FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals
From: Medical Device Design - 01/24/2013

iRobot Corp., a leader in delivering robotic solutions, announced that the
RP-VITA Remote Presence Robot has received 510(k) clearance by the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hospitals. RP-VITA is the first
autonomous navigation remote presence robot to receive FDA clearance. 

Using RP-VITA, a physician communicates with his patient remotely. RP-VITA is
a joint effort between two industry leaders, iRobot and InTouch Health. The
robot combines the latest in autonomous navigation and mobility technologies
developed by iRobot with state-of-the-art telemedicine and electronic health
record integration developed by InTouch Health. RP-VITA allows remote
doctor-to-patient consults, ensuring that the physician is in the right place
at the right time and has access to the necessary clinical information to
take immediate action. The robot has unprecedented ease of use. It maps its
own environment and uses an array of sophisticated sensors to autonomously
move about a busy space without interfering with people or other objects.
Using an intuitive iPad interface, a doctor can visit a patient, and
communicate with hospital staff and patients with a single click, regardless
of their location. 

The FDA clearance specifies that RP-VITA can be used for active patient
monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings,
including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical
care assessments and examinations. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.mdtmag.com/news/2013/01/fda-clears-first-autonomous-telemedicine-robot-hospitals

Links:
RP-VITA
http://www.intouchhealth.com/products-and-services/products/rp-vita-robot/

InTouch Healthhttp://www.intouchhealth.com/

iRobot Corp.
http://www.irobot.com/us/