Top Medical Technologies

Innovation and technology continues to improve every aspect of people's lives, including healthcare. Nowadays, a smarter healthcare system is more focused on the quality of care, rather than quantity. It allows healthcare professionals to provide better care as well as more valuable time for patients instead of doing administrative tasks. It introduces more efficient tools that let healthcare be accessible to more people and prevent patients from undergoing unnecessary biopsies and surgeries. This, in turn, reduces healthcare costs.

Electronic Medical Records
Physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals are enjoying the advantages of electronic medical records. These allow them to have direct access to a patient's medical history and test results. This makes the healthcare system more transparent and efficient. Unlike a paper-based system, electronic medical records provide improved legibility, reducing the chances for medical errors. Thus, it enhances the quality and safety of patients' healthcare.

Telemedicine System
Technology has allowed more people to have access to the best possible health care, especially those in the rural areas of the US. The new Telemedicine System is now used as a tool to evaluate emergencies. Teleradiology has brought less invasive cancer screening to these rural areas and will continue to grow in the future and provide better healthcare to those with less access to the technologies typically found in more urban areas.

MelaFind Optical Scanner
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, which is most likely caused by genetic or environmental factors. One of the signs to is a change in an existing mole/s or unusual looking growths on the skin. No one can ever be too sure if the moles or skin pigmentations that emerge are cancerous, without going through an invasive surgical biopsy. At present, dermatologists can find a solution in a FDA-approved handheld tool known as the MelaFind Optical Scanner. This offers extra information, which can help a doctor in determining whether they should push through with a biopsy. This can prevent needless biopsy scars and the costs of unnecessary surgical procedures.

ATI Neurostimulator

Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches and can be excruciating and debilitating. People that suffer from these terrible headaches take pain relievers in the hopes to alleviate some of the pain, often to no avail. Doctors associate chronic headaches with sphenopalatine ganglion or SPG, a collection of nerves on the face. However, they have not found a long-term treatment for this.

Now, innovation has allowed the use of a patient powered tool known as the ATI Neurostimulator developed by a company called Autonomic Technologies Inc. This can be used at the first sign of a headache. A small nerve stimulating device is permanently implanted into the upper gum on theaffected side of the head. When the patient anticipates a headache, he or she just holds the remote controller on the cheek closest to the implant. This will stimulate the implant then block the neurotransmitters that cause pain. The system is available in Europe and is being tested in the U.S. for use in the near future.

Symphony tCGM biosensor
Managing diabetes can be wearisome, considering the continuous need to extract blood for testing glucose, inject insulin and go through the risk of getting an infection from this practice. While glucose monitors and insulin pumps may automate this complex procedure, this does not take away the need to prick the skin. With new technology, in the presence of Symphony tCGM biosensor, this former complex method is replaced with a patch. A transdermal biosensor can do an analysis without extracting blood. This is done by just taking off top-layer skin cells so the blood chemistry can be placed within the biosensor's signal range. This can trigger alarms every time levels exceed a patient's normal range. It can also track glucose levels.

Sapien Transcatheter Aortic Valve
For patients who need an open-heart surgery but are hesitant to go through the operation, they can find an alternative in a Sapien Transcatheter Aortic Valve. Though it has been used in Europe for quite some time, it has just been introduced in the US. So, far, its use is restricted only to the weakest patients. This valve is led through the femoral artery by means of a catheter that goes through a small incision close to the rib cage. This is a simple procedure that shortens a patient's stay in the hospital and in turn, reduces healthcare costs.

Overview

Thanks to technology, healthcare has improved a lot. Doctors and other healthcare professionals benefit from the efficiency given by electronic medical records. Through the latest in medical tools, patients receive the best healthcare they need, without going through the unnecessary medical procedures. This enables healthcare to be cost-efficient as well.

Editor's Note: Alex Faubel enjoys writing about topics related to healthcare, business and technology in career-focused education programs.

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