Cholet Hospital Center: A robot in a pocket
- Press
- Temps de lecture : 7 min
Commissioned a few months ago by the Hospital center of Cholet, the logistics robot, nicknamed “Wall-e” internally, took charge of exchanges between the pharmacy and oncology, and at night the flow of biological samples between the emergency room and the lab. Capable of transporting up to 25 kg of products, the robot, which does not exceed 70 cm in wingspan, has already traveled 700 km. Enough to free up time for caregivers who can devote themselves to their core business.
“Sourcing is essential, agrees Éric Lemonnier, logistics manager at the Cholet hospital center in Maine-et-Loire, but going on site to see how the robots are used and discussing with a colleague is worth all the training in the world “. He therefore did not hesitate to inquire with Tony Perlemoine, head of logistics projects at the University Hospital of Nantes, less than 60 km away. As a reference in terms of robotic logistics (read our articles of June 29, 2020 and August 30, 2021), the Nantes expert therefore received his Cholet colleague in the process of phosphorizing on the overhaul of floor logistics and the last meters .
Rental Maintenance
A year of reflection, exchanges at the level of the GHT 49 logistics group, an audit and training provided by the Resah, and Éric Lemonnier saw more clearly: “The use of a latest-generation autonomous robot to ensure the logistics of the last meters imposed themselves on us”. Several candidates respond to the call for tenders drawn up after consultation with the healthcare teams, the pharmacy, the laboratory, and the functional departments of the hospital, full partners in this project.
The option chosen is that of maintenance rental. A completely autonomous robot comes out of it, stuffed with artificial intelligence, capable, thanks to wifi, of calling the elevator, of phoning the caregivers to tell them that it has arrived, of warning in the event of difficulties on its journey, of Avoid an unforeseen obstacle, position yourself in front of the Hospital Pharmacy or the emergency room and recharge your batteries without any human intervention…
Deliver chemo bags in four minutes
“Commissioned only a few months ago, our robot has already been baptized “Wall-e” by caregivers, in reference to the robot from the animated film directed by Andrew Stanton for Pixar studios, confides Éric Lemonnier, they are all the more quickly appropriated as they have been involved in the reflection phase and supported during the deployment”.
For the moment, the robot having only been put into operation in February, the head of logistics at the Cholet hospital center has confined it to specific missions: “our robot is currently very busy , and limited during the day to exchanges between the pharmacy and oncology, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., before going to “docking” (to park) in the emergency room for the night until 8:45 a.m. the next day”. He can then take charge of the flow of biological samples between the emergency room and the lab.
Up to 25 kg of drugs and equipment
“Wall-e assists the teams 24 hours a day, and we have already mapped all the useful routes that can be changed quickly and without work”. The Cholet robot is programmed to serve all nursing PCs: “This easy-to-use solution for professionals allows us to manage our flows in complete safety, while guaranteeing perfect traceability. Only accredited agents, equipped with a badge, can open it to drop off or retrieve its contents”.
1m45 high, with 12 hours of autonomy, Wall-e can carry up to 25 kg of drugs and equipment. Its wingspan does not exceed 70 cm. It automatically recharges its batteries at the pharmacy or in the emergency room: “Eventually, it is configured to travel through the three wings of the main building which are spread over six floors, today, on a simple call from the obstetrical unit, the at night and on weekends, he will travel the 500 m that connect his night dock to the emergency room to the obstetrical block and then to the laboratory to deliver the sample”.
