The Indian Air Force has designed, developed and inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT). This pod will be utilised for evacuation of critical patients with infectious diseases including COVID-19 from high altitude area, isolated and remote places.
The prototype is in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat and hence only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod.
The cost of ARPIT is Rs.60,000 only, which is very less as compared to the imported systems costing up to Rs.60 lakh.
The system has been developed as a lightweight isolation system made from aviation certified material.
It has a transparent and durable cast Perspex for enhanced patient visibility which is larger, higher, and wider than the existing models.
The isolation system caters for a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated patient.
ARPIT generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation chamber for the prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew, and health care workers involved in air transportation.
It utilizes High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using Transport Ventilator.
Currently, the IAF is inducting a total of 7 ARPITs.
Design requirements are based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), and Centre for Disease Control (CDC), USA.