New life-saving drone to change blood delivery in South Africa
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) and Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) came together at the North Eastern Radio Flyers in Sandton to showcase how they intend to save more lives using drone technology.
The SANBS is an independent non-profit organisation, and one of the leaders in the discipline of blood transfusion. SANBS supplies over one million blood products annually and is rated among the top blood services in the world.
This pedigree comes as a result of world-class testing and collection protocols which ensure that the blood which is transfused is always of top quality - and they are about to reach new heights with the latest drone technology.
Jonathan Louw, CEO of the South African National Blood Service, joined Brent Lindeque to chat about blood in SA, as well as this new incredible technology!
Listen to the show below:
The Tron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a highly-specialised aircraft that will be used to transport blood from blood banks to hospitals in remote areas. The Tron’s cargo compartment can securely accommodate even the most fragile payload, up to 2kg and cool it actively.
The Tron, like a helicopter, is capable of vertically taking off and landing. The drone can either be controlled by a pilot or fly autonomously. Before it takes off, it conducts a series of security checks to ensure that it is ready to fly. Once in flight, it switches into a highly efficient aircraft. The Tron will fly at an altitude of 100m to hospitals as far away as 100km, delivering up to four units of life-saving blood.
In an emergency, blood can be delivered to hospitals much faster and more efficiently than ever before.
According to the SANBS, the Tron aerial vehicle will be a South African first, complementing the existing logistics infrastructure. It will continue to cement the not-for-profit organisation’s place as a thought leader and a cornerstone of the healthcare system in SA through the gift of life.