As part of a trial run by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), onco-pathological tissue samples were transported mid-surgery by drones under the i-Drone initiative.
Tissue samples were transported mid-surgery from a peripheral hospital for an advanced pathological testing at a tertiary setting for deciding if the resected tissue is cancerous or not.
The use of drones reduced the time required to transport the sample across 37 kilometres from 60 minutes to 16. Upon arrival, the sample was analysed, and the report was electronically conveyed back to the peripheral hospital. Subsequently, the surgeon proceeded with the surgery based on the received report. During the testing phase, researchers have uncovered various technical and operational challenges faced by communities in delivering timely biospecimens.
