Introduction
The study of building computers and systems that can accomplish activities that generally require human intellect is known as artificial intelligence. It is utilized in various industries to assist people in executing complex jobs effortlessly, tracking vast amounts of data, providing client services, and generating models and forecasts that would have taken years to complete onboard. Artificial intelligence has gone far beyond our expectations with the fastest advancement of science and technology, imprinting itself in various areas in diverse ways.
One of the most important fields in which AI is making a considerable difference is Healthcare. Needless to say, health and health-related concerns have always been a primary concern of technicians and inventors. The usage of AI in various aspects of healthcare cuts down on the possibility of errors and increase medical efficiency in a variety of ways.
Robotics in Healthcare
The Robotic Institute of America defines a robot as “a machine in the guise of a human person that performs mechanical activities but lacks sensibility.” The immediate use or driving force for developing robots was to work as people, but as it was developed step by step and added functions, it became clear that it could do much more than it was designed to accomplish.
Robots in the healthcare and medical sectors execute integrated activities utilizing the fields of mechanicals and electronics, such as force or movement measurement or domain, sensor system technology, and so on. Robots’ responsibilities include complete patient care, rehabilitation, prosthesis, medical treatments as needed, e-health, and monitoring.
According to that definition, medical robotics significantly impacts health, social, and economic benefits. Robotics can provide answers for a significant number of patients, particularly those with specific needs such as amputees, stroke patients, or people with cognitive or mental disabilities.
There are six broad dimensions of medical robotics based on applications and market analysis: Smart medical capsules, surgical robots, surgical robot-assisted prosthetics, robot-assisted motor coordination analysis and treatment, robot-assisted mental and social therapy and robot-assisted patient monitoring systems. These provide a variety of advantages such as reduction in tremor, greater visualization, and the possibility of greater sterilization and tele-surgery. On the other hand, as an emerging technology, they are very expensive and take a long time to setup.
Specific Applications of AI in Healthcare
AI is commonly used to forecast what protocol is likely to work for a specific patient based on the available data and decide on therapy for a particular patient. Neural network research can help predict if a patient will get a particular disease. It quickly evaluates and analyses a large number of factors and traits to anticipate the outcome.
In Radiology, automatic image analysis can detect areas of concern in a scan and analyze and interpret the data, removing the possibility of human mistakes. They can also be helpful when there are no qualified professionals accessible to interpret the scan. Deep learning in radionics can detect malignant tumors in radiology pictures that are invisible to the human eye. For accurate oncology-oriented picture analysis, AI comes in handy.
For a long time, AI researchers have been interested in learning how to detect human language. Natural language processing is commonly used for translation, speech recognition, and text analysis. These systems are capable of transcribing patient interactions and producing automated tailored messaging. Natural language processing systems are used in healthcare to make, understand, and categorize clinical records and research papers.
AIs can not only maintains track of clinical information but also assists doctors in anticipating high-risk patients based on clinical records. It lowers the possibility of human mistakes in diagnosis. AI can generate a list of patients who are in danger of re-admission based only on the electronic records that are accessible. The trending study measures the risk of cardiovascular illnesses in a patient based on an image of the patient’s retina.
These are only a handful of the applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare. In the coming years, AI in healthcare will inevitably provide speedy, cost-effective, and accurate treatment.
The Role of Intellectual Property
As AI pushes the limits of healthcare, there is a growing need to safeguard years of study and technology development. Inventions, creative works, and ideas are all protected by intellectual property law, forming a substantial pool of intangible markets. It is prudent to patent breakthroughs and inventions in the healthcare industry to guarantee that they reach the appropriate people and are put to good use to save lives. Ergo, in addition to patent rights, manufacturers have devised additional methods to safeguard ideas using existing possibilities available within the scope of IP Laws.
Database access: The healthcare industry creates a large amount of data through clinical records, patient information, medication trials, Etc. Healthcare businesses spend a lot of money making and categorizing data. This highlights the critical necessity to safeguard them. Obtaining database rights is an ingenious way to ensure your clinical data.
Design Patents: A design patent allows healthcare firms and experts to protect their AI-designed gadgets, goods, and equipment. Design patents provide the owner authority over a product’s visual, aesthetic, and kinematic features. It will preserve the creator’s rights in everything from the whole color scheme of an AI-based user interface, information layout to the look and operation of a wearable activity monitor’s touch notifications.
Trade Secrets: Because few people have the technical know-how to reverse engineer these systems, trade secrets are frequently the first option for corporations to safeguard their ideas. Circumventing a technological protection measure to access copyrightable computer code is prohibited under the WIPO Copyright Treaty of 1996.
Conclusion
As more competitors enter the robotics ecosystem and innovation focuses on more complex robotics, businesses rely on IPR systems to protect their interests. Companies are continually depending on the capabilities of the IP system to protect their interests in this sector. A strong patent portfolio enables you to license and cross-license innovations, strengthen commercial relationships, generate new income streams, and avoid litigation in certain situations.
Author: Aranya Nath, Legal Intern at PA Legal.
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