Drones Can Be Key To Safe Transport Of Blood And Its Components: ICMR Study

The integrity of blood components and parameters do not get compromised, and blood can be transported safely by drones, particularly in far-flung areas and difficult terrains, an ICMR study has found.

- Press Trust Of India

The feasibility study to evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of drone-based delivery of blood saw the drone travel around 36 km in eight minutes, while a van took around 55 minutes to cover the same distance.

The study titled "Adopting drone technology for blood delivery: a feasibility study to evaluate its efficiency and sustainability" tried to determine how drone delivery impacts the quality and stability of blood components after transport, compared to traditional delivery methods.

The study published in the Springer Nature journal said that in the future, drones could be an option to deliver other important and time-sensitive medical supplies, such as emergency drugs or pharmaceutical products as well.

Blood and blood component transfusions may be lifesaving for patients in emergencies like hemorrhagic shocks, surgeries and accidents. Even in the best resource settings, blood components are not always available readily and cannot be transported to the needed place, the study stated.

Transportation of blood and its components is complicated as they need to be stored at a specified temperature, else their functionality is affected such as the oxygen-carrying ability of blood is greatly reduced.