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Rolla, MO – A new medical drone program being tested in Missouri could help deliver critical supplies like blood and lab samples faster, especially in rural areas where access to care may take longer.
At a test site in Missouri, a drone company working with the Missouri University of Science and Technology is testing flights designed to carry medical supplies between small communities and large hospital centers.
The goal is to speed up the delivery of care — including blood for testing, laboratory samples needed for diagnosis, and tissue used to help match organ donors with recipients.
“It is very urgent. For example, if you miss a sample at 5 pm on Tuesday, if you miss that time, there is another week, you can deliver it on time,” said a drone operator involved in the project.
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A drone operator loads a medical specimen onto a delivery drone during testing in Missouri, part of an effort to improve how quickly samples reach laboratories and hospitals. (Oliviana calms down)
The effort comes as rural healthcare access remains a challenge across the country. According to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, more than 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021, causing some patients to travel nearly 20 additional miles for care, including time-sensitive tests and procedures.
“When you’re looking at things like speed of transplant, it’s an issue,” said David Boroch, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
This graphic shows that more than 130 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021 and patients had to travel nearly 20 additional miles for care, according to the Senate Joint Economic Committee. (Fox News)
The company says its drones can fly at nearly 100 mph and are being tested on a proposed Missouri route linking Springfield, Rolla and the St. Louis area.
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Map shows a proposed drone delivery route connecting Springfield, Rolla and the St. Louis area as part of the Missouri medical drone testing program. (Valkyrie UAS/Fox News)
“We’re partnering with American Transplant, and we’re running our test corridor from a pit stop in Springfield, Rolla, all the way to St. Louis,” the operator said.
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Flights are monitored in real time using live maps, weather tools and air traffic data.
Flight operators monitor a medical drone in real time using maps, weather data and air traffic instruments during a test in Missouri. (Oliviana calms down)
The operator said, “So right now, this is station. So this is what the pilot sees whenever the plane actually takes off.”
Such programs are beginning to emerge across the country, and researchers say the technology could expand how medical supplies are distributed in the future.
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Borok said, “It’s really unique. And I think it can work in many different ways for many different people.”
A medical delivery drone takes off during a test flight in Missouri as part of a program aimed at speeding the transportation of lab samples and other health care supplies. (Oliviana calms down)
The team hopes to begin official flights this summer, with the initial focus on transporting medical samples. Future versions of drones are being developed to eventually carry transplant-related materials.
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A planned landing site in St. Albans would serve as the easternmost drop point along the current route.
