A staff member checks a blood transportation drone before its departure at the Shenzhen Blood Center on Friday. Courtesy of Shenzhen Blood Center
A blood transportation drone platform, the first of its kind in the country, was officially put into use in Shenzhen on Friday. Integrating 5G technology and artificial intelligence (AI), the platform is said to help ensure safety and improve efficiency in blood transportation.
Jointly developed by the Shenzhen Blood Center and China Telecom Shenzhen Branch, the platform has utilized the advantages of 5G's large bandwidth, combined with AI and other technologies, to render high-definition images and real-time feedback of cold-chain temperature throughout the entire process.
Ning Li, director of the center, said saving lives requires a race against time. "Developing such a platform can greatly enhance the emergency blood support capacity in a megacity like Shenzhen, and provide the fastest blood support for patients in urgent need of blood transfusions."
At present, the platform has covered routes to hospitals such as the Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Luohu District People's Hospital, and the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, with four new routes to be introduced soon.
The platform started trial operation Aug. 21, 2023. As of the end of last year, a total of 203 flights had taken off, transporting 434 kilograms of blood.
Luohu District People's Hospital, for instance, successfully treated one patient who underwent surgery for a ruptured spleen and massive bleeding, with a drone being deployed to transport blood in nine minutes, which used to take 60 minutes in a traditional way.