For the first time in the world, a drone has been used to transport lungs for transplantation. The flight, which took place in Toronto, Canada, took only six minutes.
- In Canada, a drone was used to transport lungs for transplant – this is the first such case in history
- Experts believe that it is drones that will be increasingly used to transport organs for transplantation
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Drones in transplantology
The operation of a 63-year-old man suffering from pulmonary fibrosis took place on the last weekend of September, and details have been announced in recent days.
The test flights between 1,5 km distant hospitals in Toronto were carried out 53. The patient is an engineer, interested in drones and agreed to the operation, which was preceded by an experiment with the use of a transport drone.
The preparations for the first lung transport for transplantation by drone took 18 months. In case of problems with landing, the drone was equipped with a parachute. The transport details were planned by the Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto General Hospital, hospitals that are part of the University Health Network (UHN), Toronto’s network of hospitals dedicated to research and medical education. The technical partner was Unither Bioelectronique, a Quebec-based company specializing in medical technologies, belonging to United Therapeutics, which conducts research, among others on the possibilities of using 3D printers for the production of organs for transplantation. Unither Bioelectronique had to design a special drone and container for transport, resistant, among others, to to changes in pressure.
The lungs are one of the most difficult organs to transplant and, according to The Canadian Press, 80 percent. lungs that are theoretically suitable for transplantation, in fact do not meet the requirements, including the requirement of adequate oxygen saturation.
Dr. Shaf Keshvajee, director of the lung transplant program at UHN, told the public broadcaster CBC that airplanes, helicopters, cars and trucks were already used to transport organs for transplants, “but it did not seem appropriate to use an entire (plane) Learjet to transport something. which weighs only two kilograms ».
As Keshavjee pointed out, Automated drones are a solution to many logistics problems, but piloting a drone in the city also means dealing with tall buildings or overlapping radio frequencies. Hospitals had to obtain approval from the federal health ministry as well as air surveillance.
The Canadian Press reported that the first hospital to use a drone to transport organs for transplantation in 2019 was the US University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Back then, the drone was transporting the kidneys. Since then, drones have been used to quickly transport the cornea, and this year in Minnesota, the pancreas as well. Unither Bioelectronique believes that this type of organ transport for transplant will become the norm. In his press releases, he writes about a “drone fleet” for transporting organs.
In Canada, especially in areas where there are long distances and transportation is difficult, local authorities are looking at ways to use drones for other forms of medical transportation. One of the Indian communities living in the hard-to-reach, northern part of British Columbia last Wednesday launched a drone delivery of drugs in cooperation with the University of British Columbia. Here, too, the high costs of air transport were pointed out. If the project is successful, it will be extended.
Author: Anna Lach / PAP
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