Healthcare Robotics: Patently Incredible Inventions

According to the Japan Robotic Association, medical care will be one of the largest markets for robots in 2025. The coming technologies can have disruptive influences in operating rooms as much as personal computers had in offices decades ago. From steerable micro-robots traveling in our veins to precision robots guiding surgeons in the operating room, the possibilities start to force the limits of our imagination. What is the current state of the art in medical robots and how can they help us? This slideshow, based on an analysis by Innovation Rex, explores cutting-edge robotic technology patents and patent applications in the medical field.

The drawings are taken directly from the patent applications, with a bit of color added.

On the pages that follow, you will find:

-- A robotic nurse with a soft touch.

-- A robotic companion for the elderly and infirm.

-- A micro-robot that you swallow like a pill so it can take pictures on its way through your digestive and intestinal tracts.

-- An even tinier robot designed to navigate through blood vessels using a bacterial "motor."

-- Another designed to get inside your head and explore your brain.

-- An operating room robot that works cooperatively with the surgeon, rather than trying to replace him.

-- A neurosurgery robot mounted directly on the skull.

Take a look at the following pages to find out what innovators have in store for the healthcare robotics field.