TMCNet: FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals

[January 24, 2013]

FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals

BEDFORD, Mass. --(Business Wire)--

iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic solutions, announced that the RP-VITA Remote Presence Robot has received 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hospitals. RP-VITA is the first autonomous navigation remote presence robot to receive FDA clearance.

Using RP-VITA, a physician communicates with his patient remotely. (Photo: Business Wire)

Using RP-VITA, a physician communicates with his patient remotely. (Photo: Business Wire)

RP-VITA is a joint effort between two industry leaders, iRobot and InTouch Health (News - Alert). The robot combines the latest in autonomous navigation and mobility technologies developed by iRobot with state-of-the-art telemedicine and electronic health record integration developed by InTouch Health. RP-VITA allows remote doctor-to-patient consults, ensuring that the physician is in the right place at the right time and has access to the necessary clinical information to take immediate action. The robot has unprecedented ease of use. It maps its own environment and uses an array of sophisticated sensors to autonomously move about a busy space without interfering with people or other objects. Using an intuitive iPad® interface, a doctor can visit a patient, and communicate with hospital staff and patients with a single click, regardless of their location.

The FDA clearance specifies that RP-VITA can be used for active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological and critical care assessments and examinations.

RP-VITA is being sold into the healthcare market by InTouch Health as its new flagship remote presence device. iRobot will continue to explore adjacent market opportunities for robots like RP-VITA ad the iRobot Ava™ mobile robotics platform.

"FDA clearance of a robot that can move safely and independently through a fast-paced, chaotic and demanding hospital environment is a significant technological milestone for the robotics and healthcare industries," said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. "There are very few environments as difficult to maneuver as that of a busy ICU or emergency department. Having crossed this technology threshold, the potential for self-navigating robots in other markets, and for new applications, is virtually limitless."

"Remote presence solutions have proven their worth in the medical arena for quite some time," said Yulun Wang, chairman and CEO of InTouch Health. "RP-VITA has undergone stringent testing, and we are confident that the robot's ease of use and unique set of capabilities will enable new clinical applications and uses."

About iRobot Corp.
iRobot designs and builds robots that make a difference. The company's home robots help people find smarter ways to clean, and its defense & security robots protect those in harm's way. iRobot's consumer and military robots feature iRobot Aware (News - Alert)® robot intelligence systems, proprietary technology incorporating advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.

For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, iRobot Corporation's expectations concerning delivery of technology for robots in hospitals. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot Corporation, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

About InTouch Health
InTouch Health is the leader in providing telemedicine solutions for high-acuity applications where doctors are required to take immediate clinical action. Its InTouch® Telemedicine System is the industry's only fully integrated end-to-end solution encompassing clinical data management, medical imaging, 24/7 technical support, clinical consulting services and the SureConnect® cloud-based infrastructure. By removing time and distance barriers, the InTouch Telemedicine System effectively enables physicians to perform real-time consults with hospital patients through a host of purpose-built telemedicine devices. Deployed on six continents, over 10% of all U.S. hospitals - including 13 of the nation's top neuroscience centers of excellence - use the InTouch Telemedicine System.


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