By Cole Lauterback/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – An overseas study found that lifesaving devices can be successfully delivered by drone to the site of a cardiac emergency, and they can do it in considerably less time as well. But could that tech be implemented in Illinois?

The study found that airborne delivery of automated external defibrillators, or AED’s, could shave almost 17 minutes off of the response to previous scenes of a cardiac emergency in rural parts of the country.

Dr. Jonathan Epstein with the American Red Cross says that extra time could be the difference between life and death.

“For every minute of time that we wait for CPR and AED to be implemented, it’s about seven to 10 percent [lower survival rate] per minute,” he said.

“Time is crucial in a cardiac arrest,” said Danielle Cortes DeVito, paramedic and volunteer with the American Heart Association. “That is great that the study was able to find a way to shave off that amount of time.”

Considering Illinois isn’t short on expansive rural acreage, would the airborne lifesavers fly here? Dan Schwartzbach with the Airborne Law Enforcement Association said the Federal Aviation Administration is not likely to allow it in the foreseeable future.

“The study and the potential to save lives using this technology certainly excites me,” he said. “But we’re at least four or five years down the road before we’re gonna see that level of autonomy and that level of acceptance in our lives.”

DeVito said that more than 350,000 cardiac events happen outside of a hospital every year.

Both Epstein and DeVito said everyone should be trained in CPR and AED operation.