3D Rendering of finished Stretcher
FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Project data
Authors Pavlo Marchenko
Sebastian Jünemann
Kristin Feddersen
Stuart Beekmeyer
Location Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Status Deployed
Made Yes
Links https://www.cadus.org/en/article/micu-vom-reisebus-zum-medizinischen-nightliner
OKH Manifest Download
FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Device data
Bill of materials #Bill of materials
Hardware license CERN-OHL-S
Certifications Start OSHWA certification

A Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) was designed by CADUS in collaboration with MetaLab as part of the project Tolocar. Mobile Makerspaces in Ukraine. The core element of transforming a bus into a MICU is the Stretcher Attachment Bracket.

Background[edit | edit source]

Since the beginning of the Russian war on Ukraine on February 24th 2022, the safety of patients and their necessary care in hospitals cannot be guaranteed, especially near the frontlines. Intensive care patients are particularly affected by the situation, as they must be monitored around the clock. Medical evacuation (MedEvac) missions transport patients to safe hospitals in Ukraine or in the European Union.

Each MedEvac mission is usually carried out by an ambulance with a crew consisting of a driver and at least one paramedic. Transport of several patients from the same place would thus require several ambulances and crews. In a huge country like Ukraine, this ties up a lot of workforces, and it stresses the vehicles which are usually not built for long distances. To make MedEvac missions more effective, CADUS in collaboration with Metalab converted a bus into a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU). The advantage: more patients are transported with fewer staff, using a vehicle that is designed for long-distance travel.

Benefits and criteria[edit | edit source]

In this project, a passenger bus was transformed into a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) which can transport up to 4 patients who require intesive care.

The criteria under which this project was designed were patient and team safety, durability, cost efficacy, and quick deployment.

Bill of materials[edit | edit source]

  • 4x bracket: 140mm 50mm x 50mm x 3mm with 16mm hole in the center
  • Screws recovered from stripping the bus
  • 4x 1 inch ratchet

Assembly instructions[edit | edit source]

The transformation of a bus to a Mobile Intensive Care Unit requires several steps to be taken:

  • Selecting a Bus
  • Stripping the Bus
  • Securing the stretcher
  • Securing medical equipment
  • Building storage space
  • Building nurse station
  • Providing Water In/ Out
  • Providing (Medical) Garbage Disposal

The centerpiece of the transformation is the stretcher attachment bracket.

1
Strip the Bus

During the stripping process, most seats are removed from the bus – those needed for paramedics will remain inside. Buses have a wall and floor channel that form the structural system to fix seats or other interiors.

Do not damage this system! Keep the screws which secured the seats!

2
MICU Stretcher Attachment Bracket - Front
Fabricate brackets

Fabricate brackets and screw holes according to technical drawings. Chamfer corners to prevent injury if struck. Powder coat if available.

3
MICU Stretcher Attachment Bracket - Side
Attach 2 x brackets to existing rail

Attach 2 x brackets to existing rail used for securing seats. Reuse screws from securing the seat.

4
MICU Stretcher Attachment Bracket
Attach 2 x brackets to floor

Attach 2 x brackets to floor using existing lugs. Reuse screws from securing the seat.

5
MICU Stretcher Attachment Bracket - in use
Use 1 inch ratchets to secure stretcher.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Further work[edit | edit source]

MICU was built by CADUS and MetaLab in Ivano-Frankivsk in August 2022 and has been deployed in Ukraine since then. CADUS transformed a truck into a mobile Primary Health Care Unit (PHC) and brought it to Ukraine in January 2023.

How to contribute[edit | edit source]

Become a CADUS volunteer!

Donate for Humanitarian Aid Off The Beaten Track!

Contact details[edit | edit source]

CADUS e.V.

Holzmarkstraße 25

10243 Berlin

info@cadus.org

https://www.cadus.org/

FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Part of Tolocar
Keywords emergency, medical
SDG SDG03 Good health and well-being
Authors Victoria Wenzelmann
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Organizations CADUS
Language English (en)
Translations German, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish
Related 4 subpages, 8 pages link here
Impact 115 page views (more)
Created April 4, 2023 by Victoria Wenzelmann
Last modified February 28, 2024 by Felipe Schenone
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