The UJI and the Provincial Hospital are testing a robot for isolation situations due to infectious or radiological risks

The robotic unit was developed by the IRSLab team at the UJI's Centre for Research in Robotics and Underwater Technologies (CIRTESU) as part of the European H2020 El-Peacetolero project in collaboration with the Provincial Hospital

UNIVERSITAT JAUME I

 

VIDEO: 

THE UNIVERSITAT JAUME I AND THE CASTELLÓ PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL CONSORTIUM HAVE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TELEOPERATED MOBILE OMNIDIRECTIONAL TERRESTRIAL MANIPULATOR ROBOT FOR USE IN ISOLATION SITUATIONS DUE TO INFECTIOUS OR RADIOLOGICAL RISKS.

THE FIRST TRIAL CONSISTED OF A MOBILITY TEST, NAVIGATION OF THE ROBOT IN CORRIDORS AND ROOMS, OPENING OF DOORS, DATA ACQUISITION FOR 3D RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND REACH WITH THE MANIPULATOR ARM.

THE ROBOT WOULD BE USED TO DELIVER FOOD AND MEDICATION TO PATIENTS IN ISOLATION DUE TO INFECTIOUS PATHOLOGIES OR ADMITTED TO THE SPECIAL HOSPITALISATION UNIT, WHERE PEOPLE REQUIRING METABOLIC THERAPY OR GYNAECOLOGICAL BRACHYTHERAPY ARE TREATED, THUS AVOIDING UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE OF HEALTHCARE STAFF TO POSSIBLE INFECTIOUS OR RADIOLOGICAL RISKS.

THE ROBOTIC UNIT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE IRSLAB TEAM AT THE UJI'S CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN ROBOTICS AND UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGIES (CIRTESU) AS PART OF THE EUROPEAN H2020 EL-PEACETOLERO PROJECT TO INSPECT PLASTIC PIPES IN SCENARIOS WITH RADIOACTIVE RISKS WHERE HUMAN INTERVENTION IS NOT FEASIBLE, ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEM HAS ALSO BEEN DESIGNED FOR USE IN BIOHAZARD ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS A HOSPITAL CENTRE.

THE TELEOPERATED OMNIDIRECTIONAL MOBILE TERRESTRIAL MANIPULATOR ROBOT INTEGRATES AN INTELLIGENT SENSOR EQUIPPED WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, USES 2D AND 3D LIDAR SYSTEMS MOUNTED ON THE MOBILE HEAD AND HAS A MANIPULATOR ARM FOR FUTURE ASSISTANCE TO THE PATIENT.

THE EL-PEACETOLERO PROJECT (EMBEDDED ELECTRONIC SOLUTIONS FOR POLYMER INNOVATIVE SCANNING TOOLS USING LIGHT EMITTING DEVICES FOR DIAGNOSTIC ROUTINES) HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION'S HORIZON 2020 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PROGRAMME UNDER GRANT AGREEMENT NO. 945320.

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CREDIT: UNIVERSITAT JAUME I OF CASTELLÓN (SPAIN)

The Universitat Jaume I and the Castelló Provincial Hospital Consortium have tested the effectiveness of a teleoperated mobile omnidirectional terrestrial manipulator robot for use in isolation situations due to infectious or radiological risks. The first trial consisted of a mobility test, navigation of the robot in corridors and rooms, opening of doors, data acquisition for 3D reconstruction of the environment and reach with the manipulator arm.

The robot would be used to deliver food and medication to patients in isolation due to infectious pathologies or admitted to the Special Hospitalisation Unit, where people requiring metabolic therapy or gynaecological brachytherapy are treated, thus avoiding unnecessary exposure of healthcare staff to possible infectious or radiological risks.

The robotic unit was developed by the IRSLab team at the UJI's Centre for Research in Robotics and Underwater Technologies (CIRTESU) as part of the European H2020 El-Peacetolero project to inspect plastic pipes in scenarios with radioactive risks where human intervention is not feasible, although the system has also been designed for use in biohazard environments such as a hospital centre.

The first steps to adapt the equipment to the hospital environment and needs were taken as part of the doctoral thesis of Amparo Tirado Bou, from the Doctoral Programme in Computer Science, directed by Raúl Marín of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, with the support of lecturers Pedro J. Sanz and Juan J. Echagüe of CIRTESU, Eladio Collado, lecturer of Nursing and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the researchers of the different teams and the professionals of the Provincial Hospital, who have contributed ideas and possible applications to improve the safety and well-being of medical care.

In the case of metabolic therapy, the patient receives radioactive drugs orally or intravenously. This treatment requires the patient to be admitted to a room specially adapted to meet the radiation protection standards set by the Nuclear Safety Council.

The Consortium has two rooms dedicated exclusively to these treatments. The patient remains in the rooms in isolation, unable to leave or receive visitors, until the radiation levels have fallen to legal limits, which usually takes two or three days.

During this time, the patient receives continuous remote care from the centre's medical and nursing staff, who have previously attended a course for supervisors or operators of radioactive facilities.

Radiological monitoring of workers exposed to ionising radiation is carried out by means of passive detection systems known as dosimeters, which are read by bodies or institutions expressly authorised and controlled by the Nuclear Safety Council.

Gynaecological brachytherapy, which is carried out in another dedicated room, plays a key role in the treatment of cancer by delivering a high dose of radiation to a very well-defined tumour volume with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

The patient receiving this treatment is transferred to the room in the Special Hospitalisation Unit, where she must remain isolated, without staff or companions, during the minutes of irradiation, about 10 minutes every hour, for a period that can range from one to four days.

The teleoperated omnidirectional mobile terrestrial manipulator robot integrates an intelligent sensor equipped with artificial intelligence, uses 2D and 3D LIDAR systems mounted on the mobile head and has a manipulator arm for future assistance to the patient.

The El-Peacetolero project (Embedded Electronic Solutions for Polymer Innovative Scanning Tools Using Light Emitting Devices for Diagnostic Routines) has been funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 945320.

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling