|
 The machine consists of a robotic arm on wheels that can perform
ultrasounds, take mouth swabs and listen to sounds made by a
patient's organs, usually done with a stethoscope.
Such tasks are normally carried out by doctors in person. But with
this robot, which is fitted with cameras, medical personnel do not
need to be in the same room as the patient, and could even be in a
different city.
"Doctors are all very brave," said Tsinghua University Professor
Zheng Gangtie, the robot's chief designer. "But this virus is just
too contagious ... We can use robots to perform the most dangerous
tasks."
The idea came to Zheng around the turn of the Lunar New Year. Wuhan
had just been put on lockdown and the number of cases and deaths was
rising rapidly every day.
As an engineer, Zheng wanted to do something to contribute to the
relief effort. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he heard from
his friend, Dong Jiahong, executive president at Beijing's Tsinghua
Changgung Hospital, that the biggest problem was that of frontline
workers getting infected.
Gathering a team, Zheng set to work converting two mechanized
robotic arms with the same technology used on space stations and
lunar explorers. The robots were almost entirely automated, and
could even disinfect themselves after performing actions involving
contact, Zheng said.
"But the feedback from doctors was that it would be better for there
to be less automation, as a personal presence would comfort and calm
the patient," he said.
[to top of second column] |
The team now has two robots, which have been trialled by doctors at hospitals in
Beijing. One is still at the team's lab at the university, but the other is at
the Wuhan Union Hospital, where doctors started training to use it on Thursday.
If all goes to plan, the robot may be put to use on coronavirus patients in
Wuhan from Sunday, Zheng said. It would be joined on its ward rounds by a nurse
or other member of staff.
Zheng would like to build more such robots but funding from the university has
run out. The robots cost RMB 500,000 ($72,000) a piece to make. He does not plan
on commercializing his robot design but hopes a company comes along to take that
on.
China has sent tens of thousands of medical workers to the epicenter of the
outbreak, Hubei province, state media say. More than 3,000 medical workers had
been infected by late last month, including whistleblower Li Wenliang, whose
death in early February sparked a brief and rare outpouring of grief and rage on
Chinese social media.
(Reporting by Martin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by Karishma Singh and Peter
Graff)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
