Mid-surgery, tissue sample travels 37 kilometers in 20 minutes for cancer detection

ICMR has been a pioneer in the use of drones for healthcare.

New Delhi:

As part of a trial run by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), tissue samples were transported from a peripheral hospital in Karnataka during the surgery for advanced pathology testing at a tertiary institution to determine whether the excised tissue was cancerous or not.

Continuing its national mission to expand the drone ecosystem in the country, ICMR on Wednesday successfully conducted a trial run of drone transportation of tumor pathology samples under its i-Drone programme.

The drone efficiently transported the surgical biological samples removed during surgery from Dr TMA Pai Hospital in Karkara to Kasturba Medical College and Manipal Institute of Higher Education Manipal (a tertiary-level hospital), which took about 37 days. km, takes 15-20 minutes. Official statements say the drive takes approximately 50-60 minutes.

Samples are analyzed immediately upon arrival and reports are transmitted electronically back to surrounding hospitals. The surgeon then performed the surgery based on the reports received. As part of the validation study, the trial was conducted for the first time in the country with the joint efforts of ICMR, Kasturba Medical College (KMC) and Dr. TMA PAI Rotary Hospital.

The statement said that drones play a vital role in agriculture, defence, disaster relief and healthcare, especially in emergencies, as they can quickly deliver vaccines, medicines and important supplies to remote and inaccessible areas. . ICMR and Kasturba Medical College are currently conducting a feasibility study in Manipal, Karnataka. The study aims to evaluate the potential use of aerial transport systems (drones) to transport items such as pathology samples from secondary to tertiary care facilities, the statement said.

(1/2) The next milestone in healthcare delivery via drones! Tissue samples are transported from outlying hospitals mid-operatively for advanced pathology testing at a tertiary institution to determine whether the removed tissue is cancerous. @MoHFW_Indiapic.twitter.com/hbFfjrPAD4

— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) April 10, 2024

Transport of specimens in remote areas for intraoperative decision-making has not been extensively explored or documented within India due to limited data on feasibility, practicality and cost-effectiveness. Ongoing research in Manipal aims to address this gap by documenting procedures for rapid transport of intraoperative samples using drones, the statement said.

This innovative approach has the potential to connect secondary care centers with limited resources to tertiary care facilities with advanced diagnostic capabilities, thereby facilitating immediate access during surgical procedures. Ultimately, this initiative could simplify complex surgeries, overcome geographic barriers and improve access to specialty care at surrounding hospitals.

ICMR has been a pioneer in the use of drones for healthcare and has successfully delivered medical supplies, vaccines and medicines in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland under its i project, as well as in Delhi The National Capital Region (NCR) successfully delivered blood bags. -Drone initiative.

Highlighting the importance of the event, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General, ICMR, emphasized, “ICMR initially leveraged the ‘i-DRONE’ program during the COVID-19 pandemic last year and we successfully conducted The test was conducted on the transportation of blood and blood-related products that require low-temperature storage.”

“Also, in another study, we are transporting drugs and diagnostic samples to challenging areas with sub-zero temperatures and altitudes of over 12,000 feet in Himachal Pradesh. In this ongoing study, our focus is not just is to provide pathology specimens; our goal is to improve patient compliance and relieve the burden on tertiary hospitals,” he added.

Dr Atul Goel, Director General, Department of Health Services (DGHS) said, “This study is of great relevance to the Indian context. Utilizing drones to deliver medical essentials during emergencies has the potential to save countless lives .It can effectively cope with challenging geographical terrain and benefit the people of India while also strengthening India’s medical infrastructure.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)