Medical Technology Advances in 2016
Technology has been creeping its way into the core of the healthcare industry for a while now, but never has it been as apparent as the past few years. With many medical breakthroughs due to the aid of gadgets and equipment that make patient treatments a lot easier and convenient, it doesn't really take too long to wait for the next technological advancements that will benefit healthcare providers and patients alike.
1. Bacteria-Killing Lightbulbs
With the different diseases afflicting patients confined in the hospital, plus the number of people who go in and out of the facility on a daily basis, hospitals are arguably one of the most potentially dangerous places to be. Fortunately, one company has developed a way to continuously disinfect a room by using visible light. It works by having 405nm emitted from the lightbulb, which reflects off of room surfaces and walls thereby being able to penetrate harmful microorganisms. The 405nm gets into the cell, creates a chemical reaction that has effects similar to bleach, and this inactivates the bacteria and stops it from taking over the space again.
2. Implanted Device Communication
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a way to get electronic medical implants to transmit information, even when embedded deep behind lots of body tissue. With the combination of Bluetooth and WiFi signals, their new technology, the Interscatter, can take advantage of already existing smartphones and other such devices where data can be sent to.
3. Cancer-Risk Detection in Saliva Test
People nowadays worry a lot about their own risks for cancer, particularly if they know someone who had been diagnosed with cancer, or have a family history of the disease. The good news is that there is now a way to find out if you are at risk for certain common cancers by way of a simple saliva test. The test kit analyzes a total of 30 genes, which can help users understand their risk of such hereditary cancers as prostate, stomach, pancreatic, and colon.
4. Glucose-Measuring Patch
Researchers from Seoul National University are developing a patch that can measure the existing glucose in a diabetic person's body, and then automatically administer medication by heating up tiny micro needles that are able to penetrate the skin. The patches are flexible, and made of sensors that detect temperature, humidity, pH level, and of course, glucose. This new prototype can detect and deliver the drug in a single device.
5. Remote Patient Monitoring Systems
This year, new technologies in remote patient monitoring can allow for patient information to be gathered even from the comfort of his own home, and then stored into a cloud where physicians can access them. This is a great way of monitoring the effects of medication, as well as the symptoms and sometimes palpitations that come with any new medicines introduced into the patient's treatment. Through remote patient monitoring accessories and systems, patients are able to get real-time support from healthcare providers in cases of emergencies such as heart failures or asthma attacks.
As technology is set to continue its path of progress in both healthcare and biomedical research, the wall separating medical science from engineering is consistently being chipped away. And as medical devices grow more compact along with the computers that power them, it's safe to say that we can expect more technological breakthroughs that benefit both the healthcare sector and the patients that it looks after.