Researchers in China have developed a robot which can help in the treatment of coronavirus patients.
The robot, which has been developed by researchers from Beijing’s Tsinghua University, comprises of an arm that can perform ultrasounds, take mouth swabs and listen to sounds made by a patient’s organs, usually done with a stethoscope.
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The research team is being led by Zheng Gangtie, a professor of the university.
The manufacturing cost of one robot is $72,000.
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According to Zheng, the robot would ease the hassles of frontline medical staff who have been working day and night for treating coronavirus patients.
The team now has two robots, which have been trialed by doctors at hospitals in Beijing.
One is still at the team’s lab at the university, but the other is at the Wuhan Union Hospital, where doctors started training to use it on Thursday.
If all goes to plan, the robot may be put to use on coronavirus patients in Wuhan from Sunday, Zheng said.
According to the National Health Commission, China has seen a drop in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases.
China had 39 new confirmed cases on Sunday, the National Health Commission said, down from 46 a day earlier.
All of them involved travellers arriving from abroad, many of whom are Chinese students returning home.