Say hello to the hunk of plastic that could replace your anesthesiologist. Right now, only four U.S. hospitals are using the Sedasys anesthesiology machine to sedate patients before surgery. Johnson & Johnson has been cautiously rolling out the machine after winning approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 2013. The FDA originally rejected the machine in 2010, but later approved after Johnson & Johnson agreed it would only be used for simple screenings--like colonoscopies or endoscopies--and only when an anesthesiology doctor or nurse was on-call.
The machine administers a measured dose of propofol to the patient, and the drug acts quickly. To keep patients safe, the machine is programmed with conservative parameters. Even the slightest problem--for example, if the patient has low blood oxygen or a slow heart rate--slows or stops the drug's infusion. According to the Washington Post, the machine has stricter limits than a human anesthesiologist would have.
http://www.popsci.com/meet-machine-could-replace-anesthesiologists
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2015, @10:53PM
Anesthesiologists are paid amazingly well. Stupidly well, I think. Welcome to the modern era.
(Score: 1) by CortoMaltese on Thursday May 14 2015, @12:19AM
Well to be honest its not exactly an easy job, and anything going wrong could kill the patient.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 14 2015, @01:39AM
Have you picked fruit? That is a hard job too.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday May 14 2015, @12:14PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves