Ypres hospital fully automates blood transport by drone

The Jan Yperman Hospital, located in a rather enclosed region in Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, has deployed drones to transport blood samples automatically. The new drone system operates fully automatically and combines 5G technology with a high-tech drone cargo port (DCP)—a world first, it claims.

Last week, the British NHS also deployed drones to quickly transport blood samples between hospitals in London. Recently, a pilot project using drones to transport blood was also successfully completed in Italy. But unlike these pilot projects, in Ypres, the blood samples are sent to the analysis machines without human intervention.

Specially developed DCP

The technology involved is the same each time: a drone has been designed to travel long distances autonomously without the need for a human pilot. Ideally, attached to the drone is also a so-called “smart capsule.”

This capsule, equipped with artificial intelligence and advanced sensors, ensures that the temperature, moisture, pH, and even hemolysis of the blood remain optimal during transport.

Usually, that drone is used as an air bridge between a lab and the hospital or between two hospitals. The landing port for the drone is on the roof, where the blood sample is then picked up by someone.

However, Helicus has specially developed a high-tech drone cargo port (DCP) for Ypres. That DCP is connected to the hospital’s tube station, so no one must pick up the samples on the roof. That automation makes transport transfer faster and more efficient and reduces the risk of human error.

Collaboration between Helicus and Rigitech

The drones deployed during the Ypres test flights were designed by the Antwerp company Helicus to perform medical transport. This was done in cooperation with Rigitech, a Swiss manufacturer of drone logistics solutions. Pilots are not actually needed, but they stay nearby to monitor everything. The drones fly at an average 60 km/h speed but stay on the ground in bad weather.

All municipalities along the flight route have given permission for the test flights, which are also conducted in consultation with aviation authorities and air traffic control. The flights are also completely separated from other air traffic, and parachutes and autorotation systems should ensure a safe landing in case of engine problems.

“Revolutionary change”

Other partners were also involved in the pilot project, thanks partly to support from the federal government and the province of West Flanders. For example, e-BO Enterprises installed three 5G masts on the route from the dialysis center in Diksmuide to the good 20 km away hospital in Ypres.

“By immediately capitalizing on the possibilities of 5G technology, we have laid the foundation for a revolutionary change in how drones will be deployed in the future,” says Werner De Laet, CEO of Orange Belgium.

Finally, the expertise of KU Leuven and the College of West Flanders Howest will be used to ensure the safety and reliability of the electronic systems.

Expanding the system

Jan Yperman Hospital will now explore the possibility of expanding the system to other campuses or hospitals. It is also planned to explore whether tissues, medication, chemotherapy preparations, and blood bags can be transported via drones in the future.

“With this technology, we can help patients in Westhoek faster and more sustainably,” says Caroline Gheysen, director of Innovation, Policy Information, and Networks at Jan Yperman Hospital. “Where urgent blood samples are now often transported by cab, drones will eventually offer a faster and cheaper alternative. We are proud to realize this world first in the Westhoek.”