Tara Marie DGW

Stories By Tara Marie DGW

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  Science

  Science By Tara Marie DGW

  Medical Technology Advances in 2016

  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. Check out 5 of the top medical technology advances in 2016 so far: 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.

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  Mobile

  Mobile By Tara Marie DGW

  When the Big Carriers Just Won't Do

  When the Big Carriers Just Won't Do A lot of people tend to choose among the Big 4 carriers in the United States whenever there is a need for them to choose a new wireless carrier. However, sometimes, even with the many contract options available and offered by the big carriers, none of them works to your advantage. This is where MVNOs and MVOs come in. To learn more about them, read on below: What is an MVNO? A mobile virtual network operator or MVNO is a service provider that does not own any infrastructure over which it provides its services. Rather, they rely heavily on MNOs (who DO have the necessary infrastructure). MNOs that have a lot of spare capacity might sell these as a cheaper price to MVNOs in order to avoid doing it themselves and potentially diluting their brand. This works out well for all parties since the MNO gets to earn from otherwise wasted capacity, the MVNO gets them at a cheaper price than what it would take if they were to have their own infrastructure, and the end users or the customers get these packages at cheaper rates and as they need it. Depending on the agreement made with the MNO, the MVNO might have its own customer and billing support systems in place, as well as sales and marketing personnel, or they might leave the billing operations up to the MNO who will bill customers on their behalf. What is an MNO? Different from the MVNO, the mobile network operator or MNO actually owns its infrastructure, and has all the things necessary to offer and provide services to customers. This means that MNOs have control over their network – however, on the other end of the spectrum, it also means they will be the ones receiving complaints from customers should there be any problems experienced by the end user. MNOs, though, can not only earn from selling their own services directly to customers, they can also obtain revenue by selling their network services to MVNOs, who, as previously discussed, does not own any of the infrastructure necessary to provide these services directly themselves. Which one should I get? Ultimately, whichever carrier you do decide to go with will depend on your needs. The great thing about MVNOs and MNOs is that they are generally a lot less expensive than the contracted services provided by the big 4. They can also serve as a pay-as-you-need-it mobile backup internet connection, particularly if you have a small business that relies on internet connectivity for payment transactions. Whether you've already decided to get out of the clutches of the big carriers, or are just starting to plan to, it's very helpful to know the options available to you once you do. Just make sure your phone is set to accept other networks and you're good to go!

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