Lab uses drone to collect, deliver blood samples in Gurugram

A private diagnostics company started a pilot project in the city on Friday to collect blood samples from hospitals using drones and deliver them to a lab to cut down on turnaround time and provide faster test results

A private diagnostics company started a pilot project in the city on Friday to collect blood samples from hospitals using drones and deliver them to a lab to cut down on turnaround time and provide faster test results. Officials said a four-day trial will take place in and around Gurugram to test the efficacy of the system.

Gurugram, India – April 08, 2022: A successfully conducted delivery of blood test samples, as a medical emergency service, through a BVLOS Drone (drone operating beyond visual line of sight) trails from Fortis Hospital in Sector 29 to a testing facility in Sector 18 in Gurugram, India, on Friday, April 08, 2022. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

On Friday, Delhi-based drone delivery firm Skye Air Mobility conducted the first trial wherein a drone collected samples from a private hospital near Huda Metro station and flew them to SRL Labs in Sector 14.

Officials said the samples were first collected by a technician, and then packed in a temperature-controlled storage box attached to the drone. The drone was then sent to a predetermined laboratory, where it was received by another technician.

“For the trial, we transferred 10 blood samples. We look forward to leveraging this technology to reduce sample transfer time and enable faster reports while also reducing carbon footprint,” said Anand K, CEO, SRL Diagnostics.

Officials said samples collected by a drone will take almost one-third of the time taken by a technician to collect the sample and reach the lab by road. The teams will monitor the temperature of samples for accurate results. With an in-built temperature-controlled mechanism a part of drone technology, it’s easier to monitor the real-time temperature of human specimen samples, said an official. Ankit Kumar, chief executive officer, Skye Air Mobility, said, “It will be a four-day trial in Gurugram and Noida, comprising 36 drones, each carrying pathology samples for SRL Diagnostics,” he said.

Health officials said that the drones were being used to transport samples for the first time in the district and it was important that the company followed all norms for preservation of samples.

“The samples transported through drones can save time but there are challenges regarding safety and sterility of samples. They will have to be monitored,” said Gurugram’s chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Virender Yadav.