New Advancements in Medical Technology

New Advancements in Medical Technology

New Advancements in Medical
Technology
Christopher Wright
Road Map
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Introduction
Medical Technology as a whole
4 new advancements
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
• Technology has many purposes
• None more globally beneficial than medical
technology
• Advancements are slow
• 4 new recent advancements to help improve
people’s lives
Nexagon Gel
• Developed by a group led by Dr. David Becker
– University College London
• Works by interrupting cell’s normal healing
process by blocking proteins that inhibit
healing
• Tested on 100 people
Nexagon Gel
• The substance itself is a gel similar to
Neosporin antibacterial cream
• Could treat chronic wounds like ulcers
• Currently approved by the FDA to treat serious
eye injuries
Ekso Robotic Frame
• Robot frame currently in development to help
people in wheelchairs
– Generally paraplegics
• Basically a wearable robot exoskeloton
• Takes about 5 minutes to put on
• Users can walk around normally
Ekso Robotic Frame
• Runs on a battery
– Problem: battery life is 3 hours
• Good to let patients move around normally
for short to medium lengths of time
Ekso Robotic Frame
• http://www.eksobionics.com/ekso#candidates
• http://www.eksobionics.com/#slide4
Nuro-Controlled Prosthetic Arm
• In Development by scientists in Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL),
and the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences (USU).
• A field test was done on Jan. 24,2012
• Had decent success
Nuro-Controlled Prosthetic Arm
• This devices works almost like a normal arm
• Controlled by surface electrodes within the
patients nerves and the arm is moved by
those signals
– Nerves to the spine must still be intact
• The actual sensations of touch is lost
• Movement is regained
Mechanical Heart
• Under Development at the Texas Heart
Institute
– Research led by Dr. Billy Cohn and Dr. Bud Fraizer
• A different approach to the mechanical heart
problem
• Used turbines to circulate blood
Mechanical Heart
• Tested on calves first
– There is no pulse and all measures to show the
calf was living showed the calf wasn’t, yet is was
up and running around
• Tested it on a 55-year old man who was dying
of amyloidosis, a disease that produces
abnormal proteins
Mechanical Heart
• The man was given 6 weeks to live
• The heart transplant was a success and the
mechanical heart let him lived another month
before the disease killed him for other reasons
Mechanical Heart
Conclusion
• Medical Progress is advancing thanks to
technology
• There is still so much more to explore
• Some of these advances may be in practice
soon
Bibliography
• http://www.npr.org/2011/06/13/137029208/
heart-with-no-beat-offers-hope-of-new-leaseon-life
• http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story
_id=65123
• http://www.eksobionics.com/data/downloads
/Ekso_Specs.pdf
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/12/
nexagon-new-gel-could-spe_n_679753.html