Ontario Hospital Tested Out Delivery of Lungs with Drone
Source：CBC News
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Toronto
Update Time：2022/01/04
In September 2021, the University Health Network (UHN) and Unither Bioelectronique partnered up and completed a delivery of transplanted lungs with drone, which was believed to be a world-first attempt. The lungs were transplanted on a patient as soon as it arrived at the destinated hospital and saved the person’s life.
An unmanned, purpose-built carbon-fibre drone carried a pair of lungs and travelled 1.5 kilometers across downtown Toronto to deliver the lungs from one UHN owned hospital to another. The journey lasted just six minutes but was one that Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, the UHN’s Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program believed could change the future of organ delivery.
Dr. Keshavjee who is active in studying organ preservation for transport said “it seems not right to use a whole Learjet to transport something that weighs only two kilograms". At the moment, organs must usually be transported via air to a local airport, and then via road to a hospital. With drone delivery, the need for airports can be eliminated altogether. As well, drone is automated, which means fewer transport or logistical issues, and no need for pilots. However, there are hurdles to be resolved for drone delivery in a busy, populated area as it comes with lots of radio frequency interference and there are many people around. UHN had to seek permission from multiple government departments such as Health Canada and Nav Canada for the drone flight to take place. Dr. Keshavjee believed if a drone can fly in Toronto, which is a populated area, a drone can be flied anywhere.
To prepare for the actual flight, the team had undertaken 53 test flights between the two hospitals, developed a navigation system that could shield against interference, and designed a ballistic parachute on the drone to ensure a safe landing in the case of engines failure or other accidents. A successful delivery also required the lungs to be filled with oxygen and set at the right temperature inside a cooler box that was inside the drone.
Following the successful delivery and surgery, Dr. Keshavjee said the next step is to test the system out on a larger scale, with bigger drones that have longer ranges and that can travel further. The plan is to slowly expanding the distances and addressing the regulatory issues. Dr. Keshavjee is confident that organ delivery by drones will "become routine" once regulations are in place.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/drone-lung-delivery-toronto-1.6209330