Automation and robotics in healthcare: MedtecSUMMIT

Secure networks, digital infrastructure, 5G/6G technology, cloud technology, and cyber security are essential components of any efficient and safe automated process used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The adoption of such technology enables seamless communication between various systems and devices, thus unlocking significant improvements in both patient care and operational efficiency.

5G and 6G networks offer extremely fast data transmission rates with low latency, enabling monitoring of and interaction with critical medical applications in real-time. This is of particular significance in applications such as telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and the use of nursing and rehabilitation robotics, where delays or failures can have severe consequences.

Cyber security plays a pivotal role in this context as it ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive medical data. Amid the increasing threat of cyber-attacks, hospitals and healthcare facilities must implement robust security measures to adequately protect their networks and systems. This includes data encryption, firewall and intrusion detection system implementations, as well as regular security screenings and personnel training.

Sensors and mechatronics systems play an important role in modern hospitals as they automate processes such as dispensing medication, monitoring vital functions, and controlling rehabilitation robots.

Sensors must be capable of continuously acquiring accurate data—this could be the patients’ blood pressure, blood sugar level, or heart rate. Such data then requires real-time transmission to centralized monitoring systems, which can raise alarms in case of deviating values. This enables medical personnel to react promptly, thus reducing the risk of complications. Camera-based systems and positioning systems for indoor navigation are an important part of hospital logistics.

Mechatronics systems, such as automated infusion pumps and robot-controlled surgical units, require great precision and reliability. The integration of advanced sensors, control algorithms, and real-time data processing plays an integral role here. The challenge is to design these systems in such a way that they are not susceptible to faults while flexibly supporting diverse clinical use cases.

Interoperability between various systems and devices is another crucial aspect in this context. Hospital operations require seamless communication between mechatronics systems and the pre-existing IT infrastructure and other medical devices. That needs standardized communication protocols and interfaces to ensure smooth data exchange.

Monitoring and maintaining such systems on an ongoing basis presents another challenge. Regular calibrations, software and hardware updates, and personnel trainings are required to make sure the sensors and mechatronics systems remain functional and secure. This is the only way to meet the exacting requirements for automation and precision in medical applications.

There are numerous use cases for drones, autonomous transport robots and cars in hospital and healthcare facility logistics. For example, drones can quickly and efficiently transport urgently needed drugs or stored blood between hospitals—particularly in emergency situations when every minute counts. This capability has been applied in the Swedish ‘Drones for Life’ project delivering defibrillators to patients using drones.

Whether delivering drugs, transporting samples, or providing sterile materials: Autonomous robots take on a number of logistics tasks in hospitals. This serves two purposes: increasing efficiency and relieving the staff.

Autonomous vehicles also offer great potential in patient transport or delivering medical devices—an approach currently being practice-tested at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen. Automating these processes significantly drives efficiency, reduces errors, and lowers healthcare costs. The implementation of automated pharmacy systems capable of accurately dosing and dispensing drugs is another example for increasing patient safety and minimizing errors through automation.

Nursing and rehabilitation robotics is a vast field of innovative applications that improve the patients’ quality of life and support the nursing staff. For example, nursing robots can help make patients mobile again by performing supporting motions or accompanying the patients while getting up and walking. Many such robots are equipped with sensors providing real-time feedback, thus increasing safety and the efficiency of motion sequences.

Rehabilitation robotics applications include exoskeletons supporting patients with motor impairments as they exercise, thus speeding up the rehabilitation process. There are even robots for cognitive exercises to promote patients’ mental fitness.

Such robotics solutions carry great economic potential and the market volume is enormous. The deployment of robots in nursing and rehabilitation can help lower the cost of healthcare significantly as they make nursing processes more efficient and reduce errors at the same time. This relieves nursing staff and enables more individualized and dedicated patient care.

The nursing and rehabilitation robotics market is growing steadily and will become a significant segment of the healthcare economy over the coming years. According to projections, the global market for such solutions could be worth billions as demand for innovative and efficient healthcare solutions is steadily increasing due to the ageing population and the associated rise in chronic ailments.

Lab automation represents a significant advancement in modern medicine and the healthcare sector. It greatly increases efficiency while reducing both errors and costs. Automated processes offer more accurate and faster sample analysis, thus improving patient diagnostics and treatment.

Lab environments have numerous tasks that, if performed manually, are time-consuming and error-prone. Automated systems can efficiently and reliably take over such tasks. For example:

• Sample processing: Automated systems can process large amounts of samples simultaneously, thus reducing the lead time.
• Data analytics: Automation of data acquisition and analysis can help minimize errors and increase the accuracy of results.
• Quality inspection: Automated quality inspection systems are capable of continuously working with great precision to ensure that processes meet the most exacting standards. Such automated facilities are particularly indispensable in times of pandemics or other health crises as they enable labs to quickly perform large amounts of accurate tests under pressure.

However, the introduction of automation in labs is also associated with a number of technical challenges:

• Integration and interoperability: Different lab devices and systems must be able to seamlessly communicate with each other. This requires standardized communication protocols and interfaces.
• Data security: The risk of cyber-attacks is rising with advancing digitization and automation efforts. Secure data transmission and storage is crucial in this context.
• Maintenance and calibration: Automated systems must be subjected to regular maintenance and calibration to ensure consistent accuracy and reliability.
• Personnel training: The lab personnel must be trained to effectively operate and maintain the new automated systems.

All of these challenges require careful planning as well as continuous further technology and process development.