Automatic couriers revolutionize material transport at U.S. hospitals
Automatic couriers revolutionize material transport at U.S. hospitals
Need an employee who doesn't complain? Try a robot
Here's a novel way to maintain internal customer service in the face of budget constraints and staff shortages: Hire a robot. In 80 hospitals across the county, 600-pound machines of fiberglass and steel are navigating corridors to perform material transport tasks, thus freeing up staff to concentrate on their primary job.
For example, at Danbury (CT) Hospital, Reggie and Rosie, the two robots housed in dietary services, deliver meal trays to the nurses' stations during the day and transport items for central supply at night. Danbury was the first hospital in the nation to reap the robotics rewards in 1991 when it pilot-tested an automated courier robot, HelpMate, manufactured by HelpMate Robotics, also in Danbury.
"They work round the clock, doing things that no one else wants to do - the unscheduled things that annoy us and pull us away from our regular work," says Nancy Massari, MS, RD, manager of dietary services.
Take delivering late trays, the bane of a hospital food service department's existence. "It's a constant problem because patients need meals at times other than during regular hours," Massari explains. "Perhaps they've just come back from taking a test or maybe they were admitted late at night. It even could be that the milk [in the pantry on the floor] needs replenishing." The robo-staff minimize the interruptions of the human staff, she says.
A total robot system, including the communications equipment, costs about $100,000. It also can be leased, or rented for $5.50 per hour, says Gay Engelberger, HelpMate's marketing director.
Renting may be the easiest option, because you can use operational rather than capital funds, she says. But it's also the most expensive. For example, a 12-month rental costs $4,000 per month, while a five-year lease runs about $2,700 per month.
"In today's tight labor market, that's a deal," says Massari. "Remember that most people who do material transport in hospitals were actually hired to do something else. And when you get into high pay scales like nursing, that's a tremendous waste of clinical resources."
Employees do appreciate the labor-saving device. "The robots allow them more time to do the jobs they are here to do. They don't have to lose time going to the elevator, waiting for it, delivering the item and then going to the elevator again," she says.
Unlike the old automated guided vehicle system that transported food linen carts and supplies, the robots don't require special tracks or wires embedded in the floor.
"HelpMates are complete autonomous units with flexible scheduling capabilities. They can do p.r.n. runs as well as rounds," says Engelberger.
One hot application in hospitals is 24-hour courier service for pharmacy and lab specimens. "It travels the house on a continuous basis making picks ups and deliveries," Engelberger says. "If it arrives and finds nothing for it, it continues on its destination."
For meal tray deliveries, the robot will wait until its human helper can take the food out of its backpack.
A rechargeable battery powers the robot's computer "brain," which operates the vision camera; controls structured light, infrared, and ultrasound signaling beams; and activates the radio transceiver and solid state voice synthesizer. The robot's console houses the LCD screen, keypad and other electronic controls. Its backpack, which consists of a set of metal shelves, can carry not only patient trays but reports, medicine, lab supplies or other special requests.
"A worker dispatches the robot by using the numerical keypad to answer questions, much like an automated teller machine," Engelberger says. "The robot then consults a pre-programmed hospital map in its computer and selects the most appropriate route, just as a human driver decides where to go after consulting a road map."
The ultrasonic sensors allow the robots to negotiate crowded corridors from the dietary department to the nurses' station. "It avoids obstacles by using sonar and vision sensors to calculate distance. Also, it has contact bumpers that are wired directly to the computer's drive system so if it comes into contact with an obstacle it immediately stops.
When the robot arrives at an elevator, it contacts a specially installed control box in the elevator room and requests that the elevator car respond. When the robot's radio interface senses the car is empty, it positions itself in front of the elevator doors. When the door opens, the robot enters, turns, and directs the car with its radio signals to the floor chosen by the dispatcher. When it exits, the robot releases the elevator for general service.
After it reaches its programmed destination, it announces itself and waits for further instructions.
HelpMate is programmed to deliver 16 messages or commands such as, "Please unload compartment one," or, "My way is blocked; please move the obstacle." Its voice may be male or female depending upon the user's preference.
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