Mobile lifting robot transfers and rehabilitates patients

Danish service-robot company PTR Robots has announced the release of its robot that can mobilise and transfer patients. Developed in partnership with healthcare professionals, the PTR Robot is reported to be the first mobile, intelligent robot solution that can flexibly move around in the healthcare and nursing sectors.

While it helps individuals with impaired functions to be transferred and rehabilitated, the robot also relieves the strain on staff, redirecting them from labour-intensive tasks. The PTR Robot also reduces the risk of infection, because only one caregiver needs to be present to perform a patient transfer.

The PTR Robot was developed and tested in close collaboration with Zealand University Hospital and Vonsildhave Nursing Home, operated by the nursing group Attendo.

“The testing of PTR Robots really impressed us,” Attendo Managing Director Søren Andersen said.

“We can see interesting perspectives in the way we can assist residents and patients with care and rehabilitation, but there are also interesting perspectives in terms of improving the work environment.”

One in four bedridden patients in a typical hospital setting requires assistance to be transferred and rehabilitated. This need is even more pronounced in aged-care facilities. According to WHO, lifting injuries account for one-third of all occupational injuries among nurses.

“Many nursing homes, hospitals and institutions are keenly interested in our patient transfer and rehabilitation robot,” PTR Robots CEO Lone Jager Lindquist said.

“If an elderly person breaks his or her hip, the robot can help him/her stand up right after the operation. The robot also accompanies the patient when taking the first steps after surgery.”

The robot lifter from PTR Robots is designed to ‘shrink’ in size to easily fit through an ordinary doorway. This means that the robot outperforms traditional, stationary ceiling hoists in terms of flexibility.

PTR Robots is a subsidiary of Blue Ocean Robotics, which revolutionised the service-robot market via subsidiaries such as UVD Robots and GoBe Robots.

Blue Ocean Robotics CEO and PTR Robots Chairman Claus Risager said, “With PTR Robots we have created a brand-new product category in the area of patient transfers and rehabilitation, similar to what we did with UV disinfection with our subsidiary UVD Robots.”

UVD Robots are deployed globally, disinfecting hospitals, hotels, food processing plants, cleanrooms in the pharmaceutical industry, airports, train stations, preschools and more.