| There is a huge concern in the medical industry | | | | operations and surgery were to be done. Since no |
| that if a biological weapon were released that | | | | person would risk infection, while we learned what |
| those sick might come to the hospitals in such | | | | the problem was and how to cope with it. For |
| large numbers that before you realized an attack | | | | instance a bio-situation or bio-terrorist attack in |
| had occurred everyone in every nearby hospital | | | | the middle east somewhere could be diagnosed, |
| would also be infected. Then of course the | | | | isolated and prevented from spreading while our |
| hospital itself would be rendered useless and all | | | | CDC here and other scientists around the world |
| those already in the hospital no matter what the | | | | tuned into the procedure, thus using the brains of |
| reason would literally condemned. The biggest | | | | many to solve the now isolated bio threat from |
| issue with this is that those places we have | | | | afar. |
| available to help our populations stay well would be | | | | Swift from Montana further discusses other |
| immediately and totally useless. For some | | | | possible issues with bio-terrorism, namely that if |
| background on the World Think Tank discussion | | | | the bio-terrorist see that their attack is not |
| and on-going subject of bio-terrorism control and | | | | working they might seek to do further acts of |
| isolation, please see this page: | | | | International Terror and has these comments to |
| [ | | | | offer: |
| One of our Think Tank Members considering this | | | | “Perhaps the issue of doing surgery in |
| and having worked in the medical field almost | | | | another country would not mean that the |
| three decades and understanding the very fast | | | | physician would actually have to travel there. He |
| moving technologies and innovation in robotics had | | | | could operate the controls, while a staff from that |
| contemplated the use of robotics in the event of | | | | country assisted in the procedure thus eliminating |
| a bio-terrorist act. Today modern hospitals have | | | | the possibility of being kidnapped or tortured for |
| all kinds of robotic type technologies and are very | | | | humanitarian efforts. Maybe the residents of the |
| leading edge with their devices. These state of | | | | country would look at what they were doing if |
| the art devices make hospital robotics even more | | | | the only entities that would come anywhere near |
| possible. Swift in Montana writes in this solution | | | | them were machines. If a machine was captured, |
| during our online discussion of robotic advances: | | | | it could blow everyone up and eliminate several |
| “One of the best places for them to work | | | | problems at one time. Robots would certain be |
| would be in hospitals that have infectious disease | | | | effective in teaching people many skills that they |
| floors where communicable diseases are treated. | | | | might not have the opportunity to learn. The |
| They would be able to administer medications, | | | | most successful programs in Third World |
| check on the vitals of the patients, IV flow rates | | | | Countries have always been those that teach the |
| etc. without anyone risking their own health. | | | | citizens how to do something that will take care |
| Should there be a flu pandemic this would really | | | | of their own—‘the teach a person to |
| help to keep the numbers down as would having | | | | fish principle’. The most basic surgeries |
| robots to keep the area sterilized and as germ | | | | could easily be handled in sterile, relatively primitive |
| free as possible. Sensors could be built into them | | | | situations. Medications to control infection and pain |
| to determine when there was a certain level of | | | | would be all that was needed afterwards. Lasers |
| particulates in the air for those with contagious | | | | could be built in so that scalpels would not always |
| lung issues and a robot could move around and | | | | need to be used. Thus keltoid scars that often |
| clean the viruses from the air.” | | | | don't heal well on darker skins could be |
| When further discussion of tele-robotics came up | | | | minimized.” |
| as one of the incredible advances of robotics in | | | | Computer modeling shows that if you can quickly |
| medicine and what that technology has meant for | | | | diagnose and then isolate a situation such as an |
| NASA applications in repairs of Hubble Telescope, | | | | outbreak in those first crucial hours, then what |
| Satellites, ISS or pre-flighting the Shuttle for safe | | | | could have turned into a pandemic turns into a |
| return it was determined that such technology | | | | controllable and conquerable problem. |
| could also be used in hospitals for outbreaks when | | | | |