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Rolla, MO – A new medical drone system being tested in Missouri could help speed up the delivery of critical services like blood and lab samples, especially in rural areas where access to care can take longer.
At a test site in Missouri, a drone company working with the Missouri University of Science and Technology is testing drones designed to deliver medical supplies between small communities and large hospital campuses.
The goal is to speed up the delivery of care – including blood for testing, lab samples needed for diagnosis, and tissue used to match donors and recipients.
“It’s very important. For example, if you miss taking a sample at 5 pm on Tuesday, if you don’t miss that time, it’s another week and you can be delivered on time,” said a drone operator who participated in the project.
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A drone operator loads a medical sample into a delivery drone during testing in Missouri, part of an effort to improve how quickly samples reach labs and hospitals. (OLIVIANNA IS SILENT)
The effort comes as access to health care in rural areas remains a challenge across the country. More than 130 rural hospitals are closing between 2010 and 2021, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, leaving some patients to travel nearly 20 miles more for care, including tests and time-consuming procedures.
“When you look at things like the speed of transplants, it’s a problem,” said David Borrok, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The figure shows more than 130 rural hospitals closing between 2010 and 2021 and patients traveling nearly 20 miles for care, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee. (OUR NEWS)
The company says its drones can fly up to 100 miles per hour and are being tested on a proposed route in Missouri that includes Springfield, Rolla and St. Louis counties.
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The map shows the proposed drone delivery route connecting Springfield, Rolla and St. Louis as part of Missouri’s medical drone pilot program. (Valkyrie UAS / Fox News)
“We’re partnering with American Transplant, and we’re running our test tunnel from Springfield, a pit stop in Rolla, all the way to St. Louis,” the operator said.
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Flights are monitored in real time using live maps, weather instruments and air traffic data.
Pilots monitor the medical flight in real time using maps, weather data and traffic instruments during the test in Missouri. (OLIVIANNA IS SILENT)
“So, this is the channel. So this is what the pilot sees whenever the plane is flying,” the operator added.
Programs like this are starting to pop up around the country, and researchers say the technology could improve how medical services are delivered in the future.
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“It’s really different. And I think it can work in a lot of different ways for a lot of different people,” Borrok said.
A medical delivery plane takes off during a test flight in Missouri as part of a plan aimed at speeding up the transport of lab samples and other health care supplies. (OLIVIANNA IS SILENT)
The team hopes to begin official flights this summer, with an initial focus on transporting medical samples. Future versions of drones are being developed to eventually carry implants.
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The scheduled landing point in St. Albans will serve as the easternmost pull point along the current route.
