Context: Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has designed, developed and inducted an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation i.e. ARPIT. The Indian Air Force is inducting 7 ARPITs as of now.
Background

• With COVID-19 outbreak being declared a pandemic, a need was felt for an evacuation system that prevents the spread of infectious aerosol from the patient to another person as this disease may require transportation of critically ill persons to a better medical facility.

About ARPIT

• ARPIT is a lightweight isolation system made from aviation certified material.
• To support the  ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, only indigenous materials have been used to fabricate this pod. 
• 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 the suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated patient.
• In addition, it generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation chamber for 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.
• This pod will be used for the evacuation of critical patients suffering from infectious diseases like COVID-19 from isolated and remote areas.

Tech aspects and significance:

Lightweight isolation system- It is a lightweight isolation system made from aviation certified material and has a transparent and durable cast Perspex for enhanced patient visibility which is larger, higher and wider than the existing models.

• It caters for the suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, and ventilation to an intubated patient.
• It generates high constant negative pressure in the isolation chamber for prevention of infection risk to aircrew, ground crew and health care workers involved in air transportation. 
• It has an integration of life support and monitoring instruments e.g.defibrillator with multipara monitor, pulse oximeter, Infusion pumps, long arm gloves for use by health care professionals etc.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)- It utilises High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) H-13 class filters and supports invasive ventilation using Transport Ventilator. 

• High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) is also known as high-efficiency particulate absorbing and high-efficiency particulate arrestance, is an efficiency standard of the air filter. 
• HEPA filters can capture at least 99.97% of particles with a diameter greater than or equal to 0.3m. 
• Cost-efficient- This system has been developed at a cost of Rs 60,000 only, which is way low as compared to the imported systems costing up to Rs 60 Lakh.