Medical instrument and material distribution robot system for oral hospital

Abstract

The invention discloses a medical instrument and material distribution robot system for an oral hospital, and relates to the technical field of medical instruments. The robot comprises a robot body, a special carrier module, an intelligent dispatching management platform and a man-machine interaction module. The intelligent dispatching management platform is deeply connected with a hospital HIS system, a nursing work station and an instrument management system, various requirements such as diagnosis and treatment appointment, instant application and instrument recovery can be automatically received, tasks are dynamically distributed and an optimal path is planned in combination with task priorities and robot states, the manual dispatching cost and the distribution waiting time are greatly reduced, and the work efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the system realizes the full-life-cycle management of the materials, covering inventory early warning, expiration monitoring and association of use records and patient information by means of an RFID or two-dimensional code recognition unit, thereby not only avoiding the waste of the materials and the risk of expiration, but also realizing the whole-process tracing, and solving the problems of information lag and difficulty in tracing in the traditional manual management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical device technology, and in particular relates to a medical device and material delivery robot system for dental hospitals. Background Technology

[0002] With the advancement of smart hospital construction, automated logistics systems are being used more and more widely in hospitals. Currently, some hospital logistics robots are being used to deliver medicines, medical records, and meals. These robots typically employ autonomous navigation technology and operate in hospital corridors and ward areas.

[0003] However, in the clinical settings of dental hospitals, the aforementioned general-purpose logistics robots face numerous challenges. First, dental clinics are characterized by limited space, dense equipment, and frequent patient and staff movement, requiring robots with extremely high flexibility and safety. Second, the instruments (such as high-speed handpieces, root canal files, and scalpels) and materials (such as impression materials, resins, and implants) required for dental treatment are diverse in type, shape, and value, and require strict aseptic techniques; general-purpose carriers cannot meet their safe and contamination-free transportation needs. Third, existing delivery robot systems are not tightly integrated with the dental treatment process (such as appointment scheduling, queuing, instrument preparation, and retrieval), failing to achieve process-driven intelligent delivery and still requiring significant manual intervention, resulting in limited efficiency improvements.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a dedicated delivery robot system that can be deeply adapted to the special environment, material characteristics and workflow of clinical departments in dental hospitals, in order to solve the problems of poor adaptability, single function and low integration in the existing technology.

[0005] To address these issues, we provide a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for dental hospitals. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a medical device and material delivery robot system for dental hospitals. By combining the robot body, a dedicated carrier module, an intelligent scheduling and management platform, and a human-computer interaction module, it solves the problem that existing robots cannot be deeply adapted to the special environment, material characteristics, and workflow of clinical departments in dental hospitals.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0008] This invention relates to a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for dental hospitals, comprising a robot body, a dedicated carrier module, an intelligent scheduling and management platform, and a human-computer interaction module. The robot body has a multi-level dedicated carrier module fixedly connected to its internal cavity. Each dedicated carrier module includes a universal drawer for carrying common consumables and a specially designed dental instrument holder. The dental instrument holder has a snap-on or magnetic structure for securely securing burs, handpieces, implant tool kits, and other precision instruments, and integrates an RFID or QR code identification unit for material identification and tracking. The robot body also integrates an environmental perception and navigation system, which employs a multi-sensor fusion scheme. The system incorporates lidar, depth vision, and sonar, and features algorithm optimizations tailored to the confined and dynamic environment of dental clinics, achieving centimeter-level precision positioning, autonomous path planning, and agile obstacle avoidance. The intelligent scheduling and management platform interfaces with the hospital's HIS system, nursing workstations, and equipment management system to receive delivery requests from clinics. It dynamically allocates tasks and plans optimal paths based on the urgency of the request, the robot's location, and task status. Simultaneously, it manages the lifecycle of supplies, including inventory warnings, expiration date management, usage records, and association with patient information. The human-machine interaction module includes a touchscreen mounted on the robot, a voice prompt unit, and a mobile app, used by medical staff to issue instructions, confirm receipt, and perform rapid inventory checks.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that the multi-level design of the dedicated carrier module includes adjustable partitions and zones; the dedicated dental instrument holder is customized according to the shape and size of the instrument; and the snap-on or magnetic structure enables quick retrieval and stable fixation of the instrument. Through adjustable partitions, zone design, and customized holders, the storage flexibility of the dedicated carrier module is improved, adapting to both common consumables and precision dental instruments of different sizes. The snap-on or magnetic structure balances quick retrieval and stable fixation of the instrument, reducing the time required for medical staff to retrieve the instrument and improving operational efficiency.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that, in the multi-sensor fusion scheme of the environmental perception and navigation system, LiDAR is used to construct an environmental map and detect obstacles, depth vision is used to identify dynamic objects and perform fine obstacle avoidance, and sonar is used to supplement near-range blind spot detection. Through algorithm optimization, the robot can achieve autonomous navigation in narrow passages and densely populated areas. The specific functional division of LiDAR, depth vision, and sonar is clearly defined. Through sensor fusion and algorithm optimization, the robot's navigation ability in narrow passages and densely populated areas is enhanced, ensuring more accurate and safer autonomous movement and reducing the risk of collision.

[0011] The present invention is further configured such that the intelligent scheduling and management platform also integrates a machine learning module for analyzing historical delivery data and learning treatment process patterns to predict delivery demand and optimize task scheduling strategies. The lifecycle management of the materials includes automatically generating inventory reports, issuing early warnings for low inventory or near-expiration materials, and associating usage records with specific patient treatment information to achieve full traceability. The machine learning module can analyze historical data, predict delivery demand, and optimize scheduling strategies to reduce task waiting time. The automatic reporting, inventory and expiration warnings, and patient information association in the lifecycle management of materials improve the level of management refinement and achieve full traceability.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that the touch screen of the human-computer interaction module supports a graphical user interface for displaying delivery task details, material list, and robot status; the voice prompt unit provides voice feedback on task status and abnormal alarms; the mobile terminal APP allows medical staff to remotely submit requests, track robot location, and manage material information; the touch screen graphical interface facilitates viewing task details and robot status; voice prompts provide feedback on key information; the mobile terminal APP supports remote operation; and multiple interaction methods adapt to different usage scenarios of medical staff, improving operational convenience and flexibility.

[0013] The invention is further configured such that the robot body adopts a low and compact design and uses an omnidirectional mobile chassis to achieve flexible turning and movement in narrow spaces. The low and compact design reduces space occupation, and the omnidirectional mobile chassis enables flexible turning and movement, which can better adapt to the narrow space of dental clinics, improve the robot's ability to move in complex environments, and reduce the impact of space limitations on delivery.

[0014] The present invention is further configured such that the RFID or QR code identification unit integrated in the dedicated vehicle module communicates wirelessly with the intelligent scheduling and management platform to realize real-time positioning, usage status monitoring and automatic inventory of materials, and the RFID identification unit supports batch reading to improve efficiency.

[0015] The present invention is further configured such that the data connection between the intelligent scheduling management platform and the hospital HIS system adopts API interface or middleware technology to realize real-time synchronization of medical appointment information, equipment demand and patient data, so as to drive the automatic generation and priority allocation of delivery tasks. The API interface or middleware technology ensures stable data connection with the HIS system, realizes real-time synchronization of medical appointment, equipment demand and patient data, provides accurate data support for the automatic generation and priority allocation of delivery tasks, and improves the accuracy of task generation.

[0016] The invention is further configured such that the robot body also integrates an ultraviolet disinfection module, which is used to maintain the sterility of instruments and materials during delivery and reduce the risk of cross-infection.

[0017] A method for operating a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital includes the following steps: S1: Delivery Task Generation and Triggering Steps: The intelligent scheduling and management platform automatically generates delivery tasks with specific priorities based on delivery demand information from the hospital information system. The delivery demand information includes medical appointment information obtained from the HIS system, immediate requisition requests obtained from the nursing workstation, or medical device recycling instructions obtained from the medical device management system. The automatic generation includes at least one of process-driven generation, request-driven generation, and event-driven generation. At the same time, the robot body binds the outbound materials to the current delivery task at the material loading point through an RFID reader or QR code scanner, and uploads the binding information to the platform. S2: Dynamic task allocation and path planning steps: The platform dynamically selects the executing robot and plans its optimal movement path based on the priority of the task and the real-time status of each robot. The real-time status of the robot includes its position, battery level, and task load. The dynamic selection adopts a multi-objective optimization algorithm with the goal of minimizing the global task completion time and balancing the robot load. S3: Robot Autonomous Navigation and Delivery Execution Steps: The selected robot moves autonomously to the destination clinic according to the planned path through the environmental perception and navigation system. The environmental perception and navigation system adopts a scheme of fusion of lidar, depth vision and sonar, and performs dynamic obstacle avoidance and local path replanning during the movement. S4: Human-computer interaction and status confirmation steps in the clinic: Medical staff verify their identity and confirm receipt through the robot's human-computer interaction module, triggering a material receipt signal. The identity verification and receipt confirmation are achieved through one of the following methods: entering a verification code on the robot's touch screen, scanning the employee badge QR code, clicking confirmation through a mobile terminal APP, or performing biometric identification. The receipt confirmation operation also triggers the unlocking of the electronic lock on the robot's dedicated carrier module, allowing medical staff to retrieve the materials. S5: Material Status Update and Data Closure Steps: The platform receives the receipt signal, updates the material status, and records complete delivery data to form closed-loop management. Updating the material status includes: for delivery tasks, updating the material status to "delivered"; for recycling tasks, after confirmation by the disinfection supply center, updating the instrument status to "awaiting cleaning and disinfection". Recording complete delivery data includes information related to the materials, patients, medical staff, clinics, and execution robots involved in this delivery. Based on accumulated historical delivery data, the platform uses machine learning models to predict future delivery demand peaks and material consumption patterns, and uses this information to optimize the task generation timing in step S1 and the scheduling strategy in step S2.

[0018] The present invention has the following beneficial effects.

[0019] 1. This invention deeply integrates with the hospital's HIS system, nursing workstations, and medical device management system through an intelligent scheduling and management platform. It can automatically receive various requests such as appointment scheduling, immediate requisition, and medical device recycling. It dynamically allocates tasks and plans the optimal path based on task priority and robot status, significantly reducing manual scheduling costs and delivery waiting time. At the same time, the system relies on RFID or QR code identification units to achieve full life cycle management of materials, covering inventory warning, expiration date monitoring, usage records, and association with patient information. This not only avoids material waste and expiration risks but also enables full traceability, solving the problems of information lag and traceability difficulties in traditional manual management and helping to standardize the material management of dental hospitals.

[0020] 2. The robot body of this invention adopts a low and compact design and an omnidirectional mobile chassis, which can flexibly turn in the narrow space of a dental clinic. The environmental perception and navigation system integrates lidar, depth vision and sonar. After algorithm optimization, it can achieve centimeter-level positioning and dynamic obstacle avoidance, adapting to the dynamic and complex environment of the clinic. The special carrier module is customized with snap-on or magnetic fixing brackets for precision dental instruments to prevent damage to burs, implant tool boxes and other items. The ultraviolet disinfection module can also keep the materials sterile during delivery and reduce the risk of cross-infection. In addition, multimodal human-computer interaction methods such as touch screen, voice prompts and mobile APP allow medical staff to quickly issue instructions and confirm receipt, further improving the convenience of operation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the overall workflow of a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for use in a dental hospital.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the full lifecycle management of materials in a medical device and material delivery robot system used in a dental hospital.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance process of a robot body in a medical device and supplies delivery robot system used in a dental hospital.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the human-computer interaction and goods receipt confirmation process in a medical device and supplies delivery robot system used in a dental hospital.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of an emergency delivery process for a medical device and supplies delivery robot system used in a dental hospital. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Example 1

[0028] Please see Figure 1-5 This invention relates to a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for dental hospitals, comprising a robot body, a dedicated carrier module, an intelligent scheduling and management platform, and a human-machine interaction module. The robot body has a multi-level dedicated carrier module fixedly connected to its internal cavity. The dedicated carrier module includes a universal drawer for carrying common consumables and a specially designed dental instrument holder. The dental instrument holder has a snap-on or magnetic structure for securely securing burs, handpieces, implant tool kits, and other precision instruments, and integrates an RFID or QR code identification unit for material identification and tracking. The robot body also integrates an environmental perception and navigation system, which employs a multi-sensor fusion scheme, including… The system incorporates lidar, depth vision, and sonar, with algorithm optimizations tailored to the confined and dynamic environment of dental clinics. This enables centimeter-level precision positioning, autonomous path planning, and agile obstacle avoidance. The intelligent scheduling and management platform interfaces with the hospital's HIS system, nursing workstations, and equipment management system to receive delivery requests from clinics. It dynamically allocates tasks and plans optimal paths based on the urgency of the request, the robot's location, and task status. Simultaneously, it enables lifecycle management of supplies, including inventory alerts, expiration date management, usage records, and association with patient information. The human-machine interaction module includes a touchscreen on the robot, a voice prompt unit, and a mobile app for medical staff to issue instructions, confirm receipt, and perform rapid inventory checks. Example 2

[0029] The multi-level design of the dedicated carrier module includes adjustable partitions and compartments. The dedicated dental instrument holders are customized according to the shape and size of the instruments. The snap-on or magnetic structure enables quick access and stable fixation of instruments. Through adjustable partitions, compartment design, and customized holders, the storage flexibility of the dedicated carrier module is improved, adapting to common consumables and precision dental instruments of different sizes. The snap-on or magnetic structure ensures both quick access and stable fixation of instruments, reducing the time medical staff spend retrieving them and improving operational efficiency.

[0030] In the multi-sensor fusion scheme of the environmental perception and navigation system, LiDAR is used to build environmental maps and detect obstacles, depth vision is used to identify dynamic objects and perform fine obstacle avoidance, and sonar is used to supplement near-range blind spot detection. Through algorithm optimization, the robot can achieve autonomous navigation in narrow passages and densely populated areas. The specific functional division of LiDAR, depth vision and sonar is clearly defined. Through sensor fusion and algorithm optimization, the robot's navigation ability in narrow passages and densely populated areas is enhanced, ensuring more accurate and safe autonomous movement and reducing the risk of collision.

[0031] The intelligent scheduling and management platform also integrates a machine learning module to analyze historical delivery data and learn treatment process patterns to predict delivery demand and optimize task scheduling strategies. The lifecycle management of supplies includes automatically generating inventory reports, issuing early warnings for low inventory or near-expiration supplies, and linking usage records with specific patient treatment information to achieve full traceability. The machine learning module can analyze historical data, predict delivery demand, and optimize scheduling strategies to reduce task waiting time. The automatic reporting, inventory and expiration warnings, and patient information linkage in the lifecycle management of supplies improve the level of management refinement and achieve full traceability.

[0032] The touchscreen of the human-computer interaction module supports a graphical user interface for displaying delivery task details, material lists, and robot status. The voice prompt unit provides voice feedback on task status and abnormal alarms. The mobile terminal APP allows medical staff to remotely submit requests, track robot location, and manage material information. The touchscreen graphical interface facilitates viewing task details and robot status, while voice prompts provide feedback on key information. The mobile terminal APP supports remote operation, and the multiple interaction methods adapt to different usage scenarios for medical staff, improving operational convenience and flexibility.

[0033] The robot body adopts a low and compact design and uses an omnidirectional mobile chassis to achieve flexible turning and movement in narrow spaces. The low and compact design reduces space occupation, and the omnidirectional mobile chassis enables flexible turning and movement, which can better adapt to the narrow space of dental clinics, improve the robot's ability to move in complex environments, and reduce the impact of space limitations on delivery.

[0034] The dedicated vehicle module integrates an RFID or QR code identification unit that communicates wirelessly with the intelligent dispatch and management platform to achieve real-time positioning, usage status monitoring, and automatic inventory of materials. The RFID identification unit supports batch reading to improve efficiency.

[0035] The intelligent scheduling and management platform connects with the hospital's HIS system via API interfaces or middleware technology to achieve real-time synchronization of appointment information, equipment needs, and patient data. This drives the automatic generation and priority allocation of delivery tasks. The API interfaces or middleware technology ensure stable data connection with the HIS system, enabling real-time synchronization of appointment information, equipment needs, and patient data. This provides accurate data support for the automatic generation and priority allocation of delivery tasks, improving the accuracy of task generation.

[0036] The robot also integrates an ultraviolet disinfection module to maintain the sterility of instruments and supplies during delivery, reducing the risk of cross-infection.

[0037] A method for operating a medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital includes the following steps: S1: Delivery Task Generation and Triggering Steps: Based on delivery demand information from the hospital information system, the intelligent scheduling and management platform automatically generates delivery tasks with specific priorities. Delivery demand information includes appointment information obtained from the HIS system, immediate requisition requests obtained from the nursing workstation, or medical device recycling instructions obtained from the medical device management system. Automatic generation includes at least one of process-driven generation, request-driven generation, and event-driven generation. At the same time, at the material loading point, the robot binds the outbound materials to this delivery task through an RFID reader or QR code scanner and uploads the binding information to the platform. S2: Dynamic Task Allocation and Path Planning Steps: Based on task priority and the real-time status of each robot, the platform dynamically selects the robot to be executed and plans its optimal movement path. The real-time status of the robot includes its position, battery level, and task load. The dynamic selection adopts a multi-objective optimization algorithm with the goal of minimizing the global task completion time and balancing the robot load. S3: Robot Autonomous Navigation and Delivery Execution Steps: The selected robot moves autonomously to the destination clinic according to the planned path through the environmental perception and navigation system. The environmental perception and navigation system adopts a solution that combines lidar, depth vision and sonar, and performs dynamic obstacle avoidance and local path replanning during the movement. S4: Human-computer interaction and status confirmation steps in the clinic: Medical staff verify their identity and confirm receipt through the robot's human-computer interaction module, triggering a material receipt signal. Identity verification and receipt confirmation are achieved through one of the following methods: entering a verification code on the robot's touch screen, scanning the employee badge QR code, clicking confirmation through a mobile terminal APP, or performing biometric identification. The receipt confirmation operation also triggers the unlocking of the electronic lock on the robot's dedicated carrier module, allowing medical staff to retrieve the materials. S5: Material Status Update and Data Closure Steps: The platform receives the receipt signal, updates the material status, and records complete delivery data to form closed-loop management. Updating the material status includes: for delivery tasks, updating the material status to "delivered"; for recycling tasks, after confirmation by the sterilization supply center, updating the instrument status to "awaiting cleaning and disinfection". Recording complete delivery data includes information related to the materials, patients, medical staff, clinics, and execution robots involved in this delivery. Based on accumulated historical delivery data, the platform uses machine learning models to predict future delivery demand peaks and material consumption patterns, and uses this information to optimize the task generation timing in step S1 and the scheduling strategy in step S2. Example 3

[0038] Routine treatment scenarios in the general outpatient department of a dental hospital Environmental characteristics: The comprehensive outpatient clinic of the dental hospital includes several routine departments such as fillings, cleaning, root canal treatment, and periodontal treatment. The departments are located on the same floor, with about 10-20 treatment rooms. The average daily number of patients is 80-200. The demand for consumables mainly consists of disposable oral examination kits, resin, and filling burs. The demand for instruments includes dental scalers, root canal treatment instruments, and periodontal scaling instruments. Moreover, the demand of each treatment room is scattered and frequent, which makes it easy for manual delivery to be missed or delayed.

[0039] System User Manual: The intelligent scheduling and management platform obtains the daily appointment list from the HIS system in advance. One hour before the clinic opens, it automatically generates a "process-driven" delivery task. The disposable examination kits needed for each clinic in the morning are stored in a general drawer, arranged according to clinic area. Commonly used burs are fixed to a dedicated magnetic mounting bracket and distributed to two robots. The robots adopt a low and compact design and can flexibly move between clinics in a 1.2-meter-wide aisle via an omnidirectional mobile chassis. The environmental perception system integrates LiDAR and depth vision to avoid passing medical staff and waiting patients. When a clinic needs to replenish filling resin temporarily, the request is submitted through the nursing workstation. The platform triggers a "request-driven" task, prioritizing the dispatch of the nearest idle robot with sufficient power to complete the delivery within 10 minutes. Medical staff confirm receipt by entering a verification code on the touchscreen. The system automatically updates the resin inventory status and links it to the treatment records of the patients currently treated in that clinic. Example 4

[0040] Dental implant center surgical scene Environmental characteristics: The dental implant center has 3-4 independent sterile operating rooms. Implant surgery requires specialized precision instruments, implant tool kits, implant handpieces, torque wrenches. The requirements for the sterility, precise fixation and timely delivery of instruments are extremely high. Moreover, the operation time is fixed, 1-2 hours per operation. Instruments need to be prepared in advance, and the used instruments need to be collected and sent to the sterilization supply center in a timely manner after the operation.

[0041] System User Manual: One day before surgery, the intelligent scheduling and management platform generates a "process-driven" pre-operative delivery task based on the implant surgery appointment information in the HIS system. Implant tool kits matching the patient's size are fixed in a customized snap-on frame to prevent shaking. Sterile implant mobile phones are stored in a carrier layer equipped with an ultraviolet disinfection module and assigned to a dedicated robot. During delivery, the robot activates the ultraviolet disinfection module to maintain the sterility of the instruments. Upon arrival at the operating room, medical staff scan the robot's QR code via a mobile app to confirm receipt. The electronic lock automatically unlocks the carrier layer. After surgery, the platform receives a "recycling instruction" from the instrument management system and generates an "event-driven" recycling task. The robot goes to the operating room to collect the used instruments, binds the recycling task information through an RFID identification unit, and delivers them to the sterilization supply center. The system updates the instrument status to "awaiting cleaning and disinfection" and records the recycling time and the executing robot number. Example 5

[0042] Peak hours at pediatric dental clinics Environmental characteristics: The pediatric dental clinic sees patients on weekends, with an average of 20-25 children per day. The clinic space is small, about 15 square meters, and is often furnished with children's comfort toys, parent chairs, and many dynamic obstacles. The main needs are for children's special examination kits and soothing dental handpieces. Medical staff need to respond quickly to the needs of children to reduce crying.

[0043] System Usage Instructions: During peak weekend hours (9:00-12:00), the intelligent scheduling and management platform analyzes historical data through a machine learning module to predict peak consumption of children's examination kits. A "predictive" replenishment task is generated in advance at 8:30 AM, storing 10 sets of examination kits in a general drawer with dividers adjusted to suit children's consumables. These kits are then allocated to the robot. The robot uses an omnidirectional chassis, allowing for 360° flexible turning within the confined space of the examination room. The environmental perception system supplements near-field blind spot detection with sonar, avoiding running children and standing parents. When a clinic needs a soothing dental handpiece, medical staff can urgently call via the robot's voice prompt unit. The platform prioritizes dispatching the robot closest to that clinic. The robot uses depth vision to identify parents waiting at the clinic door, automatically pausing and issuing a voice prompt, "Please make way, emergency supplies are being delivered." Upon arrival, medical staff quickly confirm receipt by scanning the employee's badge QR code. The entire delivery process is controlled within 5 minutes, reducing children's waiting time. Example 6

[0044] Emergency dental procedures at night Environmental characteristics: The dental emergency clinic is open at night, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM the next day, with only one consultation room open. There are few medical staff, only one doctor and one nurse. There are many sudden and urgent needs, and manual delivery requires round trips from the warehouse, which takes a long time.

[0045] System Usage Instructions: During nighttime hours, the intelligent dispatch and management platform operates in "emergency mode," working in real-time with the emergency nursing workstation. When a trauma patient arrives, the nurse submits a request for "emergency hemostatic kit + emergency tooth extraction instruments" through the nursing workstation. The platform immediately generates a "request-driven" task with the highest priority, automatically matching the robot closest to the emergency room with ≥80% battery power. The robot activates the "nighttime optimization algorithm" of its environmental perception system, using lidar to enhance the recognition of obstacles in dimly lit corridors and depth vision to reduce light interference. During its journey to the emergency room, the voice prompt unit continuously plays "Emergency supplies delivery, please be aware of the surrounding area," reminding the night shift staff. Upon arrival, the nurse enters a preset emergency verification code via the touchscreen, unlocking the electronic lock on the vehicle layer. After the nurse retrieves the supplies, the system immediately updates the supply status to "delivered" and links it to the patient's emergency medical record number. Simultaneously, based on this emergency delivery data, the platform optimizes the dispatch strategy for nighttime emergency tasks, adjusting the standby positions of robots around the emergency room to the nearest warehouse entrance. Example 7

[0046] Situations where a sudden change in condition occurs during dental treatment, or where unplanned consumables and instruments are unavailable. Environmental characteristics: A routine dental treatment is underway in the dental clinic, involving a filling for deep caries in a permanent tooth. During the treatment, it is discovered that the caries has penetrated deep into the dentin, with exposed pulp, requiring an emergency switch to "endodontic treatment." The originally planned filling resin and ordinary burs are insufficient, necessitating additional endodontic agents, round-tipped probes, and a rubber dam system. At this time, the attending physician needs to continuously operate on the patient's oral cavity and cannot leave the clinic to retrieve supplies. Nurses need to remain on-site to assist with the treatment. Furthermore, the round trip from the clinic to the supplies warehouse takes 8-10 minutes, and waiting for manual delivery could prolong the patient's treatment time and increase pain and discomfort. The clinic space already contains a treatment chair and operating table, with only a passageway of approximately 0.8 meters wide for the robot to pass through. Additionally, one family member is present, creating numerous dynamic interference factors.

[0047] System Usage Instructions: Quick Initiation of Emergency Needs: Nurses can use the "Emergency Request" module in the mobile terminal APP to select "Pulp Soothing Agent, Round-tipped Probe, Rubber Dam System" with one click. The system will automatically associate the current clinic number and patient treatment ID, mark the task priority as "Emergency", and no additional forms need to be filled out. After submission, it will be synchronized to the intelligent dispatch management platform within 10 seconds.

[0048] Platform emergency dispatch response: After receiving a request, the platform immediately selects the robot closest to the current clinic, skips the regular task queue, and directly assigns the task; at the same time, it temporarily retrieves the inventory data of the turnover cabinet through the API interface to confirm that the required materials are in stock, generates an "event-driven" emergency delivery task, and sends it to the robot simultaneously.

[0049] Robotic rapid retrieval and loading: After receiving instructions, the robot moves to the consumable turnover cabinet at emergency speed, scans the material tags in the turnover cabinet with its own RFID reader, and quickly completes the binding and loading of "pulp sedative, round-tipped probe, and rubber dam system". No human assistance is required during the process, and the carrier module automatically closes the electronic lock of the unused area to prevent accidental retrieval.

[0050] Precise navigation in confined spaces: When the robot moves, the environmental perception system optimizes its algorithms for scenarios with narrow passages and accompanying personnel: LiDAR focuses on identifying treatment chairs and operating tables on both sides of the passage, depth vision tracks the movement trajectory of family members in real time, and sonar supplements the detection of treatment tools scattered on the ground; when passing by family members, it automatically slows down to 0.2m / s, and a voice prompt says "Emergency delivery, please do not approach", while adjusting its route to the center line of the passage to ensure a safe distance of ≥0.3 meters from the family members, and finally arrives at the door of the target clinic within 3 minutes.

[0051] Contactless and rapid handover: After the robot docks at the designated pickup point in the clinic, the touchscreen automatically pops up an "Emergency Supplies Confirmation" interface. The nurse scans the temporary QR code on the robot screen with the APP to complete the identity verification without having to get close. After successful verification, the electronic lock of the corresponding area of ​​the dedicated vehicle is immediately unlocked, and a voice prompt says "Supplies have been unlocked, please pick them up quickly". The nurse can pick up all the supplies in just 15 seconds without having to leave the treatment support position.

[0052] Data closed loop and optimized records: After the nurse picks up the goods, the APP automatically synchronizes the "receipt confirmation" status, and the platform immediately updates the status of the supplies to "received" and links it to the patient's "condition change treatment record"; at the same time, it records the data of the entire delivery process, and the machine learning module marks this type of "sudden need in the middle of treatment" as a high-frequency emergency scenario. Subsequently, it automatically increases the stock of pulp soothing agents and round-tipped probes in the turnover cabinet next to the same type of clinic, shortening the robot's picking distance.

[0053] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are only for the purpose of illustrating the present invention. The preferred embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementation described herein. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present invention, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and utilize the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital, comprising a robot body, a dedicated carrier module, an intelligent scheduling and management platform, and a human-computer interaction module, characterized in that: The robot body has multiple layers of dedicated carrier modules fixedly connected to its internal cavity. The dedicated carrier module includes a general-purpose drawer for carrying common consumables and a specially designed dental instrument holder. The dental instrument holder has a snap-on or magnetic structure for securely fixing burs, handpieces, implant tool boxes, and other precision instruments, and integrates an RFID or QR code identification unit to achieve identification and tracking of materials. The robot body integrates an environmental perception and navigation system, which adopts a multi-sensor fusion scheme, including lidar, depth vision and sonar. The algorithm is optimized for the small and dynamic environment of the dental clinic to achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy, autonomous path planning and sensitive obstacle avoidance. The intelligent scheduling and management platform interfaces with the hospital's HIS system, nursing workstations, and equipment management system to receive delivery requests from clinics and dynamically allocate tasks and plan optimal paths based on the urgency of the request, robot location, and task status. It also enables lifecycle management of supplies, including inventory warnings, expiration date management, and association of usage records with patient information. The human-computer interaction module includes a touch screen, a voice prompt unit, and a mobile terminal APP installed on the robot, which are used by medical staff to issue instructions, confirm receipt, and perform quick inventory checks.

2. The medical device and material delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-level design of the dedicated carrier module includes adjustable partitions and zones. The dental instrument fixture is customized according to the shape and size of the instrument. The snap-on or magnetic structure enables quick placement and stable fixation of the instrument.

3. The medical device and material delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the multi-sensor fusion scheme of the environmental perception and navigation system, lidar is used to construct environmental maps and detect obstacles, depth vision is used to identify dynamic objects and perform fine obstacle avoidance, sonar is used to supplement near-range blind spot detection, and algorithm optimization enables the robot to navigate autonomously in narrow passages and densely populated areas.

4. The medical device and material delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent scheduling and management platform also integrates a machine learning module to analyze historical delivery data and learn treatment process patterns in order to predict delivery demand and optimize task scheduling strategies. The lifecycle management of the materials includes automatically generating inventory reports, issuing early warnings for low inventory or near-expiration materials, and associating usage records with specific patient treatment information to achieve full traceability.

5. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The touchscreen of the human-machine interaction module supports a graphical user interface for displaying delivery task details, material lists, and robot status. The voice prompt unit provides voice feedback on task status and abnormal alarms. The mobile terminal APP allows medical staff to remotely submit requests, track robot location, and manage material information.

6. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot body adopts a low and compact design and uses an omnidirectional mobile chassis to achieve flexible turning and movement in confined spaces.

7. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dedicated vehicle module integrates an RFID or QR code identification unit that communicates wirelessly with the intelligent scheduling and management platform to achieve real-time positioning, usage status monitoring, and automatic inventory of materials. The RFID identification unit supports batch reading to improve efficiency.

8. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent scheduling and management platform connects with the hospital's HIS system via API interfaces or middleware technology to achieve real-time synchronization of appointment information, equipment requirements, and patient data, thereby driving the automatic generation and priority allocation of delivery tasks.

9. A medical device and supplies delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot body also integrates an ultraviolet disinfection module to maintain the sterility of instruments and supplies during delivery and reduce the risk of cross-infection.

10. The method of operation of a medical device and material delivery robot system for a dental hospital according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1: Delivery Task Generation and Triggering Steps: The intelligent scheduling and management platform automatically generates delivery tasks with specific priorities based on delivery demand information from the hospital information system. The delivery demand information includes medical appointment information obtained from the HIS system, immediate requisition requests obtained from the nursing workstation, or medical device recycling instructions obtained from the medical device management system. The automatic generation includes at least one of process-driven generation, request-driven generation, and event-driven generation. At the same time, the robot body binds the outbound materials to the current delivery task at the material loading point through an RFID reader or QR code scanner, and uploads the binding information to the platform. S2: Dynamic task allocation and path planning steps: The platform dynamically selects the robot to be executed and plans its optimal movement path based on the priority of the task and the real-time status of each robot. The real-time status of the robot includes its position, battery level, and task load. The dynamic selection adopts a multi-objective optimization algorithm with the goal of minimizing the global task completion time and balancing the robot load. S3: Robot Autonomous Navigation and Delivery Execution Steps: The selected robot moves autonomously to the destination clinic according to the planned path through the environmental perception and navigation system. The environmental perception and navigation system adopts a scheme of fusion of lidar, depth vision and sonar, and performs dynamic obstacle avoidance and local path replanning during the movement. S4: Human-computer interaction and status confirmation steps in the clinic: Medical staff verify their identity and confirm receipt through the robot's human-computer interaction module, triggering a material receipt signal. The identity verification and receipt confirmation are achieved through one of the following methods: entering a verification code on the robot's touch screen, scanning the employee badge QR code, clicking confirmation through a mobile terminal APP, or performing biometric identification. The receipt confirmation operation also triggers the unlocking of the electronic lock on the robot's dedicated carrier module, allowing medical staff to retrieve the materials. S5: Material Status Update and Data Closure Steps: The platform receives the receipt signal, updates the material status and records complete delivery data to form closed-loop management. Updating the material status includes: for delivery tasks, updating the material status to "delivered". For the recycling task, after confirmation by the sterilization supply center, the status of the instruments is updated to "to be cleaned and disinfected". The complete delivery data recorded includes information related to the materials, patients, medical staff, clinics and execution robots involved in this delivery. Based on the accumulated historical delivery data, the platform uses machine learning models to predict future delivery demand peaks and material consumption patterns, and uses this to optimize the task generation timing in step S1 and the scheduling strategy in step S2.

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