Your Next Prostate Exam Could Be Done By A Robot Finger
If you’re not a fan of robots doing human jobs, you may need to figure a way to accept the change. China researchers have created a robot finger that could possibly used to do prostate exams. And not just prostate exams, they think it could be used for breast exams as well.
Where Are You Putting That Finger?
China researchers have created a finger that is flexible and could possibly be used to do prostate exams. The finger can be used to check pulses, abnormal lumps, and other uses, according to New Atlas.
The finger is called “BSF” which stands for bio-inspired soft finger. The finger can even bend like a normal finger.
The robot finger wasn’t just used for a prostate exam. It was used in a recent test to find someone’s artery from their wrist and then used to find their pulse.
Aside from finding pulses and doing prostate exams, the robot finger can do breast exams. After a woman’s breasts are squished for their mammogram, the robot would come in and feel a bit more to detect something the doctor might have not detected. The finger is almost life-like by the way it can press and feel the stiffness of the object it’s inspecting.
Related: Scientists Create Robots With ‘Living Skin’ That Smiles
How It Works
The BSF is shaped like a semicircle with what they call a PneuNew or pneumatic network as a structure. It’s also made up of a series of channels and also chambers that allow the BSF to bend in different directions when pressure is applied. It’s about 129 mm in length or about 5.08 inches.
Will we see this in more doctors’ offices in the future? Possibly, but for now, we just need to continue to get our doctors and get their opinion. But don’t be surprised if this becomes something doctors use to get a second opinion.