Autonomous Mobile Robot for Hospital Pharmaceutical Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hospital settings, the delivery of pharmaceutical items is often delayed due to hospital runners taking breaks, and there is a challenge in finding and retaining qualified personnel for such roles, necessitating an improved method for fulfilling medication orders.

Innovation Solution

A mobile robot system that autonomously transports and delivers pharmaceutical items from a pickup location to designated drop-off locations within a patient care facility, equipped with sensors, a manipulator system, security features, and communication capabilities, allowing for fully or semi-autonomous operation and adaptation to changing environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hospital runners are used to deliver pharmaceutical items, then human judgment and flexibility are provided, but delivery delays occur due to breaks and staffing challenges arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery reliabilityVSAvoiddelivery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile robot autonomously navigates hospital corridors, locates pharmaceutical items, transports them to destinations, and interacts with staff using its interface, performing the entire delivery task independently without requiring human runners

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical human runner system with an automated mobile robot system equipped with sensors, manipulators, and navigation capabilities to perform pharmaceutical item delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If human runners are employed for medication delivery, then adaptability to patient needs is achieved, but staffing recruitment and retention difficulties occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery adaptabilityVSAvoidstaffing availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The robot autonomously performs navigation, item retrieval, transport, and delivery confirmation without requiring human operators, eliminating staffing recruitment and retention issues while maintaining delivery adaptability through programmable functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If mobile robot is deployed for pharmaceutical delivery, then delivery speed and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery efficiencyVSAvoidrobot system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile robot is designed as a multi-functional platform capable of autonomous navigation, pharmaceutical item manipulation, secure transport, and interface interactions, consolidating multiple delivery functions into a single system to manage complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9489490B1Mobile robot for receiving, transporting, and/or delivering one or more pharmaceutical items

Publication Date: 2016.11.08 VECNA ROBOTICS INC

AI summary

Mobile robots and methods for operating mobile robots are provided. One of these mobile robots autonomously transports a pharmaceutical item from a first location to a second location. The mobile robot autonomously delivers the pharmaceutical item at the second location.