Essential Pieces Of Technology For Medical Professionals

Technology has made the medical profession considerably easier for its practitioners and has allowed them to diagnose diseases that previously would have been too late to cure or treat. Here are some essential piece of medical technology:

X-ray Machine

Though it’s been in use for many years, the X-ray machine is still invaluable. There are several types of X-rays. Radiography type X-rays are used by dentists to see the structure of their patients’ teeth. Mammography X-rays the breasts to search for tumors or other abnormalities. Tomography X-rays the patients one section at a time. Radiotherapy uses X-rays to kill cancer cells, and fluoroscopy can show the medical professional what's happening in the patient’s body in real time. A barium enema that aids in examining the gastrointestinal tract is an example of a fluoroscopy X-ray.

Electrocardiograph

This machine helps a medical professional detect abnormalities in the function of the heart. Electrodes are attached to the chest, the arms and the legs and the heart’s electrical waves are recorded on electrocardiogram graph paper. A technician can then read and interpret the waves that appear on the graph paper.

Laparoscopic Surgery

In this type of surgery, a tiny camera and light is inserted into the surgical site and an image is projected on a monitor that guides the doctor. Because of this, the doctor doesn’t need to make large incisions and can use miniaturized tools to operate. This reduces much of the risk of surgery to the patient. Laparoscopic surgery is used in everything from bariatric surgery to surgery on the joints and the spinal column.

Colonoscope

This device also uses a tiny camera and a light to examine the length of the colon for signs of abnormalities. In this way, any potential colon cancer can be caught early, while it’s still curable.

Lasers

Lasers are focused beams of light that are becoming more and more popular for medical procedures. Lasers can vaporize tissue with very little bleeding. They can be used to remove cataracts and to correct refractive errors in the eye as in LASIK surgery. They can also be used in cosmetic surgery to remove wrinkles, scars and sun damage and to stimulate the body into rejuvenating the skin by producing more collagen. Lasers can also be used to break up kidney and gallstones.

Improvements in medical technology continue and are eagerly awaited by both doctors and patients.