Droning on About Medtech

The consumer drones we see today have become quite commonplace in a very short period of time. They help capture spectacular views that can be shared via YouTube, increase the visual dynamic of nightly news stories, and have even provided Peeping Toms everywhere the best spying tool they could hope for since the invention of binoculars. Kidding aside, however, the degree of their usefulness is certainly gaining momentum across an array of industries, and the healthcare space has taken notice.

An article recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology (http://bit.ly/mpo171050) reported that a test was conducted in which blood samples were flown three hours (258 km) in a custom active cooling box mounted on a drone. The samples transported by drone tested similarly to the control samples, which had been kept stationary. The demonstration illustrated how medical samples could be captured in one area and sent to a lab for testing via an autonomous drone, given the proper environmental containment is established. This could provide a greater degree of patient care and diagnostic capabilities for doctors in remote regions.

This research is hardly the first incident where drones were used for healthcare-related applications. Several years ago, drones were being considered to deliver pharmaceuticals to patients. Now, at least one company—QuiQui—is taking this business model to San Francisco’s Mission district, where it is partnering with local pharmacies to offer drone delivery. If successful, this model could certainly be expanded to other regions of the country, acting similarly to a third-party food delivery service for local restaurants. (Well, except for the drone aspect.)

Another speculated use case for medical drones has been to deliver critical care supplies to a location ahead of EMTs or emergency responders. This might mean a defibrillator being flown in for a heart attack patient. It could carry supplies to help stop bleeding following a car accident or assault. The down side of these types of situations is that without the trained emergency professional on the scene, any action would have to be handled by a civilian at the location. That could introduce a different type of challenge.

Adding another technological dimension to a medical drone’s functionality delivering such supplies, however, could address this problem. In addition to the critical medical supplies it would bring, a drone could be equipped with a camera, microphone, and monitor that is manned by a physician at a remote location. The drone would fly in with the medical products, and a civilian could be instructed by an actual doctor in how to apply them. Not nearly as useful as having the doctor right there on the scene, but when an ambulance is stuck in traffic on route to an emergency, the drone’s arrival could make a significant difference in terms of a patient’s survival. The time saved could be the deciding factor in such a situation.

There’s also the possibility that drones could help evacuate a patient who is in a hard to reach location. For example, if a hiker was injured and there was no clear landing spot large enough for a rescue helicopter, a drone could be deployed to airlift the patient out and deliver him or her to an awaiting chopper team, who would then transport the patient to the hospital. Drones are beginning to appear in all types of sizes, and the amount they can lift varies just as much. A drone used in this type of maneuver would certainly need to be large, but it would offer a much safer alternative to attempting to land a helicopter in a small area, and it would be much quicker than carrying someone out on foot.

These are merely a few examples of how drones are currently and will likely someday make a significant impact on the healthcare space. We’re not there yet, but the technology is advancing rapidly. Soon, hospitals, laboratories, and pharmacies may employ drone pilots or navigators to use in such situations. It sounds unlikely today, but as new ideas spring up, and the technology could truly be utilized to aid in the care of patients and people in need, it would be much less likely to not see this sector of technology advance in this way.

So the next time you’re sick and don’t feel like running out to the drug store for that prescription, perhaps you should look no further than the skies for a helping hand from a drone.