Medical technology comes in many surprising packages. Some things we consider to be run-of-the-mill medical devices are actually advanced medical tech that can help save lives.
It’s easy to take things like advanced medical technology for granted. But it’s important that we give these devices the deference they deserve.
Here are the top five medical devices and hospital technology that save lives every day. Some may surprise you!
1. Insulin Pumps
Diabetes affects over 10.5% of Americans. This means that there are millions of people in the United States who could use the help of insulin pumps.
Even people who control their insulin with shots could benefit from insulin pumps to avoid major swings in their blood glucose levels.
Insulin pumps work to make blood sugar management automatic so people with diabetes can manage their disease without it impacting their daily life.
2. Laparoscopic Technology
Laparoscopic technology has taken a once dangerous surgery and turned it into a much safer, more routine procedure. Laparoscopes are small tubes with high-intensity lights and high-resolution cameras that allow surgeons to get a look at the abdominal organs without large incisions.
This technology has saved lives by reducing risk and healing times after abdominal surgery. Read this page to find out more.
3. Mechanical Ventilation Systems
Mechanical ventilation systems, or ventilators, help to keep a person alive when their body can’t anymore. These are last-resort machines that can help buy medical professionals time to make decisions.
Patients in comas, both natural and medically induced, need to use ventilators so their bodies can breathe while it heals.
Mechanical ventilation systems have been especially important during the global COVID-19 pandemic. They’re used to assist in breathing that can become difficult to almost impossible for patients with the illness.
4. Magnetic Resonance Imaging
An MRI machine uses a magnetic field to create images of the organs and tissues inside a patient’s body. It gives doctors a thorough look at any abnormalities. It uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to create images.
MRIs can be used to detect cancer, pneumonia, and bone fractures as well.
An MRI can see more than what a CT scan can, like prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and some liver cancers.
MRIs have also made finding metastases to the bone and brain easier.
5. Ultrasound Machines
Ultrasound machines have been around for a while, they’re kind of old news in the medical field. But they’re still useful today.
Ultrasounds can check on growing babies, which is what they’re most widely known for. But they can also check for cancerous tumors, blood clots, and other conditions.
Ultrasounds give doctors a better look at your bladder, thyroid, gallbladder, spleen, and pancreas as well.
Medical Technology that Saves
There is a whole host of medical technology that saves lives. Every day, scientists and engineers work together to create new devices that can be used to make someone’s life easier.
For more information about technology that can make life better, keep reading!