PREPARING FOR THE SURGICAL ROBOT BOOM
ROBOTICS SURGICAL ROBOT
ACCUTRONICS
PREPARING FOR THE SURGICAL ROBOT BOOM
With greater investment from healthcare organisations and surgical robot technology about to become generic , the conditions are perfect for a boom in the surgical robotics market . But how can design engineers and technical medical staff ensure these new systems operate reliably and safely ? Michele Windsor , global marketing manager at surgical robot battery manufacturer Accutronics , has a solution .
While they may sometimes feel like a new medical technology , surgical robots have actually been around for several decades . The first robot system successfully conducted a neurosurgical biopsy in 1985 , while the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) approved its first surgical robot — the da Vinci surgical system — in 2000 .
However , it ’ s only in the past few years that we ’ ve seen this technology really take off . In the UK , the number of surgical robots used in prostate cancer centres at NHS hospitals tripled between 2010 and 2017 . The NHS subsequently invited companies to tender for a £ 300m surgical robot contract in January 2018 , showing that the number of robot surgeons in the UK will continue to grow in the coming years .
This same growth is happening across the world , and the popularity of the da Vinci system is an effective barometer of the growing popularity . According to Intuitive Surgical , the company behind the system , the da Vinci robot had sold 4,271 units globally as of September 30 , 2017 . More than 50 per cent of these were installed in the US alone .
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As The Economist reported in 2017 , many of Intuitive Surgical ’ s patents are due to expire soon , which will bring with it greater competition from start-ups and established companies . This is ideal for the prosperity of the robot market and will improve the precision and effectiveness of complex , minimally-invasive surgeries . However , it does bring challenges with it .
If new companies enter the surgical robot market , it is critical that those systems are designed to the same quality and safety standards as those produced by companies with more experience . This means that design engineers working on the project must understand the importance of each component in the system , especially critical back-up power components such as batteries .
Traditionally , robot systems have used sealed lead acid ( SLA ) batteries as a back-up power source . This is because , in hospital environments with increasingly complex electrical requirements , AC power alone is not always reliable . The critical nature of the application means that even a momentary loss of power can have disastrous , even fatal , consequences .
However , the traditional SLA batteries used in robotic systems have their drawbacks . The batteries are bulky and unwieldy , offer relatively low energy density and require frequent maintenance and servicing every two years . When you consider the associated costs of this , it makes for a relatively high total cost of ownership — which is understandably undesirable for healthcare environments where a strong return on investment is important .
Fortunately , new movers into the surgical robots market have an opportunity to bypass these traditional problems by designing smart SLA replacement batteries into the system .
For example , Ultralife Corporation ’ s lithium iron phosphate ( LiFePO4 ) technology has a similar charging method as SLAs , but with an inherently safer chemistry , a service life of five to seven years and an internal battery management system ( BMS ) that ensures protection from over-charging and overdischarging , which can cause damage over time .
The role of design engineers in ensuring the safety of the next generation of surgical robots is to consider the proper critical backup power-supply early in the design process . By considering alternatives to traditional SLAs , design engineers can help their projects outperform traditional systems , for longer , while maximising patient safety .
With a surge in the number of medical technology manufacturers active in the surgical robot market likely to occur in the coming years , now is the ideal time for design engineers to consult with a robot battery specialist like Accutronics or Ultralife Corporation to ensure their project is a success .
For help choosing the right smart battery for your robot , contact Accutronics on + 44 ( 0 ) 1782 566 688