Johns Hopkins researchers are exploring the use of drones for medical purposes.
Researchers successfully completed delivery of human blood samples across the Arizona desert, covering a distance of 161 miles in a three-hour flight, a Johns Hopkins Medicine release said. Using a drone allowed the blood to be safely delivered at a stable temperature, using an on-board payload system.
Timony Amukele, assistant professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said drones could be one of the best ways to transport vital samples quickly or in rural areas, the release said.
The samples delivered by the drone and samples driven to the laboratory by a vehicle showed similar results in tests, the release said. Results from the samples were viable, though glucose and potassium levels were slightly affected by the drone's warmer temperature, the release said.
