Drone cuts 2-hr road trip from Sonipat to Delhi to deliver cornea in 40 mins

NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research, in collaboration with AIIMS and Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye hospital, on Tuesday carried out a feasibility study to assess the potential of using drones to transport sensitive biomaterials such as human corneas and amniotic membrane grafts from peripheral collection centres to tertiary hospitals for corneal transplantation procedures.

As part of the trial, the Indian Council of Medical Research used a drone to transport corneal tissue from Dr Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital (Sonipat centre) to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), AIIMS-Jhajjar, and subsequently, to AIIMS-Delhi.

Officials said the distance between the two cities was covered in around 40 minutes via drones which usually takes around 2-2.5 hours to cover via road.

“The drone maintained optimal conditions for specimen integrity and upon arrival, the cornea was evaluated, leading to a successful transplant surgery,” said an official. The official added that drone-based transport can help bridge the gap between donor sites and recipients, ensuring that no viable tissue goes unused and that more patients regain sight in time.

Over the past few years, ICMR’s i-DRONE initiative has demonstrated the successful use of drones to deliver essential medical supplies in states in different regions across country.