Blood Products Are Unaffected by Drone Transport

A new study proves that blood products can maintain stable temperature and cellular integrity while being transported by drones.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA) conducted a study to examine the effects of drone transportation on a range of blood products used for transfusion. They first purchased six units of red blood cells (RBCs), six units of platelets, and six units of unthawed plasma from the American Red Cross (Washington, DC, USA), and packed them into a 4.75 liter cooler, taking into consideration the weight restrictions of the commercial DJI (Shenzhen, China) S900 transport drone. To make room for the cooler, the researchers removed the built-in camera mount.

For each test, the S900 drone was flown by remote control a distance of 13-20 kilometers at an altitude of 100 meters above ground, which took up to 26.5 minutes. To maintain temperature for the red blood cells, platelets, and plasma units, the researchers used wet ice, pre-calibrated thermal packs, and dry ice for each type of blood product, respectively. Temperature monitoring was constant, as mandated by the transport and storage requirements of blood components. The tests were conducted in an unpopulated area, and a certified, ground-based pilot flew the drone.

Following the flight, all samples were transported to the JHU, where the researchers centrifuged the red blood cells units and check them for hemolysis; the platelets were checked for changes in pH, platelet count, and mean platelet volume (MPV); and the frozen plasma units were examined for evidence of air bubbles, which would indicate thawing. The results showed no evidence of any adverse changes, and the temperature of all units was maintained during transport and flight. The study was published on November 16, 2016, in Transfusion.

“For rural areas that lack access to nearby clinics, or that may lack the infrastructure for collecting blood products or transporting them on their own, drones can provide that access,” said lead author Timothy Amukele, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology at the JHU School of Medicine. “My vision is that in the future, when a first responder arrives to the scene of an accident, he or she can test the victim's blood type right on the spot and send for a drone to bring the correct blood product.”

Related Links:
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
American Red Cross
DJI