SpeciMinder Robot at Delaware Hospital

The Cypress SpeciMinder, a 100% autonomous delivery robot installed at Christiana Health Systemʼs Christiana Care Hospital in Newark, DE. achieved some significant performance and reliability numbers in 2007.

SpeciMinder makes deliveries and pick-ups of specimens and tissue samples between departments at the regional healthcare facility, which services people living in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

In its first year of operation at Christiana Hospital, a 780-bed level-one acute care center, SpeciMinder turned in the following performance numbers:

• A remarkably high 98% “up” reliability time
• Over 2,000 miles traveled
• Over 32,00 in-house deliveries
• Over 50,000 door openings
• Only one battery change (at six months)
• No other consumables

“SpeciMinder has improved the efficiency of our lab because employees are not leaving their work station to deliver specimens throughout the lab,” said Cheryl Katz, Christiana Care, VP, Pathology and Laboratory Services. “Employees continue to manage the work as it arrives, while the SpeciMinder provides timely deliveries of critical laboratory specimens.”

SpeciMinder solves many in-house courier needs for healthcare facilities. Unlike automatic guide vehicles that rely on magnetic floor stripes or conveyor systems, SpeciMinder does NOT require ANY costly alterations to a facility. In fact SpeciMinder can be programmed and put to work within an hour of learning its delivery loop.

Using eye-safe laser and sonar technology, SpeciMinder reacts in real time, avoiding fast moving people and other changing obstacles as it travels. The robot can carry up to 50 lb payloads and travel at speeds up to 10 mph.

Some healthcare administrators estimate that up to four hours per 24-hour healthcare staff shift rotation is spent carrying specimens between the receiving area and lab locations. Each rechargeable battery-powered SpeciMinder can easily work 84 hours per week making pathology, clinical, pharmaceutical, and other lab deliveries.