Medtronic among first in Ireland to deliver devices using drones

Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) is one of the first companies in Ireland to deliver medical equipment and devices to hospitals using drone delivery services from Wing.

Wing is operated by Google parent company Alphabet. It has partnered with Apian, a British healthcare and logistics company, to deliver certain Medtronic products to healthcare providers. The two companies are teaming up with Blackrock Health and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin to launch a drone delivery trial to show how drones can be used in healthcare, reports Ireland’s National Public Service Media, RTÉ.

Medtronic devices to be delivered by drone include an ingestible camera, sutures, surgical tools and heart valve repair products. The company plans to expand its offerings to include pacemakers and implantable heart defibrillators in the future.

Earlier this year, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) proposed a plan to deliver medical supplies using drone operations. The proposals are part of the UK’s Future Flight Programme and aim to expand the capabilities of drones by enabling operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

A drone pilot in Ireland will begin flying medical supplies to Dublin’s Blackrock Health, Blackrock Clinic and St. Vincent’s Private Hospital in the coming days, making up to 100 flights a week. They are also working with the Irish Aviation Authority to ensure drone operations are compliant with regulations, RTÉ reports.

“We are excited to announce a new pilot program in Ireland that will help streamline the delivery of medical devices in the future,” Medtronic said in a LinkedIn post. “We can deliver essential equipment to patients more quickly and reliably by air, solving some of the supply chain challenges experienced with ground deliveries.”

Previous Use of Drones in Medical Supply Delivery

Companies in the US have received permission from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to deliver medical supplies via drones. The US authorizes drone deliveries through FAA 135 air carrier certificates. The air routes covered by the certificate can extend up to 26 miles round trip.

San Francisco-based Zipline received a permit in June 2022 to provide the longest commercial on-demand drone deliveries in the U.S., a certification that allowed the company to expand its services in the U.S. to partners such as Novant Health and Cardinal Health.

Cardinal Health has partnered with Zipline to deliver pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to North Carolina. The company said in June 2022 after the first deliveries that the flights will make it easier for patients to access the products they need.

Related: How Zipline Delivers Medical Supplies by Drone in the U.S.