Aberdeen University spin-out company, MIME Technologies, has developed technology that could change the way airlines deal with medical emergencies at 30,000 feet.

The system, named ‘Aiber’, tracks a person’s heart rate, as well as temperature and breathing, and live streams the data to doctors who can then help diagnose a patient. The kit is said to be lightweight and uses a tablet computer, allowing the data to be sent to the doctors by airline crew members.

MIME Technologies said the system will prevent flight diversions, saving airlines millions of pounds each year.

The company’s co-founder, Dr Alistair Mort, said: “It can look at things like the activity of the heart, which would help a doctor on the ground to tell whether someone’s having a heart attack.

“We use the AI to turn it into an easy to understand ‘Aiber report’ that the cabin crew can use to communicate to the ground, and the paramedics when they arrive at an airport.”

MIME’s technology has been successfully trialled at the Six Nations Rugby Championship and Edinburgh Marathon Festival, and funded by the Digital Health & Care Institute for Scotland (DHI). MIME now hopes to take the technology into the air after successful trials with airlines.

Anne Roberts, co-founder and chief executive of MIME Technologies, told The Scotsman: “An in-flight medical event, even of a minor nature, can be hugely stressful for cabin crew.

“Our affordable technology guides them through their first aid training but, crucially, it live streams medical event updates to the ground.

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“This is hugely significant as it allows a more informed decision about how stable a passenger is and whether the flight should divert or continue. It allows cabin crew to stay by the passenger’s side throughout and, using artificial intelligence, it automatically stores and transmits essential information that can often be missed or only recorded after the event.

“For the first time, clinicians on the ground will be able to follow, in real-time, the deterioration or improvement of a passenger in the air using wireless technology and the tech provides a seamless handover to emergency services meeting the aircraft.

“We believe the technology will help avoid unnecessary diversions but, more significantly, it will help save lives by providing ‘eyes in the sky’ on flights globally.”