While most people think robotics are little more than something out of a science fiction novel, the truth is robotics are coming into play in all sorts of business and medical sectors.
It appears that the medical field is one area in which robotics has seen the most advancement. Companies like iRobot are looking into making a larger presence in the telemedicine and medical fields.
Other robotics companies have been working hard into finding a better way in which the robotics field can aid doctors and nurses when it comes to brain surgery and cancer treatment.
Health Robotics has announced that the i.v.STATION Robot has been working to help patients more efficiently, while saving the hospital in which it’s operating more than $233,000 in the few months since it has been in operation.
These particular robots improve quality, reduce labor expenses, and include the Sterile Compounding throughput, reducing the need for staff. Chris Jones, pharmacy manager at St. Joseph’s hospital, where one of these i.v.STATION robots has been operating, said his hospital is saving money using the service.
"Since we installed i.v.STATION and went live on April 2012, I can comfortably say that for FY2013, we are saving at minimum $233,000 on processing Sterile Compounding Batch I.V. doses (IV Bags and Syringes) manufactured by i.v.STATION,” Jones said. “We have initially focused on replacing Outsourced and Pre-Mix products that we used to purchase from other companies. I'm very satisfied with Health Robotics' technical service and implementation teams and the support their engineers provide us."
Members of the hospital’s staff load up the i.vSTATION Robot at the beginning of their shifts and then just allow the program to work independently. When the staffers return later, the I.V. doses have been prepared and ready to be administered. Staffers reset the robot and the process begins again.
Not having to spend a great amount of time preparing the I.V. batches themselves, or having to watch over the robot as it completes its tasks, saves the hospital valuable time and money.
Edited by
Braden Becker
