The Latest Tech That Is Changing Modern Medicine

Technology and medicine have always gone hand in hand. Every time humanity is able to tap into a new mode of technology, medical knowledge has always advanced as a result. The ancient Egyptians were able to create a map of human anatomy using some of the first surgical tools, and the invention of the microscope enabled scientists to learn more about the transmission of biological diseases in the 20^th century. However, things have come a long way since then.

Now that we are in the digital age, technology is advancing faster than it ever has before. As a result, modern medicine is following a similar trajectory. So, what is the latest technology in the field of medicine, and how is it being used? Let’s find out.

Neurotechnology

The brain is the body’s processing centre, responsible for maintaining the regular function of all your organs. However, its other duties include regulating your emotions and controlling your thought processes. These were tasks that researchers have always known very little about, until now.

Neurotechnology is used to help further understand the processes of the brain, which is done by using magnetic fields to chart the electrical signals within. This technology is known as a Neuralink, and it is only made possible due to the advancements made in nanotechnology. The Neuralink is inserted into the patient’s brain and sends signals to a computer screen so that doctors can identify any anomalies in the brain’s natural functions. While neurotechnology is in its early days, the hopes are that scientists will soon be able to piece together the electrical processes that occur within the brain, much like how the ancient Egyptians pieced together a map of human anatomy.

Science-Driven Innovations

Surprisingly, but there is more space for scientists to work on than the pace of their progress. Recent researches and discoveries carried out by Sensonica company in the field of chronobiology and Gertsenshtein effect in particular gave birth to a number of patents and grounds for a number of commercial products with proven healing effect, that are going to be available for purchase by the end of 2022 (click here to learn more). And while PEMF (or PEMFT therapy, also known as low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) therapy devices may be slow acquiring certifications, the treatment effect from these is undeniable. May be those little devices will one day prevent us away from visiting doctors and bring home or self-care treatments methods to the new levels.

AI

Artificial intelligence is another facet of technology that has been around for a long time but has only become practical in everyday life in recent years. The main use for this tech in the medical profession is detecting disease, but it is also fundamental in the treatment phase as well.

AI can run a multitude of automatic tests much quicker than a human doctor, and this technology can also provide suggestions for treatment. Therefore, AI can speed up the diagnosis of time-sensitive illnesses, such as pneumonia and heart disease, which in turn can increase the survival rate. Pneumonia is a lung disease that is caused by bacteria. It is important to stop the spread of this bacteria to prevent further illness. AI can locate this illness and help pinpoint its spread to indicate any other illnesses caused by the initial infection. This means that pneumonia patients are less likely to be overcome by the disease. What’s more, these systems are less prone to error than human doctors, which means that patients will receive more effective treatment too.

3D Printers

3D printers have been around since the 1980s. However, this technology only became affordable in the last decade or so. These printers were originally designed to help engineers create 3D models as prototypes, but they do have plenty of medical applications as well.

The 3D printer is now capable of creating objects using sustainable materials, which means that doctors and surgeons can use them to make long-lasting and effective prosthetic limbs that are tailored to the exact requirements of the patient. What’s more, these printers can also create implants and surgical stints that are more in line with what a surgeon needs, increasing the odds of success during surgeries tenfold.

Wearable Monitors

It would be impossible to mention modern technology without mentioning smart technology. By far the most popular and influential technology in the current time, smart technology began by merging portable phones and music technology into one device that could also gain access to the internet. As more competitors entered the market with their own devices, companies were forced to make advancements and create new versions of the same tech to stay relevant. Thus, the smartwatch was born.

The smartwatch performs all the same duties as a smartphone or tablet, only now it can double as a wearable monitor. These devices can now measure your pulse rate, stress levels, sleeping patterns, and more, providing doctors with a comprehensive guide to your health. Therefore, the people that provide these stats can cut out a lot of the guesswork during the diagnosis phase, if they are wearing the device correctly, of course.

Genome Testing

At present, the most accurate way for doctors to test for certain illnesses is to run a blood test. These tests can check the number of white or red cells in your bloodstream to provide an accurate picture of your health. While these are very successful in the discovery of specific cancers and heart problems, there are still a lot of diseases that a blood test cannot detect. That is why the next step in diagnostic testing is genome testing.

Genome testing searches the patient’s DNA to identify genetic markers that could indicate that you have inherited a condition. Illnesses such as Huntington’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s will not show symptoms until late in a person’s life, which means it can be hard to determine whether they have the disease or not. Genome testing can help identify these disorders early on so that they can receive treatment to improve their quality of life while living with the disease or cure the illness outright.

Advanced Robotics

Again, modern robotics is a field that has helped individuals in the medical profession for years now; however, a breakthrough was made in the field as recently as 2019. Exoskeletons are robotic devices that can be worn or controlled by a human. The first complete surgery was completed by a surgeon using his mind to control an exoskeleton in 2019, which has opened up several possibilities for this type of tech.

Firstly, these exoskeletons can be controlled from a distance, which means that medical professionals can enter a dangerous environment to treat patients. Secondly, these suits have the strength to navigate the human body unlike a human, and they can even lift up and provide care for elderly or disabled patients. The future applications of exoskeleton technology are too numerous to count, so expect to them used a lot more in the years to come.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is the process of treating patients from a distance. While this practice would have been considered largely ineffectual just a few years ago, telemedicine is now a common staple in modern medicine.

This remote tech allows infectious patients to stay at home and still receive a face-to-face appointment with their doctor via video call. The doctor can then accurately diagnose their patient and arrange for the appropriate medicine to be delivered to their door. It may seem impersonal, but with the population rising at its current rate, and disease spreading quickly, telemedicine acts as a quick and safe solution for treating patients in the current age.

Conclusion

The world is always going to move forward as technology progresses. Fortunately, it is usually the medical field that receives the most updates first so that you can continue to receive the most effective and modern healthcare possible. There is a lot to thank technology for; however, it seems that advancing medicine is probably the most important.