Twelve Amazing Robots That are Revolutionizing Medicine

By L. Fabry

Human error is estimated to cause between 44,000 and 98,000 patient deaths annually. In the medical field, extreme precision is critical and lifesaving. Robots are essential when the tasks performed have a slim margin for error. The following twelve robots assist on everything from giving birth to complex surgery.

1. Da Vinci Surgical System: Do you think it’s impossible for a top surgeon to operate on you from the other side of the globe? So did the rest of the world until Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci surgical system. Approved in 2000 to perform surgery, this company now has over 200 devices in use. Surgeons from anywhere can access this machine and perform surgery with its corresponding counterparts located in an OR. There was even a live webcast of a double vessel bypass surgery on a beating human heart performed by Christine McCarty, MD, chair of cardiac surgery at PinnacleHealth.

2. NeuroArm: From MD Robotics, this is the world’s first MRI-compatible surgical robot. With the ability to perform both microsurgery and biopsy-stereotaxy, the NeuroArm is intended for complicated neurosurgery. The device weighs over 500 pounds, has two arms, and a video demonstration is available on the website.

3. CyberKnife: For patients constantly undergoing radiation, this robot is ideal. The CyberKnife system is a method of delivering radiotherapy that targets treatment more accurately than standard radiotherapy. It can deliver accurately to tumors anywhere in the body, even if they move in response to treatment.

4. HeartLander: Surgeons looking to perform cardiac procedures without chest cracking or dangerous anesthesia will want to look at this robot. The HeartLander is a small, minimally invasive robot that can move along the surface of the human heart under the control of a surgeon. Developed by The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, it has performed successful test surgeries on animals and is awaiting approval for use on humans.

5. The Pregnant Robot: Produced by the Gaumard Scientific Company, this robot is used to simulate the birth of a child. As the need to train medical students becomes more and more urgent, simulators such as Noelle are ideal for teaching everything from typical labor to high risk births. Estimated at around $20,000, models come with mother, life size infant, and various accessories for OB/GYNs.

6. Medication Dispensing Robot: The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention estimates that 1.3 million errors occur annually when dispensing medication. Aethon has developed a robot named TUG that can deliver scheduled and on demand medications throughout any facility with no errors. This robot streamlines the delivery process, getting medications to patients faster. It even rides in elevators and opens doors all on its own.

7. Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot: B.E.A.R. is ideal for extracting people in need of medical help from dangerous situations such as the battlefield or collapsed buildings. Produced by the Vecna Technologies Cambridge Research Laboratory, this robot is roughly the size of an adult male. It can travel up to ten miles per hour and lift 250 pounds while climbing stairs.

8. RP-7: Physicians who may have patients in multiple hospitals will be able to utilize the video conferencing and other capabilities of this robot to examine patients. This model and it’s 7i counterpart are first and only FDA-cleared Remote Presence devices that allow direct connection to medical devices such as electronic stethoscopes, otoscopes, and ultrasound. This data is then transmitted to the physician, who can then diagnose or recommend other tests.

9. Breast Biopsy Robot: With this robot, women can get an unassisted one-stop breast exam and optional biopsy. The robot is given the 3-D information via ultrasound, processes it, and performs specific commands. This technology developed by Duke University would allow for a simultaneous mammogram, sample extraction, and biopsy with minimum invasion and cost. Stephen Smith, director of the Duke University Ultrasound Transducer Group, believes this technology will be available in five to ten years.

10. Exoskeleton: Jacob Rosen is an engineer at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is developing this prototype. It is intended for patients with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disabilities to amplify their strength, as well as for physical therapy and rehabilitation. The exoskeleton can produce up to 95 percent of the human range of arm motion and there is a demonstrative video on this site.

11. Left Ventricular Assist Device: This is a battery-operated, mechanical pump-type device that helps maintain the pumping ability of a heart that can’t effectively work on its own. It is surgically implanted in those who need a heart transplant, but have not yet received a donor heart. It has been shown to reduce deaths from heart failure, and even the need for a donor heart.

12. DEKA Arm: Also the inventor of the Segway and the iBOT mobility system, Dean Kamen is a world renowned scientist and engineer. His DEKA Arm would allow amputees to control this prosthetic arm just like a real one using their own thoughts. Although not available to the public, Kamen has had successful test runs with veterans at the Walter Reed hospital.

With health costs skyrocketing and an array of devastating risks, the medical field would greatly benefit from these robotic devices. By saving lives, minimizing risks, and cutting costs, quality and affordable healthcare would greatly benefit from these twelve robots.

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