Coronarvirus testing bot probes the nose with an incredibly long stick through movements of a human operator who can 'feel' the procedure using a joystick

  • A robot could replace healthcare workers administrating coronavirus tests
  • The system is operated using a joystick, allowing staff to direct the machine 
  • A long swab is attached to the end that is insert through the nose to the throat
  •  A healthcare worker watches the procedure on a monitor in another room 
A new swabbing machine could soon replace healthcare officials testing patients for coronavirus in order to stop the pandemic from spreading.
Korean scientists are developing a remotely controlled machine that probes the nose with a long swab in order to grab samples throughout the entire passage to the throat that can be tested for the coronavirus.
The system includes a head stabilizer, allowing patients to rest comfortably during the procedure, along with a joystick and screen used by a human worker to maneuver the robot.
There is also is force feedback in the joystick, allowing the operator to ‘feel’ what they are doing in order to properly carry out the procedure.
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A new swabbing machine could soon replace healthcare officials testing patients for coronavirus in order to stop the pandemic from spreading
A new swabbing machine could soon replace healthcare officials testing patients for coronavirus in order to stop the pandemic from spreading
The coronavirus began spreading in China last year and quickly made its way across the globe - there are more than nine million cases and over 480,000 deaths worldwide.
Officials scrambled to help design tests that spot the virus, the most common is inserting a long swab through the nose.
A healthcare worker inserts the swab deep into the nostril to reach the back of the throat.
Once there, the swab is rotated for a few seconds in order to collect cells from the nasal cavity.
The system includes a head stabilizer, allowing patients to rest comfortably during the procedure, along with a joystick and screen used by a human worker to maneuver the robot
The system includes a head stabilizer, allowing patients to rest comfortably during the procedure, along with a joystick and screen used by a human worker to maneuver the robot
Korean scientists are developing a remotely controlled machine that probes the nose with a long swab in order to grab samples throughout the entire passage to the throat that can be tested for the coronavirus
Korean scientists are developing a remotely controlled machine that probes the nose with a long swab in order to grab samples throughout the entire passage to the throat that can be tested for the coronavirus
The testing process, which is standard worldwide, is followed by the sample being sent off to a lab to look for genetic material of the coronavirus within the patient's DNA.
However, this process leaves the nurse or doctor administering the test vulnerable to being infected.
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials have constructed a robot that can carry out the test without a human other than the patient in the room, reports Korea Biomedical Review.
The patient rests their head on a stabilizer and wait patiently for the procedure to begin.
A human operator in a separate room is seated in front of a monitor, seeing the view of the robot.
A small joystick sits on the table with a short stick attached to it that acts like the robot’s swab, allowing the nurse or doctor to maneuver the robot through the procedure
A small joystick sits on the table with a short stick attached to it that acts like the robot’s swab, allowing the nurse or doctor to maneuver the robot through the procedure
Researchers hope this robot will allow healthcare workers to keep a safe distance will administrating the coronavirus test
Researchers hope this robot will allow healthcare workers to keep a safe distance will administrating the coronavirus test 
A small joystick sits on the table with a short stick attached to it that acts like the robot’s swab, allowing the nurse or doctor to maneuver the robot through the procedure.
The monitor also shows the path from the nostril into the back of the throat, allowing the operator to grab samples accurately.
Dr. Seo Joon-ho at the Medical Device Lab of The Daegu Convergence Technology Research Center, which is located at the university, said: ‘I hope this technology will be used as one of the methods for collecting non-face-to-face samples of high-risk infectious diseases, including Covid-19, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in a safe medical environment.’
‘It is expected to be clinically useful for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in the future.’

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