Tissue Sample, 37 kms away reaches tertiary hospital in 20 minutes
New Delhi : The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) successfully conducted the trial run of transporting onco-pathological samples by drones under its i-Drone initiative. In the trial run, a tissue sample was transported mid-surgery from a peripheral hospital in Karnataka for advanced pathological testing at a tertiary setting to decide if the resected tissue was cancerous. The drone efficiently transported intraoperative surgical biospecimens surgically excised from the patient from Dr TMA Pai Hospital, Karkala to Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal (tertiary care hospital), covering a distance of approximately 37 km in 15-20 minutes, which takes around 50-60 minutes by road, an official statement said. Upon arrival, the sample was promptly analysed, and the report was electronically conveyed back to the peripheral hospital.
Subsequently, the surgeon proceeded with the surgery based on the received report, it said. The trial run as part of a validation study has been undertaken for the first time in the country by the collaborative efforts of ICMR, Kasturba Medical College (KMC) and Dr TMA PAI Rotary Hospital. The ICMR along with Kasturba Medical College is currently conducting a feasibility study in Manipal, Karnataka. The study aims to evaluate the potential use of aerial transportation systems (drones), to transport items such as pathology samples from secondary healthcare facilities to tertiary-level hospitals, the statement said.