On the Path to Hospital 4.0: KUKA Robots Sort up to 3,000 Blood Samples per Day

April 21, 2020

Aalborg University Hospital is the largest hospital in the North Jutland region of Denmark. Up to 3,000 blood samples arrive here in the lab every day. They must be tested and sorted – a time-consuming and monotonous process which has been done manually until now.

The university hospital has now automated the procedure: a robot-based system and intelligent transport boxes ensure the quality of the samples – and show how workflows in hospitals can be simplified by automation. This leaves specialist staff more time for patients – which can be an advantage especially in times of shortage of specialists or in times of intensive stress for hospitals.

Relieve employees and better control the quality of blood samples

The previous manual process was as follows: the lab staff opened the transport boxes on arrival, removed the blood samples and sorted them for further clinical analysis. Because of the large number of boxes, the hospital employees often suffered from tendon and muscle injuries as a result of the repetitive work.

“We wanted to automate this process to ease the burden on our employees,” explains Annebirthe Bo Hansen, Department Head at Aalborg University Hospital. “Furthermore, we were looking for a solution to improve monitoring of the quality and temperature of the blood samples.”

Two local companies were involved in automating the sorting process for blood samples: LT Automation A/S designed and implemented the robotic solution. Two KUKA KR AGILUS series robots were installed in the sorting system.

A conveyor belt carries the transport boxes to the robots shielded by Plexiglas screens. The software developer Intelligent Systems A/S developed the software that monitors the temperature of the blood samples during transportation.

Reducing sources of error – having more time for patients

The new system was initially tested in March 2019 and went into full operation in August. The lab technicians now have more time not only to analyze the blood samples. In addition, the automated sorting and continuous temperature control in the transport box have reduced potential sources of error.

{videobox}jKeqpAB8qfE{/videobox}

“The new system makes Aalborg University Hospital a forerunner on the path to ‘Hospital 4.0’,” says Lasse Thomsen, CEO of LT Automation. “Automation can help simplify workflows and assure high quality especially in times when there is a shortage of skilled personnel.” For this reason, he sees great potential in the robotic solution: it would be of interest to all hospitals with their own clinical biochemical lab, in this form or similar.

Source

Related Articles

Telenor

Why Industrial manufacturing Needs IoT

 

IoT for Industrial Manufacturing, sometimes called the Industrial IoT (IIoT), offers manufacturers the opportunity to radically redefine their operations and even their entire businesses. The capabilities of IoT enable manufacturers to gain greater visibility and insights into their operations through the efficient utilisation of data and the tighter integration of disparate systems.

 

PB-47-Fanuc-MSSC-400.jpg

Fanuc America and Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Have Aligned to Co-Market the Stackability of Their Industry-Recognized Certifications

FANUC America, a major supplier of CNCs, robotics, and ROBOMACHINEs, and MSSC, a long-established U.S. company in certifying front-line production technicians with foundational skills in advanced manufacturing and logistics, have aligned to co-market the stackability of their respective industry-recognized certifications.

 

 

 

DCS Research from ABB Shows How Cities Can Tackle Water Stress 1 400x275

Research from ABB Shows How Cities Can Tackle Water Stress by Reducing Carbon Emissions and Cost of Wastewater Treatment for Reuse

Recently, ABB published the first in a series of new reports for the energy and wastewater sectors to highlight the impact that technology can have in enabling industrial customers to reduce carbon emissions and manage the energy transition for a more sustainable future.

Changing Scene

Sponsored Content
The Easy Way to the Industrial IoT

The way to the Industrial IoT does not have to be complicated. Whether access to valuable data is required or new, data-driven services are to be generated, Weidmuller enables its customers to go from data to value the easy way. Weidmuller’s comprehensive and cutting-edge IIoT portfolio applies to greenfield and brownfield applications. Weidmuller offers components and solutions from data acquisition, data pre-processing, data communication and data analysis.

Visit Weidmuller’s Industrial IoT Portfolio.

ADVANCED Motion Controls Takes Servo Drives to New Heights (and Depths) with FlexPro Extended Environment Product Line

Advanced Motion Controls is proud to announce the addition of six new CANopen servo drives with Extended Environment capabilities to their FlexPro line. These new drives join AMC’s existing EtherCAT Extended Environment FlexPro drives, making the FlexPro line the go-to solution for motion control applications in harsh environments.

Many motion control applications take place in conditions that are less than ideal, such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressures, shocks and vibrations, and contamination. Electronics, including servo drives, can malfunction or sustain permanent damage in these conditions.

Read More

Service Wire Co. Announces New Titles for Key Executives

Bruce Kesler and Mark Gatewood have been given new titles and responsibilities for Service Wire Co.

Bruce Kesler has assumed the role of Senior Director – Business Development. Bruce will be responsible for Service Wire’s largest strategic accounts and our growing Strategic Accounts Team.

Mark Gatewood has been promoted to the role of Vice President – Sales & Marketing. In this role, Gatewood will lead the efforts of Service Wire Company’s entire sales and marketing organization in all market verticals.

Read More

Tri-Mach Announces the Purchase of an Additional 45,000 sq ft. Facility

Tri-Mach Elmira Facility

Recently, Tri-Mach Inc. was thrilled to announce the addition of a new 45,000 sq ft. facility. Located at 285 Union St., Elmira, ON, this facility expands Tri-Mach’s capabilities, allowing them to better serve the growing needs of their customers.

Positioning for growth, this additional facility will allow Tri-Mach to continue taking on large-scale projects, enhance product performance testing, and provide equipment storage for their customers. The building will also be the new home to their Skilled Trades Centre of Excellence.

Read More

JMP Parent Company, CONVERGIX Acquires AGR Automation, Expanding Global Reach

Convergix Automation Solutions has completed the acquisition of AGR Automation (“AGR”), a UK-based provider of custom, high-performance automation design and systems integration primarily to the life sciences industry.

Following Convergix’s acquisitions of JMP Solutions in August 2021 and Classic Design in February 2022, AGR marks the third investment in Crestview’s strategy to build Convergix into a diversified automation solutions provider targeting the global $500+ billion market, with a particular focus on the $70 billion global systems integration and connectivity segments. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Read More

Latest Articles

  • Implementing Functional Safety Requirements

    Implementing Functional Safety Requirements

    The Safety Functional Requirements Specification (SFRS; sometimes referred to as SRS or Safety Requirements Specification) is the plan for the safety controls on a machine and is the second step of the safety lifecycle. The SFRS document serves as a framework for the safety control system design, is informed by prior work done in the… Read More…

  • From Endress+Hauser, 24/7 Digital, Plant-Wide Health Monitoring for Rockwell Systems Optimizes Workflows and Processes

    From Endress+Hauser, 24/7 Digital, Plant-Wide Health Monitoring for Rockwell Systems Optimizes Workflows and Processes

    Endress+Hauser’s Asset Health Monitoring Solution–Rockwell Edition, now available for installation, provides operators with a centralized, digital overview of plant-wide device health to avoid unscheduled shutdowns and accelerate troubleshooting. It not only presents early visibility of problematic devices but distinguishes itself by adding likely causes and remedies to such a report so problems can be fixed… Read More…