Belgian company BeWell has created an automated roving kiosk that assists doctors and nurses in admitting and testing patients.
The robot kiosk, called the Wellpoint system, can measure a patients weight, pulse and pulse oximetry four minutes faster than a human can -- and it will automatically update digital medical records once the tests have been performed.
It can also guide patients through standard intake questions via a touchscreen interface, to help make admissions go faster. BeWell is looking into the possibilities of also connecting blood sugar monitors to the kiosk, to allow diabetic patients to share their testing data to the records.
Meanwhile, Brazilian doctors have found an unlikely aquatic ally in a common fish species, the tilapia, whose skin has been repurposed to treat burn victims. While animal skin is often used to treat burns, this marks the first time that a fish skin has been utilized for the purpose -- and the trials have been quite successful so far.
The skin is turned into an odorless bandage via a sterilization process, then applied directly to second and third-degree burns where it can remain throughout the healing period.
Because the bandage doesn't need to be changed as frequently, it reduces the risk of infection and cuts down on the healing time by preventing a loss of moisture and proteins from the wound.
As the fish farms generally throw the skins out, it's a sustainable, green solution as well.