Technological innovation is revolutionising the healthcare sector and one of the most promising trends is the adoption of robots in the medical field. Experts predict a significant acceleration in the adoption of these robots in the coming years, driven by continuous technological advances.
It is therefore important to understand the types of robots used in healthcare to fully appreciate their potential and peculiarities.
4 types of medical robots: to each his own
Surgical robots
Surgical robots are designed to assist surgeons during operations. They offer exceptional precision and the ability to perform minimally invasive procedures thanks to robotic arms controlled by the surgeon remotely through a special interface. Their main application is in operating theatres, where they improve the accuracy and reduce the invasiveness of surgery, leading to faster patient recovery. A classic example of surgical robots is the Da Vinci.
Assistive robots
Assistive robots are designed to support people with physical disabilities, helping them to independently perform essential daily activities, such as personal hygiene and meals. These robots offer diverse support including manipulation, mobility and rehabilitation. In particular, manipulation robots are equipped with features that replicate arm and hand movements. These robotic arms, equipped with grippers and specialised tools, are designed to support the performance of specific tasks such as eating, brushing teeth, showering, picking up objects and opening doors.
Social robots
Social robots are designed to interact with patients in a more human and engaging way. They offer services such as entertainment, companionship and emotional support. They can tell stories, propose interactive games and provide useful information, improving the patient experience and reducing the anxiety associated with medical visits. Social robots are particularly useful for creating a welcoming and less stressful environment for patients, especially in waiting environments.
Service robots
Service robots are mainly used to perform support and administrative tasks within healthcare facilities. They can handle day-to-day operations such as checking in patients, managing bookings and assisting with navigation within the facility. They are designed to optimise operational efficiency and improve the patient experience by intervening in non-clinical activities. These robots focus on direct patient care and support to clinical staff, but are not intended for direct surgical or clinical tasks.
Aphel: versatility and efficiency
Service robots are designed to offer a range of functions that go beyond the simple automation of daily tasks to improve operational efficiency and the patient experience.
Social robots allow a more human and personalised approach, interacting directly with patients to make their time in the surgery more pleasant and less stressful.
Aphel represents a perfect combination of these two types of robots. Available in two variants, humanoid and streamlined, Aphel combines the characteristics of service robots with those of social robots, offering unprecedented versatility. Thanks to this dual nature, Aphel is able to perform three essential tasks for medical practices: greeting patients, entertaining them and supporting medical staff.
Patient reception
As a service robot, Aphel can be used to manage patient reception. Through advanced facial recognition technologies, Aphel can check-in patients quickly and efficiently. In addition, it can administer questionnaires for triage, collecting vital preliminary information for the preparation of medical staff.
The ability to automate repetitive and administrative tasks allows staff to focus on more clinical and strategic tasks, increasing the overall efficiency of the practice.
Patient entertainment
In addition to greeting patients and supporting staff, Aphel can entertain patients with multimedia content, stories and interactive games, creating a more serene and welcoming environment. In this way, waiting becomes more pleasant and anxiety, especially for younger patients, is reduced.
Supporting staff
Aphel can support medical staff in the most recurring daily tasks to ease the administrative burden. In addition, Aphel can accompany patients to their destination within the facility and, thanks to its translation capabilities, facilitate communication between staff and patients who speak different languages. This contributes to improving the accessibility and quality of the service provided.
The presence of a robotic assistant allows staff to spend more time on direct patient care, improving the quality of treatment.
Investing in robots: the future of medical practices
Adopting a robot in a medical practice means investing in technology that promotes innovation and efficiency, while improving the overall patient experience and optimising daily operations.
In a world where technology is increasingly integrated into daily life, robots such as Aphel represent the future of medical practices.
Investing in these technologies therefore means offering a superior service to patients and improving the operational efficiency of your facility.