Medicine, medical devices and medical technology are advancing faster than ever. Take a look at some of the most innovative and exciting discoveries in recent years.
- Dr. Anthony Atala, the first surgeon to build a human bladder and implant it in 2001, is now leading the way in the field of bioprinting, which according to the Oxford Dictionaries, is “the use of 3D printing technology with materials that incorporate viable living cells to produce tissue for reconstructive surgery.” (Discover Magazine, October 2016)
- In the near future, the medical community hopes to have a working model of a tricorder, which was first inspired by Star Trek. The device will be a multifunction, hand-held medical instrument used for sensor scanning, data analysis and recording data.
- HStar Technologies developed a robotic nursing assistant system. (RoNA) to help lift and move patients. According to Robotics Business Review, “the device will reduce the incidence of clinician workplace injuries and associated workman’s compensation claims and lost work time. It also results in fewer patient falls and injuries that occur due to improper or unsafe lifting.” The robotic system is getting positive reviews and feedback from clinicians and patients alike.
- In some cases artificial retinas can restore sight to people who have lost their vision due to retinal degenerative diseases. Nano-Retina is an Israeli-based company that manufactures such a device that “replaces the functionality of the damaged photoreceptor cells and creates the electrical stimulation required to activate the remaining healthy retinal cells.” Just imagine the freedom and independence individuals with vision problems can experience as a result of this exciting new technology.
- According to www.longevityatwork.org, the wearable devices market, or the remote patient monitoring devices market, is anticipated to reach $98 billion by the end of 2020. Remote patient monitoring allows patients to “keep a check on their own conditions, eliminating the need for repeated visits to the physician’s office. The precision of such devices have the potential to improve diagnosis, and a more customized treatment or post-treatment recuperative plan. The most significant growth drivers for the markets are the growing role these devices will play in diagnosis and treatment plans of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis.”
- Genomics is the study of genes and their function with the goal of understanding the structure of the genome, including the mapping genes and sequencing the DNA (www.medinenet.com). Since genes control everything, the more information scientists and medical researchers can discover, the greater the opportunities to extend life. The National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, produces an annual summary of advances in genomic medicine. Some of this year’s most exciting accomplishments include: ways to reduce risks in patients with minor strokes, an aid to treatment decisions in early-stage breast cancer and sequencing and the management of neurometabolic disorders. (www.genome.gov)
Based on the latest research in technology, medicine and psychology, the evidence is clear: Extending our healthy and engaged lives to 125 is attainable. By sharing this amazing and miraculous information with you, I am hoping you will join the quest to reach the status of super-centenarian. I can do it, and so can you!