Mercedes-Benz is not an unknown brand for services Paris itself : for example, AP-HP (Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris) has about forty intensive care vehicles in its fleet. Mercedes Sprinter. So it’s only natural that AP-HP turned to a German manufacturer to create a new car: a Mobile neurovascular unit (UNVM)the first of its kind in France.

UNVM bldg custom, based on the Mercedes Sprinter 516 CDI chassis cab, features an aluminum add-on designed by System Strobel. Bodybuilder Lidy provided the finalization and presentation of the DREAL car for approval. Extremely compact, this UNVM makes it easy to move around town and access most hospital gateways.

Mercedes Sprinter UNVM: individual model

The model received several specific equipment to convert it into a mobile neurovascular unit: enhanced heating/air conditioning, auxiliary battery for a specific ambulance layout, light and sound alarms, external and internal lighting, heating and air conditioning in the sanitary chamber, radio communication, stretcher support table with electric height, as well as a 220 V generator for powering the scanner. There is also a Telma electric retarder, VB Air suspension on the rear axle, and four hydraulic cylinders to stabilize the ambulance during scanning.

Behind, sanitary unit has the medical equipment of an intensive care unit, a mobile laboratory, as well as a for scanning Samsung Neurologica Ceretom, which moves on rails during the examination. For the Stryker ProXT electric stretcher, a support table was specially designed to align the patient’s head in the center of the CT ring. Finally, a computer server allows the collection of various data and the transmission of live medical images to the GHU (Group of University Hospitals) Sainte Anne – Neurology.

AND telemedicine device allows instant information exchange between the on-site medical team and the neurologist at the hospital. The driver’s position turns into an operator’s station for scanning with computer devices that allow you to control the CT scan, monitor the patient or even administer drugs remotely. The crew consists of an ambulance driver, an emergency physician and/or neurologist, and an X-ray technician.

Prevent the risk of stroke-related complications

Thus, Sprinter UNVM enables you to run stroke treatment (cerebrovascular stroke) to prevent its serious consequences, such as long-term chronic disability or death, and to improve the quality of life of patients who receive treatment in the first six hours after the onset of a stroke.

This car is part of a research project called ASPHALTfor Acute stroke Start of recanalization therapy at the pre-hospital and hospital stages (Initiation of recanalization in pre-hospital or in-hospital stroke), led by Prof. Guillaume Turk (GHU Paris), Prof. Benoit Vivien (SAMU de Paris – AP-HP) and Dr. Melika Hadziakhmetovych (GHU Paris / SAMU de Paris), for financial support from the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The Paris SAMU, the Paris fire brigade and nine Paris hospitals are now participating.

The Mercedes Sprinter UNVM has been operating since October 2023 and is based at the Paris SAMU (GHU AP-HP Center – Paris Cité University, Necker-Enfants Malades hospital). Second, other regions of France can also benefit from such equipment.

Read also:
• Mercedes: All new features will appear in 2024
• And if you bought a Mercedes-Benz dragster, the limousine version?
• Mercedes C-Class celebrates its 30th anniversary