QNX OS 8.0 is a real-time working system that processes interrupts in beneath 20 microseconds with minimal jitter. | Supply: BlackBerry QNX
BlackBerry QNX, a developer of crucial embedded programs for a variety of industries, just lately launched its Age of the Robotic examine, which surveyed 1,000 international tech leaders on their belief in robotics in hospitals and working rooms.
The examine discovered that 77% of world know-how leaders report trusting robotics to hold out important capabilities within the office. It additionally indicated that 71% of organizations are both at present utilizing robotics or have concrete plans for his or her integration within the close to future.
Jim Hirsch, QNX’s vice chairman of the North American and EMEA basic embedded market (GEM), shared additional insights with The Robotic Report into the present state of the surgical robotics market.
Whereas QNX works in lots of industries, automotive being its strongest, Hirsch mentioned medical units is a robust marketplace for the corporate. “We’re utilized in nearly any and each medical machine, all the way in which up by means of robotics,” he mentioned. “It’s an fascinating discipline, and we’ll proceed to evolve our answer to assist it.”
“The place we actually shine is with functionally secure options,” Hirsch continued. “So, you possibly can construct a robotic utilizing a real-time working system, however if you happen to don’t meet sure requirements, and it’s not functionally secure, what’s the purpose?”
QNX watches robotic telesurgery
In healthcare, robotic telesurgery has demonstrated current advances. Simply final month, a surgeon in Orlando, Fla., carried out a telesurgery on a affected person in Angola.
For these surgical procedures, any latency within the surgeon’s reference to the robotic performing the surgical procedure can have disastrous outcomes. “When the physician is shifting his fingers, stitching and reducing, it has to occur in actual time when it’s commanded,” Hirsch mentioned.
Hirsch did be aware that if the system went down or one thing did go unsuitable, there was a full surgical workforce prepared in Angola to take over.
Absolutely autonomous surgical procedures are nonetheless years away, says Hirsch
“The large query just isn’t essentially about robotics, however about autonomous, AI-driven, or AI-incorporated programs,” Hirsch mentioned. Robotic-assisted surgical procedure is already right here, however there are nonetheless limitations for fully autonomous surgical procedure, he added.
Jim Hirsch, the vice chairman of the North American and EMEA basic embedded market at QNX. | Supply: LinkedIn
Hirsch in contrast autonomous surgical procedure to autonomous automobiles, which have lengthy been a aim for the business however are nonetheless a piece in progress.
“Vehicles have gotten extra autonomous,” he famous. “They’re serving to you keep throughout the lanes and with braking, however you must be the motive force. It’s actually necessary to be sure to’re not crashing into one thing and hurting somebody.”
Surgical procedures nonetheless want a human doctor to be chargeable for the robotic system, based on Hirsch. “It’ll finally come, however autonomy, whether or not it’s automated vehicles or robots doing precise surgical procedures, it’s not going to occur close to time period. It’s going to take time,” he mentioned.
Whereas totally autonomous surgical programs aren’t right here but, QNX remains to be occupied with bringing AI-focused firms into its ecosystem.
“The brand new gamers are coming into AI, and we’re trying into the way to finest incorporate these firms into our ecosystem,” Hirsch mentioned. “And ensuring that we’re a part of theirs, in order that we will simply function collectively and clients can construct sooner and higher options.”
How can we deploy extra surgical robots in shorter timeframes?
A couple of issues are nonetheless holding again the adoption of robotic surgical programs, Hirsch mentioned. The primary is value.
“Take into consideration MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines. There’s nothing superior about an MRI in comparison with all the pieces else that’s popping out now, however not all people has one,” he mentioned. Hospitals usually get round this by referring sufferers to specialists. Hirsch says hospitals may do one thing related for robotic programs.
“I believe there could also be ways in which hospitals may work collectively and have joint surgical facilities that might benefit from these programs,” he mentioned.
“Hospitals function on a razor-thin margin. So, how do they deploy the very best gear and nonetheless flip a revenue?” Hirsch continued. “In order increasingly opponents enter the surgical robotics area, you’ll begin to see costs come down.”
“Know-how is sure to get higher, sooner, and smaller. It all the time does, proper?” Hirsch added. “It’s a matter of adapting applied sciences and getting adoption from docs, hospitals, the FDA, and many others. That takes time.”
