The Coronarvirus test bot probes the nose with an incredibly long stick through the movements of a human operator who can ‘feel’ the procedure using a joystick
- Robot could replace healthcare workers administering coronavirus tests
- The system works with a joystick, allowing personnel to steer the machine.
- A long swab is placed at the end, which is inserted through the nose and down the throat.
- A health worker observes the procedure on a monitor in another room.
A new smear machine could soon replace health care officials examining patients for coronaviruses to stop the spread of the pandemic.
Korean scientists are developing a remotely controlled machine that probes the nose with a long swab to take samples along the entire passage to the throat that can be analyzed for the coronavirus.
The system includes a head stabilizer, which allows patients to rest comfortably during the procedure, along with a joystick and display used by a human worker to maneuver the robot.
There is also force feedback on the joystick, allowing the operator to “feel” what he is doing to carry out the procedure correctly.
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A new smear machine could soon replace health care officials who examine patients for coronaviruses to stop the spread of the pandemic.
The coronavirus began to spread in China last year and quickly spread worldwide: there are more than nine million cases and more than 480,000 deaths worldwide.
Officials were quick to help design tests to detect the virus, most commonly inserting a long swab through the nose.
A healthcare worker inserts the swab deep into the nose to reach the back of the throat.
Once there, the swab is rotated for a few seconds to collect cells from the nasal cavity.
The system includes a head stabilizer, which allows patients to rest comfortably during the procedure, along with a joystick and display used by a human worker to maneuver the robot.
Korean scientists are developing a remotely controlled machine that probes the nose with a long swab to take samples along the entire passage to the throat that can be analyzed for the coronavirus.
The testing process, which is standard worldwide, is followed by the sample that is sent to a laboratory to search for genetic material from the coronavirus within the patient’s DNA.
However, this process leaves the nurse or doctor administering the test vulnerable to infection.
Researchers from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials have built a robot that can carry out the test without a human other than the patient in the room, reports Korea Biomedical Review.
The patient rests his head on a stabilizer and waits patiently for the procedure to begin.
A human operator in a separate room is sitting in front of a monitor, watching the robot’s view.
A small joystick sits on the table with a short stick attached to it that acts as the robot’s swab, allowing the nurse or doctor to maneuver the robot during the procedure.
Researchers hope this robot will allow healthcare workers to keep a safe distance by administering the coronavirus test.
A small joystick sits on the table with a short stick attached to it that acts as the robot’s swab, allowing the nurse or doctor to maneuver the robot during the procedure.
The monitor also shows the path from the nostril to the back of the throat, allowing the operator to accurately sample.
Dr. Seo Joon-ho at the Daegu Convergence Technology Research Center Medical Device Laboratory, which is located at the university, said: ‘I hope this technology will be used as one of the methods to collect data not expensive to Face samples of high-risk infectious diseases, including Covid-19, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in a safe medical environment.
“It is expected to be clinically useful for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in the future.”
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