History
2022: A walking robot is released, measuring blood pressure by touching a person
On February 23, 2022, researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada introduced a humanoid robot that can measure blood pressure by touching a patient's chest. For measurement, the robot uses sensors on the fingertips.
Dry electrode sensors detect blood pressure by combining electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (FPG) readings. The Canadian team hopes that this technology will help automate routine medical procedures, as well as ensure the safety of patients and medical personnel by reducing personal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic .
A walking robot is released, measuring blood pressure by touching a person
Tasking routine medical tasks, such as measuring blood pressure, to robots is an attractive way for overloaded health systems to free up healthcare professionals for more complex and responsible work. This new technology is a step in this direction, the developers say. The robot measures blood pressure by simply touching the patient's chest, thanks to the unique sensors on the fingertips. The sensors have an unusual design, combining the ancient art of origami and bio-inspiration in the form of a blood-sucking parasite, leech.
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| Our artificial dry electrode, inspired by origami, has unique characteristics, such as suction for gripping and foldability, inspired by nature, said Tae-Ho Kim, a researcher involved in the work.
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| According to nature, we saw that in addition to the complex mechanisms of the adhesive function of leech, these creatures have an expandable posterior sucker and body, while their organs expand and contract appropriately to maintain better adhesion to their victim. Using this view, we found that origami can achieve similar movements and also be tuned.
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After placing sensors on the patient's chest, the robot receives ECG and PPG readings, and then uses algorithms to determine diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Researchers hope that such human-like robots will help automate blood pressure measurement in clinics, and in the future they may prove useful for monitoring the health of older people in institutions.
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| Blood pressure control is an important medical diagnostic tool for many chronic diseases and general good health. The use of sensory robots in medical health systems has significant benefits as they can help healthcare providers monitor patients' vital performance while creating a friendly environment for those patients who may need to be isolated, Kim said.
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| Robotics offers a promising method to reduce risks and improve the efficiency and quality of patient care as a targeted remote healthcare technology.
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