Use of medical robotics in biothreat situations.

Abstract

SARS, Avian Flu and other infectious and potentially highly transmissible diseases are threats to the entire healthcare workforce. Complete bio-isolation or the use of biohazard suits are not practical solutions for routine day-to-day patient-doctor interactions with highly infectious patients. The authors share their initial research experiences with utilizing medical robots for teleconferencing and other clinical activities to overcome these hurdles.