Robo-Doc — well, not really!
I was intrigued by this morning’s Boston Globe article on “Robo-Doc.” It’s not actually a robot doctor, but a unit that a doctor working remotely can drive around the hospital and into a patient’s room to view the patient, talk with the patient, check the patient’s vitals, and so on. The units, named RP-7 and RP-7i (for remote presence) are manufactured by InTouch Health.
Although “Robo-Doc” is a bit of a misnomer, evidently the unit does have some sensors and intelligence to keep it from bumping into things. The RP-7 and RP-7i have also been cleared by the FDA for connection to Class II medical devices such as electronic stethoscopes, otoscopes, and ultrasound — although an assistant has to be there to put the stethoscope on the patient’s chest.
A doctor at Lahey Clinic in Beverly has already been using the unit to consult remotely both in Beverly Hospital and at a hospital in Bermuda. The “robot” doesn’t obviate the need for the care of a local doctor, but makes an extra pair of eyes and ears from an outside consultant available as needed.
Amusingly, when the doctor returns the RP-7 to its “parking area,” he has to ask a passerby to “plug him in.” I’m wondering, if it happened to me, if I would be suspecting a “Candid Camera” moment!
The Globe article has a video to go along with it.
Although “Robo-Doc” is a bit of a misnomer, evidently the unit does have some sensors and intelligence to keep it from bumping into things. The RP-7 and RP-7i have also been cleared by the FDA for connection to Class II medical devices such as electronic stethoscopes, otoscopes, and ultrasound — although an assistant has to be there to put the stethoscope on the patient’s chest.
A doctor at Lahey Clinic in Beverly has already been using the unit to consult remotely both in Beverly Hospital and at a hospital in Bermuda. The “robot” doesn’t obviate the need for the care of a local doctor, but makes an extra pair of eyes and ears from an outside consultant available as needed.
Amusingly, when the doctor returns the RP-7 to its “parking area,” he has to ask a passerby to “plug him in.” I’m wondering, if it happened to me, if I would be suspecting a “Candid Camera” moment!
The Globe article has a video to go along with it.
posted by Jim Vellenga at
9:37 AM
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