Automated tool system could enhance efficiency in hospitals

This is the aim of scientists at GE Global Research, who are working with GE Healthcare and the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) to develop a prototype system capable of locating, sorting, delivering, and sterilising surgical tools with little oversight.

Industrial internet, robotic systems, RFID, and computer vision will form the backbone of the automated system. Tools such as clamps and scalpels will be provided a unique ID so that they are readily identifiable by various robotic components.

The prototype system will perform tasks including kitting of surgical tools, movement throughout the sterilisation process, and transport to and from the operating theatre ensuring the correct tools are in the right place, at the right time, and in sterile and working order.

‘The technologies we’re investigating have been used to automate manufacturing processes… for years, and we believe they, in combination with a new level of intelligence, can have a substantial impact in hospitals,’ said Lynn DeRose, principal investigator and Auto-ID technology expert in the Distributed Intelligent Systems Lab at GE Global Research.