Drone flies medical samples between hospitals in Germany
The Asklepios Group is launching an innovative project for the transport of laboratory samples by drone in collaboration with the start-up Jedsy. By using a unique drone that can dock directly at the window, transport becomes not only faster but also more environmentally friendly. The route between Asklepios Privatklinik Blomenburg in Selent and Asklepios Klinikum Bad Oldesloe spans 60 km and passes through both densely and sparsely populated areas. The German Federal Aviation Office has already approved this route.
Asklepios is one of the largest private hospital groups in Germany, with over 170 locations. The goal is to implement this innovative transport system on a large scale to connect as many locations as possible. This will enable faster and more efficient patient care.
Every day, numerous courier vehicles transport medical samples between hospitals and laboratories, often facing delays due to traffic congestion. "Currently, laboratory samples are collected by car, which can take two to three hours or even longer until the results are available," explains Joost Rohrmann, Managing Director of Blumenburg Clinics, which has locations in Selent, Hamburg, and Freiburg. "At Asklepios, we always strive to be at the forefront of innovation, testing new trends early to evaluate the benefits for both our staff and our patients. With this project, we believe we have found a solution that benefits all parties and truly takes us a step forward," explains Patrick Hauser, Managing Director of MEDILYS Laboratory (Asklepios).
Rohrmann emphasizes that Asklepios does not pursue such innovations alone but relies on strong partners. "We are very pleased to have found a well-established and strong partner in this emerging industry with Jedsy. We are also leading in many areas of innovation, such as having introduced one of the first laboratory robots in Germany at our Bad Oldesloe location. The advantage for our patients is that Jedsy enables faster and more direct delivery of blood samples, significantly improving medical care. With Jedsy, results can be obtained within an hour, allowing doctors to react more quickly while also reducing our ecological footprint by eliminating the need for car transport."
Revolutionizing Medical Logistics: Jedsy's Drone Expands Operations
The medical delivery start-up Jedsy has developed a completely new type of drone, the Jedsy X that can fly up to 120km and dock outside the window which allows medical staff to load and unload in seconds. The advanced Jedsy X technology ensures deliveries can be made in rainy weather and winds up to 40km/h. Jedsy X has an innovative docking station which charges the drone's battery and allows takeoff within 60 seconds. Jedsy also focuses on safety with redundant systems designed to be fault tolerant. “We have already gained more than 14’000 flights of flying experience” explains Herbert Weirather, the Founder of Jedsy. “We already fly daily in Switzerland and in Malawi delivering blood samples and critical medicines.”
Transport drones are the future
Drone transport is not new in Germany, but has met with several large challenges in the past. Some large transport companies have already carried out test flights, but the projects were usually discontinued. Three people were often involved in each flight: one person each for the start and the landing, as well as the operator. There were also complex checklists and packages, which often increased the preparation time to more than 20 minutes. With the docking station from Jedsy, these challenges belong to the past as the drone is automatically charged and secured, ready 24/7.
Jedsy is also one of the few drone companies to have obtained the SAIL 3 certification, allowing operations over densely populated areas while ensuring compliance with strict safety and operational standards for drone transport in complex environments. This certification highlights Jedsy's commitment to safe, efficient, and scalable drone delivery solutions.
Further information, photos and video: www.asklepios.com or www.jedsy.com
Contact Asklepios
Mathias Eberenz (Press spokesman)
m.eberenz@askelpios.com
Contact Jedsy:
Christian Bredemeier CEO
cbredemeier@jedsy.com
About Asklepios
Asklepios is one of the largest private hospital operators in Germany, with over 170 healthcare facilities nationwide. The group is dedicated to providing high-quality medical care through innovation and advanced technologies. Asklepios operates hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and medical care facilities, treating millions of patients each year. The company places great emphasis on sustainability, digitalization, and continuous improvements in patient care.