Drone delivers kidney for transplant

A KIDNEY needed for transplantation has been delivered by a drone for the first time ever, the University of Maryland Medical Centre in Baltimore, US said – a development that could herald faster, safer organ transport.

The specially designed high-tech drone was fitted with equipment to monitor the kidney along its 5km journey to its recipient: a 44-year-old Baltimore woman who had spent eight years on dialysis.

The drone, which required a special clearance from aviation regulators, took off at 1am on April 19 and flew at a height of 120m for about 10 minutes before touching down at its destination.

Doctor Joseph Scalea, who was on the team of surgeons that performed the transplantation, hailed the project’s success and said drone deliveries could help overcome delays that destroy organ viability.

About 1.5 per cent of deceased donor organ shipments did not make it to their intended destinations, while nearly 4 per cent of organ shipments had an unanticipated delay of two or more hours.