Robotics Redefining the Future of Modern Medicine
From the desk of Muzaffar Sayyed
The use of robotics in healthcare has increased quite rapidly in recent years and this revolution in the making is set to alter the course of modern medicine in the future. From soft robotics to specialized medical robotic systems, the robotics industry has a solution for almost all healthcare applications going forward.
High investments in research and development of novel robotic technologies for healthcare applications primarily augment market growth prospects. As per Skyquest analysis, the global medical robotic systems market is pegged for expansion at a phenomenal 14.2% CAGR from 2023 to 2030.
Why Go Robotic?
The prevalence of chronic diseases and infectious outbreaks has increased quite rapidly in the past couple of decades. Coupled with the aforementioned factor the global geriatric population has also increased, which has led to more burden on healthcare institutions and professionals than they can handle.
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As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion of the world’s population aged above 60 years is estimated to increase from 12% in 2015 to 22% in 2050.
The use of robotics in healthcare will help streamline and reduce the burden on medical professionals and this is why the use of robots in the healthcare industry will be crucial going forward.
How Surgically Precise are Medical Robots?
Concerns regarding the precision and efficacy of medical robots have been around for quite a while now and these concerns are now being addressed with advanced medical robots. Modern surgery robots are pretty precise and some of them have even successfully performed surgeries on humans but a wide-scale adoption of surgery robots is still a far-fetched dream that needs time to turn into a reality.
Here are some latest developments in terms of surgical medical robots.
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In February 2024, a miniature surgical robot designed by a robotics start-up called Virtual Incision performed simulated surgical operations at the International Space Station (ISS). The robot was remotely controlled by surgeons on Earth.
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In September 2023, the Jerome Canady Research Institute for Advanced and Biological Technological Sciences (JCRI-ABTS) and US Medical Innovations (USMI), collectively launched a new robotic surgery system. The Canady Robotic AI Surgical System is designed for minimally invasive surgeries, endoscopic surgeries, and laparoscopic surgeries as well.
An increasing number of hospitals launching new robotic surgery programs and providing robotic surgery services are creating new opportunities for medical robot providers in the future. While robotic surgeries are a reality now, there is still resistance among patients to be treated with them and this is a key challenge that medical robot companies will continue to face in the long run.
View more info and detailed Table of Contents here: https://skyquestt.com/report/medical-robotic-system-market
Assistance and Automation: Boon for Robotics
The growing proliferation of technology in the healthcare industry has resulted in the high adoption of automation solutions thereby creating a highly lucrative setting for medical robot providers. Integration of robotic process automation (RPA) to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the burden on medical staff will further open up the application scope of robotics in healthcare.
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In May 2021, Automation Anywhere, a renowned name in the robotic process automation (RPA) business, announced the launch of a new API bot to automate electronic health records (EHR) for Epic Systems, which is a leading name in the EHR industry.
Robots are also assisting aged people and patients with disabilities to go about their lives in a normal manner. The rise of assistive robots has also created a new wave of hope for robotics in healthcare. The rapidly increasing geriatric population and growing number of rehabilitation centers around the world are also creating new opportunities for robotic companies in the future. Humanoid robots are also estimated to gain popularity in the elderly care and home care space for their human-like appearance and functionality.
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In a collaboration between Robotnik, a Spanish company known for robotics and automation, and researchers at Universidad Carlos III, Spain, developed a novel elderly care robot in 2024. The robot is called ADAM (Autonomous Domestic Ambidextrous Manipulator) and is designed to help the elderly with basic daily tasks and functions.
A Revolution with Ethical Resistance
Robots are programmed to operate irrespective of moral or ethical considerations, both of which are seen as highly crucial when a patient’s life is at stake. There has been endless debate as to how ethical the use of robots in healthcare applications is but most of it has been to no avail for either the supporters or opposers. Complete autonomy given to a robot would surely ensure logical and rational precision but lacks the human emotion of saving one’s life or reacting to the situation at hand as it changes.
This dilemma has given rise to the need for rigorous oversight of the use of robots in healthcare and has also pushed the authorities to implement strict regulatory mandates. Moreover, light on recent losses of life due to shortcomings in robotic surgeries is also fanning the fire of ethical considerations and impeding the adoption of medical robots in the healthcare space.
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In February 2024, a man in the United States sued Intuitive Surgical, a leading medical device manufacturer as his wife lost her life after undergoing surgery using the da Vinci robot system designed by Intuitive Surgical. The man’s wife suffered internal injuries whilst undergoing the surgery due to the robot’s insulation issues.
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In 2015, Stephen Pettitt, a patient intended to undergo mitral valve surgery in the United Kingdom, and his lead surgeon decided to use a medical robot for his surgery. Sukumaran Nair, the lead surgeon was not trained enough and had only used the robot on a simulator, performed a lengthy operation but it could not save Stephen. Inquest revealed that Stephen had a 99% chance of survival had the procedure been done conventionally without robotic assistance.
Such incidents have put a stain on the reputation of healthcare robotics and companies need to refine their products to be flawless if they want robotics to flourish in healthcare. For now, the future of robotics in healthcare seems bright but there is still a lot of ambiguity that could easily dull the brightness for this prospect.
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