TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Veterans General Hospital has developed an automated system for dispensing radioactive drugs that reduces staff radiation exposure, with implementation set for February 2026.
Radioactive drugs are used to diagnose or treat diseases such as cancer by delivering targeted radiation to specific parts of the body. They work by attaching radioactive material to chemicals that direct it to the intended organs or tissues.
The system, which won an invention award at this year’s Taiwan Innotech Expo, was developed jointly by the hospital’s nuclear medicine department and medical engineering office. It combines a robotic arm with AI control technology to automate the dispensing and packaging of radioactive drugs, per CNA.
Peng Nan-jing (彭南靖), director of the hospital’s nuclear medicine department, emphasized the need for automation. He noted the facility treats around 150 people daily with radioactive drugs, making it one of Taiwan’s leading centers for such procedures. The manual preparation and dispensing of these drugs used to be labor-intensive, with each lead container weighing up to 2 kilograms, Peng said.
Chen Wei-ling (陳維聆), director of the hospital’s medical engineering office, added that while pharmacists are largely shielded from radiation when handling these drugs, their hands may remain partially exposed during manual dispensing. The new automated system is expected to reduce this risk.
In May, the hospital signed a memorandum of understanding with Intuitive Surgical Sarl Taiwan Branch to collaborate on medical data applications and robotic arm surgical training.
The hospital is a leader in adopting robotic technology for complex surgical procedures. In June 2024, it became Taiwan’s second Da Vinci Surgical Training and Observation Center. In 2023, the facility ranked among the top in the country for robotic-assisted surgeries, particularly in urology, general surgery, and gynecology.
In urology, 94% of prostate cancer patients who underwent robotic surgery at the hospital recovered without urinary incontinence.
Since 2015, the hospital has used robotic arms in pancreatic surgeries, complex procedures that traditionally require large incisions. The robotic approach has helped reduce postoperative complications and speed patient recovery.
