5 Technological Innovations Revolutionizing Modern Healthcare
The vast improvement in healthcare that patients have experienced within the past 50 years can be attributed to the development of new technologies. From performing procedures without cutting a patient open to significantly reducing recovery times, these technical marvels have done amazing things. They have even allowed doctors, surgeons and dentists to treat untreatable problems. As technology continues to propel healthcare forward here are five unique applications developing technologies have in the field of healthcare.
Robot-Assisted Surgeries
Robot-assisted surgery aims to make the hands of surgeons steadier, reduce surgery times, and improve the overall outcome for the patient. Robot-assisted surgeries have steady hands while working in ways that human surgeons could only dream of doing. This leads to a surgery time that is about 50 percent shorter than conventional surgeries. The best part of these surgeries is that the patient has minimal risk to complications because the procedure is confined to a smaller area with less exposure to contaminants. This results in a quicker recovery period for patients in some cases.
Efficient Dental Drills
Many people dread the dentist’s office because they fear the discomfort and pain that is commonly associated with these procedures. They fear sitting in a scary dentist’s chair while someone drills at their sensitive teeth for hours on end. The good news is that drills are becoming exceedingly more efficient. Companies like Richards Micro-Tool are giving dentists access to drills made of more durable materials designed to be more efficient. This results in quicker procedures with significantly less pain and better long-term results.
Micro Blood Tests
Drawing blood has been an essential part in diagnosing the health status of a patient, but it seldom one patients enjoy. Given that blood tests tend to test for incredibly specific things, the amount of blood needed for standard tests like the complete blood count (CBC) test is minimal. Smart businesses have begun developing micro blood tests, which use about 0.1 percent of the blood that a conventional CBC uses. The result is less lab work and less blood drawn, which means that the typical blood test becomes more affordable and feasible.
Stem-Cell Procedures
Stem cells are the tabula rasa cells of the body. They can be shaped to fulfill almost any function with the right type of stem cell. One particularly useful area stem cells currently sign is when it comes to reconstruction and plastic surgery. Doctors can use it for everything from breast enlargement to recovering areas where cancer and radiation have destroyed structures in the body. These procedures are made possible by the technology that enables doctors to extract and then introduce these cells into the body of a patient.
Engineered Organ Replacements
The most stunning advancement technology has brought medicine is the ability to grow replacement organs outside of the body. There are three main ways of doing this: by using a scaffold of cells obtained from a cadaver, by printing cells using a 3D printer, or by growing them by utilizing DNA and the right environmental conditions. Some of these replacement organs are already available. Ears, noses and other simpler body parts have been engineered on a common basis. More complex body parts, such as the heart or kidneys, are currently still in the process of being tested inside of laboratories.
As technology continues to advance, so too will medical care. New procedures will develop, untreatable diseases will be treated, and conditions that were once a death sentence may be cured. Miniaturizing technology, clever engineers and persistent doctors will be the driving force in developing new technologies that cure today’s biological problems
Rachelle Wilber
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on twitter: @RachelleWilber
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