SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – St. Louis-based company Mid-America Transplant is presenting its plan to use drone technology as a way to transport blood samples into population centers like Springfield.
Mid-America Transplant is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Valkyrie UAS to introduce advanced long-range drone technology coming to the Springfield area. The development of drone flight corridors will help transform organ donation and transplantation and also create opportunities for advancing rural healthcare.
“Think about if you’re in southwest Missouri and you have to travel either to Springfield or into St. Louis to get your prescription medication. Could we envision a case where we’re able to use drones to have that prescription medication brought to the individual close to their home to cut down on their travel time and make it more equitable and increase access to this level of care for a lot of people living in rural Missouri,” said Kevin Lee, president of Mid-America Transplant.
Lee said the company is looking at using beyond line-of-sight, or fixed-wing drones to transport blood samples from locations like Springfield to its operation base in St. Louis.
He also said Mid-America Transplant has been transporting blood samples from Springfield to St. Louis since the 90′s using an aircraft. Lee said that roundtrip is approximately $10,000 whereas with a drone, the same trip would be approximately $1,000.
The University of Missouri in St. Louis (UMSL) is also working hand-in-hand with Mid-America Transplant to work on a research-based project together. UMSL’s Supply Chain Department recently wrapped up a project where they helped design a transportation system for vaccine delivery by drones.
Now, Dr. Haitao Li with UMSL said they’ll be working with Mid-America Transplant to address any problems that could occur with blood sample transportation via drone technology.
“Whether it is more on the strategic level like this drone-based supply and distribution effort design or they may be in need to address those operational level aspects like scheduling, routing needs,” Dr. Li said. “Or it could be resource limitations so the time sensitivity.”
Mid-America Transplant is unveiling and showing off one of its drones in Springfield on July 12 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center. We’ll make sure to provide updates at that event next Friday.
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