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FDA approves first autonomous telemedicine robot for use in hospitals

FDA approves first autonomous telemedicine robot for use in hospitals

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irobot rp-vita
irobot rp-vita

iRobot and InTouch Health have received the FDA's stamp of approval for their RP-VITA autonomous robot, clearing the way for the bot to begin wandering hospitals throughout the United States. The RP-VITA, which is the first such telepresence robot to gain FDA clearance, is capable of automatically navigating hospitals while avoiding walls, people, and other obstacles in the process. Through the use of an iPad app that controls RP-VITA, doctors are able to check in on patients remotely. The robot includes built-in ports for diagnostic devices like ultrasound machines, stethoscopes, and otoscopes. In particular, the FDA's clearance allows RP-VITA to be used in "active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical care assessments and examinations."