most INNOVATIVE companies: SANT’ANNA school SPIN-OFF company ABZERO shows its lifesaving drone delivering blood and human organs at avis blood donation event in rome

On November 23, at the Centro Congressi Europa - University Cattolica A. Gemelli in Rome, Sant’Anna School spinoff company ABzero will introduce its lifesaving drone delivering blood products and human organs in the blood donation event organized by AVIS (Italian Association of Voluntary Blood Donors). This drone tested for the first time in October, was developed by Giuseppe Tortora, formed PhD student at the Biorobotics Institute and Andrea Cannas. The drone can drop blood supplies and organs undamaged over medium and long-distance journey – “around 200 kilometers per trip and up to 200 kg payload”, as explained Giuseppe Tortora.

This drone technology can solve some of the problems in the healthcare to reduce variability, cost and error. Doctors and users can use a drone app with a push of a button and reach remote regions or areas hit by disaster. Researchers have designed a hollow providing storage at controlled temperature that will adhere to standards for transportation of blood products.

“As the drone technology becomes more widely used in the healthcare – said Maurizio Infantino, President of AVIS – our association takes a direct approach. We work to improve society and ABzero will make drones that benefit the healthcare and the humanitarian health assistance. Giuseppe Tortora, as a blood donor and an entrepreneur can provide a promising device for autonomous navigation without risking human lives, and, with a strong potential for cost and transportation-time reduction”.