The history of robots goes back long in time. No matter who made or develops them the core reason remains the same: serve the humanity.
The revolutionary role of robots in the medical industry has also been worth noting. Over the years the advent of new technology in the field of robotics has enabled the medics to perform complicated and delicate procedures with ease.
Not only medical students are practicing their theory onto these robots that aid them acting like a human would act during an operation, also, they have altered the way hospitals are run.
I have carefully chosen five robots that are changing the course of action of surgeons and other related professionals.
Da Vinci Sugical System
The first half of the name might sound like another sequel to Tom Hanks’ da Vinci Code but it’s not so. Da Vinci Surgical System is around since late 90s. It was introduced by a Californian company named Intuitive Surgical.
Since then da Vinci Surgical System has been aiding the surgeons to perform open heart surgeries through computer screen while sitting in another room. This robotic system has three arms, unlike a human surgeon, out of which one carries camera to scan and send the 3D images of human body to the doctors sitting across the room.
The other two arms make incisions and perform other tasks during operation. Job of the surgeons is to carefully control the surgical system. The biggest advantage of this system is that incisions made on human body are smaller enough to be healed quickly. This factor also reduces the risk of other potential complications.
Da Vinci Surgical System cuts down the cost by one-third because of quick recovery and less pain. It also reduces the hospital stays by half.
NurseBot – Pearl
Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a mobile assistant robot for elderly people under NurseBot project they call Pearl. The primary purpose of this robot, or other developed in this project, is to assist the aged people who are suffering from cognitive impairment. Helping them to perform day-to-day tasks with ease and perfection is the major duty of Pearl.
Other duties of Pearl robot include reminding the elder people about the timing of their meal, medicine, and using bathroom. The robot also aids them to cope with their surrounding environment. In a broader use, NurseBot has also been used by nurses that look after aged people in care/old houses.
Remote Presence Robot (RP-7)
A range of robots are developed by InTouch Technologies under the concept of telehealth solutions, RP-7 is one of them.
Remote Presence robot enables the physicians and other professionals to be present remotely to take care of the sensitive matters in the hospitals. It allows them to look into the problems patients are facing and suggesting them solutions.
The telesystem has brought many professional together on a single platform to share their medical related idea to best care the patients.
Hamot Medical Center in Erie uses RP-7 robot that connects the four rural hospitals and ensures the healthcare of the patients belonging to the western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio. It also provides cardiology based services to fourteen prisons in the US.
Due to the handiness of this robot about 90% of the treated patients never went to the hospital, rather they were addressed using Remote Presence-7.
Lokomat Robot
This treadmill-like robot is developed at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich. It helps the patient to relearn to walk after they have gone through spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other accidents and diseases that harm the central nervous system. Patients who are, or have, suffered from the above mentioned health problems usually end up being disabled to walk.
Lokmat makes them walk by going through gait rehabilitation. The robot controls the movement of the patient in three different ways including patient-cooperative control, additional degrees of freedom for the robotic orthosis, and virtual reality environment. In this first manner the Lokomat detects the behavior of the patient to adjust itself. In the second way, it adapts a more natural walking pattern and in the third manner patient’s motivation is maximized.
CyberKnife
Name is very dreadful like a virus but there is nothing to fear from. Cyberknife Radiosurgery System is used for the treatment of cancerous and non-cancerous tumors in the human body. By combining continual image guidance and robotic mobility, CyberKnife automatically detects and corrects the tumor found anywhere.
It delivers high dose of radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy, reducing the risk of damaging healthy tissues. The precision is rate so satisfactory that recovery rates are good. Its maker, Accuray, has made this inexpensive medical robot that is easily affordable by many small town hospitals.
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