Sept 16 (Reuters) - The International ⁠Testing Agency (ITA) has completed a 1,000-km test flight ⁠in Alaska to examine whether anti-doping blood samples can ‌withstand long journeys without being affected.

The trial explored whether drones could offer an additional way of moving samples from testing sites to laboratories, ​particularly when distance, terrain or tight timelines ⁠make traditional transport methods ⁠more challenging.

"Through this research, we are assessing whether drone technology ⁠can ‌become a reliable additional option for transporting samples over long distances or across difficult terrain," ITA ⁠Director General Benjamin Cohen said in a statement.

The ​ITA said researchers ‌divided anonymised blood samples from healthy volunteers into ⁠two groups, with ​one travelling aboard the drone and the other held back as a control.

Sensors recorded temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, vibration and ⁠acceleration during the journey, with the agency ​saying the data would help determine whether drone transport influences the biomarkers used in anti-doping analysis.

The autonomous heavy-lift aircraft, built ⁠byWindracers, flew the route from Nenana Municipal Airport on August 19, with operational support from the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI).

The project builds on a smaller-scale study ​conducted in Doha in 2022, when ⁠drones transported blood samples over distances of up to 20 km.

The ​ITA said the work is ‌intended to explore a possible supplementary ​transport option rather than replace existing delivery methods.

(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)