The Midwest is at the forefront of the Health Care & Medical Device industry and the role of robotics in transforming it. Learn how robotics is being used to reduce costs, improve quality of health care, train health care professionals, provide enhanced therapy and generally improve the lives of patients everywhere at the 2014 Robotics Alley Conference & Expo.

Minneapolis, Minn. August 27, 2014

Global leaders in robotics research, design, business development, investment, law and policy will gather at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest on September 16-17, 2014, to share their insights into the worldwide explosion of robotics and autonomous systems at the Fourth Annual Robotics Alley Conference & Expo.

In recognition of the wide variety of ways robotics is transforming industries today, the 2014 Robotics Alley Conference & Expo created nine different tracks of content. For this years Health Care and Medical Device Track, the producers of the conference turned to Dale Wahlstrom of LifeScience Alley, who agreed to chair the track and assist in developing content.

This seminar track will include five presentations that discuss how robotics, sensors, and autonomous systems are being used in the Health Care & Medical Device industry. These presentations include: The Role of Robotics in Meeting Unmet Medical Needs in Evolving Health Care Systems; Medical Therapeutic Robotics: Acute, Corrective, and Restoration Solutions in Clinical Medicine; Leveraging Robotics in Life Science Manufacturing and Clinical Laboratories; The University of Minnesota: Robotics Research and Its Role in Health Care Transformation; and Technology for Independent Life.

Minnesota, where Robotics Alley is based, is at the forefront of the Health Care & Medical Device industry and the role of robotics is transforming it. Learn about how robotics is being used to reduce costs, improve quality of health care, train health care professionals, provide enhanced therapy and generally improve the lives of patients everywhere.

To read more about all nine tracks, visit http://www.roboticsalley.org. Descriptions of the Health Care & Medical Device presentations are shown below:

The Role of Robotics in Meeting Unmet Medical Needs in Evolving Health Care Systems

The delivery of health care globally is being impacted by the application of robotic solutions in many forms. This session will focus on setting the stage for the rest of the track by presenting how robotics, simulation and other appropriate technologies are changing the face of health care today and into the future. Although the application of robotics in medicine will be the central theme of these presentations, the speakers will also introduce related technologies that enhance the impact of robotics can have on the field.

Dr. Rob Sweet, Urologic Surgeon, University of Minnesota Medical Center
Dr. Matthew K. Tollefson, Urologist, Mayo Clinic

Medical Therapeutic Robotics: Acute, Corrective, and Restoration Solutions in Clinical Medicine

Clinical robots continue to play an increasingly critical role in advancing therapy for patients from the onset of a condition to the restoration of normal function. This session presents example robotic solutions focusing on the three therapeutic needs: acute, corrective, and restoration of function therapies. Speakers will discuss the cutting-edge use of robotics in the acute treatment of ischemic stroke, the correction of cardiac arrhythmias, and the restoration of limb function.

Duke Creighton, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Pulse Therapeutics, Inc.
Patrick Prigge, CP, FAAOP, Clinical Manager, North Central Center of Excellence - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Advanced Arm Dynamics (AAD)
Brian Kidd, PE, Director System Engineering, Stereotaxis, Inc.

Leveraging Robotics in Life Science Manufacturing and Clinical Laboratories
Patients rely on medical devices for safe and effective health care and treatment. The reliability of any medical device or diagnostic test is paramount. In many cases the manufacturing requirements and quality standards of these processes align perfectly to the benefits provided by robotic technologies. This session will discuss the various types of robotic technologies available for life science manufacturing, review typical applications highlighting the manufacturing challenges solved using the technology, and examine the growth and use of robotic and autonomous systems in the clinical laboratory.

Moderator: Dan Bartlett, President, PaR Systems, Life Science & Process Automation

Brian Tang, Chief Technical Officer, PaR Systems, Life Science & Process Automation

Charles Hawker, Ph. D, Professor (Adjunct) of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Scientific Director, Automation and Special Projects, ARUP Laboratories

The University of Minnesota: Robotics Research and Its Role in Health Care Transformation

This segment will briefly explain the University of Minnesota's partnership with the State of Minnesota in funding robotics, sensors, and advanced manufacturing research through the MnDRIVE program, but will highlight the work of the U of M in the area of robotics in health care. Specific examples or research that has yielded current outcomes and holds promise for the future will be presented.
Med Student work: Researchers in the University of Minnesotas College of Science and Engineering have developed a new noninvasive system that allows people to control a flying robot using only their mind. The study goes far beyond fun and games and has the potential to help people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

Moderator: Jack Stubbs, Associate Program Director, University of Minnesota Medical School
Alex Doud, Ph.D., Med Student, University of Minnesota
Megan Thorne, Ph.D., MDC Fellow, University of Minnesota

Technology for Independent Life
Moderator: Lars Oddsson, Ph.D., Experienced Biomedical Scientist, Inventor and Visionary Entrepreneur

Presentation 1:

Seal Robot, PARO, as Neurological Therapeutic Medical Device

Robot therapy, which uses robots as a substitution for animals in "animal therapy," is a new robot application in the fields of welfare and patient care. The seal robot PARO began development for robot therapy in 1993. PARO was commercialized in Japan in 2005 and in Europe and the U.S. in 2009. Since then, about 3,000 PAROs have been used in hospitals and care facilities in approximately 30 countries. Recent research has revealed that robot therapy has a similar effect on patients as animal therapy. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified PARO as a neurological therapeutic device in bio-feedback medical device. While PARO can be used in various kinds of therapy similar to real animals, this presentation focuses on its use with elderly dementia patients because explicit differences can be easily observed before and after interacting with PARO. First, the purposes and functions of PARO will be explained. Second, because there are from many observational studies to Randomized Control Trials (RCT) on the therapeutic effects of the elderly with dementia interacting with PARO, some typical cases and interesting special cases will be introduced. These cases include recovery from depression, reduction of agitation, and recovery from speech disorders. In addition, they include cases of reduction of usage of medications in dementia care. Finally, reasons why PARO has the potential to change moods and behaviors of the elderly with dementia as a non-pharmacological approach will be explained.

Dr. Takanori Shibata, M.S., Ph.D., Chief Senior Research Scientist, Human Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Presentation 2:

Lessons Learned from Worlds Largest Test-Bed for Technologies for Independent Life

The human race has always relied on technology to overcome major challenges. Many believe that technology will help us with the coming demographic challenge. Governments and EU are plunging billions into development of robotic devices that will take care of our future seniors. The elder care industry has so far shown great skepticism to robotic solutions. Why? What are the differences between Europe, Asia, and the U.S.? What about the ethics? This presentation will answer these questions and highlight important aspects that should not be forgotten when we develop and implement robotic technologies for this industry. Robotdalen is an initiative financed by the Swedish Government and European Union that focuses on development, implementation and commercial success of robotic innovations for the health- and elderly care.

Adam Hagman, Robotdalen - Manager Health Robotics, Technologies for Independent Life, Mälardalens University