Road traffic has been a problem for hospital transport teams for decades. But a new collaboration between Helicus and Aerocom has just demonstrated a smarter and faster, alternative, by taking to the skies.
As part of a regulated medical validation study, Helicus successfully flew blood samples from the Jan Yperman Ziekenhuis clinical laboratory in Ieper using an advanced BVLOS drone. What followed was a seamless chain of automation and innovation.
How It Worked
The drone autonomously landed at the hospital’s Drone Cargo Port, where the payload was immediately transferred indoors and delivered directly to the lab using Aerocom’s pneumatic tube system (PTS).
To compare performance, three matched sample sets were studied:
- Drone + PTS Delivery: 15-minute flight, followed by internal PTS transport
- Road Transport: 30-minute road journey
- Control Sample: Kept in-lab
The Results 
No significant difference in sample quality was found between the three. This isn’t just proof of concept, it’s medical validation, confirming that drone + PTS transport is a clinically safe, fast, and scalable alternative to traditional road-based logistics.
What This Means for Hospitals
This integrated system opens the door to a new era of medical logistics, with major benefits:
- Cut delivery time from 30+ minutes to under 5 minutes
- Automate high-frequency routes between clinics and central city labs
- Minimise handling risks and increase sample stability
- Support emergency care, oncology, pathology, and decentralised diagnostics.
Setting the Stage for Routine Aerial Logistics
This advancement wouldn’t be possible without the tight integration between Aerocom’s intrahospital PTS technology and Helicus’ advanced drone operations, now fully certified under the Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC).
Huge credit to the teams at Helicus, Jan Yperman Ziekenhuis, and the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority (FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer / SPF Mobilité et Transports) for making this milestone a reality.
Get In Touch
If you’re interested in how drone and PTS integration could transform your hospital’s logistics, get in touch, we’d love to explore what’s possible for your organisation.
