Drone transportation systems are a viable option for the transportation of blood products, found a Johns Hopkins proof-of-concept study.
The researchers have determined that large bags of blood products, such as those transfused into patients every day, can maintain temperature and cellular integrity while transported by drones.
In a report about the findings the investigators say this adds to evidence that remotely piloted drones are an effective, safe, and timely way to get blood products to remote accident or natural catastrophe sites, or other time-sensitive destinations.
"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," says Professor Timothy Amukele, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's first author. Drones also can help in urban centres like Baltimore City to improve distribution of blood products and the quality of care, he says.
The Johns Hopkins team previously studied the impact of drone transportation on the chemical, haematological, and microbial makeup of drone-flown blood samples and found that none were negatively affected. The new study examines the effects of drone transportation on larger amounts of blood products used for transfusion, which have significantly more complex handling, transport, and storage requirements compared to blood samples for laboratory testing.
For the study, the team purchased six units of red blood cells, six units of platelets, and six units of unthawed plasma from the American Red Cross, then packed the units into a 5-quart cooler two to three units at a time, in keeping with weight restrictions for the transport drone. The cooler was then attached to a commercial S900-model drone. This particular drone model comes equipped with a camera mount, which the team removed and replaced with the cooler.
For each test, the drone was flown by remote control a distance of approximately 13 to 20km – 8 to 12 miles – while 100 meters above ground. This flight took up to 26.5 minutes. The team designed the test to maintain temperature for the red blood cells, platelets, and plasma units. They used wet ice, pre-calibrated thermal packs, and dry ice for each type of blood product, respectively. Temperature monitoring was constant, keeping with transport and storage requirements for blood components. The team conducted the tests in an unpopulated area, and a certified ground-based pilot flew the drone.
Following flight, all samples were transported to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Amukele's team used the institution's laboratories to centrifuge the units of red blood cells and check them for red blood cell damage. They checked the platelets for changes in pH as well as the number of platelets and the plasma units for evidence of air bubbles, which would indicate thawing.
The team plans further and larger studies in the US and overseas, and hopes to test methods of active cooling, such as programming a cooler to maintain a specific temperature. "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," Amukele says.
Abstract
Background: Small civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) are a novel way to transport small goods. To the best of our knowledge there are no studies examining the impact of drone transport on blood products, describing approaches to maintaining temperature control, or component physical characteristics during drone transport.
Study Design and Methods: Six leukoreduced red blood cell (RBC) and six apheresis platelet (PLT) units were split using sterile techniques. The larger parent RBC and PLT units, as well as six unthawed plasma units frozen within 24 hours of collection (FP24), were placed in a cooler, attached to the drone, and flown for up to 26.5 minutes with temperature logging. Ambient temperatures during the experimental window ranged between −1 and 18°C across 2 days. The difference between the ambient and unit temperatures was approximately 20°C for PLT and FP24 units. After flight, the RBC parent units were centrifuged and visually checked for hemolysis; the PLTs were checked for changes in mean PLT volumes (MPVs), pH, and PLT count; and the frozen air bubbles on the back of the FP24 units were examined for any changes in size or shape, as evidence of thawing.
Results: There was no evidence of RBC hemolysis; no significant changes in PLT count, pH, or MPVs; and no changes in the FP24 bubbles. The temperature of all units was maintained during transport and flight.
Conclusion: There was no adverse impact of drone transport on RBC, PLT, or FP24 units. These findings suggest that drone transportation systems are a viable option for the transportation of blood products.
Authors
Timothy Amukele, Paul M Ness, Aaron AR Tobian, Joan Boyd, Jeff Street
[link url="https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/12/07/drones-transport-blood/"]Johns Hopkins University material[/link]
[link url="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/trf.13900/abstract;jsessionid=3AEAF9C0C2526EBE26444AB790B920A3.f04t02"]Transfusion abstract[/link]