Medical science is one of the most technologically sophisticated fields. Breakthroughs in medical science have either generated an alternative to hazardous or ineffective procedures or have identified new solutions to historical challenges.
Technology has played a crucial role in many of these medical shifts. Nobody can predict the future, but it can at least be seen in the hundreds of developments and ideas for the past decades.
Here are some of the most essential technological inventions in the health sector that save lives every day! Read on to learn more about it.
Stethoscope
Doctors before would listen to their patients' heartbeats by placing their ears on their heads, a very simple and inefficient procedure. For example, if there was substantial insulation in the form of fat between the actual heart and the outside of his chest, this approach failed.
French physician René Laënnec was faced with a similar situation. He could not determine correctly one of his patients' heart rate because the patient had so much fat on him.
He created the “stethoscope”, making a trumpet-shaped wooden tube that amplified sounds from the lungs and the ears. The definition of sound amplification is yet to be modified.
Antibiotics & Antivirus
The introduction of antibiotics has marked a new age in the treatment of communicable diseases. Strange, though, that the idea of antibiotics might have been inadvertently discovered.
In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming uncovered the petri dish of the Staphylococci bacteria and later noted that the bacteria had been killed by the mold.
On further analysis of the mold, he found that it had come from a family called Penicillium Notatum. Others also noticed the possible applications of what later became known as penicillin. Now, we use to treat a plethora of bacterial diseases.
Hypodermic Needle
Just about 150 years ago, a hypodermic needle with its austere look and basic operating principle was invented. After that, in ancient Greece and Rome, physicians used thin hollow instruments to administer fluids into the body.
In 1656, Christopher Wren was given an intravenous injection of the dog through a goose quill. Charles Pravaz invented the modern hypodermic needle and Alexander Wood in the mid-1800s.
Today, these needles are used to deliver the correct dosage of drugs for treatment and to extract body fluids with minimal pain and risk of contamination.
Prosthetics
The invention of the prosthesis was a significant development, allowing physically disabled people to lead a life that is not confined to wheelchairs and crutches. Nevertheless, the first prototypes of this innovation were minimal.
Throughout the years, prosthetic technology has blossomed, giving more strength and versatility to the wearer. Bionic prosthetics would finally come to life in 1980.
The sturdy artificial limb is intuitive, features, built-in myoelectric sensors that allow gripping and hold, can integrate 3D printing technology, can attach to the mind of the wearer, and can eventually allow the wearer to feel objects again.
Artificial Hearts & Other Organs
Variations over time, Dr. Robert Jarvik was the first person to create a permanent artificial heart in 1982. Through the decades, the artificial heart has developed to save countless lives.
Bioprinting is also an emerging medical technology to take 3D printing up another notch. While it was initially revolutionary to be able to rebuild skin cells for skin draughts for burn victims, it eventually gave way to even more exciting possibilities.
Scientists have been able to build blood vessels, synthetic ovaries, and even a pancreas. Such artificial organs then develop inside the patient's body to replace the original defective organ.
The ability to supply artificial organs that are not rejected by the body's immune system may be groundbreaking, saving millions of patients who rely on life-saving transplants every year.
Catheters
In the 1940s, modern disposable catheters were invented by David S. Sheridan, a man who is often regarded as the King of the Catheter.
Either related to illness or accident, people around the world suffer from a neurological disorder that impairs or even makes it impossible to empty their bladder naturally.
Disposable catheters give these people the opportunity to live a relatively normal life through a process of intermittent self-catheterization.
Conclusion
No one can predict the future. However, in the medical field, every day is another opportunity to change the future with innovations that save lives!
