“The intelligent transport box”-project has been launched and Intelligent Systems predicts a bright future for the project. It will improve the quality of patient diagnoses, increase the quality and safety when transporting blood samples and optimize resource consumption for hospital staff by installing fully automatic extraction, identification and sorting of samples.
The idea behind the project originates from a competition called “RoboCall”, held at Aalborg University Hospital in 2010. Bioanalyst Øjvind Thomasen, formerly employed by the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Aalborg University Hospital, submitted his idea: How to create a more efficient laboratory using intelligent traceability and robot technology. Øjvind Thomasen and the idea won competing with approx. 43 other proposals.
Last year a number of companies were presented for the problem. This resulted in a group of project partners with the project coordinator being Intelligent Systems. CEO/Software Architect Niki Nicolas Grigoriou predicts a bright future for the project: “It is a unique and already demanded solution, and it will create great value for both patients and health professionals.”
Savings on time and resources as well as increased safety
Niki Nicolas Grigoriou explains:”The box monitors the temperature during transport and the robotic automation in the biochemical laboratory handles arrival, and full automatically unpacking and sorting the samples,” he adds, “At the biochemical laboratory the box will pass through a robot assembly which opens the box, takes the vials out and sorts them. The box is then cleaned, sealed and stacked for recycling.”
The product is of great value for the public welfare, since an automated system will provide a positive socio-economic impact in terms of shorter hospitalization and fewer sick days and it creates an increased cost-effectiveness as the manual processes are automated.
Great potential
“I have found out that the needs for a solution like the one we are developing, are much higher than expected – and I have been in dialogue with several hospitals who want to use it. It seems they want to order the solution or part of it today… or if possible yesterday, “adds Niki Nicolas Grigoriou.
Public-private innovation cooperation strengthens the market position for private firms and the possibilities are opening within the major global health market. Niki Nicolas Grigoriou emphasizes: “The project has the potential to reach far beyond its borders, given the absence of a similar system. It will provide access to a global market for health technology worth billions. It will also generate growth in Denmark, and improve competitiveness, as there is potential for export and both retaining and creating new jobs.” He adds: “At Intelligent Systems we work with traceability technology in particular industrial areas and see great potential in using this technology in health solutions. By developing solutions for a critical sector like health, we will be able to build and strengthen our expertise.”
Find the full press release in Danish here.
More on Intelligent Systems’ “Intelligent Sample Sortation & Monitoring” here.