INMED - Enabling Infrastructure for Medical Drone Deliveries

This project aims to pave a way for integration of drones into the UK transport system for their widespread use for commercial deliveries. For this purpose, we focus on development and integration of physical and digital infrastructure into the practice of medical supplies delivery between blood banks and UK hospitals, paying special attention on integration of the drone operations into medical operational practices.

The project aims to propose a total solution for the delivery of medical drones, comprising a low-maintenance launch platform for drones with integrated automatic recharging, a drone with a temperature-controlled housing, which is approved and compliant for the medical transport of blood/blood products, operating procedures and a management application. The drone loading, take-off, landing and unloading will be demonstrated in the project at the Milton Keynes University Hospital site, while the flight from the blood bank to the hospital will be simulated for analysis of risks and development of risk mitigation measures related to airspace management, communication, and navigation.

During the project, we plan a number of outreach activities, covering, in particular, medical organizations and aiming to demonstrate project outcomes, including demo flight videos, developed procedures and their integration in the tablet/smartphone app. Stakeholders and end users interviews will be undertaken to promote public acceptance of the drone deliveries, identify needs of the end users and new use cases that should be considered for the future developments. The project benefits from strategic governance of the Advisory Board that includes South Africa National Blood Service currently experimenting blood unit delivery by drone, Milton Keynes City Council, Oxford Blood Transfusion Centre and Patient Representative at Milton Keynes Hospital.