The Transforming Effect of Robotics in Healthcare
MOAYAD RATROUT
Head of Product & Strategy, Product Manager - Chief Technology, Business Analyst & Keynote speaker - Digital Transformation
What is Robotics?
While user apps for health revolutionize the way we approach important aspects of life such as maintaining our wellbeing, major changes are being implemented on the hospital floor as we speak. Robotics and the medical industry have been intertwined for decades now. The Da Vinci model is proof of that, responsible for assisting surgeons in making the barest of incisions possible when it comes to surgical procedures. This machine has been in the market for over 15 years now.
?Robotics is not a new concept, but its latest innovations are noteworthy. From disinfecting hospital floors and surfaces to providing care for the elderly, the presence of AI and robots in the healthcare industry have reduced employee workloads. This gives doctors and nurses time to focus on the creative and human aspects of their field, which is to provide care and empathy for their patients. It also means that doctors enter patient wards when necessary and nurses don’t have to spend their work hours performing routine tasks such as stockpiling of pharmaceuticals or providing directions to new patients.
The recent innovations are described below, classified according to the benefit they provide.
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Types of robots and their current innovations
1.)???Surgical Robots
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For over 20 years, a surgeon in the US rarely operates without machinery helping with some of the workload in the background. The Da-Vinci system has been widely used to assist surgeons in performing small incisions that would be hard to do with human hands. Intuitive Surgical (Based in Sunnyvale, California) updates the system every year.
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Manual laproscopic surgeries now face a better alternative with Transenterix’s Senhance Surgical System. They come with reusable instruments and can fit in with the current technology. Also, it would take the same amount of time and money to perform a surgery from one of these machines as a manual laproscopic surgery.
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2.)???Disinfection robots
Critical patient wards and hospital surfaces are subject to risk of infection from spreadable bacteria and viruses. With the advent of robots who clean germs from hospital devices, equipment and floors with laser focus, nurses and health-care personnel can avoid performing a task which requires intensive care.
Xenex, a robot which uses fully pulsed UV rays to clean surfaces, is a contender in this market, having the ability to clean a hospital ward in less than 20 mins (this would be subject to size)
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3.)???Tele accessibility
Situations occur where a patient requires immediate attention, and a doctor is two floors down. Sometimes the elevator is being repaired too. This repeated inconvenience calls for a system where AI can reach patients in seconds and have basic care provided before the doctor arrives. An additional benefit of this system is being able to have a second specialist with the attending doctor who is present through video and is able to provide special insight.
Double robotics offers one such model, a sleek tablet connected to a pole which is mobile and can travel in a sliding motion to any room in the hospital, operated by a doctor in his home or elsewhere.
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4.)???Social Wellness robots
Patients recovering in old age homes often have a sparse social life. This can lead to early development of dementia or other cognitive problems. With the advent of PARO, a robot developed in Japan that can make expression and engage humans in conversation, doctors can feel reassured that a patient is never lonely.
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5.)???Exoskeletons
With age, a person’s body and bone structure can and will deteriorate, leaving patients in their old age with conditions like Arthritis and Osteoporosis. An exoskeleton can boost a patient’s mobility and expand their range of possible motions.
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This means the physically ailing will be capable of accomplishing tasks that require strength, bone flexibility or constant movement. Cyberdyne’s Hybrid Assistive limb exoskeleton is one such model, helping patients recover quicker from spinal cord injuries.
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What do robots spell for the future?
In conclusion, the healthcare industry is rapidly transforming with the integration of AI and automation. However, with the obvious benefits robotics provide on the hospital floor, it’s important to look out for potential disadvantages.
?Lawmakers still need to understand how to approach situations where a patient may have suffered due to the actions of a medical robot. For example, if medicine was administered incorrectly, does the doctor take the blame? Or was it due to poor manufacturing? Do robots need malpractice insurance? Will the introduction of robots take away the need for human labour, creating unemployment? While only time can tell, the word “robotics” spells an optimistic outlook for the medical field.
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