Italy-based air ambulance, charter and passenger services provider Alidaunia has incorporated aerospace connectivity and satellite communications company SkyTrac's medical data transfer and telemedicine capability into its fleet of Leonardo AW139 and AW169 helicopters.

In 2019, Alidaunia began leveraging SkyTrac's ISAT-200A-07 to enable real-time health and usage monitoring (HUMS) and automated data offloading to optimise its helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and civil protection operations. In complex and remote missions, HUMS data may not be available until many hours of flight have passed. This real-time system allows operators to receive critical HUMS information faster and with less effort.

Following this, it became an official distributor and installer of SkyTrac's satcom hardware in Leonardo aircraft.

Alidaunia and SkyTrac have now incorporated medical data transfer and telemedicine capabilities into Alidaunia's fleet of helicopters using satellite and cellular connectivity. With this new capability, Alidaunia's air medical crew can stream patient vitals in real-time from onboard medical devices and live-stream video via Google Glasses so that remote physicians can have accurate insight into dynamically changing patient conditions. Healthcare practitioners can also access 12-lead ECG reports before the patient's arrival, saving valuable preparation time.

“Remote physicians and receiving hospitals will no longer have to rely on voice communication to gather an understanding of the patient's in-flight condition,” says SkyTrac vice president of sales and marketing Jan van der Heul. “Transmitting medical data and live-streaming video marks a significant technological advancement that allows for fast, informed decision-making that ultimately improves patient care.”

The innovative capabilities are enabled by the multifunctional ISAT-200A-07 complemented by the Dynamic Air Link 200 (DAL-200), which allows the transmission of patient data when cellular connectivity is available. When cellular connectivity is unavailable, SkyTrac's ISAT-200A-07 encrypts and transmits secure medical data via satellite connectivity. Utilising the Iridium satellite network, the ISAT-200A-07 ensures medical data transfer and telemedicine from any point on the globe, even during challenging weather events.

“We founded Alidaunia nearly 50 years ago to serve the community of southern Italy, and we continue to invest in innovative technologies in the search for the best service, quality and safety,” says chief operating officer Vincenzo Pucillo. “SkyTrac's EMS solution empowers our remote team with unparalleled insight into the in-flight circumstances to better support onboard crew in providing life-saving patient care. We see this project as a revolutionary step forward for the entire HEMS industry.”