DEVELOPING AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC TRANSPORT SYSTEMS for Hospitals and Medical Facilities: Legal Challenges

Abstract

The article discusses the development of autonomous robotic transport systems for use in hospitals and medical facilities and presents a legal analysis with a particular focus on the development of related case-law and legislation in the past years. The new solutions are part of the evolutionary trends and hold the potential to determine the future of medical facilities. The article focuses on the search for innovative solutions that are supposed to change the quality of operation of medical premises. An internal autonomous medical transport vehicle (IAMTV) is designed for use within hospital premises and not intended for operation on public roads, thus, the scope of this analysis forgoes traffic-related aspects. Furthermore, the purpose of the vehicle is the transportation of items within its locked storage space. While the items transported may vary during use, this legal analysis presumes and focuses on the transport of medicines, medical samples, and even documents. Also, throughout the analysis, the immediate operational environment of IAMTVs will be evaluated. An assumption is made that IAMTVs are not able to operate entirely independently, in a vacuum, but rather will form a part of hospitals’ internet of things network.