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Drone Delivery of Blood, First in China

2022-03-01

9am March 24, a blood-delivering drone landed slowly on the blood station of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU). With QR code scanned by the medical staff, the container carried by the drone presented itself to the delivery window. Inside were three packets of blood dispatched from the Zhejiang Provincial Blood Center. The drone flight took 5 minutes in total, half of the ground transportation time.

This success marks a milestone for SAHZU and Zhejiang Provincial Blood Center's joint efforts in establishing China's first dedicated flight route for the blood delivering drone, which was designed to guarantee timely blood use in emergency conditions. Prof. ZHANG Mao, SAHZU Chair of Emergency and Assistant President, highlighted that, different from other general drones, the medical drone could follow a designed flight route automatically under 5G network navigation. It has level 6 wind resistance and can function normally in rainy or snowy days. Not only its load capacity is up to 5 kg, the container it carries can maintain a constant temperature inside with less than 1 Celsius degree change each hour, to ensure the safety and quality of blood products. The application of the drone in accidents or emergency conditions can effectively reduce the delay caused by jammed ground transportation, so as to accelerate the rescue effort.

Before the drone-delivery of blood, SAHZU had successfully used drones to deliver medical supplies such as AED and medications. The fast track of drone delivery is definitely going to exert great performance, for its outstanding ability to transport medical resources in shortest time possible, especially in emergencies or major disasters.

 

Source: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine