London hospital to trial sending blood samples by drone

Pressing blood samples taken from sufferers will probably be despatched for testing by drone to keep away from London site visitors in a UK first, a hospital within the British capital mentioned on Tuesday.

The six-month trial set to start within the coming weeks will ship blood samples from Man’s Hospital in south London to a lab through drones, reducing transport time from over half-hour to lower than two minutes, in accordance with undertaking researchers.

The pilot undertaking will assist “enhance affected person outcomes and ship vital environmental advantages”, in accordance with Sophie O’Sullivan, director of way forward for flight at watchdog the Civil Aviation Authority, which is regulating the trial.

A check final month discovered that drone supply didn’t harm the standard of the blood.

The blood samples pilot will probably be run with well being care logistics firm Apian and drone supply firm Wing.

Apian can also be a part of a Nationwide Well being Service (NHS) program delivering essential medical provides to hospitals utilizing drones, in addition to a separate trial in Irish capital Dublin.

“Drones can enhance the responsiveness and resilience of well being care logistics, permitting clinicians to be extra productive and sufferers to get the care they want sooner,” mentioned Hammad Jeilani, co-founder of Apian.

The trial may pave the best way for the broader use of drone supply by hospitals in London.

Drones have been used to ship blood samples for years to distant areas of Rwanda, with comparable trials explored in numerous international locations together with Canada and India.

© 2024 AFP