TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE OUR MINDS AND BODIES

Cat DirracoloElizabeth Cooper

5 Ways Technology is Advancing the Medical Field

1. Crunching data to offer a better diagnosis and treatment: Doctors could potentially rely on Watson (the name of the

computer program) to keep track of patient history, stay up-to-date on medical research and analyze treatment options.

2. Helping doctors communicate with patients:The suite of products includes a mobile app that lets

doctors speak into the app — asking, for example, if a patient is allergic to penicillin — and translate the message instantly into another language.

3. Linking doctors with other doctors:

Doctors throughout the United States can collaborate online on difficult cases. (Lee, 2013)

4. Connecting doctors and patients:

City startup Sherpaa (computer programs) offers patients medical consultations online and over the phone, potentially saving a trip to the ER.

5. Helping patients stay healthy:

A growing number of mobile apps and gadgets aim to help people stay active, sleep well and eat healthy. (Lee, 2013)

The Latest In Medical Technology

Early- Warning Software Could Reduce False Alarms of Seizures

Only 1/3 of people who suffer from epilepsy do not respond to treatment

They rely on implantable anti-seizure devices that detect pre-seizure electrical activity

The new development reduces false alarms

Detects up to 80% fewer false positives

Eventually will lead to an embed microchip that monitors neuro-electrical activity and is triggered the moment the seizure begins to form. (Moore, 2012)

Downside To The Soft wear

The technology is still in early development

Produces false positives – which cause the device to send currents to the brain when a seizure is not actually occurring

They don’t know the health impacts if you introduce an electrical current to the brain too often

To many false alarms can shorten the life of the battery that powers the device – must be surgically replaced. (Moore, 2012)

Tissue Engineering; Growing New Organs, and More

They are still focusing on growing replacement organs but the new focus is on creating tissue that be used in the lab to model human disease

They are working on developing liver tissue to study hepatitis C and malaria infection

The challenge is to grow the cells outside the body while maintaining their function

They have created an implantable tissue which was the development of artificial skin and they are now working on more complex tissue such as the cardiac tissues.(Trafton, 2012)

Stopping Epileptic Seizures With Fewer False Alarms This YouTube video talks about the new

technology and how its going to help stop epileptic seizures

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57409279-247/early-warning-software-could-reduce-false-alarms-of-seizures/

Downfalls to Growing Tissue

It’s a long term goal

They use thin slices of human liver tissue that can be implanted in mice, enabling rapid studies of potential drugs (Trafton, 2012)

New Technology May Enable Earlier Cancer Diagnosis A way to diagnosis cancer early is to look for specific

proteins secreted by the cancer cells

MIT has developed a new technology that makes the detection of theses proteins easier.

Nanoparticles interact with cancer proteins to produce thousands of biomakers – which can be detected in urine.

This can also be used to monitor disease progression and track how tumors respond to treatment

they found that the nanoparticles could offer much more rapid feedback than biopsies.(Trafton, 2012)

Down Fall to This Research

Cancer cells produce many proteins not found in healthy cells

These proteins are often so diluted in the blood stream they are nearly impossible to identify

The search has been complicated because genomic studies have revealed that many cancers are actually groups of several diseases with different genetic signatures. (Trafton, 2012)

Amiigo

Amiigo is a new product that will allow people to:

track the details of an exercise routine & how it affects the body.

It allows users to track specific things like; exercise type, reps, sets, duration, speed, and intensity

tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, overall activity level, and calories burned.

You can set fitness goals and earn points for exercising and participating in challenges.

Amiigo sync’s wirelessly to your mobile device for your activities and accomplishments can be recorded.

This can be a great way to increase anyone’s activity level and in turn create a healthier way of life, taking a huge leap forward in health and activity tracking. This product is said to be released this summer 2013.

This video shows how the Amiigo works and how its made

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/amiigo-fitness-bracelet-for-iphone-and-android

In Conclusion

There are many more medical advancements happening , only a few were outlined in this presentation.

It’s clear that technology is giving the health care industry a much-needed upgrade, from medical translation tools to mobile apps that help patients live healthier lives. Though much is still in the early and experimental stages, the advances in technology could help save money in health care costs and improve patient treatment.

Patients who can connect with their doctors more easily, for instance, won’t need to make unnecessary trips to the ER or specialists. Doctors will be able to collaborate with other physicians and experts in new ways and use computers to analyze patient and medical data, allowing them to provide better and more efficient treatment for their patients. As technology continues to expand the horizons of medicine and medical interaction, it’s becoming clear that we’re entering a new era of health care. Advancing in the medical field will help create longer and healthier lives for people as well as save people from suffering.

References

Lee, E. (2013, January 24). 5 ways technology is transforming health care. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bmoharrisbank/2013/01/24/5-ways-technology-is-transforming-health-care/

Moore, E. (2012, April 4). Early-warning software could reduce false alarms of seizures. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-57409279-247/early-warning-software-could-reduce-false-alarms-of-seizures/

Trafton, A. (2012, December 16). New technology may enable earlier cancer diagnosis. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/noninvasive-diagnostics-for-cancer-1216.html

Trafton, A. (2012, December 14). Tissue engineering: Growing new organs, and more. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/engineering-health-tissue-engineering-growing-organs-1214.html

indiegogo. (2013). Amiigo: Fitness bracelet for iphone and android. Retrieved from http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/amiigo-fitness-bracelet-for-iphone-and-android

Pasolini, A.(2013, January 15). Amiigo smart fitness bracelet identifies more than 100 exercises. Retrieved from http://www.gizmag.com/amiigo-fitness-bracelet/25805/

T3 THE GADGET WEBSITE. (2013, June 27). Best tech 2013: Coolest new gadgets we want this month. Retrieved from http://www.t3.com/features/best-tech/amiigo-fitness-bracelet-624-jpg