Category: Blog

Description:

The Compact Preciso Medical Cart is a lightweight and versatile multi-purpose medical cart with a small footprint which makes it super easy to maneuver, even in tight spaces. The flexible design of this model means that it can be used to transport all sorts of medical supplies including PPE or anything else that needs to be dispersed all throughout facilities. This cart also comes with a key locking system to secure valuables and other important supplies, as well as a molded ABS plastic top and base to ensure easy sanitization, another key factor in dealing with COVID. The back and side walls of the Compact Preciso Medical Cart are reinforced with aluminum and polyethylene making it very durable, and the quiet 4” casters guarantee this product will be reliable for years.  

Key Features:

• Easy to maneuver
• Capable of transporting a wide variety of medical equipment
• Locking system to secure valuables
• Easy sanitization with ABS plastic top
• Highly durable materials that increase lifetime of the cart
• Comes in yellow, red, blue & white but white is sure to be a versatile look for long term use

Why is this a key COVID-19 product?

The Compact Preciso Medical Cart is highly versatile and flexible.  Not only will it greatly aid facilities in getting through COVID times, but will prove its value even beyond the pandemic era.

Description:

The 311 Utility Cart is Lakeside’s very first and best-selling product. Facilities have relied on the 311 for over 70 years, and there’s a good reason why. This utility cart can be used for many different applications and transport anything from medical instruments, supplies, ventilators, scales, food and more. The all-welded stainless steel construction provides unmatched strength and durability with a 300 lb. capacity, ensuring that the 311 will be reliable for a long time. The protective bumpers on the legs and handles will make sure that your facility doesn’t sustain any damage while transporting supplies on the 3.5” all-swivel casters. The stainless steel construction also ensures quick and easy sanitization while the sound deadening panels prevent unwanted vibration and noise during transport.  

Key Features: 

• All-welded Stainless Steel Construction
• 300 lb. carrying capacity
• Protective Bumpers
• Capable of transporting a wide variety of medical supplies and equipment
• Super durable design ensures reliability for years to come

Why is this a key COVID-19 product? 

The 311 Utility Cart is designed to be very versatile and it’s stainless steel construction ensures easy sanitization and reliability during the pandemic and for a long time after we return to normal.

Description:

The 444 Utility Cart is like the big brother to the 311, providing 500 lb. capacity with many of the same features that everyone loves. The 444 is also constructed with stainless steel; one of the strongest and  easiest materials to sanitize. The 5” all swivel, no-mark polyurethane casters make the utility cart very maneuverable for its size, providing easy transport of essential supplies, such as ventilators, around a facility. This utility cart is super versatile and can help a facility overcome many difficulties that have arisen from the coronavirus pandemic.

Key Features:

• All-welded stainless steel construction
• Capable of transporting a wide variety of medical equipment up to 500 lb. at a time
• Super durable design ensures reliability for many years
• Protective Bumpers
• 5″ all swivel, no-mark casters

Why is this a key COVID-19 product?

The 444 Utility Cart is extremely versatile and can transport all sorts of medical equipment on its sturdy 5″ all swivel, no-mark casters. The 444 will prove it’s worth with the extra challenges presented by COVID-19 and will become a reliable transport solution for facilities once they return to normal day-to-day operations.

Description:

This 300 lb. capacity utility stand is super multi-purpose and is used for many different application within a facility. The compact design makes the stand very easy to maneuver around a facility and deliver supplies that are needed in different areas. The 356 can also be set up in patient rooms or wherever extra storage space may be needed and the top of can function as an additional work surface improving its versatility. The stainless steel construction ensures great durability and the sturdy 3.5” all swivel casters allow for daily use with little to no signs of wear. If necessary, fitted locks are available for the drawer to provide a secure space to hold valuable supplies or other important items.

Key Features:

• Stainless steel construction provides easy sanitization and durability
• Compact design improves maneuverability
• Adds both storage space and work surface
• Locking system is available to secure valuables

Why is this a key COVID-19 product?

The 356 Utility Stand can add value in many different ways because of its great versatility. Its compact design provides facilities with the ability to utilize this product however they see fit, and allows them to maneuver it even in tight spaces. This product will come in very handy in facilities that have to be flexible in how they treat COVID-19 patients.

Description:

The 474 is a larger version of the 356 Compact Utility Stand, with a 500 lb. capacity, two drawers, and double width. The stainless steel construction guarantees ultimate durability and makes the stand simple to clean after use. The 4” all swivel casters help make the larger stand maneuverable and easy to place in any location for short or long durations of time. The large top provides ample work surface area while the two drawers create lots of secure space to store valuable supplies. This utility stand is a versatile mobile solution creating additional storage and work space wherever a facility may need it.

Key Features:

• 500 lb. carrying capacity allows for transport and storage of large quantities of equipment
• Double width design provides ample work surface and storage space
• Two drawers provide plenty of space to store valuables
• Stainless Steel construction ensures easy sanitization and durability

Why is this a key COVID-19 product?

The 474 Utility Stand is a great solution for facilities that need extra storage and work surface space in rooms that have been redesigned to treat COVID-19 patients. The super durable stainless steel construction ensures simple sanitization procedures and that the 474 will be reliable for many years after the pandemic.

Description:

This 500 lb. capacity Plastic Utility Cart is super durable and able to transport supplies wherever they are needed. Its two-shelf deep well design ensures that your supplies will be secure and not fall out during transport. The shelves are precision molded from sturdy structural foam plastic to provide strength and dent resistance. This utility cart is built on top of rugged 8” pneumatic tires which allows you to maneuver through tough terrain, and within a facility. This model is an ideal solution for field hospitals or COVID tents as it is extremely durable and can transport essential supplies outside when you facility needs to. The 2523P is super reliable and its sturdy design with reinforced angle legs make it retain its quality over many years.

Key Features:

• 500 lb. carrying capacity allows for transport and storage of large quantities of equipment
• Deep well design ensures supplies won’t fall out during transport
• Precision molded structural foam plastic construction ensures reliability for years to come
• Rugged 8″ pneumatic tires ensure that this cart can transport supplies anywhere they are needed inside or outside

Why is this a key COVID-19 product?

The 2523P Utility Cart is the perfect solution for facilities that have set up COVID tents or field hospitals and need to transport medical supplies over uneven terrain. The durable design also provides dent-resistance and ensures that your facility can rely on this product for years to come.

COVID-19 has changed the way we look at the healthcare industry and has challenged the status quo in many ways. With hospitals having to adapt to new challenges from a pandemic, their equipment and methods have to change as well. Having versatile equipment is extremely advantageous for hospitals that are fighting against the pandemic and operating in ways they didn’t originally plan on. Equipment like medical carts and utility stands greatly improve a facility’s ability to change their layout to better protect patients, and to deliver essential supplies such as PPE all around the facility, or even to outside locations like COVID tents. Hospitals must be able to be flexible amidst the pandemic, and Lakeside manufactures tons of versatile medical equipment that can be shipped rapidly to help our healthcare facilities take on COVID, and provide patients the care that they need.

Virtual check-ins will create less crowding in the waiting rooms, and simplify the process of going to a healthcare facility. By allowing patients to check in and provide all the necessary information about themselves from their phone or computer, it eliminates the need for them to come into the facility and wait for a doctor to be ready to see them.

This means that patients would be able to wait in the comfort of their own car and not have to worry about being in close proximity to other sick patients who could potentially infect them. Virtual check-ins will greatly improve the ability for healthcare facilities to effectively social distance in their waiting rooms.  

Hospitals can be confusing and difficult to navigate for first time or non-frequent visitors, so improving patient flow is important to reduce risk of transmission. Better patient and staff flow can be achieved by a few different methods, but the most important factor is communicating to patients and staff what certain areas are designed for.  

• Widening hallways and walking areas to allow for a two-way flow with a sufficient amount of prevent spread.  
• Designating certain hallways and one-way walking areas to prevent the crowding of these spaces. 
• Designating one area as the entrance and another as the exit to minimize the exposure of patients to one another.  
• Designing certain areas of the facility to be safe zones or hot zones in order to keep contagious patients away from non-contagious ones.

Hospitals are built in order to be cost-efficient and effective at providing care to patients, but hospital administrators may need to spend some more money in order to be able to adapt in the future. For example, most hospital entryways are not designed to provide screening and separate out potentially contagious patients. A trend that we are seeing with new hospital designs is to create dynamic entrances that create a space for screening and providing appropriate equipment for patients. This includes providing PPE to patients right when they come into the building, as well as placing hand sanitizer dispensers or hand washing stations such as the Lakeside Portable Handwashing Station near the entries. This would help reduce patients anxiety about going to a hospital for the care that they need, which has been reported to be increasing over the past several months.  

Another way in which hospitals will likely be able to treat an influx in patients is with a flexible design of patient rooms. Basic patient rooms are a stable in all hospitals, but the facilities that were best able to treat a large increase in patients were the ones that adapted these patient rooms to be able to serve as an ICU or emergency care area. One of the best ways that hospitals were able to do this is with portable storage mainly in the form of carts. Utility carts are a great solution for hospitals to store their PPE or other important equipment, while other specialty carts and treatment carts are great ways for a healthcare facilities to adapt their spaces and treat patients in rooms that they do not normally have special equipment. Lakeside manufactures a large variety of carts to allow hospitals to be flexible in the face of adversity, and adapt to keep giving patients the best care that they can. 

One of the bright spots that has come from the coronavirus pandemic is the emergence of telemedicine and virtual healthcare, which completely mitigates the risk of transmission of exposure to other HAIs. We are just at the start of the virtual health age, and are only beginning to see the possibilities that this advancement provides. Although telehealth is a great way to eliminate the chance of transmission and reduce the use of essential equipment, it is not perfect and certainly has its flaws, which means that healthcare facilities should begin to implement it when possible, but should still plan for flexibility in the face of a crisis.  

Keeping equipment and surfaces clean has always been a very important part of healthcare facilities, but coronavirus has proved that some of these cleaning protocols need to be improved. One way to do this is by designating certain rooms to be used and others to be cleaned. For example, a hospital may designate a certain wing for all infectious patients, providing them with extra time to disinfect another wing while still treating patients, and then switch the halls when all patients have been treated. This would allow hospitals the time they need to properly clean an infected room, while not falling behind on treating their patients.  

Another way to improve the cleaning process would be to implement anti-microbial surfaces such as stainless steel or copper, although this could cause the hospitals to see an increase in costs. However, mitigating patients anxiety about going to a hospital is very important in order to ensure that everyone can get the care and treatment that they need without having to worry about leaving worse off than when they arrived.  

Healthcare facilities need to constantly adapt with new challenges that they are presented with, and don’t expect this to stop anytime soon. The ongoing pandemic has only accelerated the trend of flexible hospital design, and in the future you should certainly expect a different experience when you go to the hospital. 

Lakeside Manufacturing understands the difficulties that healthcare facilities face, and as a supplier to the industry, we continue to manufacture state-of-the-art equipment to allow hospitals and clinics to quickly adapt to the environment and give their patients the best possible experience in receiving the care that they need.  

The history of fusing together technological advances with healthcare starts in the 1960s with the IBM 650 supercomputer that researched medical records to report on data abnormalities which could then be researched in closer detail by a physician. As technology continued to develop, healthcare application remained top-of-mind and by 1974, the first CT scanners were released allowing detailed imaging of specific cross-sectional images of bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside a patient. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, researchers worked with developers to apply robotics to the healthcare industry, and in 1999 the da Vinci Surgical system was developed to perform minimally invasive surgeries. This signaled a major step forward for the healthcare robotics industry and ushered in a wave of innovations to occur throughout the 2000s up until today. Now, the robotics and healthcare fields are merging as developments are made each day with the end goal of providing the best patient care possible.

It may be hard to fathom a task as important as surgery being trusted to a robot, but the development in healthcare robotics has brought us to a point where robotic assisted surgeries are safer than similar operations performed without robotic assistance. As more hospitals are noting the benefits of these devices the more they are being utilized in operating rooms. This technology has seen a recent boom that is expected to continue as sales for surgical robots are expected to reach about $6 billion this year.

One of the most renowned surgery robots is the DaVinci Surgical System. This robot allows surgeons to perform complex, minimally invasive procedures with extreme accuracy and precision. The robot has been tested thousands of times and has performed thousands of procedures, proving its efficacy and safety. Today there are more than 1700 DaVinci systems installed in hospitals around the world and almost 1 million patients have been operated on by this robot. The DaVinci System is also considered the leading method for various operations with 86% of urology residency programs in the US owning a DaVinci system.

Some of the noted benefits of using a robot for a surgical procedure include the ability to precisely measure incisions to a depth no longer than needed, the ability to eliminate surgeon errors by leveraging surgical software, and the ability to complete a surgery in a less invasive manner due to intricacy of its instruments. The DaVinci Surgical robot is a great example of the teamwork required between technology and healthcare workers to provide optimal patient care.

Anyone who has visited a college campus in the past two years, may be familiar with the recent boom of delivery robots, however, hospitals are also jumping on the trend by utilizing robots for deliveries within the hospital. Some hospitals are already using robots for meal delivery in wards where patients have limited mobility, while others are utilizing complex cabinet robots that house and deliver medications with high accuracy.

One of the most prominent delivery robots is the Aethon TUG Robot. This autonomous mobile robot is built on an omni-directional platform allowing the robot agile movement throughout a hospital. It is built to support a wide variety of carts and racks to work seamlessly with any already existing infrastructure at the hospital. Robots like TUG offer a benefit to hospitals by taking the burden of complex deliveries off hospital staff so they can focus on patient care tasks that require a human interaction. Delivery robots are already utilized in many large hospitals across the US, which is a testament to their ability to accurately provide the service they are designed to perform.

Many of us know about the carpet cleaning Roomba robot, that vacuums a space autonomously without any user guidance whatsoever. The healthcare industry has its own version of these robots, but instead of picking up dirt and hair, it focuses on killing bacteria that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs). HAIs pose a serious risk in hospital environments, infecting an average of 1 in 25 hospitalized patients across all settings. HAIs are a result of lingering bacteria and viruses in a hospital environment that infect a patient while they are in the hospital. Some of these infections can be very serious, with an estimated 99,000 deaths per year in the United States attributed to HAIs.

Autonomous robots such as the UVD Robot, provide a helpful, hands-off solution to disinfecting hospital rooms after a patient stay. UVD Robots, a Danish robotics company, created an autonomous UV light robot that emits UVC rays at an output level that destroys any microorganisms in its path. Some of these robots are already being used in the wake of COVID-19, offering a no-touch solution to disinfecting potentially hazardous hospital rooms where infected patients were staying.

Another way robots are being used in healthcare is as a reliable companion for social interaction. Many companies have developed therapeutic robots that utilize advances made by artificial intelligence for human conversation. These robots have various features such as cameras, sensors and microphones that allow users to interact with them, keep them company when healthcare workers are busy tending to other patients, and some of these companions even have the ability to remind patients to take their medicine.

Many see social companion robots as a great tool to help busy nursing homes care for their patients, many of whom suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s. The consistent and ever-present social interaction provided by these robots helps to keep patients engaged which helps these patients cope with some of the day-to-day difficulties of these illnesses. As the healthcare industry learns more about the mental implications that support a patient’s rehabilitation, the more these social companion robots will be seen in long-term care facilities, inpatient clinics and other applicable healthcare environments.

Wearables are a direct interaction between an individual and a unit of technology. Some common examples of this are heart rate monitors, pedometers, health watches, etc. These easily accessible items are great ways to track athletic performance during exercise and can show health trends over a period of time. The latest version of the Apple Watch is a great example of the future of this industry, by achieving a built-in electrocardiogram that monitors heart performance and can notify users of any irregularities. The ability to gain instant feedback on health performance is a huge step forward for wearable technology, and companies like Apple continue to push the boundaries of what small consumer wearables are capable of.

Another example of wearables for the healthcare industry are exoskeletons. Once a concept of science fiction exoskeletons are here and already being used on a daily basis in the healthcare industry. The first working prototypes were developed in the 1960s and 70s and have now developed to provide modern assistance to a wide variety of patients.

One example of a futuristic exoskeleton that is providing support for patients today is the HAL 5 Hybrid Assisted Limb. This impressive exoskeleton works by detecting the electrical impulses from the brain that indicate movement and provides instant support to the limb that is to be moved. This device has already been used to rehabilitate patients recovering from stroke, or those who had their movement impaired due to vertebrae damage or paralysis. Scientists also note that this technology can be used as a preventative device as well, providing leg and back augmentation for laborious tasks. Given the developmental trajectory of exoskeletons, consumers can expect to see various types of strength augmentation wearables such as these, used more frequently in the healthcare setting.

Although EHRs aren’t technically robots, they offer some of the earliest examples of technology merging with healthcare. EHR software allows hospitals to utilize a singular medical platform to accomplish the various workflows necessary during a patient interaction, all while working off a singular, consistent patient chart. For example, if a patient is admitted to the ER, transferred to a surgical unit, and then later brought back for multiple physical therapy sessions at an outpatient clinic, the single patient chart will house all of the information from each of those encounters.

Additionally, all of the billing workflows performed by a hospital are completed with this software as well, allowing hospitals to capture more specific information from patient interactions and provide more accurate billing information. As a result of an EHR implementation, hospitals experience improved patient interactions, code more accurate data per account for billing purposes and capture long-term efficiencies from standardized workflows and best practices built into these EHR systems.

Today, most large hospitals in the US have chosen 1 or multiple EHRs to best serve their inpatient and outpatient care needs. The modern hospital is now supported by large IT teams made up of analysts who are certified in a specific application of their hospital’s EHR software. Their job is to work with the professionals for their application to make updates, fix issues and generally support that area of the hospital from an EHR perspective.

Given the rapid developments occurring in this industry; doctors, developers and patients are encouraged by the positive results from merging technology and healthcare. Experts warn that as technology advances and we begin to rely more on its capabilities, humans must continue to sharpen their skills in both healthcare and robotics to properly navigate these colliding worlds and keep patient care at the center of all advancements. This collaboration between technology and humans is the future of healthcare, bringing a new sense of optimism as the healthcare industry continues to see patient care improve through the development of new technology.  A prime example of modern robotics use is the innovation seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most common uses of robots in healthcare throughout 2020 has been disinfecting rooms and other areas in healthcare facilities. Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, it has been a struggle to effectively disinfect areas where contagious people have been without risking infection for the personnel who have to clean that space.  

One of the solutions for this problem is the use of disinfection robots to eliminate potential further spread to humans. This has been utilized in China and other countries around the world to help fight the pandemic. One model of the disinfection robot relies on ultraviolet light to get rid of the bacteria and germs that linger in hospitals. The self driving robots have a 360 degree UV light that allows it to hit every spot in a room with its light, which supposedly kills 99.99% of bacteria, making them much more effective than people. 

Another model of the disinfection robot drives around and sprays disinfectant throughout high traffic areas in healthcare facilities. This model has been used outside of the healthcare industry as well, and has been utilized to help disinfect public spaces throughout communities. These robots are helping out our essential workers that have needed a well-deserved break from putting themselves at risk night in and night out.  

Robots have been used to help out healthcare personnel in performing essential but potentially risky tasks with the outbreak of coronavirus. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, robots have been used in hospitals to help out with the duties of the overworked staff. These robots were used to flag patients coming into the facility that showed fever symptoms, to monitor heart rates and oxygen levels of patients, as well as delivering essential medication to patients’ rooms. Some AI–based robots are even capable of providing medical advisory services to patients in order to reduce the amount of time that healthcare workers need to expose themselves to the virus. In some cases, human interaction isn’t even necessary after the patient-robot interaction, furthering the potential for these innovative robots.  

Other robots have been developed to help healthcare professionals carry out daily tasks but have not yet come into wide use. One example of this was created by researchers in China who designed a robot arm on wheels. This robot has the ability to perform ultrasounds, take mouth swabs of patients, and take the place of a stethoscope to listen to patients’ organs. All of these tasks are usually done by people, but with a highly contagious pandemic going around, this technology minimizes the need for person to person contact and could drastically help reduce the spread of coronavirus as well as HAIs and other diseases.  

Another great use of robots in healthcare facilities has been delivering food and medication to patients. This task is usually performed by nurses or other workers, but using robots to carry out  these routine duties drastically reduces the amount of exposure for our healthcare professionals, and in turn for reduces it for everyone.  

The technology allows for these robots to be driven by engineers remotely through the cloud, using the robots as a medium to deliver essential goods such as medicine or food. This application of robotics can be utilized in other industries as well, and has been used in some cities to help deliver food to peoples’ homes who are in quarantine.  

Robots have been trending upwards in the healthcare industry for quite some time, and the global pandemic that we are currently navigating has fast-tracked their use, but there are still some concerns about the increased use of robotics.  

One of those concerns is that robots will take the place of humans, and will eliminate many healthcare jobs. However, that is likely not the case, at least in the foreseeable future. It is much more probable that humans will continue to work alongside robots, increasing our own productivity, rather than being replaced by them. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, robots have not replaced human jobs, but rather made them more safe and efficient. The majority of healthcare robots that we have seen are teleoperated, meaning that our healthcare workers can still provide their expertise and passion for the work, but can do so from a safe distance, reducing the spread of the virus.  

One argument is that the autonomous disinfection robots have taken away workers jobs, but in reality they have actually made it possible for our workers to do their jobs better. The disinfection robots greatly reduce the amount of time that healthcare personnel have to spend on routine tasks like cleaning, allowing them to spend their time on more critical tasks that the robots are not capable of.  

COVID-19 has opened our eyes to the possibilities of robotics in healthcare, and they will only grow from here. The next time a global pandemic comes around, don’t be surprised to see robots performing tasks that humans otherwise would, because coronavirus has not only accelerated their use today, but has also accelerated research into finding out all of the great and innovative ways that robotics can help improve the healthcare industry in the future.