Solent Transport, in collaboration with Versapak International and the University of Southampton, has developed a new insulated medical carrier that has officially achieved regulatory compliance for the air transport of patient pathology specimens.
This breakthrough paves the way for routine NHS drone deliveries, bringing faster, safer medical logistics one step closer to reality.
The carrier, designed as part of Solent Transport’s Drones for Medical Logistics (DfML) project and funded by the Solent Future Transport Zone (FTZ), passed rigorous testing earlier this year to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Packing Instruction 650 (PI650) requirements.
This certification confirms that the carrier can be used for the safe transport by air of biological substances classified as UN3373 under the United Nation’s system for Dangerous Goods, a crucial requirement for carrying pathology specimens.
Tim Forrester, FTZ Programme Manager for Solent Transport, said:
“As the primary supplier to the NHS, Versapak International was the natural partner to help redesign and certify a carrier fit for drone delivery,”
“This milestone demonstrates how public, private, and academic collaboration is driving innovation in healthcare logistics. By enabling compliance for air transport, we are significantly closer to a future where urgent pathology specimens can be delivered by drone, cutting delivery times.”
The new carrier was designed and manufactured through close collaboration between Versapak International Ltd. and University of Southampton researchers, who adapted the proven Versapak design for aerial use. Tests for PI650 compliance conducted by an accredited UK package testing laboratory on a test carrier packed as if for real-world transport of pathology specimens were:
Stacking test: involving the equivalent of a 3 metre stack of similar carriers on top of the test carrier for 24 hours with no leak or instability.
Drop test: involving dropping the test carrier from 1.2 metres in different orientations with no leak.
For more information about this project, visit https://solent-transport.com/ftz/drones/.
