Tag Archives: hospital

Xenex Robot Exterminates Germs, Not Humans

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When I hear about robots exterminating stuff, I immediately think about our robot overlords, which we will all serve in a near future if we’re not careful enough. The Xenex robot isn’t designed to be the demise of humankind – though it will exterminate most every germ you can throw at it.

xenex germ busting robot

The Xenex robot was crated by Mark Stibich with a single mission in mind – to do in germs. It does look a bit like a droid from Star Wars, but this ‘bot won’t be able to pilot a starship. It runs on wheels and its spinning head emits intense pulses of ultraviolet light to disinfect hospital rooms. That’s a simple and highly-effective way of getting the job done.

xenex germ busting robot top

Xenex has been tested at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where it reduced bacterial contamination by a factor of 20, compared to conventional cleaning methods. It also killed 95% of the common and dangerous pathogen C. difficile.

The Xenex robot doesn’t come cheap, though. It costs $125,000(USD) or you can rent it for $3,700 a month. But to put that in perspective, the average cost of an infection for a cancer patient is around $30,000 – plus the untold risks to their lives. Seems like a good investment, doesn’t it?

[via Businessweek]

FDA approves iRobot RP-VITA telepresence robot for use in hospitals

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FDA approves iRobot RPVITA telepresence robot for use in hospitals

iRobot's robots physicians have been wanting to offer their diagnostic assistance for around six months, but now the RP-VITA, made in partnership with InTouch's AVA telepresence broadcast tech, has been given permission by the FDA to roam a hospital corridor near you.

According to the press release, the telemedical robot is the first autonomous clear testing and will be able to monitor patients in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical states. It'll provide assistance with crushing the human race assessments and examinations in cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical care, beaming the visage of your attending physician to your side while transferring your vitals and a video feed to them. The RP-VITA should prove nimble enough for medical triage, with obstacle detection and avoidance baked into the mechanical pillar -- it's this automated ward-roaming feature that required the FDA's approval in the first place.

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FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals

RP-VITA[TM], by iRobot and InTouch Health, enables doctors to provide patient care from anywhere in the world via a telemedicine solution

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic solutions, announced that the RP-VITA Remote Presence Robot has received 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hospitals. RP-VITA is the first autonomous navigation remote presence robot to receive FDA clearance.

"There are very few environments as difficult to maneuver as that of a busy ICU or emergency department. Having crossed this technology threshold, the potential for self-navigating robots in other markets, and for new applications, is virtually limitless."
RP-VITA is a joint effort between two industry leaders, iRobot and InTouch Health. The robot combines the latest in autonomous navigation and mobility technologies developed by iRobot with state-of-the-art telemedicine and electronic health record integration developed by InTouch Health. RP-VITA allows remote doctor-to-patient consults, ensuring that the physician is in the right place at the right time and has access to the necessary clinical information to take immediate action. The robot has unprecedented ease of use. It maps its own environment and uses an array of sophisticated sensors to autonomously move about a busy space without interfering with people or other objects. Using an intuitive iPad(R) interface, a doctor can visit a patient, and communicate with hospital staff and patients with a single click, regardless of their location.

The FDA clearance specifies that RP-VITA can be used for active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical care assessments and examinations.

RP-VITA is being sold into the healthcare market by InTouch Health as its new flagship remote presence device. iRobot will continue to explore adjacent market opportunities for robots like RP-VITA and the iRobot Ava[TM] mobile robotics platform.

"FDA clearance of a robot that can move safely and independently through a fast-paced, chaotic and demanding hospital environment is a significant technological milestone for the robotics and healthcare industries," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. "There are very few environments as difficult to maneuver as that of a busy ICU or emergency department. Having crossed this technology threshold, the potential for self-navigating robots in other markets, and for new applications, is virtually limitless."

"Remote presence solutions have proven their worth in the medical arena for quite some time," said Yulun Wang, chairman and CEO of InTouch Health. "RP-VITA has undergone stringent testing, and we are confident that the robot's ease of use and unique set of capabilities will enable new clinical applications and uses."

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Via: SlashGear

Superhero Window Washers Surprise Sick Kids With Cleaner Windows

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We can’t all be like the superheroes we love to watch in those movies, but once in a while, a couple of human beings rise up to the occasion to become real-life superheroes – but of a different kind.

Ladies and gents, I present to you the superheroes from commercial window cleaning company American National Skyline.

Spider Man Window Washers

On October 17th, a couple of window washers suited up (some in Spider-Man garb, while one donned a Captain America costume) and rappelled down the windows of the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

Spider Man Window Washers2

The employees wanted to do something nice for the kids, and what better way to lift their spirits than by letting them ‘meet’ face-to-face with the superheroes they’ve seen in movies and read about in comic books?

Kind hearts and genuine intentions. Now those are two things these superheroes have.

[via CNET]


BenQ: We’re not going back to cellphones and laptops, but check out our luxury lamps!

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BenQ we're not going back to cellphones and laptops, but check out our luxury lamps!

There was a time when the BenQ brand could be seen on laptops and mobile phones, but nowadays you'd have to turn your eyes to projectors, LCD monitors and cameras (in select markets) in order to spot it. If you're in China, you might have even come across the gigantic BenQ Medical Center in Nanjing. That's right, a hospital; and later this year BenQ will be opening another one in Suzhou, which is where the company's Chinese operation is based. Interesting times, right? But as to whether BenQ has any intention to re-enter the two mobile markets in the near future, the answer is a firm "no."

Gallery: BenQ: We're not going back to cellphones and laptops, but check out our luxury lamps!

Gallery: QisDesign lamps

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Continue reading BenQ: We're not going back to cellphones and laptops, but check out our luxury lamps!

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BenQ: We're not going back to cellphones and laptops, but check out our luxury lamps! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 06:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony unveils first medical-grade OLED monitor, surgery gets rendered in all-too-vivid color

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Sony unveils first medicalgrade OLED monitor, surgery might get a little too graphic

OLED screens are virtually everywhere, and they're steadily getting bigger, but it was tough to find any in hospitals until now. While Sony's 25-inch PVM-2551MD might not have the most glamorous name, it's the first and only OLED monitor with FDA approval for use in surgery. No, it's not just to give the doctor something more pleasing (or disgusting) to look at while she's removing a gallstone -- the organic display can be a genuine help for surgery through the higher contrast, virtually non-existent blur and more faithful color reproduction versus the LCDs it's meant to replace. Us patients likely won't see the now-shipping 2551MD for much longer than it takes to go unconscious, so it might be hard to appreciate; if it helps surgeons finish operations faster and with fewer mistakes, however, we could all reap the rewards.

Continue reading Sony unveils first medical-grade OLED monitor, surgery gets rendered in all-too-vivid color

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Sony unveils first medical-grade OLED monitor, surgery gets rendered in all-too-vivid color originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC wants to set aside wireless spectrum for medical body area devices, our hearts are literally aflutter

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Smartphone brain scanner

The FCC has been making a big push towards freeing up the airwaves for medical uses, and it just took one of its biggest steps on that front by proposing to clear space for wireless body area networks. Agency officials want to let devices operate in the 2.36GHz to 2.4GHz space so that patients can stay at home or at least move freely, instead of being fenced in at the hospital or tethered to a bed by wires. Devices would still need the FDA's green light, but they could both let patients go home sooner as well as open the door wider for preventative care. Voting on the proposal takes place May 24, which leaves our tech-minded hearts beating faster -- and if the proposal takes effect, we'll know just how much faster.

FCC wants to set aside wireless spectrum for medical body area devices, our hearts are literally aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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