\u201cWe had a discussion with the department of health to discuss how to help people in rural areas, and hence the drone project was born,\u201d said SANBS CEO Dr Jonathan Louw.<\/p>\n
Louw said that when designing the drone, there were seven criteria taken into consideration:<\/p>\n
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- Speed<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The drone needed to be fast to ensure that patients receive blood before they are likely to bleed out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Two-way logistics\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Not only does the drone need to be able to transport blood to the patient; sometimes it needs to transport a sample of the patient\u2019s blood to its centres first so that a perfect match can be found.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Physical conditions<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The drone needs to ensure that neither G-force nor temperature affects the integrity of the blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Safety<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The drone must be able to glide to the ground in an emergency or deploy a parachute if necessary. It must also be autonomous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Payload capacity\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 It must be able to transport at least 4 units (2kg) of blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Distance<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 To get to rural areas the drone needs to be able to fly long distances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Cost<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013A drone flight by SANBS can be done for as little as R10. This is much cheaper than flying blood in via helicopter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
After a six-month process, the SANBS decided to partner with the organisation they deemed to be the best option: Quantum Systems.<\/p>\n
Far-reaching benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n
Louw said the SANBS is incredibly excited by the opportunities that this new drone delivery system offers patients in need.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this will be a milestone in the history of blood transfusion, not only in South Africa, but in the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SANBS will now conduct a series of test runs, and once the Civil Aviation Authority gives them the necessary licensing, they\u2019ll look to expand into multiple provinces including KZN, the Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape.<\/p>\n
How it works<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Tron drone can either be controlled by a pilot or fly autonomously. Before it takes off, it conducts a series of security checks to ensure that it is ready to fly.<\/p>\n
Once these checks have been done, the drone will take off. Crucially, the Tron is designed to fly at a height that will not interfere with aeroplane traffic.<\/p>\n
The drone also relays HD-quality video to the control centre, ensuring that its flight path and trajectory can be monitored at all times.<\/p>\n
The design of Tron is such that it lands smoothly, avoiding any damage to either the drone or the blood sample \u2013 even if it needs to make an emergency landing.<\/p>\n
Pictures of the Tron can be seen below.<\/p>\n
- Cost<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013A drone flight by SANBS can be done for as little as R10. This is much cheaper than flying blood in via helicopter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Distance<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 To get to rural areas the drone needs to be able to fly long distances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Payload capacity\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 It must be able to transport at least 4 units (2kg) of blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Safety<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The drone must be able to glide to the ground in an emergency or deploy a parachute if necessary. It must also be autonomous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Physical conditions<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The drone needs to ensure that neither G-force nor temperature affects the integrity of the blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Two-way logistics\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Not only does the drone need to be able to transport blood to the patient; sometimes it needs to transport a sample of the patient\u2019s blood to its centres first so that a perfect match can be found.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/SANBS-Drone-05.png\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n