Cobionix startup performs first-ever robotic intramuscular injection
Around the world, people refuse vaccinations against various diseases for a variety of reasons. Apart from false information, there are few objective reasons to refuse proven vaccines. However, many consider fear of needles a legitimate reason, since some people panic or even faint at the sight of them. Various companies are trying to develop alternative ways to deliver vaccines, in particular using pills.
The company, founded in the University of Waterloo's flagship incubator, has performed the first autonomous robotic intramuscular injection, paving the way to better patient care in an industry facing a labor shortage. Cobionix is a robotics company based in Waterloo that delivered a needle-free injection using its Cobi platform.
“Cobi is a versatile robotic platform that can be quickly deployed to perform tasks with 100% autonomy. We gave Cobi the ability to use needle-free injection technology and demonstrate that patients can receive intramuscular injections, such as vaccines, without needles and without the involvement of a medical worker”
Tim Lassuell and Nima Zamani met in their first year of mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo more than 10 years ago. Both have since earned master's degrees in engineering and remained close colleagues. In 2019, Zamani was asked about the idea of launching Cobionix, to which he replied that it was a "shared vision of the future, followed by a decision to become part of creating that future rather than just watching it unfold before us." The team currently works out of the university's Velocity incubator.
“Autonomous solutions such as Cobi can protect medical workers, reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. Cobi's autonomous nature also sharply reduces the infrastructure requirements of vaccine clinics, which can help reach populations in remote areas with limited access to medical care”
The Cobionix concept and the Cobi platform go beyond vaccination and include many tasks that can be performed with 100% robot autonomy. Lassuell said: "We are initially focusing on applications in healthcare, clean technology and hospitality for two reasons. First, these industries suffer from labor shortages and low efficiency, and second, because our founding team has significant experience in these industries."
“We were incredibly excited that Tim chose Velocity once again to invest in and support his new venture. Cobionix's mission to improve efficiency and reduce labor shortages in healthcare, clean technology and hospitality aligns well with Velocity's focus on supporting founders who strive for a positive global impact”
Lassuell's previous company, A-Line Orthopaedics, also created at Velocity, was acquired in June 2020. Cobionix's CEO stated: "Velocity has invested significant resources in creating an environment where early-stage technology companies can achieve rapid growth and success. As we continue to accelerate Cobionix's growth, we look forward to further embedding ourselves in this community and developing Cobi."
It goes without saying that many people today are getting vaccinated against coronavirus and will continue to do so for some time. The new robot is designed to simplify this process through autonomous, needle-free vaccination of patients. The idea is that after pre-registering online for vaccination, patients will show up at a clinic or other location where the Cobi robot is used, then display part of their ID to a camera on the device's touchscreen. Several 3D depth sensors detect patients' presence upon arrival.
After identity confirmation, Cobi's robotic arm retrieves a vial of vaccine from built-in storage. A LiDAR sensor on the arm is then used to create a three-dimensional digital map of the patient's body, which is analyzed with artificial intelligence-based software to determine the optimal injection site.
Using third-party needle-free technology, the vaccine itself is then delivered as a high-pressure fluid jet passing through an opening the size of a human hair. The company cannot currently provide more details. Tim Lassuell said it will take about two years before Cobi reaches the healthcare market.
The advantage of Cobi is that, unlike most specialized tasks, it is highly flexible and only requires a software update and a change of tools to switch between activities. These factors will enable mass production of such platforms, lowering costs and increasing on-site productivity.
There is hope that when that time comes, the robot will allow more people to be vaccinated at once and reduce healthcare costs. It can also be used in remote locations where qualified doctors are scarce. The vaccination procedure with this robot takes just a minute and a half and can be run on a production line.
