Robots Offer Continuous Care in Neurosurgical ICU

Six-feet-tall remote-controlled robots help provide 24-hour coverage for patients suffering from stroke or other neurologic problems, giving them immediate access to a physician.

Two remote-presence (RP) robots, nicknamed MURDOC (Mobile Unit Robot Doctor) and ROHAS (Remote Operated Health Assessment System), have joined the staff of the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU) and Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center at the Methodist Hospital in Houston (TX, USA). These robots can travel up to 3.2 kilometers per hour and are equipped with infra-red sensors to help the physician navigate down a hallway or alongside a patient's bed. The robots allow physicians, patients, nurses, and other staff to virtually interact and talk at a moment's notice.

The physician uses a laptop and joystick to guide the robot to the patient's bedside, review medical chart information, and speak with patients and nurses. Through a widescreen, two-way television (TV) monitor, the doctor communicates with the patient and nurse face-to-face to determine the appropriate and immediate care needed. Robot use supplements physician visits for those times when they cannot be present, especially during overnight shifts.

"Our window of opportunity for effective treatment is within three hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. This robotic technology gives us quicker access to the patients, and timeliness is everything in helping a stroke patient recover,” said Dr. David Chiu, medical director of the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center.

This new robotic system, called RP-7, was developed by InTouch Health (Santa Barbara, CA, USA).



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Methodist Hospital
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