Swisslog Healthcare introduces a new pneumatic tube system and an updated autonomous service robot.

Swisslog Healthcare showcased the TransLogic pneumatic tube system (PTS) with the Nexus station and the Relay autonomous service robot at AONE19, the annual meeting of the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

The TransLogic® pneumatic tube system with the Nexus® station and the Savioke Relay® robot offer nursing staff convenient medical material transport with the highest levels of security to facilitate efficient workflow.

The Nexus station is Swisslog Healthcare’s most advanced PTS station. The multiple dispatch station improves 360-degree workflow by allowing batch shipping of carriers and receipt of multiple carriers in queue. In terms of daily workflow, the Nexus functionality enables a station, such as those used in nursing and patient areas, to send and receive carriers while also keeping one or more carriers securely pending retrieval by a specific recipient. Active noise reduction means quieter operator handling, and a variety of safety features, including RFID tracking, user identification and tracking, and a secure access door, facilitate task completion with quality assurance.

The Delivery Manager software tracks and distributes materials through PTS, an autonomous service robot, or manual movement. Panels provide full visibility of each shipment, including item, status, location, and delivery method. The transparency offered by Delivery Manager is especially beneficial in the medication distribution process, ensuring chain of custody.

New medical robot Relay

Relay, an autonomous service robot offered by Swisslog Healthcare in collaboration with Savioke, can serve as the primary automated material transport in a small hospital (150 beds or fewer). In a larger facility, Relay can bridge the gap between pneumatic tube systems where hospital renovations or new additions may render a single end-to-end tube system impractical. The compact robot with intuitive user interface is also suitable for safely delivering items commonly prohibited in tube systems, such as chemotherapy medications.

Nursing staff are the frontline of patient care. Hospitalized individuals often have feelings of vulnerability in addition to illness or injury. By virtue of their technical skill and compassionate nature, nurses alleviate the physical and emotional needs of patients,” said Ray Castro, Director of Transportation Automation Solutions at Swisslog Healthcare. “The Nexus station and the Relay robot automate material transport for critical and commonly routed materials, including blood, samples, and medications. With the knowledge that these materials are part of a smooth and secure workflow, nurses can confidently reallocate their valuable time to provide patient care, leading to stronger outcomes and positive hospital experiences.”