Indian Institute Offers Solution for Speedy Transportation of Harvested Organs

The conventional ice-box method seeks to preserve the harvested organ for a specified time period while transporting it through conventional modes of transportation, whereas the "LifeBox" developed by the IISc will be transported by air using drones, saving precious time.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a product called "LifeBox" for the safe transportation of organs in cases of medical emergency with the help of drones. 

Researchers at the Bangalore-based institute have claimed that the new device can extend the preservation time of organs, especially the heart, allowing for increased travel time and distances. 

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Researchers also claim that the transport of organs using drones could cut down the transportation time by at least 50% compared to green corridors.

The LifeBox was developed by research students Deval Karia and Rohit S. Nambiar under the supervision of Prof. B. Gurumoorthy and Prof. Ashitava Ghosal of the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM) of the IISc, Bangalore. 

"The established method of 'ice-box' storage coupled with a 'green corridor' based transport has several drawbacks. The window is narrow, and it requires a tremendous amount of effort and coordination between several regulatory authorities," said Prof. Ashitava Ghosal, while introducing the technology to the media recently.

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A green corridor is a special on-road route created by the Indian traffic police to enable harvested organs like the heart and liver to travel to another hospital where they are needed for the purpose of a transplant.