Towards an Innovative Sensor in Smart Capsule for Aerial Drones for Blood and Blood Component Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Logistics
• Drone Technology

Background:

• Aerial drone technology is increasingly explored for delivering blood components.
• Current drone delivery methods require lengthy post-flight analysis (up to 30 minutes) for haemolysis and pH levels.
• This analysis delays the use of transfused blood products, negating time efficiencies gained from drone transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate an innovative sensor for real-time haemolysis and pH detection into the Smart Capsule system.
• To streamline the analysis process for blood components delivered via drones.
• To validate the thermal stability of the Smart Capsule and the accuracy of the integrated haemolysis detection device.

Main Methods:

• Development and integration of a minilysis device utilizing an LED-photodetector combination for optical haemolysis evaluation.
• Testing the thermal stability of the Smart Capsule under simulated adverse conditions.
• Laboratory validation of the minilysis prototype by comparing its haemolysis detection results with a spectrophotometer using linear regression analysis.

Main Results:

• The Smart Capsule demonstrated effective temperature regulation, maintaining optimal conditions for blood samples.
• The minilysis prototype showed a consistent linear regression trend when compared to a spectrophotometer, confirming its haemolysis detection capabilities.
• Preliminary validation confirmed the thermal stability of the Smart Capsule and the feasibility of the optical haemolysis detection concept.

Conclusions:

• The integration of an innovative sensor into the Smart Capsule is a viable approach to enable real-time haemolysis and pH detection.
• This technological advancement has the potential to significantly reduce the turnaround time for drone-delivered blood components.
• The validated system can enhance the efficiency and safety of drone-based transfusion logistics.