Missouri tests medical drones to speed up rural care

Rolla, MO –A new medicaldrone program being testedin Missouri could help speed up how critical supplies like blood and lab samples are delivered, especially in rural areas where access to care can take longer.

At a test site in Missouri, a drone company working with Missouri University of Science and Technology is trialing flights designed to move medical materials between smaller communities and larger hospital hubs.

The goal is to speed up the distribution of care — including blood for testing, lab samples needed for diagnoses, and tissue used to help match organ donors with recipients.

“It’s very essential.For instance, if you miss sample pickup at 5 p.m.on Tuesday, if you miss that time, it’s another week you can get it delivered on time,” said a drone operator involved in the project. 

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A drone operator loads a medical sample onto a delivery drone during testing in Missouri, part of an effort to improve how quickly samples reach labs and hospitals.(OLIVIANNA CALMES)

The effort comes asrural healthcare accessremains a challenge nationwide.More than 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, leaving some patients traveling about 20 extra miles for care, including time-sensitive testing and procedures.

“When you’re looking at things like transplant speed, it’s an issue,” said David Borrok, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

This graphic shows more than 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021 and patients traveling about 20 extra miles for care, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee.

The company says its drones can fly about 100 miles per hour and are being tested along a proposed Missouri route connecting Springfield, Rolla and the St.Louis region.

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Map shows a proposed drone delivery route connecting Springfield, Rolla and the St.Louis region as part of a Missouri medical drone testing program.

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“We’re partnering with American Transplant, and we’re running our test corridor from all the way from Springfield, pit stop in Rolla, all the way up to St.Louis,” the operator said.

Flight operators monitor a medical drone in real time using maps, weather data and air traffic tools during a test in Missouri.(OLIVIANNA CALMES)

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“So right now, this is the station.So this is what the pilot sees whenever the aircraft is actually in flight,” the operator added.

Programs like this are beginning to emerge across the country, and researchers say the technology could expand how medical supplies are delivered in the future.

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PATIENTS REMAIN CANCER-FREE NEARLY 3 YEARS AFTER RECEIVING EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOTHERAPY

“It’s really unique.And I think it could work in a lot of different ways for a lot of different people,” Borrok said.

A medical delivery drone lifts off during a test flight in Missouri as part of a program aimed at speeding up the transport of lab samples and other healthcare materials.(OLIVIANNA CALMES)

The team hopes to begin official flights this summer, with the initial focus on transporting medical samples.Future versions of thedrones are being developedto eventually carry transplant-related materials.

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A planned landing site in St.Albans would serve as the easternmost drop point along the current route.

Louis, Missouri.