Table 3.

Potential barriers to transform helicopters into CT-carrying advanced stroke ambulances.

Potential barrier	Reason
Weight of CT scanner Power demand on generators	Degraded flight performance Limited operation range Restriction on flying conditions based on temperature/altitude
Volume CT scanner	Difficult to accommodate into cramped space Difficult to provide radiation protection for crew
Electromagnetic interference (scanner, wireless data link)	Potential interference with avionics
Dedicated flying unit would only be used for stroke missions (limited percentage total flights)	Limited use could render it unaffordable
Ethical/Operational	Crew would have to be made aware of diagnosis before making the “go/no-go” decision