Drones can successfully fly blood packs, study finds
Digital Health August 23, 2024
- Study showed no compromise to safety or quality of blood packs transported by drones
- Drones travelled distance of 68 km over the Northumbrian coastline
- The joint study by NHS Blood and Transplant and Apian is a step towards the case for NHS drone use
Drones can be used as a safe mode of transport for delivering blood packs, according to a study run by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
Under the study, 10 units of packed blood cells were transported on a 68km journey across Northumbria, while an identical 10 packs were transported via road, with the aim of assessing how temperatures and vibrations during a flight might alter the quality of blood components.
There were 10 journeys...