AUTOMATION IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Phillip Bossert

The use of “cobots” (collaborative robots) and artificial intelligence (AI) in today’s medical system has revolutionized the capacity of healthcare practitioners to perform a variety of medical and diagnostic tasks. But could there be unintended consequences for surgeons and other doctors using these robots and AI?

The term cobot is derived from a combination of the words "collaboration" and "robot" and refers to robots that are designed for direct collaboration with humans. If humans and robots share a workspace without being separated from each other by barriers, this is also referred to as human-robot collaboration (HRC).

Many industries are turning to automation as they become more technologically advanced, and the medical sector is no exception. Innovation ensures a wide variety of fields are incorporating automation.

In the laboratory, the need for automation is becoming increasingly apparent. For example, automation can make the procurement of laboratory results faster, safer, and more efficient. It also allows significantly more samples to be processed while substantially reducing the error rate. Human error can occur even among professionals, especially in life sciences, chemicals, and the pharmaceutical industry, which may mean the difference between life and death. Automation has already gained acceptance in many laboratory facilities, mainly due to its high speed and safety. Analytical tasks such as high-throughput screening are well suited to an automated workflow, as this technique involves analyzing many substances with an always consistent sequence. Samples from patients, analyzed for specific ingredients or defined signs of a disease, are ideally suited for autonomous processing.

THE INDUSTRY AS A ROLE MODEL

In 2018, Hannover, Germany hosted the “Integrated Industry – Connect and Collaborate” conference which focused on technological advancements in HRC across all industries. HRC is revolutionary for the medical field, affecting both patients and doctors alike.

New technologies such as torque-controlled robotic arms with intelligent software enable safe HRC in medical technology. These cobots do not replace humans in producing or executing assigned tasks but rather provide support. These are different from robots used in heavy production which have become an essential part of the manufacturing industry today. Collaborative robotics is a recent development growing and evolving rapidly.

When it comes to the current COVID-19 pandemic, these robots can perform non-contact testing or assist in producing mouth and nose coverings such as surgical masks. It gives medical production the ability to ensure consistent product quality. Human intervention can sometimes create contamination in sterile environments, so cobots are useful in minimizing this risk. They can also be quickly retooled for new product lines.

Cobots have even been designed with sensor technology. This technology can be compared to the senses of a human being. A large number of sensors support the robot in cataloguing a significant amount of data. Acoustic sensors

enable the robots to respond to acoustic warning signals. An integrated UR+ certified visual system allows the cobots to "see." Among other operations, the optical sensor system prevents the cobot from colliding with fixed or moving obstacles. It also means cobots can be used for such delicate procedures as surgical implants.

Former Fanuc and Midea manager, Olaf Gehrels, is looking to expand the field of cobotics in small businesses with his start-up Coboworx but acknowledges safety concerns. "Only a few percent of cobots in use are truly collaborative. And that won't change until you have intuitive and affordable plug-and-play solutions for the functional safety of the overall system," explains Gehrels.

WHAT ADVANTAGES DO COBOTS BRING?

Automating medical technology with the help of cobots can ensure higher productivity by optimizing equipment and personnel. Because robots can perform their work reliably around the clock without interruption and can deliver continuous quality, waste can be reduced.

Another benefit of automation through robots is increased flexibility. Operations can be switched to new products quickly, and even a last-minute changeover or small production quantities are no problem. Collaborating robot arms can be reprogrammed internally and mounted on mobile platforms to improve mobility.

Another advantage is quality improvement. For example, repetitive tasks can often be stressful for human workers; concentration often wanes after many hours of monotonous work. On the other hand, Robots can perform complex assembly tasks precisely, reliably, and without interruption. Robots are inexpensive at around $35,000 compared to an average person's salary, not to mention the costs of training and maintaining an employee. The purchase of a robot usually pays for itself within a year.

In conclusion, the use of collaborative robots has already minimized countless risks and is becoming more and more prominent due to constant technological development. The versatile use of robots has already convinced many companies in a wide range of industries and is now continuously gaining popularity in the medical sector.