Telerobotic Developments in Medicine- Pillbot Shines
https://biomedical-engineering-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12938-016-0217-7
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Telerobotics in medicine is the use of small robots that enter the human body for diagnostic purposes that are controlled remotely. Telerobotics in general is the use of a remotely controlled robot to perform work. Engineers are pursuing robots that can enter a patient and present diagnostic evidence in such a way that no incisions are made and the cost of exploration is minimized. This future of telerobotics is a growing and promising field for both healthcare providers and patients.
Telerobotics is a better way to see inside a person who is suffering from a medical issue than exploratory surgery. Robotic-assisted surgical methods, including the use of DaVinci machines and other larthoscopic means are currently used to assist surgeons with procedures and are minimally invasive. Robots currently assist surgeons with increased dexterity and use minimal incisions to access the patient’s body for surgery. Currently, scientists and engineers are working on pill-like robots that can be swallowed and project images that are currently accomplished through exploratory surgery. This presents cost-saving methods for surgeons and less risk for patients.
Telerobotics began in the early 1990s, and the goal was to project images and video as a robot moved though a patient or another hazardous location. Telerobots The early work was funded by NASA, and the goal was to create a way to access hazardous locations and perform work.
Pillbot is the current telerobotic medicine prototype that is undergoing tests and could be FDA approved by 2024. The robot is swallowed and projects images from inside the patient to doctors to avoid invasive and expensive surgical procedures. The tiny robot can conduct surveillance and can be controlled on a touch-screen or using a controller. Current telerobotic systems are essentially surgeon assistance, and function as manipulators of surgical end effectors. Pillbot is one of many diagnostic tools that may evolve into the next generation of teletobotic surgical tools.
As a future patient, I am glad for this new development. It looks promising, and the FDA appears open to new developments. This is a lucrative and cost-saving measure that insurance companies will likely embrace with open arms. With such developments on the horizon, we will see a less-invasive discovery process for many procedures in the future.
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