​LifeShare Conducts First-Time Uncrewed Aerial Transport of Organs

​Groundbreaking Technology Aims to Improve Transport of Donated Organs and Tissues by use of Drones in Rural Areas to Overcome Patient Inequities.

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 15, 2022)— An uncrewed aerial transport system will move donated human organs across three cities today to prove it could be the future of organ donation and transplantation. LifeShare is conducting groundbreaking research in hopes of revolutionizing transport in the organ donation process. An uncrewed aerial transport system will achieve an important milestone: the farthest distance donated organs have been transported by an uncrewed aerial system.
 
LifeShare, the organization in the state responsible for organ and tissue donation, has partnered with the Matador Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Consortium, co-developed by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTU HSC) and 2THEDGE, LLC., to conduct a beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) uncrewed aerial transport (UAS) to test the ability to successfully move organs and blood between Lubbock, Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
 
The test is taking place Tuesday, November 15th at Will Rogers Airport, the media is invited to attend.
 
WHAT:                     First-Time Uncrewed Aerial Transport of Organs (Take-Off)
WHERE:                  Atlantic Aviation - 6401 S Portland Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73159
WHEN:                    Tuesday, November 15 at 11:40 AM
PHOTOS:               There will be several opportunities for great photos and videos at this event.
INTERVIEWS:      LifeShare Leadership will be available for interviews.
 
This is the first time that donated organs were transported this far of a distance by an aerial system that was operated using robotic technology. The Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA) will be transporting a donated human liver, kidney, and pancreas between the three cities. Although there is a pilot on board per FAA regulations, the plane will be flown entirely by technology onboard. The organs were donated for clinical research and were not transplanted following the fight demonstration.
 
LifeShare and partnering organ procurement organizations (OPOs) proposed use of this groundbreaking UAS technology aims to improve transport of donated organs and tissues in rural areas to better serve patients. LifeShare’s objectives include:

​• ​	Address transportation challenges in the facilitation of organs for transplant and minimize the time between organ recovery and transplantation.
• ​ ​	​Test the efficacy of transporting organs and biological materials via Uncrewed Aerial Transport (UAS) technology from hospitals in rural areas to transplant programs.
• ​	Increase efficiency of the logistics involved in the testing of blood and biological material to allocate organs and the recovery of donated organs.
•	Continue to drive innovation and technology to better serve all patients especially those located in rural areas.

“We are excited about the opportunities this groundbreaking research could bring, including revolutionizing transportation in the donation field,” LifeShare President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Orlowski said. “Our partnership with the Matador UAS Consortium will in turn help us maximize the gift to save more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.”
 
About LifeShare
LifeShare is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We work closely with three transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education. For more information, please visit LifeShareOK.org
 
About Matador UAS Consortium: The Matador UAS Consortium’s focus centers on strengthening communities, improving patient outcomes, and creating opportunities to help overcome inequities across rural America through advanced UAS and autonomous transportation solutions.