1. Introduction to Sprinter Ambulances
Sprinter Ambulance; When it comes to dealing with various medical emergencies that are faced by the public on a daily basis, emergency medical services that can respond in a timely and effective manner are essential. Transportation of patients to and from healthcare facilities, on the other hand, is not always easy, necessitating a specialized vehicle to accomplish the task. Sprinter ambulances are increasingly becoming an obvious choice for responding to some of the most common medical emergencies such as urgent care, bariatric transport, and other functions. In essence, Sprinter ambulances are simply modified vehicles whose interior has been styled in a practical way to accommodate various medical devices and equipment as well as the EMT working on the patient. Whether it is a simple transportation service or an emergency medical service, Sprinter ambulances are able to meet the needs of the current patient. Emergencies often occur in various forms such as wildlife or natural disasters, accidents at home, in the workplace, sudden illness, and other unpleasant factors. These are some of the reasons why the demand for specially designed ambulances is skyrocketing. Protecting people from such disasters entails specialized equipment, the availability of basic living environment necessities, and convenient recovery methods. An ambulance is effectively the patient’s first home, a healthcare shelter, and a traveling hospital with all the required medication and appliances. In other words, the ambulances should be given a home-like feel within, which is at the same time a healing touch. Sprinter ambulances use a combination of functionality and design. Sprinter van ambulances are at the top of the market, aimed at making an outstanding first impression on patients and hospital staff. Sprinter driver door interfaces, as well as emergency vehicle apparatus, are available in a variety of sizes to satisfy hospitals of any size. Sprinter bus ambulances are prized for their low operating costs as well as very straightforward and large interior seating arrangements.
1.1. Definition and Purpose – Sprinter Ambulance
Sprinter ambulances are emergency vehicles designed and developed specifically to transport patients to hospitals during emergencies. This model has been the most popular and widely purchased among all other ambulances in the range. Specially designed and manufactured to facilitate fast and efficient transportation to the hospital or health center, they are equipped with extraordinary comfort, optimal temperature, and excellent cleanliness and hygiene to minimize the suffering of patients and provide timely, high-quality services. Primarily, sprinter ambulances are designed to meet the requirements of emergency services and are used to provide endless help and support for patients facing different emergencies, including road accidents, sudden chest pain, stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, and severe vomiting.
Sprinter ambulances are vital for providing clinical care, relieving pain and suffering, and minimizing the risks of traffic accidents while hospitalized. In addition, the manufacturing of sprinter ambulances assures high-quality care and satisfactory service for all patients, depending on the minimum characteristics of an induced service system. The objective of sprinter ambulances is the quick transportation of various cases (especially emergency cases) via the shortest path and in the shortest possible time, while the personnel in the ambulance provide acceptable medical or clinical support in relation to their capabilities. Different medical devices are needed to care for patients with various problems such as internal emergencies, surgeries, orthopedic issues, and infections, and the ambulance should be prepared according to the specific disease and risks during the transportation of patients.
1.2. Types of Sprinter Ambulances
Sprinter Ambulance; Paramedic ambulance, also known as Emergency Medical Service, is a kind of special sectional vehicle in the field of medical ambulance. At present, according to the usage, the paramedic ambulances can be classified into civil emergency medical ambulance and military combat ambulance. The ambulances can be further subdivided into internally transporting ambulances and forend-transporting ambulances based on the placement of the physician station inside or outside the ambulance. If we make more considered designs based on geographical, environmental, and regional medical conditions, the system is subdivided. The various types and configurations play various roles in the clinical and emergency transportation services. This ambulance is one of the most significant emergency communication equipment pieces, capable of addressing the growing requirement for suitable healthcare partnerships. Moreover, the ambulance vehicles are widely implemented in various hospitals, municipal fire departments, and provincial first-aid centers.
Based on the design and use of the vehicle, it is divided into three types: ambulance, SUV ambulance, and Sprinter ambulance. Among these, the Sprinter vehicle is mainly used in Western Europe and by first-aid organizations. The overall construction and station of the Sprinter is similar to the forend-transporting ambulances. According to the appliances and functions installed inside, the Sprinter ambulance can be categorized into a surgeon’s vital sign monitoring-equipped vehicle, surgeon’s in-depth surgery-equipped vehicle, emergency first-aid-equipped vehicle, and portable CT examination-equipped vehicle. The specific configurations are detailed in various tables, among which the configuration detail of the optical-fiber communication system can be found in another table. For the vehicle in a particular application and services zone, the equipment and medical devices should be configured based on the actual situation of the geographical place, emergency degree, the transfer distance, and other related factors. Accordingly, the parameter values for the resources list can be adjusted kind by kind.
2. Key Features of Sprinter Ambulances
The design of Sprinter ambulances is new compared to the commercial version, offering ergonomics and safety for emergencies. The camouflage version is best suited for emergency appointments. The driver and medical unit are accessible in any situation, with passenger comfort being a priority. The transportation plant can be adapted to any medical necessity, being provided with all the equipment needed to respond to any emergency and to ensure optimal patient management. The active and passive safety of the passenger compartment is at a premium, with the vehicles proving their quality in the European area. The functional design of this ambulance offers an adequate working area for the medical and paramedical staff, as well as a good level of compartmentalization, according to international standards. In addition, it provides optimal medical care during patient transport interventions.
By building new vehicles based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, it is extremely important to incorporate all the systems required for medical transport and to ensure the necessary safety and road reliability of the vehicle. The Sprinter insulating bodies are equipped with all systems to communicate with the ambulance dispatcher for good positioning and routing while in service, allowing interval time to be reduced. Sprinter ambulances have all the elements and systems for fast, easy, and safe transportation of the patient both during embarkation and disembarkation, as well as during transport and handling in the hospital emergency network. Sprinter ambulances provide the necessary medical services both during patient transport and during routing to treatment in the emergency network. This modern and comfortable vehicle has concentrated all ambulatory technologies.
2.1. Design and Layout
ERP systems have been designed ergonomically to support the medical operations involved when ambulance vehicles are on the road. They are also functional from a medical point of view with a ceiling height higher than 190 cm, encouraging efficient care and patient access. The patient station is generally located to the rear of the vehicle, giving easy access via the bump or slide door. In some specific cases, the patient station is behind the driver’s seat. The layout of these vehicles has been studied to facilitate access to equipment for specialized care and optimize the workflow of the emergency responders. An important aspect in many countries is the distinct flow between the patient station area and the medical station. Ambulance interior manufacturers rearrange the raw interior space into two main areas: an area where the patient is placed and the medical equipment area. Both medical manufacturers and the standards provide general and specific benchmarks for the interior design of emergency vehicles. An important characteristic of the ambulance is cubic meter per patient. With its large interior space, the Sprinter ambulance can be converted with approximately 12.0 m³ of raw space into an adequate area for several patients. Medical equipment, especially devices, have to follow certain architectural arrangements to adhere to regulations. ERP systems do not set the equipment layout, but the specific on-board needs regarding medical treatment and transportation determine the layout for compliance. The interaction between the practitioners on the scene and the design layouts has become an important customer satisfaction factor, encouraging medical equipment manufacturers to improve their distributed building designs into specialized workshops. Following this paradigm leads to more emotional spaces than functional ones; thus, since professional medical satisfaction is impossible to achieve with architectural benchmarks, customer-medical system interaction architecting can lead to more satisfying outcomes. To satisfy customer requirements, medical transportation is currently designed as a multi-parametric engineering space. Offering precise solutions to these multidisciplinary specifications will result in layering models to render the multitude of customer requirements according to specialized functionality. On the other hand, conventional car design typology implies dual-layer architecture, where practicalities and aesthetic considerations are the main functions, and as in emergency vehicle design, countermeasures to foreseeable psychological implications of the design are the aesthetics.
2.2. Safety Features – Sprinter Ambulance
Seating arrangements, seatbelts, and additional clues inside the interior, patient and crew compartment design, raised roofs, and extra-long rails can accommodate patients in various conditions. Apart from this capability, vehicles are always equipped with various medical devices in the cabin, so secure storage facilities are needed. A safe working environment for team members also provides reassurance to patients and families, thus providing command of the scene and maintaining rig integrity. In the design of vehicles, the main components to be considered are the driving number of patients and the level of service, and they are designed to secure basic regulations and standards. In lethal or dangerous traffic conditions, there is a potential for injury and serious damage to vehicles. Production of a vehicle that meets specific requirements can provide extra protection for patients and crew when necessary. It also includes the anti-lock braking system, which prevents slip brakes from the wheels to maintain control and allow the vehicle to be driven in heavy and dangerous circumstances. Additionally, it has a collision avoidance system, which decreases the danger of severe vehicle breakaway, thereby reducing the number of collisions. All the windows are made of safety glass. In terms of exterior functions, integral glass enhances visibility and safety on roadsides, supports headlamps, fog lamps, and daylight running lights, and includes power-adjustable stability indicators. The vehicle has all of the latest electronic control systems, ensuring that tall luggage and larger devices are handled safely and securely.
2.3. Accessibility Features
Accessibility has been a major focus in the design of modern Sprinter vehicles, especially given their frequent use as non-emergent options for accessible transit. Actions in this direction entail upfits and altered environmental controls for spinal stretcher and passenger transport accessibility. Specifically, ramps or lifts are optional. The vehicle features a side-entry automatic foldaway ramp access, while another version has a Smartliner Ramp System design. Both are commercial models for the body. Inside the vehicle, in case a patient is in a standard wheelchair or captain-style mid- or high-back blood draw chair, the vehicle stretcher can be removed or stowed.
The interior has forward and rearward AC/heat controls and a viewing window from the driver’s cabin to the patient’s cabin. Optimal comfort ensures ease of patient assessment as well as reduction of varying climatic changes for the caregiver. Seating configuration for the paramedic’s legal requirement includes a certified swivel seat and forward- and rear-facing securement systems for wheelchair occupants. In the worst-case situation (interior emergency), the vehicle can accommodate two seated occupants in the front. The Sprinter’s low floor and full entry have been tested based on the weight and physical constraints of trained technicians who have the physical capabilities of someone with an ambulatory access issue. The Sprinter is fully ADA accessible in four ambulatory ways: forearm crutches, back-turned chair transfer, motorized, and manual wheelchair transfers. All ambulatory access points can accommodate an 8’x36″ ADA turn radius. All 36 feet of the patient module floor is flat with no obstructions. The Sprinter provides a completely accessible, user-friendly environment for patients with special needs at a scene or during transport.
3. Medical Devices in Sprinter Ambulances
The utilization of medical devices during the engine-on and patient transportation phases is critical to proper medical care in a Sprinter ambulance. Defibrillators, along with 12-lead ECGs for acute coronary syndrome identification, non-invasive blood pressure monitoring systems (including pulse oximetry), and automatic and manual transport and in-hospital ventilator options are also part of the standard equipment list. Paramedics, EMTs, and nurses update patient care through the use of modern automated medical alerting systems and tablet-based patient care incident reporting systems to improve the care process. Emergency medical service providers often invest in stock lists that have automated supply restocking functions. Modern-day Sprinter ambulances contain the equipment, medical devices, and supplies required by the healthcare industry’s state-of-the-art equipment list. It is important to familiarize medical staff with all of the features on a Sprinter ambulance, including power sources and the use of automated equipment mounting systems. Today’s professional medical devices accept greater mobility, portability, networked automatic wireless data transmission, and are powered by batteries with a 6–8 hour duration. As a result, manufacturers have stopped producing early pre-owned advice and response equipment because of these capabilities. Future device plans involve integrating devices with personal mobile technology for interconnectivity between devices, printers, and in-house and remote patient assistance by equipment manufacturers. Medical device providers bring the installation technician, local healthcare providers, and primary medical personnel together for device training. Since the medical device is an essential component that is included in the ambulance, the perfect installation plan allows early electronic center fire-up to verify full operational status. A laptop, a mobile provider, and a remote access component can also be used for this operation. For seriously ill patients, all ambulance medical equipment is familiar in purpose and manual operation. Telemedicine technology from remote hospital doctors and ambulance screen-mounted devices is increasingly being incorporated to boost emergency patient care.
3.1. Commonly Used Medical Devices
According to function, the general composition and types of medical equipment installed in the ambulance are as follows: diagnostic devices, used to monitor patients’ condition, primarily involving vital signs for continuous assessment of the patient when en route to the nearest and most appropriate hospital. Stabilization or therapeutic devices are required to stabilize the patient before being able to go, such as oxygen cylinders, infusion and transfusion devices, and vacuum aspirators. Emergency procedure devices, such as advanced airway management devices and disaster response devices, can provide more effective emergency care, reduce the patient’s trauma, and significantly improve emergency efficacy. Commonly used monitoring and diagnostic devices include ECG monitors, defibrillators, vital sign monitors, BP monitors, automatic blood pressure meters, glucose concentration detection equipment, portable sphygmomanometers, SPO2 monitors, ETCO2 monitors, and endotracheal intubation devices. Some commonly used critical medical equipment includes: Automated External Defibrillator (AED), an outside defibrillator often found at airports and other public locations with automated detailed voice instructions. They are on the EMS ambulance for VFib and pulseless VTach trauma patients. AED can be used to defibrillate the heart. O2 cylinders and emergency ventilators provide oxygen through the ambu bag to help patients breathe and can also use simple ventilation to meet the demand for oxygen. They are on the Sprinter ambulances. Therapy ventilators offer various modes of ventilation, including volume or pressure-targeted breaths, and are less user-intensive than volumetric ventilators. Throat mirrors have very sensitive compression depth adjustment. The first step in prehospital care, no matter the primary mechanism of injury, is establishing patent airways. ECG monitors use standard snap, clip, or adhesive monitoring electrodes on the patient’s skin to detect the skin-test mode, pop-up menu selection, and screen selection. What do you need to know before and after the electrocardiograph? It has the ability to immediately transmit ECG to the nearest cardiology. The red button flashing in the upper right of the system alerts the EMS personnel when they have an ECG transmitting PIN.
3.2. Integration and Mounting Sprinter Ambulance
Many medical devices are integrated into Sprinter ambulances. Only secure, readily accessible mounting options are appropriate for devices that must be accessed quickly during an emergency. When a stretcher is present in the ambulance, the equipment needs to be stowed overhead. In-stairwell and under-floor encounters are commonplace in rescue situations. Therefore, avoiding sharp points and maintaining a consistent form factor is critical to enable prompt retrieval. Attachment points should be laid out to distribute concentrated loads across multiple mounting points, increasing the likelihood of load support through intact structure during a crash or rollover.
Engineering integration of many parts of the ambulance directly into the vehicle structure presents a complex set of challenges. Controls and ports should be readily accessible, even when the medic is in a seated position. Displays should be viewable from a variety of vantage points, including the driver’s location and patient compartment. Advances in medical technology continue to provide a treasure trove of opportunities to make next-generation medical vehicles safer and more effective than their predecessors. Written notification to the organizations that have jurisdiction or expedited procedure acceptance is the ticket to rapid development and completion.
4. Regulations and Standards Sprinter Ambulance
In the majority of world countries, the regulation of the manufacturing and operation of emergency medical ambulances is mostly carried out by two main bodies. One of these is the regulatory body that establishes the technical requirements the vehicle has to meet from the point of view of vehicle design. Since an ambulance is a vehicle, it is subject to the regulations used in the country in question for the design of every type of vehicle. Safety of the passengers, maneuverability, noise, emissions, performance, ground clearance, engine cooling, etc., all have to meet the requirements of the regulations. There are multiple national and international vehicle regulations that the ambulances must satisfy, even when they operate as pre-series.
Ambulances are medical vehicles. This means that, besides the vehicle legal requirements, the medical equipment installation and operation are regulated. This section shows the main regulations covering a Sprinter ambulance. Medical equipment and its operation: fundamentally, all nations in the world have their requirements for medical devices for use in hospitals and for any medical device needed at home. In the case of medical devices that will be installed and operated in a vehicle that will be driving on public roads, the operators need to observe the vehicle and medical device regulations. Sprinter replacements of industrial vehicles installed as medical equipment are shown in a table. Some of these replaced vehicles can be used as ambulances. In the development of a prototype replacing these industrial vehicles, the national vehicle regulations have to be studied. In contrast, if the vehicle will operate as an ambulance, both regulations must be studied: the vehicle and the medical device ones. Because the objective of this paper is to show the main vehicle regulations, the second group of industrial vehicles – ambulances – is the main focus of this section. The vehicles ‘traffic accidents’ and ’emergency vehicles for other uses’ exit the ambulance regulation. However, the performances of Sprinter replacement vehicles are very close. The main difference is the expulsion. With rear expulsion, the ambulance has advantages, but with the new regulation physical tests, this portion will be reduced. The new Sprinter ambulance with rear expulsion will satisfy the requirements.
4.1. Vehicle Regulations Sprinter Ambulance
Vehicles used in ambulance service in the United States must meet the standards and requirements of the regulations and the National Fire Protection Association. The regulations establish the expected vehicle construction, fire safety items, and performance criteria for all emergency vehicles. These regulations are in place to address potential patient and cargo care while on the emergency ground at any point of the compass. For nearly three decades, the approach used to develop safety standards for emergency ground ambulances has been performance-based. A three-stage process is used to develop appropriate standards and codes for road ambulances. Stage 1 is the identification and culmination of previous research on ambulance crash studies, data, and actual current practices of design. This provides both the design parameters and identifies possible countermeasures to protect the patients and caregivers. Criteria and guidelines are developed based on these workshop inputs as well as experimental data.
Regulatory agencies enforce requirements for vehicle design and the placement of medical devices. Vehicle designers and manufacturers must incorporate into new and rechassis ambulances the functionality and safety features to address patient and EMT care during emergencies. Ambulance design includes the needs of three groups: vehicle interior, patient compartment, and mounting device for emergency medical and ground support groups. The regulations identify the functions and features necessary to protect the patient, the emergency medical technician, and attendants while allowing the ambulance to perform its mission in the community and in an emergency. Ambulance manufacturers must research and manufacture products that promote patient and EMT safety, are easy to operate, and, if operated correctly, can minimize impact on patient and cargo care. The ambulance must comply with the requirements as enforced by the authority having jurisdiction to protect the crew, the patient, and the equipment while on the emergency ground. In emergency medical service operations, compliance with vehicle regulations can also be of concern, foremost in rural areas. If an ambulance service wishes to dispatch an ambulance from a base to a scene of an emergency or accident, the ambulance is required to provide patient care equal to what can usually be done in the destination hospital.
Further, the chassis is designed to comply with all relevant legal requirements and standards, including vehicle regulations. Characteristics and technical performance of cases are directly linked to local needs, perspectives, and norms. Individual body builders will be able to give exact figures of their vehicles. Compliance with vehicle laws and norms may be of concern for emergency managers because construction norms can directly impede the operational aspects of an ambulance. For example, it stipulates that the steering wheel height from the floorboard will not exceed 40 in. (1016 mm).
4.2. Medical Device Regulations Sprinter Ambulance
The medical device regulation is of great importance considering that medical devices need to be safe. To achieve the claim of life-saving technologies, they need to be validated a long way before being boarded onto emergency services. In order to protect patients and ensure that medical devices work effectively, it is necessary to comply with standards. In case of non-compliance, compensation payments can reach significant amounts, emphasizing the fact that medical devices used in the United States are under the strict surveillance of various regulatory bodies governing the medical field. Regulatory authorities, before and after market authorization, can perform unannounced audits of manufacturers to ensure that the manufacturing facility and operating procedures comply with good manufacturing practices. Sprinter ambulances are equipped with different medical devices such as stretchers and medical gases that are used in various therapeutic and diagnostic tools.
If medical treatment and diagnosis equipment is involved, then the ambulance requires certification that: the Sprinter van and/or the converted vehicle confirms the type approval granted for the chassis manufacturer, even if they were converted; the ambulance should also be equipped with medical devices subject to rigorous testing before marketing; in particular, compliance with regulations for the size and weight of the vehicle and the number of rescue personnel on board, and vehicles with 4 or 6 wheels; for Type C ambulances, with a total weight greater than 2.5 tonnes, the driver of the vehicle must have an ambulance driving license. Medical devices, equipment, and consumables must be transported and used in accordance with current regulations for the transport of hazardous materials. If any explosion or emissions of dangerous substances or chemicals occur, it is necessary to proceed with the safe disposal of the medical device or equipment as required by current regulations.
5. Future Trends and Innovations Sprinter Ambulance
In the near future, telehealth may be integrated further into ambulance treatment and diagnosis. Automated systems may be added to increase safety and efficiency. Advanced technologies could monitor more patient attributes and assist in systemic and regional care decisions. Treatment modality may also shift to speed of intervention, response influence, and injury prevention. Whether these trends will increase primary care cost savings or exacerbate secondary and tertiary care hospital costs due to higher patient acuity, older age index, or expectations remains to be seen. The capacity for more surgical and interventional procedures in the pre-hospital setting, testing for patient injury severity may also present. Finally, the ambulance vehicle itself is a candidate for sustainability measures, from reducing its emissions to electrification of the vehicle. The majority of current emissions relate to vehicle travel and ownership; therefore, percentage reductions in this area are likely to receive further interest in the future.
With further technological change and increasing future scope of practice, the skill presence for on-road clinicians within a more collaborative healthcare model could potentially adapt to become transdisciplinary health practitioners with an emphasis on nursing. Their advanced clinical skills can be supported by operational and clinical supervisory worldwide and small vehicle wearables, environmental health paramedicine, primary health funding, and opportunities for vocational ambulance training pathways that reflect the broad scope of the role. The move to new delivery models and technologies to service more than just the acutely unwell individual but instead provide primary and community healthcare represents a change in demand from a ‘call-out’ and ‘patient-oriented’ focus. The changing skill mix in the on-road workforce, more designed towards community health, also becomes a possibility in the future. Broadly, the development of this refectory looks at the possible future state of ambulance service, operational trends in-road, organizational practice, research, development, and innovation.
