical drone cuts emergency response times

The Swedish company Everdrone is launching a newly developed drone (E3) designed to enable both more frequent and faster deployments to emergency calls. The drone can also be equipped to carry both defibrillators and other emergency medical equipment.

“In cases of cardiac arrest, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and access to a defibrillator are critical for survival – every minute counts. While waiting for an ambulance, Everdrone’s new drone can arrive in under three minutes carrying a defibrillator,” says David Borkmann, Senior Medical Advisor at Everdrone.

Everdrone’s new generation of drones (E3), unlike its predecessor which was based on commercial components, has been fully developed in-house by Everdrone and features significantly improved performance. It flies faster and farther, is adapted for the Nordic climate, and can operate in cold, snow, rain, and strong winds. Its payload capacity has doubled to up to 4.5 kg, providing greater flexibility in the type of emergency equipment that can be transported.

“In addition to defibrillators, the drone can also carry other life-saving equipment for time-critical conditions, such as adrenaline for anaphylactic reactions, antidotes for opioid overdoses, and bandages and tourniquets to stop life-threatening bleeding,” says David Borkmann.

The new version of the drone will initially replace the existing drones currently deployed in the Västra Götaland Region during the spring.

“Since 2020, our drones have responded to hundreds of emergency calls within the Västra Götaland Region, so we have clearly moved beyond the development stage. Our new generation of drones is commercially ready and will reach approximately 20 percent of the population in the region,” says Magnus Hallberg von Geijer, COO of Everdrone.

The Gothenburg-based healthtech company Everdrone launched its drone service for delivering defibrillators to emergency calls in 2020. When an emergency call is received by Sweden’s emergency number 112, an ambulance is dispatched, and if Everdrone’s drone can reach the patient, it is also automatically deployed from its base. The service is already operational in parts of the Västra Götaland Region. The concept is fully autonomous and monitored by a drone operator.

“Drones represent a new mode of transport within emergency medical services as a complement to ambulances. On average in Sweden, an ambulance arrives within ten minutes, whereas our drone is on site within three minutes, increasing the chances of saving lives,” says Magnus Hallberg von Geijer.