Drone makes historic delivery of life-saving kidney for Maryland patient

[Judi Lynn]

Source: UPI

MAY 2, 2019 / 2:31 PM

By Sommer Brokaw

May 2 (UPI) -- In a world first, a drone has delivered a donor kidney to a U.S. hospital, which resulted in a successful transplant.

The groundbreaking flight required a drone that could maintain and monitor the kidney, officials said. The unnamed patient, a 44-year-old Baltimore resident, was discharged from the hospital after the transplant last week.

"This whole thing is amazing," the patient said. "Years ago, this was not something that you would think about."

Doctors and University of Maryland researchers at the School of Medicine in Baltimore collaborated with aviation officials and engineers at the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site to complete the history-making flight.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/05/02/Drone-makes-historic-delivery-of-life-saving-kidney-for-Maryland-patient/8631556815952/

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Seems like a silly way to prove a technology.

Seeing as so many people die waiting for kidneys. Why risk dropping something so precious and splattering it on the road?

A solution looking for a problem.

[olegramps]

8. It seems to me to be a step forward.

I could see many applications of this technology such as providing required drugs, equipment, information, etc. to remote locations quickly are without elaborate preparations or the use of transport and medical techs. I don't understand why people would find anything objectionable. Perhaps they would be satisfied that we should rely on horse back riders or stagecoaches for delivery of technologically advanced medical solutions.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. I'm just saying don't test the technology with precious kidneys people are dying while waiting for

[FiveGoodMen]

10. Yeah, I agree

[YOHABLO]

2. Is it faster? Can they fly it directly from, say the hospital? I don't get it.

[Sapient Donkey]

11. I would imagine it's significantly cheaper and more flexible.

Particularly for hospitals that may not have a helicopter and crew readily available. I wouldn't want them to do just because it's cheaper, though. But I am sure a hospital would find it useful to have another tool at their disposal. Not sure if transportation delays are enough of an issue to justify the additional costs of just using it for a backup.

[3Hotdogs]

3. Maybe --- time is also a factor in the success of transplants.

If this proves faster than air and land, who knows.

[groundloop]

4. This smells like a publicity stunt.

[eggplant]

5. Next up, drones that automatically harvest organs from the populace. n/t

[dalton99a]

12. "Your kidney, please"

[Javaman]

6. After reading the article, this seems more a proof of concept thing. Which I think is good.

I think the implications for this are far reaching.

I see med flight drones going into areas to do body recovery that would otherwise be dangerous for rescuers.

[blugbox]

7. When it comes to saving lives

More options is always a better thing.

If I, or any one of you were in dire need of an organ, and drone delivery was for some reason the only viable option, we'd all take it. If it has already proven to be able to help save a life, I support it.