Felder R A
University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Department of Pathology, Charlottesville 22908.
Ann Biol Clin (Paris). 1991;49(5):298-300.
Robotic technology is going to have a profound impact on the clinical laboratory of the future. Faced with increased pressure to reduce health care spending yet increase services to patients, many laboratories are looking for alternatives to the inflexible or "fixed" automation found in many clinical analyzers. Robots are being examined by many clinical pathologists as an attractive technology which can adapt to the constant changes in laboratory testing. Already, laboratory designs are being altered to accommodate robotics and automated specimen processors. However, the use of robotics and computer intelligence in the clinical laboratory is still in its infancy. Successful examples of robotic automation exist in several laboratories. Investigators have used robots to automate endocrine testing, high performance liquid chromatography, and specimen transportation. Large commercial laboratories are investigating the use of specimen processors which combine the use of fixed automation and robotics. Robotics have also reduced the exposure of medical technologists to specimens infected with viral pathogens. The successful examples of clinical robotics applications were a result of the cooperation of clinical chemists, engineers, and medical technologists. At the University of Virginia we have designed and implemented a robotic critical care laboratory. Initial clinical experience suggests that robotic performance is reliable, however, staff acceptance and utilization requires continuing education. We are also developing a robotic cyclosporine which promises to greatly reduce the labor costs of this analysis. The future will bring lab wide automation that will fully integrate computer artificial intelligence and robotics. Specimens will be transported by mobile robots. Specimen processing, aliquotting, and scheduling will be automated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
机器人技术将对未来的临床实验室产生深远影响。面对降低医疗保健支出同时增加患者服务的压力不断增大，许多实验室正在寻找替代方案，以取代许多临床分析仪中僵化或“固定”的自动化设备。许多临床病理学家正在研究机器人技术，认为它是一种有吸引力的技术，能够适应实验室检测中的不断变化。目前，实验室设计正在改变，以适应机器人技术和自动化标本处理设备。然而，机器人技术和计算机智能在临床实验室中的应用仍处于起步阶段。一些实验室已经有了机器人自动化的成功案例。研究人员已使用机器人实现内分泌检测、高效液相色谱分析和标本运输的自动化。大型商业实验室正在研究结合固定自动化和机器人技术的标本处理设备。机器人技术还减少了医学技术人员接触感染病毒病原体标本的机会。临床机器人应用的成功案例是临床化学家、工程师和医学技术人员合作的结果。在弗吉尼亚大学，我们设计并建立了一个机器人重症监护实验室。初步临床经验表明，机器人的性能可靠，然而，工作人员的接受程度和使用情况需要持续培训。我们还在开发一种机器人环孢素分析系统，有望大幅降低这项分析的劳动力成本。未来将实现全实验室自动化，全面整合计算机人工智能和机器人技术。标本将由移动机器人运输。标本处理、分装和调度都将实现自动化。（摘要截选至250字）
