Ms. Nisham Rani

Assistant Professor

Geeta institute of Pharmacy, Geeta university, Panipat

The use of robotic technology in the handling of sickness has been one of the most revolutionary advancements in the ever-evolving area of medicine in recent decades. Robots are becoming more and more important in today’s healthcare system, performing everything from intricate procedures to rehabilitation and individualised treatment. They user in a new time in patient care by improving accuracy, fastmoving up recovery, lowering dangers, and even helping with early diagnosis.
This blog explores the uses, advantages, difficulties, and possibilities of robotic technology as it transforms the handling of numerous illnesses.

1. A Brief History of Robotics in Healthcare

The idea of using machines to improve human health is not a brand-new one. Early versions had simple surgical instruments and mechanical prosthesis. But in the 1980s, technologies like the PUMA 560, which helped with a neurosurgical biopsy, marked the beginning of genuine robotic integration.
The da Vinci Surgical System, a minimally invasive robotic platform that enabled surgeons to carry out intricate procedures with more precision, was the true breakthrough in the 2000s. The claim of robotics in medicine has since grown significantly, encompassing a wide range of specialities such as orthopaedics, cardiology, oncology, and even psychiatry.

2. Robotic Surgery: Precision and Efficiency

Robotic-assisted surgery is the most well-known uses of robotic expertise in the treatment of illness. Compared to open or laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery has many benefits, particularly for disorders requiring delicate, complex treatments.

Common Robotic Surgical Procedures Include:

• Prostatectomy (Prostate Cancer Surgery): In order to minimise problems like incontinence and impotence, the da Vinci robot is frequently utilised to remove the prostate with remarkable precision.
• Cardiac Surgery: Robots help with bypass surgery and valve repair by giving surgeons greater control and visibility.
• Spinal Surgery: Mazor X and other robotic platforms provide precise screw placement and navigation of intricate spinal anatomy.
• Gynecological Procedures: Robotic procedures are frequently used to improve the management of endometriosis, fibroids, and some types of cancer.

Benefits of Robotic Surgery:

• Smaller incisions
• Reduced blood loss
• Lower infection risk
• Shorter hospital stays
• Faster recovery times
• Enhanced surgical precision

3. Robotic Technologies in Cancer Treatment

Beyond surgery, robotics is playing a important role in oncology, particularly in delivering targeted therapies.

Radiotherapy Robots:

Robotic arms are used by CyberKnife and TrueBeam systems to precisely deliver large doses of radiation while causing the least amount of harm to vigorous tissue. This is especially helpful when treating tumours in delicate or challenging-to-reach places like the lungs, spine, or brain.

Biopsy Robots:

Exact tissue sample extraction from tumours can be facilitated by robotic devices, leading to more exact diagnosis and individualised treatment regimens.

Chemotherapy Delivery:

In view to minimise human mistake and exposure to harmful substances, sophisticated robots are being utilised to prepare and administer chemotherapy medications in sterile settings.

4. Robotics in Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

The way patients recuperate from operations, injuries, and strokes is being revolutionised by robotic rehabilitation equipment. Real-time therapy adaptation, progress tracking, and limb movement guidance are all possible with these devices.

Types of Rehabilitation Robots:

• Exoskeletons: Patients who are paralysed or partially immobile can walk again with the use of wearable robotic suits. For instance, FDA-approved exoskeletons are available from ReWalk Robotics and Ekso Bionics.
• Robotic Hands Arms and Arms: Used to restore fine motor skills following neurological disorders or strokes.
• Treadmill Systems: Help patients with injuries of spinal cord or lower limb paralysis with their gait training.
• Benefits:
• Training with a high repetition rate is crucial for neuroplasticity.
• Objective tracking of progress
• Personalized therapy settings
• Greater patient motivation

5. Robotic Systems in Infectious Disease Management

Innovation has always been necessary to combat infectious diseases worldwide, but the COVID-19 pandemic in particular hastened the adoption of robotic systems in hitherto unheard-of methods. These intelligent devices were crucial in assisting healthcare systems in handling the crisis by increasing efficiency, and protecting frontline staff. However, managing infectious diseases extends beyond pandemics, and robotics is already positioned as a key component of current and upcoming disease control plans.

Applications Include:

• Disinfection Robots: Hospital-acquired illnesses can be decreased by using robots that emit UV light, such as Xenex, to disinfect hospital rooms in a matter of minutes. UV-C Disinfection Robots: High-intensity ultraviolet-C light is used by robots such as Xenex LightStrike, UVD Robots, and Tru-D SmartUVC to eradicate bacteria, fungus, and viruses from surfaces and the atmosphere. Without the use of chemical agents, they can disinfect a whole hospital room in less than fifteen minutes.
• Telepresence Robots: Allow doctors to interact with patients remotely, minimizing exposure risks. Examples include VGo and Temi. Robots have been used to collect nasal and throat swabs from patients in nations like China and South Korea without requiring human interaction. This improved testing effectiveness and decreased the danger of infection.
• Sample Collection Robots: Some robots can perform swab tests and manage lab samples safely and efficiently. Numbers of test tubes, capillary fluids, and even PCR findings can be handled by automated equipment in pathology labs more quickly than by human technicians.

This technology proved critical in overwhelmed hospitals, protecting healthcare workers while maintaining quality care.

6. Robotic Drug Dispensing and Pharmacy Automation

Medication management is essential to the treatment of disease. Robots is reducing human error in drug transport and optimising pharmacy processes. The foundation of infectious illness identification and management is testing. However, healthcare personnel may be exposed to infections during sample collection and processing.

Key Applications:

• Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs): Hospitals utilise these to safely distribute drugs while guaranteeing precise dosage.
• Robotic Compounding: Robots are capable of precisely and sterilely preparing chemotherapy and IV combinations.
• Home Delivery Robots: Some healthcare facilities are investigating the use of ground-based robots and drones for remote drug delivery to patients.

7. Artificial Intelligence in Medical Robotics

• Medical robotics is undergoing a revolution because to artificial intelligence (AI), which gives machines the ability to learn, adapt, and make data-driven decisions, considerably improving their capacity to heal illnesses and provide patient care. AI-powered robots are able to analyse large volumes of data, identify trends, and react intelligently in real time, in contrast to traditional robotic systems that adhere to pre-programmed instructions. AI-integrated robotic platforms may recognise anatomical features, guide incisions, and recommend best surgical pathways based on prior results, enhancing robotic precision in surgery by giving real-time imagery, predicting complications, and aiding in decision-making.

AI-enabled robots in diagnostics can analyse medical scans, including CT, MRI, and X-rays, with astonishing accuracy, sometimes surpassing human experts in identifying early disease indicators. Predictive analytics also makes use of AI to help identify patients who may experience difficulties or need to be readmitted.

AI-powered robots are also revolutionising senior care and rehabilitation. By using natural language processing, these robots can track patient progress, customise treatment, and even provide emotional support.

The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is paving the way for a more intelligent, adaptable healthcare system in which machines work alongside human professionals to learn and develop.

• Early Disease Detection: Robots with AI capabilities may examine imaging data, such as MRIs and X-rays, to identify illnesses including COVID-19, pneumonia, and cancer.
• Predictive Analytics: AI-enabled robots are able to track vital signs and anticipate issues before they happen.
• Robotic Companions: AI-powered robots such as PARO, a robotic seal, help manage stress and improve mental health in elderly patients.

8. Pediatric and Elderly Care with Robotics

In the care of children and the elderly, robotics is becoming more and more important since it provides ongoing health monitoring, emotional support, and physical aid. These skills are especially helpful for vulnerable groups who need safe spaces, individualised care, and continuous supervision.

Robots are utilised in paediatric treatment to engage and comfort young patients. By promoting social engagement and communication, amiable robots like MEDi and NAO help children get distracted during vaccines, ease anxiety during medical procedures, and aid in the treatment of disorders like autism. Children with learning difficulties benefit from educational robots as well, which enhance the joy and interaction of therapy sessions.

Robotic solutions are intended to encourage independence in the elderly while maintaining safety. By offering emotional support and cognitive stimulation, companion robots such as ElliQ and Paro (a therapeutic robotic seal) help people feel less alone.

Elderly Care Robots:

• Help with everyday duties and mobility

Keep an eye out for falls and notify carers.

• Remind patients for taking0 their prescription drugs.

• Encourage social contact and lessen isolation

Pediatric Applications:

• • MEDi and other robots assist kids in managing their anxiety and suffering while they are in hospital.
• Children with learning problems or autism are assisted by educational robots.

9. Challenges in Robotic Healthcare

Although robotic technology is revolutionising healthcare, its widespread use is fraught with operational, ethical, technological, and financial issues must be resolved for implementation to be fair and successful. impairments.

• High Costs: The high( maximum) cost of purchasing, running, and maintaining sophisticated robotic systems is the biggest obstacles; surgical robots, for example, can cost millions of dollars, making them unaffordable for minor( smaller) hospitals or those in developing nations, which leads to unequal access to robotic care and may widen the healthcare gap worldwide.
• Training Requirements: Healthcare workers need specific training to use robotic (humerless) systems. It takes time and money to train surgeons, technicians, and nurses to use these machines safely and effectively. The advantages of robotic technology may be limited by a shortage of skilled workers.
• Ethical Concerns: Concerns around patient permission, decision-making authority, and responsibility are brought up by the growing usage of robotics. Determining culpability becomes challenging if a clinical error is made by an AI-powered robot. In order to provide ethical treatment, it is crucial to maintain human oversight.
• Integration Issues: Ensuring seamless interoperability between robots, electronic health histories (EHRs), and hospital systems is complex.
• Reliability and Technical Limitations
  Robots are nonetheless prone to communication problems, software defects, and technical malfunctions despite their accuracy. Serious repercussions could result from a malfunction during patient monitoring or surgery. Although they increase complexity, backup systems and ongoing maintenance are essential.
• Security and Privacy of Data
  Sensitive patient data is gathered and processed by numerous medical robots. These systems may become the focus of data breaks in the absence of strong cybersecurity safeguards, endangering patient privacy.

10. The Imminent of Robotic Disease Treatment

Looking ahead, the part (role) of automations in healthcare is set to expand even further. Emerging trends include:

• Nano-Robots: Nanorobots—microscopic devices that can move through the bloodstream to deliver medications directly to diseased cells or even repair damaged tissues at the cellular level—have great potential for the future . This could completely change how diseases like cancer, infections, and neurological disorders are treated.
• Autonomous Surgical Robots: The formation of completely autonomous surgical robots is one of the most anticipated developments. With the use of real-time data analysis and sophisticated artificial intelligence, these machines will be bright to carry out certain tasks with little assistance from humans. Even in remote locations, such devices could improve high-quality surgical treatment, decrease surgical errors, and function with superhuman precision.
• Personal Health Robots: Home-based robotic assistants will become indispensable as the population ages and the prevalence of chronic illnesses rises. In addition to monitoring(nursing) vital signs and reminding patients to take their medications, these robots will provide companionship and mental health care, which will lower hospital visits and enhance quality of life.
• Applications in Global Health
  Lastly, as technology becomes, humorless ( robotic) systems will show a critical role in underprivileged areas by offering telemedicine, surgical, and diagnostic services where medical practitioners are hard to come by.
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With continued investment, research, and ethical oversight, robotic technology could redefine what it means to receive medical care.

Conclusion

The submission of robotic expertise to the handling of illness is a uprising in healthcare, not just a fad. Robots are empowering physicians, assisting patients, and improving the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of medicine in a variety of settings, including operating rooms, rehabilitation facilities, and home care.
As the technology develops, it could address some of the most important issues fronting the worldwide healthcare system, such as enhancing results, cutting expenses, and guaranteeing that everyone has access to high-quality care.
Intelligent machines, with highly qualified professionals, hold the key for future of medicine.