Technology is a need we can’t escape from. In the field of medicine, technology evidently has a significant effect on our lives because they help us diagnose the cause of various human illnesses. They aid to our understanding of our internal body systems. When we see how our systems operate and observe the cause of problems, it guides us to choose the best treatment and help us know what we can do to take better care of our bodies. Here are a couple of common medical technologies that helped improve the health industry:
MRI scans are painless and use a large magnet and radio waves to look at organs and structures inside the body. They help diagnose a variety of conditions from torn ligaments to detecting tumors. They are also very useful for examining the brain and spinal cord – key components of the body’s nervous system.
Ultrasounds involve a high use of high frequency sounds waves that are produced by a handheld sensor called a transducter. Sound waves that hit a body part, bounce back towards the transducter which is connected to a computer. From there, the reflected sound waves are converted into the image of the specific part of the body that is being analyzed. Ultrasounds are used for the diagnosis of many medical conditions as well as the assessment of treatments. The common uses of an ultrasound are the examination of the developing fetus in a mother’s womb, reproductive organs, the heart, liver and kidneys.
Two technologies that are quite new to the medical field that I discovered are the SoftScan for breasts and the swallowable sensor pills. The SoftScan is a Canadian ART (Advanced Research Technologies) contribution. They are a more in depth and accurate compared to traditional mammography scans. Mammograms have blind spots that limit its diagnostic capabilities. The SoftScan is painless, doesn’t have harmful ionizing radiation and captures the biochemistry, physiology and the patient’s response to therapy as the anatomy changes. It improves diagnosis and quality of care. The swallowable sensor pill (Smart Pill) is an ingested, wireless device for measuring the health of the digestive system. This pill aids in the diagnosis of gastroparesis, a disorder that cause the stomach to empty very slowly. The pill gathers data to a receiver as it passes through the digestive tract which it later returned to the doctor and downloaded to a computer. The downside to this remarkable innovation is that each capsule costs between $500 to $20,000.
It is without a doubt to see that technology plays an important part in helping us better understand our body’s internal systems. Without the various technologies accessible today, it would be very difficult – impossible even, to diagnose, treat or understand how and why our body’s internal system functions the way they do. Technologies raise our awareness and guide us to make better choices that benefit ourselves and others.
Word Count: 497
BioBlogs I have read & commented on:
Mary Abucejo:
http://marysbioblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/softscan-step-in-right-direction.html#comments
Denise Gabuya:
http://thebioden.blogspot.com/2011/05/importance-of-technology-in-medical.html#comments
References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mriscans.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/xrays.html
http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2011/2/2/health/7894566&sec=health
http://www.art.ca/en/clinical/index.php
http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17470
Kim! Great Bio Blog! The last few centuries have definitely been time for great innovation for technology. One of them of course would be MRI scans just like I mentioned in mine the CAT scans are both helpful in variety of ways that would save and saves so many lives. Sometimes I cant believe how fast the technology moves and new machines come up to use to make everything easier. I definitely agree with you that these machines do cost a lot but the difference they would make in somebody's life, I mean a life can be saved just by doing a scan that can identify a tumor, or a new baby going to be born to the world. The cost might be an issue but the advantages of these machines way out the disadvantages and help a life in the world.
ReplyDeleteThe technological advancements in the medical field have made vast improvements in health. The sensor pill seems like a very clever idea. The cost for the treatment or examination however changes things. These technological advancements are expensive and most of the time, people must pay the fees for the sake of the persons life. When I say must, they are usually obligated because no amount of money will be equal to a life.
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, great post! It's interesting to learn about how these methods and technologies are getting more and more non-invasive. The costs of the Smart Pill is definitely a cause for alarm, though. Hopefully one day this incredible piece of technology will become more accessible to more people.
ReplyDelete