Innovations in Medical Equipment: Advances in Technology and Their Impact

Innovation and medicine have gone hand in hand for a long time. Predictable advances in both fields have saved millions of lives and improved countless others. As the years pass by and technology continues to improve, who knows what advancements will come next. Here, we explore ten of the best new medical innovations in 2019 that are redefining healthcare.

Savvy Inhalers: A Game-Changer in Asthma Management

Inhalers are the primary treatment option for asthma, and when used correctly, they can effectively manage the condition for approximately 90% of patients. However, unfortunately, only about half of patients have their condition managed appropriately, and as many as 94% do not use inhalers as prescribed.

Brukering-enabled smart inhalers have been developed to help asthma patients better manage their condition. These devices record the date and time of each dose and whether it was administered correctly. This data is then sent to the patient's smartphone, where it can be monitored and controlled. Clinical trials have shown that using the smart inhaler leads to fewer rescue inhaler uses and more symptom-free days.

Automated Surgery: A Leap Forward in Precision and Flexibility

Automated surgeries use minimally invasive techniques to help with exactness control and flexibility. During robotic procedures, surgeons can perform extremely complex procedures that are usually either highly difficult or impossible. As the technology improves, it can be integrated with augmented reality to allow surgeons to see additional vital information about the patient at all times while still operating.

While concerns exist about the potential replacement of human surgeons, it is likely that automated surgery will be used primarily to assist and enhance human surgeons in the future. For more details on how it works, please read the full article here.

Brain Sensors: A Breakthrough in Minimal Invasive Monitoring

Due to advancements in plastic medical technology, researchers and doctors have collaborated to create bioresorbable electronics that can be implanted in the brain and disintegrate when no longer needed. The biocompatible device will enable clinicians to measure temperature and pressure inside the brain. Since the sensors can disintegrate, they reduce the need for further surgeries.

3-D Printing: Custom Solutions for Medical Applications

If you haven't heard, 3-D printing is the hottest technology around. These printers can be used to create implants and even joints for use in surgeries. 3-D-printed prosthetics are increasingly popular as they are fully customized. The advanced functionalities allow them to fit a person's measurements down to the millimeter, providing unprecedented levels of comfort and mobility.

The use of 3-D printers can create both durable and dissolvable objects. For example, 3-D printing can be used to print pills containing multiple medications, which will help patients manage and track their medication schedules. This is a real-world example of technology and medicine working together.

Organ Printing: A New Frontier in Biomedical Engineering

Beyond 3-D printing, bioprinting is also a growing medical technology. Initially, this technology was primarily used to recreate skin cells for burn victims. However, it has now expanded to more exciting prospects. Researchers have successfully created vessels, engineered ovaries, and even a pancreas. These synthetic organs grow within the patient's body to replace a unique damaged one. The ability to bio-print organs that do not trigger the body's immune response could be revolutionary, saving countless patients who depend on life-saving transplants each year.

Health Wearables: A Ubiquitous Tool for Health Monitoring

The demand for wearable devices has grown since they were introduced in the last few years, especially with the advent of Bluetooth in 2000. Today, people use their phones to track various aspects of their health, including steps, physical fitness, heart rate, and sleep patterns. The advancement of these wearable devices is linked to the rise of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and aims to address these by helping patients monitor and improve their health.

In late 2018, Apple made waves with its revolutionary Apple Series 4 Watch, which includes an integrated ECG to monitor the wearer's heart rhythms. Within days of its launch, customers were raving about the life-saving technology that can identify potentially dangerous heart conditions much sooner than expected. The wearable technology market is forecasted to reach $67 billion by 2024.

Personalized Medicine: Tailored Treatment Plans for Individual Patients

As medical technology progresses, it is becoming increasingly personalized to individual patients. Personalized medicine, for instance, allows doctors to prescribe treatments for conditions such as cancer based on a patient's genetic makeup. This personalized medicine is undoubtedly more effective than other therapies as it targets tumors based on the patient's specific genes and proteins, causing genetic changes that make it more susceptible to the disease drugs.

Personalized medicine can also be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, using a similar approach of attacking the disease's weak spots to weaken it and reduce symptoms and joint damage.

Augmented Reality: A New Tool for Medical Training and Patient Care

Augmented reality has been around for a while, but in recent years, medical students have been able to approach real-world experience with the help of innovative technology. Modern tools allow them to gain the necessary experience by practicing procedures, providing a visual understanding of how human body systems are interconnected. VR devices will also serve as an excellent guide for patients, helping with diagnosis and treatment planning, and assisting in setting them up for the procedure they are facing. It has also demonstrated benefits in understanding rehabilitation and recovery.

In conclusion, the advent of these innovative medical technologies is reshaping the healthcare landscape. From smart inhalers to 3-D printing and bioprinting, the future looks exhilaratingly bright. As technology continues to advance, we can only expect more groundbreaking innovations that will further enhance patient care and improve public health.