Drones are used today for a variety of tasks. Get ready to add one more to the growing list: human organ transit.
There were some limitations to the recent Las Vegas test drone. Ryan Henderson, lead UAS pilot for MissionGO, said the aircraft could only hold about 22 pounds,However, Henderson said researchers are exploring larger aircrafts to transport heavier cargo to include more ice, multiple organs or medical devices for organ preservation.
Sister company, MediGO, is also working to include GPS software that monitors the quality of the trip and the organ from the hospital's operating room to the transplant center, according to the company's general manager Chetan Paydenkar. While Joe Ferreira, CEO and President of the Nevada Donor Program, says hundreds of flights are still needed to test the reliability and safety of drone delivery, he’s optimistic the technology could be the future of organ transportation.
“Our ecosystem is a complex one … there’s a number of things you have to prove to be able to ensure that it’s safe, effective and reliable,” Ferreira said. “We’re in the beginning stages of providing this mode of transport on behalf of the heroic donors and their courageous families.”Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare.
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