Aethon, Inc.
Aethon Aids Sinai Hospital in Reducing Medication Turnaround Time, Costs and Missing Doses
By implementing Aethon's TUG robot and MedEx medication tracking system, Sinai Hospital reported reduced medication delivery time, from 60 to 33 minutes, and eliminated the need for the 6.2 full-time equivalents associated with their former manual delivery process. And, upon implementing MedEx, missing medication doses immediately decreased 20 percent resulting in an annualized savings of $150,000. Aethon provides industry-leading, technology-based logistics solutions to hospitals with MedEx and TUG robots. More information can be found at www.aethon.com.
December 16, 2011 | Permalink
Aethon's Aldo Zini Believes "Whole Product Solution" the Key to Robots Gaining Relevance and Acceptance
Aethon's Aldo Zini, president of the nation's leading developer of autonomous mobile robots in healthcare, told his fellow executives that mobile robots must be part of a "whole-product solution" if they are to gain relevance and acceptance in the market place. Zini delivered the keynote address at the 2011 RoboBusiness Leadership Summit in Boston. Zini said that Aethon is an example of a company that has followed this approach by investing significant time and resources into developing the ancillary components and support systems required to provide a whole product solution to hospital logistics. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
November 18, 2011 | Permalink
Aethon Part of Plan at Parkview Regional Medical Center
Aethon's TUG robots have been included in the building design of the Parkview Regional Medical Center. The robots will be used to solve the logistics challenge of covering nearly 1 million square feet in a timely and efficient manner. The TUGs will transport medications, meals, linens, equipment, supplies and trash to and from patient floors. More than 400 TUG robots are in use around the country to improve workflow and increase efficiency in the healthcare setting. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
October 3, 2011 | Permalink
Aethon Introduces Robo-Nurses
Aethon has built Robo-Nurses, which could be used in executing menial tasks so that nurses can spend more time attending to the patient’s need. The Robo-nurses, called TUGs, are being used in hospitals to perform tasks such as delivering medication, linen, food and laboratory specimens to the wards, and waste removal. Testing trials on the robot have shown that the time taken for delivering the medicine is much less and there is no scope for the drugs to go missing. A study of the TUGs by the University of Maryland Medical Center showed that the average time span from the time the pharmacy receives the prescription to delivery dropped to 30 minutes and saved 6,123 hours of the time spent by nurses for tracking the medication. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
June 23, 2011 | Permalink
Aethon's TUG: One of 2010's Best Robots
Singularity Hub, a leading authority in robotics, selected Aethon's TUG robots as one of the Best Robots of 2010. The TUG robots use state-of-the-art technology to autonomously navigate hospital corridors delivering medication, equipment, supplies, meals, linens, lab specimens and more. They have been shown to improve efficiency, reduce costs, enhance patient care and support environmental initiatives. More information is available at www.aethon.com.
February 3, 2011 | Permalink
UMMC + MedEx = Reduced Drug Costs, Improved Nurse Satisfaction
Using Aethon's comprehensive medication tracking system, MedEx, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) has improved delivery tunaround time, reduced personnel costs and enhanced nurse satisfaction. A presentation, entitled "From Dock to Bedside: Automating the Entire Medication Use Process," revealed best practices for achieving a safer, streamlined, accountable and cost-saving medication use system. To learn more about MedEx, visit www.aethon.com.
December 22, 2010 | Permalink
Aethon's MedEx Showcased at ASHP Midyear Conference
Aethon's MedEx, the first completely automated chain-of-custody solution for medications, will be showcased to health system pharmacies at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Conference. MedEx can be added to Aethon's TUG robots to not only perform the physical delivery but also automatically and accurately record the transaction. MedEx uses passive RFID barcodes, biometrics, remote monitoring and secure carts to improve the frequency, reliability and accountability of all medication deliveries. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
December 7, 2010 | Permalink
Aethon's Unveils MedEx "Chain of Custody" Technology
Aethon's MedEx System, the nation's first "Chain-of-Custody" Technology for Hospital Pharmacies, is operational at the University of Maryland Medical Center. MedEx allows a hospital's pharmacy to know the real-time location and status of medications throughout the facility. The MedEx system combines passive RFID technology and biometrics capabilities built into Aethon's TUG carts to automatically create an electronic chain of custody receipt (person, location, date/time) indicating when an item is placed in and removed from the TUG. The MedEx system helps to improve regulatory compliance related to the delivery and storage of medications as well as minimize the frequency of missing medications. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
August 24, 2010 | Permalink
Aethon Appoints VP Sales
Joseph Gentile has joined Aethon as Vice President of Sales for the robotic delivery company. After more than two decades of healthcare industry experience, Gentile is excited about the robotic solutions Aethon has to offer hospitals looking for increased efficiencies and greater accountability. Aethon's TUG robots deliver meals, medications and supplies throughout hospitals across the country. Learn more about the TUG and Aethon's asset tracking solutions at www.aethon.com.
August 19, 2010 | Permalink
Geisinger Health System Implements Aethon's MedEx
Aethon's MedEx system, the first advanced automated tracking and "chain of custody" documentation system is improving the real-time location and status of medication delivery for Geisinger Health System's pharmacy. Combining passive RFID technology and biometrics capabilities built into the TUG's secure carts, MedEx automatically creates an electronic chain of custody receipt (person, location, date, time) indicating when an item is placed in and removed from the TUG. Learn about the full range of Aethon's asset control devices at www.aethon.com.
July 13, 2010 | Permalink
Aethon and Bosch Form Partnership
Aethon has formed a partnership with the Bosch Group through its Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) venture arm. The total investment of $6.6 million, $5 million from RBVC, included contributions from existing investors, and will be used to fuel the company's growth through sales expansion and new product development. Visit Aethon's website to learn more about the company and its plan for future growth.
April 6, 2010 | Permalink
Avera McKennan Hospital Adds Aethon TUGs
Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, will introduce two new robotic workers to their ranks this fall. Two Aethon TUG automated robotic delivery devices will spend most of the day delivering drugs to upper floors in the hospital from the Pharmacy Department in the basement, and may also deliver mail, meals and small equipment. The robots, leased for $4.50/hour each, will serve as a big time-saver for the Pharmacy Technicians who can make 20 or more hand deliveries a day. Alleviating administrative and time-consuming processes creates more time for patient-care is a very positive thing indeed. Learn more about Aethon's hospital delivery and asset management systems at www.aethon.com.
August 20, 2009 | Permalink
Aethon Upgrades Robotic Operating System
Aethon has released the TUGOS 6.5, which will significantly advance the operational capabilities of its autonomous mobile robot, the TUG. This advanced navigational operating system for mobile robotics increases the processing speed of TUG's autonomous decision-making algorithms, improving its navigational speed and agility. The new TUGOS 6.5 also allows the use of more powerful motors and larger wheels, enabling the TUG to automate a wide range of hospital delivery tasks, including larger delivery carts for environmental service applications such as trash and linen. Proprietary technology and an innovative approach give TUG the ability to safely and reliably operate in unstructured and dynamic environments. Learn more at www.aethon.com.
July 9, 2009 | Permalink
Aethon Automates ADC Inventory Replenishment
Aethon, the leading developer of mobile robotic solutions for hospital supply chain logistics has developed a patent-pending replenishment solution for Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs) in hospitals. This is the first technology on the market that can remotely control cabinets in order to reduce the number of steps staff go through during restocking transactions. Aethon's replenishment solution is designed to work with all brands of ADCs, and is currently in its beta phase. The complete solution will be demonstrated at Aethon's booth (#2458) during the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting December 7-11 in Orlando, FL.
December 9, 2008 | Permalink
7 Pittsburgh Companies Get $41M in 3Q
According to an article in the Pittsburgh Business Times, seven Pittsburgh companies received a combined $41.36 million in venture, angel and government funding during the third quarter of 2008, the largest third-quarter infusion in five years. Almost all of the companies are in the life sciences/biotech category. Draper Triangle participated in three of the financing rounds: Aethon, ClearCount Medical Solutions and Entermedia, where the companies raised a combined $18.26 million.
October 30, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Raises $14 Million
Aethon recently closed on a successful $14 million financing round led by two new investors, Nexus Medical Partners and Radius Ventures and supported by existing VC groups Draper Triangle, Trident Capital, Pacific Venture Group, Salix Ventures and Ascension Health Ventures. This funding supports Aethon's goal of continued business growth, accelerated sales, and intensified research and development efforts on new products and product extensions. The two new investing partners were strategically selected by Aethon. Nexus was chosen for its potential to help Aethon expand into the European market; and Radius Ventures brings a roster of proven healthcare industry executives and experts who can contribute to Aethon's expansion. Over the last 3 years, Aethon's TUG robotic delivery systems have provided supply and equipment delivery solutions for more than 100 hosptials around the country.
September 23, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon to Partner with RE2 to Develop RNA
As part of a Phase II SBIR Program awarded by the US Army, RE2 will partner with Aethon and AnthroTronix to deliver a prototype Robotic Nursing Assistant (RNA). During the 2-year Phase II, RE2 will work to develop a practical prototype of the RNA including two arms, hands, torso, and wheeled base. RE2 is leveraging its dexterous manipulation expertise to design the RNA's manipulator arms. RE2 is partnering with proven robotics technology providers for the robotic platform and intuitive control componets of this program.
August 28, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Listed as One of Seven Techs that Could Change Healthcare
An article on forbes.com calls out Aethon as one of the "Seven Technologies that Could Change Health Care." Noting that many of the advances in health care come from start-ups and not typical health-care giants, the article highlighted Aethon as a company poised to take advantage of the huge opportunites presented by the need for better, less expensive care. Aethon's TUG allows health care workers to focus on patient care and leave the supply-delievery to the robots. Read more at www.aethon.com.
August 28, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Makes JR Tug Available to Children's Hospitals
Aethon Inc. has announced the general availability of its train-themed "JR" autonomous mobile robot to children's hospitals across the country, and will make a donation to the national Make-A-Wish Foundation for each JR TUG that is deployed. Modeled after the title character in the children's book "The Little Engine That Could," JR was originally developed to help grant a wish for 7-year old leukemia patient, Jericho Rajninger, in Larkspur, CA and was donated to the UCSF Children's Hospital through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Jericho believed that having medications delivered by a robot modeled after a train might make the prospect of taking the pills more pleasant for sick children. In addition to UCSF Children's Hospital, the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin also employs a JR TUG, and Levine Children's Hospital in NC has agreed to place one into service early this fall. For more information on purchasing JR, visit http://www.aethon.com/contact.html.
August 8, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Names New CFO
Robert J. Reilly has joined Aethon, Inc. as its Senior Vice President - Chief Financial Officer. Aethon is the leading developer of mobile robotics for hospital supply chain logistics. Most recently, Mr. Reilly served as General Manager for McKesson Coporation's Specialty Pharmacy Division, and, prior to his GM role, as CFO for McKesson's Automation Group. Along with his 30 years of finance and operations experience, Mr. Reilly holds a BS degree in Accounting from Duquesne University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
July 24, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Deploys 100th TUG
Tray-C is the latest Aethon TUG to be activated in US hospitals, and marks the 100th of its kind. The TUG is an automated transportation system for the delivery and tracking of hospital goods and supplies and uses a wireless, RFID tracking system. Employed by Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Florida, Tray-C delivers late meals to patient units, and allows hospital staff to concentrate on patient care, not on repetitive, mundane tasks like pushing carts and running errands.
July 24, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon ATRS Does NOT Interfere with Hospital Medical Equipment
Addressing critical safety concerns outlined in a study in the June issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Aethon, Inc. has announced that its robotic Asset Tracking and Recovery System (ATRS) cannot interfere with medical equipment. The study from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, was designed to assess and classify incidents of electromagnetic interference by radio frequency identification (RFID) on critical care equipment. The article titled “Electromagnetic Interference from Radio Frequency Identification Inducing Potentially Hazardous Incidents in Critical Care Medical Equipment” appears in the June 25, 2008 issue of JAMA. Using RFID technology that emits zero power, Aethon's readers and portals only listen for tags and stop the radios and antennae from interfering with clinical equipment because the system employs a mobile robot outfitted with a passive antenna. Read all about Aethon's ATRS at www.aethon.com.
July 3, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Demonstrates Enhanced TUG at AONE Expo
Aethon has plans to demonstrate its TUG with enhanced navigation system at AONE (Association of Nurse Executives) 2008 Annual Meeting and Exposition April 25-29. Comprised of HOMER, an RFID-based asset tracking system, and TUG, the company's widely-deployed mobile courier robot, the Aethon asset delivery and tracking system enables hospitals to ameliorate nursing staffing challenges by automating material deliveries and freeing nurses to spend more time on patient care. A University of Maryland study has shown that with TUG, nurse satisfaction with pharmacy service increased by 23% and confidence that pharmacists would promptly fill and deliver new medication orders grew by 50%.
April 23, 2008 | Permalink
TUG Adds Laser-Driven Navigation
Aethon, Inc. has significantly enhanced the navigation system of its TUG robotics platform with the addition of laser-based technology. The new system improves TUG's already impressive performance in streamlining supply chain operations and allows clinical staff to remain focused on patient care. Benefits of the new system include: Rapid deployment, faster, more flexible delivery, less technical support and faster troubleshooting. Find out more about the TUG's new laser-guided system at www.aethon.com.
April 14, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon Partners with RE2 to Develop RNA
Aethon has partnered with RE2, a leading developer of intelligent modular manipulation systems, in the design of a Robotic Nursing Assistant, or RNA. The RNA concept combines Aethon's proven mobile robotic platform and sophisticated navigation technology with RE2's intelligent dexterous manipulation expertise. The RNA will be designed to be an extension of the nurse when performing physically challenging tasks, such as moving a patient from a gurney to a hospital bed. To support design of the RNA, RE2 received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract grant from the US Army's TATRC.
April 8, 2008 | Permalink
Aethon: 2007 Milestones
2007 was a good year for Aethon: the company set milestones for new hospital deployments, product and application introductions. The past twelve months has brought dramatic growth and a doubling of sales for the robot-maker. Aethon now has sales offices in every major market across the country, and expects that overall staff will exceed 130 by the first quarter of 2008. Dedicated applications were developed, including a Pharmacy Cart and a train-themed delivery card, and the company introduced Homer, an asset utilization solution when combined with the flagship TUG robot. Aethon was also honored to win the Operational Excellence category from Cisco's Growing with Technology Awards 2007, and was recognized as one of the region's 50 leading technology-oriented companies in the Pittsburgh Technology Council's annual Tech50 Awards. Yes, 2007 was a very good year for Aethon.
January 31, 2008 | Permalink
Joe Costa: New VP, Marketing for Aethon
Aethon, Inc. has appointed Joe Costa as its new Vice President of Marketing; and placed him in charge of leading the company's efforts to increase awareness of its autonomous mobile robotic systems. Previously, Joe has held a number of senior marketing positions with Becton Dickinson & Company and Tyco Healthcare, and served as VP Strategic Operations for the Futura Medical Technologies division of Medisys Group. At Aethon, Joe will be instrumental in identifying new customers and expanding usage of Aethon's robots among its current customers.
November 27, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon Wins Cisco Growing With Technology Award
Aethon won the grand prize in the Operational Excellence category in the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards 2007 for its innovative use of netowrking technology to redefine hospital supply chain logistics. The awards were announced October 9th. The awards program was created to recognize small and midsize organizations that use networking technology in innovative ways to address business challenges, compete more effectively and fuel success. A panel of 10 judges selected 15 winners in 5 categories from more than 570 applications. Congratulations, Aethon!
November 13, 2007 | Permalink
Pittsburgh Technology Council Announces Tech50
Both Aethon and BitArmor Systems were honored by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, as being among the region's 50 leading technology-oriented companies within the 13-county area of southwestern PA. Each year, the Tech50 event honors those technology companies that demonstrated the strongest growth and advancement in product or sales success, financial strength, corporate citizenship, job growth and rentention and innovative product or technology. Aethon was a finalist in the Advanced Manufacturing category, and BitArmor in the Rising Star category. Read more about the 2007 Pittsburgh Technology 50 at www.pghtech.org.
October 18, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon Wins Cisco Award
When Cisco announced the grand-prize winners for the 8th Annual Cisco Growing with Technology Awards, Aethon came out on top in the Innovators in Operational Excellence category. The awards program was created to recognize small to midsized organizations that use networking technology in creative ways to promote products and services, deliver superior value to customers, inprove internal operations, conduct online transactions and extend the geographical reach of their services. The winners were selected from 570 applications. Congratulations, Aethon!
October 11, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon's Asset Utilization Solution Helps Moore Regional Hospital
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC has successfully implemented Aethon's autonomous mobile robotic system as the key component in its material handling re-engineering effort. Moore Regional was able to implement Aethon's asset utilization solution within a five-month period without expansion to, or impact on, its existing LAN or wireless network. CIO of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, Dave Dillhunt said, "Moore Regional chose Aethon's asset utilization solution because it is the best overall solution as well as the most economical one for achieveing our objectives." Read more about Aethon's solution at www.aethon.com.
September 25, 2007 | Permalink
Robots Lighten Nurses' Load
Transporting instruments, specimens and meals around hospitals typically has been relegated to the nurses -- at enormous expense to hospitals. In response, Aethon introduced TUG, the hospital robot that can do the transporting for just $2.85 per hour, leaving the nurses time to spend with patients. Aethon plans to release the latest version of its TUG, the T2.5, later this summer. Upgrades will include the ability to autonomously attach and detach itself to and from carts holdng pumps, IVs, prescriptions and more -- in effect, allowing TUG to switch roles in the hospital with just the push of a few buttons. Read the article on Business2.0's website.
July 31, 2007 | Permalink
Mobile Robots - The Real Deal
An article in ComputerWorld proclaims that the market for mobile robots has changed, and people are now trying to find new ways to use them -- mobile robots have moved out of the science fiction realm and are now bona fide commercial solutions. Case in point? Aethon's TUGs are now in use in hospitals all over the country. FirstHealth of the Carolinas employs 6 TUGs for pharmacy and supply deliveries, and is considering adding to its fleet to expedite food tray and lab specimen deliveries. Read the full article here.
July 26, 2007 | Permalink
TUG Rolls into Latrobe Hospital
Excela Health Latrobe hospital recently implemented its first robotic transportation system, Aethon's TUG, to help lighten the load of hospital staff. The robot's job is to deliver medical supplies throughout the hospital without the help of a human. At $1500/month to lease TUG, the robot represents a significant savings for the hospital, and fills a vacancy that Excela could not fill. Use of Aethon TUGs in hospitals has grown exponentially in the past year as hospitals recognize the efficiencies of using robotic transporation instead of human couriers.
July 24, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon Helps Boy's Wish Come True
With the donation of a $100,000 hospital delivery device through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Aethon helped to realize the dream of a 7-year old boy with cancer. Jericho Rajninger, a longtime UCSF Children's Hospital patient, wished for a robot that would make taking all of the medication required for cancer treatment a little easier. Aethon and Make-a-Wish delivered RJ, a toy train-dressed verison of Aethon's TUG, which will deliver medication to the nurses to dispense to the patients in the oncology unit. Read the full story at http://pub.ucsf.edu/today/cache/news/200706051.html.
June 7, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon Finds Success with Landslide
Six months ago, Aethon had a problem: how to expand the sales force, grow its prospect pipeline and customer base, and shorten the sales cycle, while making the most of it's just-received $11 million in funding. The company looked at the traditional contact managment offerings, but ultimately turned to Landslide Technologies for its solution. Landslide's product combines the capacity to define a customized sales process with the ability to provide easy access to sales collateral and documents for each selling step, then generate reports to measure effectiveness. Over the last year, Aethon has quadrupled its salesforce, manages a 75% close rate, shortened the sales cycle from 7 months to 5, and grew revenue 260%.
June 2, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon's Homer Works To Recover Hospital Assets
Developed by Aethon, the hospital robot Tug, now has a "brother" named Homer. An RFID-enabled version of the original Tug, Homer was designed to perform the same retrieval and delivery tasks, but also carries an RFID interrogator used to locate RFID-tagged assets as it moves around the hospital. Six of the more than 34 hospital already using Tugs are now testing Homer. A proprietary algorithm allows the software to determine an asset tag's location to an accuracy of approximately 3 feet, and the robot's container allows assets to be moved around the hospital. Hospitals already using RFID to track assets can add readers to their Tugs, eliminating the need to install readers throughout the entire hospital. Read more on Aethon's website.
May 29, 2007 | Permalink
Aldo Zini Receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Aldoo Zini is being honored by the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering through its Distinguished Alumni Award at a banquet on April 4. President and CEO of Aethon, Aldo received his bachelor's degree from Pitt in 1975. Aethon is the nation's largest healthcare robotic company focused on automating delivery and transportation applications within hospitals. Congratulations, Aldo!
March 6, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon Redefines Hospital Asset Utilization
At the HIMSS 2007 Annual Conference, Aethon announced the general availability of the first mobile autonomous asset utilization solution designed to locate, deliver and recover hospital equipment. The solution features HOMER (Aethon's RFID-based asset tracking system) and TUG (the company's asset delivery and recovery system). CEO Aldo Zini believes that the real value of the system comes "when the equipment is automatically recovered and delivered to the location where it's needed, when it's needed." The two robotic systems work together to enable hospitals to improve staff efficiency, increase asset utilization, decrease equipment rentals and improve regulatory compliance. Read more about TUG and HOMER at www.aethon.com.
February 27, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon and Landslide Team Up for Sales
With a recent influx of expansion capital, provided primarily to fuel growth in its customer base, Aethon faced a new issue: How to train new salespeople quickly and efficiently on the complex sales process of the TUG robots. Enter Landslide. Landslide, and its Landslide Workstyle Management, provided the tools for defining and managing Aethon's 16-step sales process, decreasing training time from 7 weeks to 3, and increasing sales effectiveness across the board. Read the full article about how Aethon and Landslide teamed up for productivity on the Destination CRM website.
January 1, 2007 | Permalink
Aethon, Plextronics Receive Honors in Tech 50
The Pittsburgh Technology Council held its 10th annual Tech 50 Awards event on Thursday, October 19th, and both Aethon and Plextronics received Finalist nods. Aethon was a finalist in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, and Andy Hannah, CEO of Plextronics, received finalist status for the 2006 CEO of the Year award. Tech 50 honors companies the Council deems the 50 leading technology-oriented companies in the Pittsburgh region. The Pittsburgh Technology Council is the nation's largest regional technology trade association with almost 1,400 member companies throughout 13 counties.
October 20, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon Honored for Supporting Make-A-Wish
The Greater Bay Area Make-a-Wish Foundation honored Aethon and 7 other Make-a-Wish Heros at its annual meeting in San Francisco on Spetember 27. Aethon was celebrated for donating an automated courier system (the Tug), valued at $105,000, to help a boy in his wish to create a robot to deliver medicine to children in the hospital.
October 12, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon Receives Patent No. 7,100,725
"Robotic cart pulling vehicle, No. 7,100,725" is how Aethon's patent reads for its Tug robot. The present invention relates to robotic cart pulling vehicles for automated hauling of materials indoors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cart pulling deduced reckoning guided mobile robot system. Aethon received the patent on September 5, 2006.
October 10, 2006 | Permalink
Robots Join Staff of Adventist Hospital
The newest employees at Seventh-day Adventist-owned Florida Hospital work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, never take a break, and wouldn't think of asking for a raise. Amid the usual flurry of doctors, nurses, and patients, you're likely to find them scurrying along the hospital's hallways with linens, meals, and other supplies in tow. These new employees are three robots called TUGs. Hospital staff says they've already proved to be helpful and dependable. Designed by Aethon, the robots "eliminate repetitive tasks like pushing carts and running errands" to "ensure [hospital] caregivers are spending their valuable time taking care of patients," says Mike Thompson, Florida Hospital Celebration Health assistant administrator. [Florida Hospital/ANN Staff]
August 31, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon Adds RFID Offering
Nurses and Nursing Aides at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital spend a little less time searching for and gathering supplies and equipment these days, thanks to Aethon's new Asset Tracking and Recovering System, HOMER. Using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on equipment in combination with TUG delivery robots, hospital employees can log onto a web browser to find out where the equipment, such as wheelchairs and IV pumps, were the last time the TUG passed by. The hospital aims to reduce the amount of leg and people time spent tracking equipment and supplies. Aethon will demonstrate HOMER at the AHRMM's Annual Conference & Exhibition in Florida at booth #523. Read more about HOMER on Aethon's website.
August 15, 2006 | Permalink
Celebration Health Employs 3 TUGs
At Celebration Health in Osceola County, FL, 3 robotic TUGs move around the hallways delivering medical supplies and picking up dirty linens. The Aethon robots have been working at the hospital since April, are available 24/7, and can do the work of more than 2 full-time delivery people, although the Celebration TUGs are not yet being used to their full capacity. More than 100 TUGs are active in 50 hospitals in the East, including several other cities in Florida. Read more in the Orlando Sentinel.
August 15, 2006 | Permalink
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Finds Value in Tug
Two of Aethon's Tugs now roam the halls of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in North Carolina, and a third is expected to arrive in the next few months. The Tugs are the only robots of their kind in the state, and they've proven themselves to the staff as valuable assets -- delivering medications all over the hospital. The robots can be tracked on a wall-mounted flat-screen monitor in the pharmacy department. Each receiving department has its own drawer in the file cabinet which can only be unlocked by entering the proper code. The Tugs primarily carry medications, but have the capacity to carry loads up to 400 pounds.
May 4, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon Receives TTC Project Funding
The Technology Collaborative (TTC) a statewide economic development organization that supports the growth of Pennsylvania's world-class robotics, cyber-security and digital technologies industries, has allocated $2.3 million to twelve companies and one joint university/corporate team across Pennsylvania. One of those companies was Aethon. According to Aldo Zini, CEO of Aethon, the funding "will allow Aethon to more rapidly penetrate the healthcare delivery robot market, while providing useful base technology to regional autonomous mobile robot partners."
May 3, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon's Zini Shares Lesson Learned
In an article in the Pittsburgh Business Times, Aethon president Aldo Zini shares the most important lesson of his career, "Launch early, get a product out there quickly and upgrade as you go." In that vein, he leaves the technological updates to the engineers on his staff while he focuses on market issues and the company's business model. His theory has some merit, the company has grown from 25 employees in 2004 to 60 in 2005 and expects to double that head count in the next year.
February 21, 2006 | Permalink
Tug Making Moves at Canonsburg Hospital
Fifty times a day at Canonsburg General Hospital, Aethon's Tug robot is making rounds from the ER to the lab, hauling blood, urine and other specimens down the long hallways, stopping only occasionally for traffic jams or other obstructions. The robot ensures that ER nurses can spend more time with patients, not delivering specimens to the lab. The Tug arrived at the hospital in December and has been working hard, saving time and money ever since. West Penn Allegheny Health Systems, which includes Canonsburg General, has purchased Tugs for its six hospitals to save money and use professional staff more wisely.
January 10, 2006 | Permalink
Aethon, BodyMedia, Renal Solutions Amoung Tech50
The Pittsburgh Technology Council's Technology 50 celebrates the southwestern Pennsylvania region's 50 leading technology-oriented companies in five categories: Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Rising Star and Service Provider. Aethon was a finalist in the Information Technology category; BodyMedia and Renal Solutions in the Life Sciences category. Congratulations to all of the firms named. For more information, visit the Tech50 homepage.
December 6, 2005 | Permalink
Aethon Closes $11 Million Financing Round
Aethon recently closed an $11 million financing deal, allowing the company to double its workforce and expand its customer base nationwide. The round was led by Trident Capital and included previous investors Draper Triangle Ventures, Salix Ventures, Ascension Health Ventures and Pacific Venture Group.
November 22, 2005 | Permalink
Pittsburgh Technology Council Announces Tech50 Category Leaders
The Pittsburgh Technology Council's annual Technology 50 honors those technology companies that demonstrated the strongest growth and advancement in product or sales success, financial strength, corporate citizenship, job growth and retention and innovative product or technology. We're pleased to say that this year Aethon (Information Technology), BodyMedia (Life Sciences), and Renal Solutions (Life Sciences) have all made the list. The annual gala to announce the category winners will be held on October 20.
August 15, 2005 | Permalink
Aethon Moves into Geisinger Medical Center
Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA has acquired several of Aethon's TUG robots. The hospital is using the robots to relieve nurses of duties related to transporting supplies and equipment, and to help pharmacists deliver medications. The hospital plans to add another TUG or two later this year.
August 11, 2005 | Permalink
Ron Taylor Joins Aethon Board
Ron Taylor, one of hopsital phamacy's most recognized executives, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Aethon. A pioneer in healthcare pharmacy technology, Mr. Taylor founded Pyxis Corp. in 1987. He took the company public in 1992, and served as Chairman and CEO until the firm was purchased by Cardinal Health in 1996. Currently, Mr. Taylor is an independent investor and serves on the Boards of several public and private companies.
July 19, 2005 | Permalink
Aethon Expands Sales Team, Moves HQ
As part of an aggressive expansion plan, Aethon
has added three Regional Vice Presidents — Kevin Hill, Southeaset Regional VP, Jeff Arbuckle, Midwest Regional VP and Karen Dockrell, Northeast Regional VP. Additionally six sales execs and a VP of Consulting Services have joined the Aethon Team. The company has also moved its headquarters to Campbell's Run Business Center in Robinson Township. The new facility will house up to 100 employees and provide space for manufacturing the company's flagship product, the Tug transport robot.
May 28, 2005 | Permalink
TUG: Efficient and Cost-Effective
In an article from The News Journal, Delaware, the TUG was billed as less costly and more efficient than human couriers. Hospitals could save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year by replacing human couriers with robotic ones to ferry linens, records, x-rays and other medical supplies to nursing stations. Aethon's TUG uses wireless radios and sensors to call elevators, open automatic doors and avoid obstacles. In May, Aethon won a federal contract to sell its TUG robots to VA hospitals nationwide. Visit Aethon's website to learn more.
January 6, 2005 | Permalink
Aethon's TUG Gaining Popularity in Hospitals
Aethon's TUG robotic courier is gaining acceptance in area hospitals, and with the Veteran's Affairs hospitals, as medical facilities look to streamline costs and fill duties left open by nursing shortages. Read the article at cnn.com.
July 6, 2004 | Permalink
Aethon Raises $7 Million from New & Existing Investors
We've invested for a second time in Aethon, manufacturer of Tug - the robotic hospital delivery system, and added Salix Ventures, Ascension Health Ventures and Pacific Venture Group to the investor pool. Salix led the round with a $7 million investment. Read the full release at www.aethon.com/pressroom.
June 24, 2004 | Permalink
Aethon Selected to Present at MAVC
Seven Pittsburgh technology and bio-tech companies have been chosen to present at the Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference November 17-19th, and our own Aethon is one of them. Pittsburgh has one of the highest concentrations of companies selected to present, and Chairman Steve Goodman told the Business Times that "[T]his speaks volumes about the quality of the region's economic climate and its ability to spawn new, high-growth companies."
November 4, 2003 | Permalink
Aethon names new CEO
Aldo Zini has been promoted to President and CEO of robotics manufacturer, Aethon, Inc. Founder Henry Thorne remains vital to the company in the role of Chief Technical Officer. Read the official news release here.
October 30, 2003 | Permalink
