Exploring 22 Types of Medical Robots in 4 Major Scenarios: Focusing on Their Role in Future Intelligent Healthcare

Original by Machine Heart

Authors: Fu Haitian, Fan Xiaofang

In Disney’s animated movie “Big Hero 6,” a story is told about a young boy and his robot health assistant, Baymax. Baymax’s mission in the film is to care for others, acting as a professional health consultant. With just a simple and quick scan, Baymax can detect vital signs and treat ailments based on pain levels. Baymax can also continuously learn, upgrade its disease database, and improve its own system. In reality, Baymax is not just a purely fictional character; its image and functionality are based on the insights of leading research institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, and MIT regarding the trends of next-generation robots, representing a scientific vision of the specific forms of future medical robots.

The era of machine intelligence has arrived, and the application of intelligent medical robots is becoming increasingly common. Intelligent medical robots are entities formed by the combination of various technologies such as sensors, automation, and artificial intelligence. Their applications in the medical field primarily cover four major scenarios: medical surgery, rehabilitation, medical logistics, and nursing assistance. They play roles in areas such as high-precision minimally invasive surgery, rehabilitation training, ward disinfection, medical supplies transportation, pre-hospital triage, and pharmacy dispensing. In modern hospitals, intelligent medical robots are playing an increasingly indispensable role.

Core Technology Architecture of Intelligent Medical Robots

Surgical robots and rehabilitation robots are the two most important product forms of intelligent medical robots. Due to their indispensable functionalities, they receive the widest attention from manufacturers of intelligent medical robots and medical institutions. Foreign manufacturers of intelligent medical robots, having started earlier, possess certain technological advantages and occupy a larger share of the high-end market. However, domestic manufacturers are catching up, continuously increasing their technological and market investments, and occupying a certain market share in specialized product areas such as triage robots and logistics robots. Additionally, policy support has also brought more market opportunities and competitive advantages to domestic manufacturers of intelligent medical robots.

The development of intelligent medical robots also faces numerous challenges. High-precision surgical robots still carry risks of malfunction, which can severely endanger patients’ lives. For example, the well-known Da Vinci surgical robot has potential risks such as lack of “force feedback” from the operating table’s gripper, post-operative immobility of the patient’s surgical cart, and sudden black screens during surgery. In terms of human-machine interaction, current voice interaction technologies are not yet fully mature and cannot 100% recognize the speaker’s intent. When applied to intelligent medical robots, achieving ideal results in complex medical scenarios becomes even more challenging.

Technological advancement is the most core driving factor behind the development of intelligent medical robots. Artificial intelligence technology has inherent advantages in handling tasks such as computer vision, natural language processing, and speech recognition, greatly enhancing the interaction capabilities of intelligent medical robots. Continuous advancements in sensor technology improve the fine perception capabilities of intelligent medical robots. The diverse and complex nature of medical scenarios imposes strict operational requirements on robots. As a comprehensive entity combining various high-tech technologies, intelligent medical robots require collaboration among the industrial sector, AI technology providers, and medical institutions to develop robot products that meet the actual needs of medical scenarios.

Machine Heart hopes that this report “New Changes in Medical Robots in the Era of Machine Intelligence: Current Applications and Prospects of Intelligent Medical Robots in the Healthcare Industry” will help managers and technical R&D personnel of related enterprises in the medical robot supply chain, suppliers of robot components and materials, healthcare workers, and medical institution managers systematically understand the current development of intelligent medical robots. It aims to comprehensively showcase the applications of intelligent medical robots to practitioners concerned with the intelligent upgrade of the healthcare industry and provide detailed case references.

Report Directory

Some Application Cases

4.1 Representative Products and Application Cases of Surgical Robots

MAKO Orthopedic Surgical Robot

The MAKO orthopedic surgical robot from Stryker was approved by the FDA in August 2015. It is a semi-active surgical robot that can be used for unicompartmental, total knee, and total hip arthroplasties. It designs surgical plans based on pre-operative CT scans and corrects in real-time during surgery according to individualized models, preventing excessive operations through a tactile feedback system. Between 2015 and 2017, the Mako robot was used in 65 hospitals across the USA, UK, Australia, and Germany, performing over 1,400 surgeries. Clinical data shows that the revision rate for partial knee replacements using Mako within two years is only 0.5%, compared to 3.5% for non-Mako surgeries, indicating a significant improvement in clinical quality. Additionally, the 30-day complication rate for the former is reduced by 36%, and the complication rate and re-hospitalization costs for Mako surgery patients are 66% lower than those for non-Mako surgeries within 90 days.

SpineAssist Spinal Surgery Robot

The SpineAssist robot system, developed by an Israeli company, is a small robot used for spinal surgeries and is currently one of the more mature robotic systems for clinical use in spinal surgery. The principle of the SpineAssist system is to first input the patient’s spinal CT data into the robot software, which converts the CT data into 3D images. The surgeon selects the appropriate surgical site, intervention method, and implant size through the images to form a pre-operative surgical plan. The robot is then fixed to the patient’s spine, correcting errors at the intervention point outlined in the plan and beginning the screw insertion process. This robotic surgical system is suitable for screw fixation during spinal surgery. A clinical trial based on over 840 cases conducted from June 2005 to June 2009 in 14 hospitals across the USA, Germany, and Israel showed that SpineAssist achieved clinical accuracy in 98% of implant placements during spinal surgeries. In contrast, literature records indicate that manual placements are misaligned in approximately 10% of cases, and studies suggest that SpineAssist significantly reduces the occurrence of misplaced screws and nerve function deficits compared to freehand surgeries.

4.2 Representative Products and Application Cases of Rehabilitation Robots

LUKE Bionic Prosthesis

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a costly project aimed at developing a new generation of prosthetics to help soldiers who lost limbs in war return to daily life. In 2014, DARPA’s researchers developed the new generation LUKE bionic prosthesis, which can process multiple commands simultaneously, allowing for the most natural movements possible. DARPA claims that the LUKE prosthesis can recognize ten different electromyographic signal commands and perform highly dexterous arm and hand movements, while also providing grip feedback. According to early tests, LUKE can flexibly perform very fine daily tasks such as combing hair and unlocking doors. After receiving FDA approval for production, DARPA announced that it would provide this prosthesis to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Subsequently, it will be used alongside other prosthetics from the same product line to serve veterans. WRNMMC will select eligible veterans, and Mobius Bionics, the manufacturer of LUKE, will conduct prosthetic operation training at the hospital.

Fourier M2 Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot

The Fourier M2 is a new generation upper limb rehabilitation robot independently developed by Fourier Intelligence, integrating various functional training modes to achieve diversified task-oriented training, combining motor control training with cognitive training, and strength training with joint mobility training. In practical application scenarios, the upper limb rehabilitation robot can simulate the tactile sensation of a therapist through force feedback technology, pulling the upper limbs of patients with strokes, cerebral palsy, and upper limb dysfunction for rehabilitation training. The robot can also assess whether each action is standard and intelligently adjust in real-time based on patient feedback, continuously providing optimal solutions based on its training database. The device is equipped with various high-precision sensors in multiple orientations, allowing for a measurable training process. After each training session, the system automatically generates a detailed report to assist rehabilitation therapists in creating personalized training programs for patients. The Fourier M2 is the first rehabilitation robot from China to be mass-exported to Europe and the USA and can be used in hospital rehabilitation departments, community rehabilitation centers, and elderly care institutions.

4.3 Representative Products and Application Cases of Medical Logistics Robots

TiMi Automated Delivery Robot

The TiMi automated delivery robot system is primarily used for the large-scale delivery of supplies between operating rooms, sterile preparation centers, laboratories, inpatient pharmacies, and central supply rooms, achieving full coverage of key departments within hospitals. The TiMi automated delivery robot can autonomously plan paths, navigate, and avoid obstacles, autonomously passing through automatic doors and elevators, enabling multiple robots to deliver supplies simultaneously without interruption. The TiMi automated delivery robot ensures the safety of supply delivery and usage through identity recognition and authority management, creating a closed-loop management system for intelligent supply delivery and control. The TiMi automated delivery robot series has been implemented in over a hundred hospitals nationwide, including Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, Wuhan Union Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Renji Hospital, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital. At Renji Hospital, from September 2017 to August 2018, the TiMi robot made an average of 33 deliveries per day, covering a total of 7,320 kilometers, approximately 18.3 million steps, reducing the time nurses spent fetching supplies by about 610 hours. This not only reduces the workload of circulating nurses but also achieves full-process management of medical supplies, especially high-value consumables, in secondary storage areas.

Xenex Disinfection Robot

The disinfection robot produced by medical equipment manufacturer Xenex can effectively utilize pulsed xenon ultraviolet technology to purify operating rooms and eliminate microorganisms that may cause hospital-acquired infections hidden in medical equipment. The pulsed xenon used by Xenex’s disinfection robots is an environmentally friendly inert gas that can create a full spectrum of high-intensity ultraviolet light, capable of rapidly eliminating infectious bacteria in under five minutes. Unlike narrow-spectrum UV light produced by mercury lamps, pulsed xenon UV has been repeatedly proven to reduce infection rates and enhance patient safety. According to research results published by hospitals that have used Xenex equipment, when these hospitals use Xenex robots for room disinfection, the rates of C. diff, MRSA, and surgical site infections can decrease by 50-100%. The Xenex robots are designed for hospital environments, are portable and easy to use, and do not interrupt daily hospital operations during use. Depending on the model, each disinfection cycle takes about 4-5 minutes. Each day, the robots can disinfect approximately 30-62 rooms, including wards, operating rooms, equipment rooms, emergency rooms, intensive care units, and public areas. Currently, about 400 hospitals, veteran affairs departments, and defense facilities across the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Japan are using Xenex robots. These robots can also be used for disinfection in nursing facilities, mobile surgical centers, and long-term acute care facilities.

4.4 Representative Products and Application Cases of Nursing Assistance Robots

Weinas Intelligent Intravenous Medication Preparation Robot

The Weinas preparation robot can mix and prepare medications from vials and ampoules within minutes using standardized tools and processes. During this process, WEINAS can complete a series of operations including “drug inspection, needle and tubing venting, mixing vial medications, cutting ampoule bottles, drawing liquid, dose inspection, mixing IV bag medications, and needle disposal,” simultaneously targeting both ampoules and vials, with a cutting error rate of only 0.0005 for ampoules, far exceeding manual operation precision. With image recognition technology, WEINAS can accurately extract reagents from ampoules. Weinas has developed a complete interactive system for the preparation robot, choosing suppliers such as Mitsubishi, Sanyo, and Toshiba for important components like reducers, shaking trays, and motors. The preparation robot currently has high costs, and hospitals are not very proactive in adopting it. According to relevant calculations, a preparation robot costing 4 million can handle 12 orders per hour. According to the current charging standards of the PIVAS (Parenteral Intravenous Drug Preparation Center) system, one order costs a maximum of 15 yuan, resulting in hourly revenue of 180 yuan. Due to the time-sensitive nature of injectable medications, most injections in wards occur in the morning, leading to peak load issues. Therefore, even at full capacity, the robot may only operate from 7 AM to 11 AM, with much downtime afterward, estimating a daily benefit of only 1,500 yuan, or 450,000 yuan annually. It would take nine years to recoup the 4 million investment, not accounting for operational wear, maintenance, and labor costs.

Handy1 Meal Assistance Robot

The first-generation prototype of the Handy1 service robot was developed by the British company Mike Topping in 1987 to assist patients with partial physical disabilities in daily care tasks such as eating, drinking, shaving, and brushing teeth. Handy1 has a communication function, providing useful information to caregivers and users during operation, and helps overcome language barriers. It is equipped with three different trays: a food and drink tray, a face-washing tray, and a makeup tray. The robot can also perform automatic comparisons after activation, providing positional feedback and correcting user errors in real-time, offering voice assistance and prompts to patients or caregivers.

The tray section of Handy1 is equipped with a light scanning system, allowing users to select food from any part of the tray. Once powered on, the food on the tray is divided into several sections, with seven beams of light scanning from left to right behind the tray. Users simply wait until the light scans to the section of food they wish to eat and press the switch to activate Handy1. The robot moves to the selected portion of the tray, scooping a full spoon of food to deliver to the user’s mouth. Users can scoop food at their desired pace, and this process can be repeated until the tray is empty. The robot’s computer continuously tracks the location of the selected food on the tray and automatically controls the scanning system to skip empty sections. Using the eighth beam of light on the tray, users can reach any beverage on the table while eating.

4.5 Other Types of Representative Products and Application Cases

Land Rover 60 Snow Cannon Fire Truck

The Land Rover 60 Snow Cannon Fire Truck, produced by the German Schmitz company, consists of a track-mounted vehicle, a high-power tracked vehicle, and a high-pressure snow cannon. It is mainly used for firefighting and rescue at disaster sites in tunnels, subways, underground spaces, and large chemical enterprises. It is a semi-intelligent robot, currently equipped only by fire departments in cities such as Tianjin and Chengdu. This robot rapidly reduces environmental temperatures through a high-density water surface area, capable of dispersing toxic smoke, enhancing visibility at disaster sites, and altering smoke flow direction. The fire truck measures 2.3 meters in length, 1.94 meters in height, and weighs 1.89 tons, with a land speed of 6 kilometers per hour and a track speed of 40 kilometers per hour, capable of climbing slopes of 30 degrees and handling water depths of 7.5 centimeters. The nozzle flow rate is 400 liters per minute, with a projection distance of 60 meters and an airspeed of 170 kilometers per hour. The high-pressure snow cannon carried by the Land Rover 60 has 360 nozzles, which atomize water into vapor, producing approximately 1 billion droplets of water at a time. This mist can effectively extinguish fires and cool down passageways while also possessing strong smoke evacuation capabilities. Once the water cannon starts spraying, the nozzle can immediately atomize the water column, allowing the mist to effectively dilute smoke, with a smoke evacuation capacity of 90,000 cubic meters per hour.

National Center for Nanoscience and Technology DNA Nanorobots

The team at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology has developed DNA nanorobots based on supramolecular self-assembly for the live transport of thrombin for tumor treatment. This work utilizes DNA origami to construct intelligent molecular machines, encapsulating thrombin in the internal cavity of the molecular machine, isolating it from external substrates to remain inactive; the molecular machines are equipped with nucleic acid aptamers at both ends, providing targeted recognition and localization functions. When the DNA nanorobots reach tumor blood vessels, the switches on the nanomachines recognize specific markers and undergo structural changes, causing the switches to open from a closed state, transforming the entire nanomachine from a tubular structure to a planar structure, exposing the encapsulated thrombin to induce embolization. These intelligent DNA nanorobots are expected to provide a highly efficient and low-toxicity new drug formulation for tumor blood supply blockade treatment strategies. With their powerful live transport and response recognition capabilities, they serve as intelligent drug delivery platforms for the efficient delivery of various drugs, potentially enabling effective encapsulation and intelligent delivery of traditionally difficult-to-drug substances (such as toxins and snake venom proteins), thus promoting the development of new anti-tumor drugs and having broad application prospects in the field of nanomedicine.

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