Collaboration with those on the front line — this is one of the hallmarks of Spectrum Aeromed’s long-term success as a leading designer and manufacturer of emergency medical service (EMS) interiors for aircraft.
With the new Infinity Series 5000X, Spectrum Aeromed collaborated closely with both equipment installers and air medical teams in order to produce a product that better meets the needs of those teams and their patients.
Indeed, it’s one of the first products designed with, and built for, flight nurses and air medical personnel.
“We believe the Infinity 5000X will revolutionize the air medical industry thanks to Spectrum Aeromed’s partnership with flight nurses and installers throughout the entire development stage,” said Matthew Christenson, vice president and account executive at Spectrum Aeromed. “The Infinity 5000X was designed with the same dedication and high-level insight the air medical industry has come to expect from Spectrum Aeromed.”
The Infinity 5000X came about when Spectrum Aeromed’s strategic leadership group identified a need for a new standardized patient transport module and began intensive independent market research.
“In 2020, Spectrum Aeromed hired an experienced outside research firm, Diedrich RPM [Research Propelled Marketing], to conduct an independent blind study to help capture an objective view of the air ambulance equipment industry,” said Tammy Enright, business manager at Spectrum Aeromed.
Survey respondents were given a concept statement: “Spectrum Aeromed is launching its next-generation proprietary system which will take the stretcher for patient transport to another level. Its benefits include reduced weight, modular design, improved user experience, aesthetics, and ease of installation.”
Enright said the concept statement was well received, as nearly 83 percent of respondents expressed interest in receiving more information.
“It’s also important to note that respondents provided feedback regarding functional requirements,” Christenson said. “A few of the aspects identified as desirable were a modular design in an overall lighter system that’s less complicated to use and easier to handle.”
Respondents also identified a desire to see new stretchers that look more modern, more eye-catching and innovative.
All these items were taken into consideration as Spectrum Aeromed prepared to expand its product line to address customer pain points identified.
Work began on a simpler design that blended new design elements with those that already work well.
“The Infinity 5000X emerged as a modular, fully self-contained system, with a smaller module footprint consisting of a common base with an interlocking patient stretcher,” Christenson explained. “This smaller footprint enables easier access for maintenance. In addition, there’s a newly-designed stretcher bridge that allows unobstructed access to patients for care and transferring on/off the stretcher.”
The Infinity 5000X stretchers lock with a single lever on the side of the base, allowing single-hand operation of this function.
“In most cases, there is no need for a floor adapter anymore,” Christenson said. “This saves a step and reduces transition time. Customers can therefore go from air charter VIP to an EMS application faster. We estimate the time savings to be about 30 minutes.”
All controls and gauges are centrally located, and dual USB ports and three individual universal electrical outlets were added. The oxygen capacity is 3,500 liters, with dual air compressors, single vacuum pump and a 1,000-watt inverter. There are also multiple IV pole mount locations.
It’s also easily configurable for different aircraft models and is now certified for use in the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
Many additional options and accessories can be added to the module, including a medwall, medical equipment mounts or an infant transport deck.
Another major change with the Infinity 5000X stretchers is in the number of parts. These state-of-the-art standardized patient transport units have 590 fewer parts than previous models, which reduces assembly time and helps improve delivery timelines.
This next-generation model is also significantly lighter than the previous 2200 or 2800 systems — by 24 pounds (11 kilograms). It sports a new and modern gunmetal blue powder coating.
“We are extremely pleased to offer the Infinity 5000X to established and new customers,” Christenson said. “These patient transport units create a working environment that makes it easier and more efficient for air medical teams to provide the best care possible to patients. We will continue to partner with flight nurses, EMS responder and installers in future projects, maintaining the same steadfast dedication and high-level insight the air medical industry has come to expect from Spectrum Aeromed.”
