In the year 1999 on the turn of the millennium, there was doom and gloom written all over. But instead of all the negative things that had been foreseen, the world witnessed tremendous advancements in the field of science and technology. This is the time that the Internet came of age and took the world by storm, and developed the world into a global village. In medicine, there were major innovations that contributed to saving a lot of lives all over the world. In this article, we look at some of the advancements in medical technology in the 21st century that has got a great influence in medicine now and in the years to come. Some of those advancements include:
Development of artificial hearts
Even though the artificial hearts may have been around as from 1982, the entire concept came to be in the fall of the millennium. Statistics have shown that at least 20 people perish on a daily basis due to delays in heart transplant process. When the artificial heart was innovated, it came as a reprieve to many because life could be extended for months, but the downside of it is that one had to be connected to a machine all through.
But on the turn of the 21st century, a new artificial heart was developed which has the ability to extend the life of a patient for years. The good thing with this artificial hearts is that it is not only battery powered but also self-contained hence allowing the patient to move around seamlessly.
Tiny cameras
Initially, most exploratory procedures entailed the inserting of a fiber wire that is optic in nature that had a tiny camera attached at the end of it. But this was a thing of the past as from the year 2008, a camera that has a pill size, which has the ability to go through the digestive system of a human being easily, was introduced. The camera has the capability of taking pictures that are of high quality and picture hence helping doctors make an accurate diagnosis. The device is not only smaller, but it is also a cheaper form of internal imaging. Additionally, it is not a must that you are sedated so that you use it.
Bionic hands
Most of us can remember the unpleasant looking hooks and clamps that amputees could use to hold objects with. But in the year 2007 bionic advancements made it possible for the scientist to come up with artificial hands that have a close resemblance to that of human functionality. It has a separate control system that makes it possible for the user to have an easy grip and manipulate some objects.
Robotic surgeon
Even though it is a common phenomenon to see robots working alongside surgeons, nobody could imagine that there will be a robot that could operate on a person instead of a physician. Although human beings control these robots, they have managed to conduct a successful prostate cancer surgery.
Some other notable technological advancements include medical imaging, which has made it possible for doctors to have better internal systems view. Other notable improvements include exoskeletons technology and development of mind-controlled devices.
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