Modern technological marvels have changed the world. They have changed the way we live, eat, communicate and what not. And the medical world is not untouched by these techs. The technologies that we once used to see in science fiction movies, the ones that seemed to be impossible, are starting to emerge in the real life too. We have already witnessed pills that take pictures to robots that help doctors in surgeries. While some technologies are lined to change the medical world, some are already making lives better. Some of these are affordable while some are far away from reach of a common man. However, here is a list of technological marvels that have defined contemporary medical success.
Yes, one can soon get his/her body parts printer via a printer says Jordan Miller, PhD, University of Pennsylvania.Manufacturing heart valves, muscle tissue, skin and other body parts will be a click away. And all this will be possible because of bio printing. It is a technique that has the ability to create human tissues. All we need to do is feed it with a special ink that is made from donor stem cells. Jordan says, “These printers use stem cells and special gels to build living, 3-D structures one layer at a time”. But producing whole body parts is not yet possible practically as this printer is capable of printing only thin sheets of tissue. The long term goal however is a set bit high. Aim is to be able to produce transplants for one in need without having to wait for donor or use immunosuppressant drugs.
Many people suffer from bowel disorders or problems in the digestive tract. Though doctors with their experience try to treat the disorders or problems, it would have been very much helpful if they could have actually seen what exactly is going on inside our body. Well, Given Imaging Ltd gave the solution to it. Pillcam is a $500 camera that one can swallow just as any other pill. This pill transmits photos from inside you wirelessly to data recorders. Doctors can then examine the photos to know what is going on in there. After documenting the trip the pill is flushed out through the gastrointestinal tract. There are three different designs to choose from as per different body types. First generation of these pills were approved in 2001 and 2004 and more than 1.5 million of them have already served.
Almost everyone suffers from headaches or facial pain at least once in lifetime. However, causes of the same are different. Some get a head pain because reasons like debt settlement issues and if that is the case, top ten reviews of debt settlement reviews may help you! But other reasons of such head or facial pains include migraines, etc. Doctors relate severe pains with a bundle of facial nerves known as sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG). In such conditions, even aspirin won’t help the patients. Hence, Autonomic Technologies, Inc. developed something that you can call an electronic aspirin! This technology includes a small nerve stimulating device that is implanted in the upper gum side of the head. SPG bundle is thus connected to the leading tip of this implant and the patient is ready to tackle a headache. When the patient senses a headache, he or she has a remote controller that controls the implant. This controller sends signals to the implant which then blocks the pain causing neurotransmitters. This is definitely something to keep an eye on!
All the diabetic patients already suffer a lot. And the self-care they have to use to monitor their health is yet another pain for them. For glucose testing and to know the need of insulin shots, they have to draw blood. More over, they are also at risk of infection because of that constant poking. But not any more. There is an advanced technology being developed by Echo Therapeutics (Philadelphia, PA) which will eradicate the need of penetrating your skin for testing. Yes, blood can be analysed through the skin, all thanks to the transdermal biosensor that the company is working on. This sensor will take a reading per minute and sends the data to a monitor. When levels go up from normal, it triggers an alarm. This might be the future of diabetes care around the world!
In March 2013 Dennis Aabo Sorensen got to try something that he or anyone like him had never done before. He got his hands on a prosthetic hand that is developed by a group of European engineers and scientists.But this prosthetic was not like any other, he felt a sense of touch with this one. A blindfold test concluded that Dennis was able to differentiate between different items like an orange, a bottle and a baseball bat. However, this hand is yet to overcome some hurdles. A lot of processing power was needed to run this hand and it was powered by a laptop. Researchers are working on a processing computer that would fit inside this arm and power it. But this is what will help many people towards a better life.
3-D printing has become popular these days. People are using it right from making custom made decorations to printing real food! So it obvious that medical world is not untouched by this technology. According to a survey, over 90% of all hearing devices today are 3D printed. 650,000 pairs of Invisilign teeth-straightening braces are being printed every day using the Align Technology. Because of advancement in this technology, very soon important elements of medical world like fully functioning prosthetics can also be printed. This will not only help doctors, but also may make expensive matters affordable to common public. We hope that this technology soon reaches to a point where it can be put to a widespread use in the medical world.