<p>Everybody has heard of AI tools like ChatGPT and their game-changing potential in spheres ranging from academia to marketing. Exquisite illustrations and intelligent dialogue can now be composed out of these ever-smarter technologies that continue to expand in influence.</p> <p>In healthcare, robotics and AI are making arguably their most important contributions. More R2D2 than humanoid, medical robots are making an impact by overtaking routine tasks and relieving medical personnel so their efforts can be put to better use elsewhere. The bots are handling contagions and making procedures safer and less costly, and they may one day do the job of cutting you open too.</p> <h2>6 ways medical robots are impacting healthcare</h2> <h3>1) Surgical bots</h3> <p>Since the 1980s, robots have been incrementally making their mark in medicine, beginning with surgical assistance via robotic arm technologies, and eventually with AI that enabled computer vision and data analytics. </p> <p>Beginning with the Puma 560 in 1985, mechanical robots were used to precisely position the cannulae for brain biopsies, a task often hampered by tremors in human hands. Camera-guided robotic surgical systems subsequently were brought in for use in brain surgery settings, and miniature robotic appendages have also been used for highly accurate placement, ensuring the safety of patients and the effectiveness of the operation.</p> <p>Today, robotic-assisted surgery is a much more established practice, and surgeons can now perform minimally invasive procedures with superior precision and control through technologies like the da Vinci Surgical System. This bot features a 3D high-definition visual system along with extremely precise instruments that can rotate and bend far beyond what a human is capable of. Surgeons can use the system to gain a 3D view of the operating field, allowing for smaller incisions, less blood loss, and faster recovery times. </p> <p>Even more incredibly, surgeons can do their job remotely through teleoperated surgical robots. This gives patients on the other side of the globe access to skilled surgeons they wouldn’t otherwise be able to meet — a critical factor in specialized care.</p> <figure><img alt="New Da Vinci Xi | Source: Alvarogarciamd/Wikimedia" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/MANEEL2hNq/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. <em>Source: Alvarogarciamd/Wikimedia</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>2) COVID-19</h3> <p>The power and scope of robots’ capabilities in medicine have evolved enormously since their origins in the ‘80s, and innovators across the world are developing advanced functionalities that will pave the way for more precise and efficient care. Far from just playing the role of assistant in the surgical theater, robots are now supporting healthcare workers and enhancing patient care.</p> <p>COVID-19 marked a great leap forward for robotics in healthcare. The machines were deployed for a much wider range of tasks to help reduce the levels of exposure to pathogens among personnel during the height of the pandemic. One example is cleaning and prepping patient rooms independently, which limits contact between people in infectious disease wards.</p> <h3>3) Taking the “boring” out of healthcare</h3> <p>Research laboratories are making use of the bots to automate mundane, repetitive tasks so scientists can focus on more important work and expedite discoveries. The droids also use AI-powered software to speed up the identification, matching, and distribution of medicine to hospital patients.</p> <h3>4) Diagnostics</h3> <p>Remember RoboCop? He had these cool vision modes he could use to seek out the bad guys, and this piece of sci-fi isn’t a million miles from reality now. Medical robots are playing a role in diagnostics by helping us to analyze patients with enhanced accuracy and efficiency. </p> <p>In imaging technology like CT scans and MRI, robots are being employed to position the devices and perform scans with a much smaller margin of error than that of a human. Robot brains are much more advanced than our own when it comes to crunching large datasets, and they can rapidly identify problematic patterns that may be challenging for humans to spot. This could save lives by identifying abnormalities or diseases before they get out of control.</p> <h3>5) Rehabilitation by robot</h3> <p>The road to recovery in rehabilitation is a long and arduous one, but robots are helping us along by assisting patients to regain motor function and mobility in the wake of injuries or surgery. Robotic exoskeletons allow individuals with mobility impairments to walk and move better, facilitating improvements in strength and coordination.</p> <figure><img alt="Hybrid Assistive Limb, CYBERDYNE | Source: Yuichiro C. Katsumoto from Shonan, Japan/Wikimedia" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/LoOkkeYUro/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Hybrid Assistive Limb, CYBERDYNE. <em>Source: Yuichiro C. Katsumoto/Wikimedia</em></figcaption> </figure> <h3>6) Calling your robo-doctor</h3> <p>Telemedicine is like the Zoom equivalent of the healthcare world, and sure enough, the bots are making their mark here as well. They’re enabling remote patient monitoring, helping healthcare providers analyze vital signs, dispense drugs, and engage in virtual consults. </p> <p>This one is a little weird, but there are also “telepresence” robots which are live droids roaming around hospitals who visit patients at their bedside. They’re equipped with communication tools that allow doctors to remotely assess and interact with patients, making for a virtual beside visit.</p> <figure><img alt="Telepresence robot, IFA 2015 | Source: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr" class="img-responsive" src="https://cdn.storymd.com/optimized/rA3KKN0I4A/thumbnail.jpg" /> <figcaption>Telepresence robot, IFA 2015. <em>Source: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr</em></figcaption> </figure> <h2>Future innovations in medical robotics</h2> <p>Looking forward, robotics in medicine will only deepen its involvement, with exciting innovations in the pipeline. One of the wildest ideas is nanorobots (bots at the nanoscale) delivering drugs in a highly targeted fashion — right up to specific cells and tissues — which would minimize side effects and improve efficacy. It’s like having a microscopic team diving into your body to find the disease and fight it directly.</p> <p>Also on the micro front is “swarm robotics”: a team of mini robots that collaborate to handle microsurgery, performing intricate surgeries with high precision in sensitive regions like the eyes or brain.</p> <p>As AI continues to advance, so too will the scale and intensity of its role in medicine. The vast volumes of data that AI can increasingly handle will translate into improved diagnostic accuracy, better planning, and increasingly personalized healthcare. </p> <p>Nursing shortages may see some respite from robots too. Part of the job for nurses is performing routine tasks like blood draws and basic monitoring, and as important as these are, the nurses can quickly get bogged down by it all. Venipuncture robots can produce 3D images of patients’ arms, showing nurses exactly where a vein is, making it much easier and faster to draw blood. That’s good news for patients as well since many are squeamish about needles.</p> <p>Emotional and social support for infirm patients is the point of focus with Stevie, a robot invented by researchers from Trinity College Dublin. Part of the healing process is having people to talk to, and as gimmicky as it sounds, robots have been surprisingly effective at providing emotional support. </p> <p>Stevie has been tested in eldercare centers with hundreds of patients, and the researchers reported that he went down well with the residents. Stevie can converse with them and even play various games to keep them entertained. On top of company, Stevie monitors patients for signs of distress and can recognize voice commands like “help me” in case of an emergency.</p> <h2>More on Robotic Surgery</h2><ul><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/4m8add60pw-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank">Artificial/Machine Intelligence (A/MI): Uses in Healthcare</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/4m8g5k4upw-robotic-surgery" target="_blank">Robotic Surgery</a></li><li><a href="https://soulivity.storymd.com/journal/yj5dgxe0nm-rehabilitative-and-assistive-technology" target="_blank">Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology</a></li></ul>