The following is a summary of “Using infrared cameras in drones to detect bleeding events,” published in the December 2023 issue of Emergency Medicine by West et al.
Hemorrhage, a leading cause of trauma-related deaths, underscores the critical need for early detection to mitigate life-threatening bleeding events and enhance patient survival.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the growing role of drones in emergency services, focusing on their potential to aid rescue forces during mass casualty incidents and enhance response efficiency.
They studied and detected a simulated pelvic hemorrhage using a drone positioned 7 meters above the ground within a 30-second (s) timeframe.
The result effectively detected pelvic hemorrhage; the simulated blood rapidly cools, exhibiting no significant temperature difference from the rest of the body after 30 s. Subsequent assessment relies on the RGB image,
Investigators concluded that a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera can likely detect bleeding from an open wound that continues to bleed, even over an extended duration.
Source: bmcemergmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12873-023-00912-9
