Timely and safe distribution of quality blood products is a major challenge faced by blood banks around the world. Significant cost savings compared to ground transportation, speed and convenience of delivery, and the booming drone sector will probably drive drone implementation in various areas of medicine in the next five years. However, factors such as national airspace legislation and legal medical issues, differences in topography and climates, cost-effectiveness, and community attitudes and acceptance in different cultures and societies currently impede the widespread use of drones. Drones may help increase access to healthcare for individuals that might otherwise not benefit from appropriate care due to remoteness and lack of infrastructure or funds. The potential for drone use in clinical microbiology, infectious diseases and epidemiology is vast. In addition, a promising proof-of-concept 'lab-on-a-drone' was recently presented as well as several pilot studies showing the benefits of drone use in surveillance and epidemiology of infectious diseases. Drones have been successfully evaluated in various pilot programs and are already implemented in some settings for transporting samples and delivering blood, vaccines, medicines, organs, life-saving medical supplies and equipment. Peer-reviewed literature on the use of drones in healthcare has steadily increased in recent years. The search terms drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, microbiology and medicine were used. Information was sought through PubMed and extracted from peer-reviewed literature published between January 2010 and August 2019 and from reliable online news sources. We briefly summarise current knowledge regarding the use of drones in healthcare, focusing on infectious diseases and/or microbiology when applicable. Given their great flexibility and favourable costs, the use of drones has also been piloted in various healthcare settings. Whereas initially used exclusively for military purposes, the use of drones gradually spread into other areas. This technology may have benefit for austere care of military and civilian casualties.ĭrones or unmanned aerial vehicles are autonomous or remotely controlled multipurpose aerial vehicles driven by aerodynamic forces and capable of carrying a payload. Drones repeatedly and accurately delivered medical supplies faster than other methods without additional risk to personnel or manned airframe. Use of unmanned drones is feasible for delivery of life-saving medical supplies in austere environments. Resupply by foot would take 5.1 hours with an average speed of 2.4km/h and 61.35 minutes, with an average speed of 12 km/h for a wheeled vehicle, if a rudimentary road existed. The drone successfully returned to the starting point every flight. Medical supplies were delivered successfully within 1m of the target.

Data are given as mean (± standard deviation).

Delivery time was compared to the known US military standards for traversing uneven topography by foot or wheeled vehicle.įour flights were performed. The flight was preprogrammed on the basis of grid coordinates and flew on autopilot beyond visual range data (altitude, flight time, route) were recorded live by high-altitude Shadow drone. A simulated casualty was positioned in a remote area. Using an unmanned, rotary- wing drone, we simulated delivery of a customizable, 4.5kg load of medical equipment, including tourniquets, dressings, analgesics, and blood products. We hypothesized that unmanned aerial drones could successfully deliver life-sustaining medical supplies to a remote, denied environment where vehicle or foot traffic is impossible or impractical. Man-packable medical supplies may be consumed by a single casualty, and resupply may not be possible before evacuation, particularly during prolonged field care scenarios. Care of trauma casualties in an austere environment presents many challenges, particularly when evacuation is not immediately available.

Risk of rain 2 equipment drone