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Monday, June 28, 2010

Amazing Technology

No doubt, health information technology is the "Penicillin" for the business and record keeping digital age.

Some of us seem to be 'allergic' to the technology, so they keep an ampule of epinephrine in the form of pens and pencils in their pockets to prevent anaphylaxis.

HIT, EMR, HIE are truly the amazing outgrowth of silicone wafers, printed circuit boards, integrated circuits, mosfets, microprocessors, RAM, ROM,hard drives, solid state drives, LCDs, LEDs, engineers, software, and cheap labor in Asia.

We have gone through several decades of explosive technology in diagnostics and therapeutics. Some of the latest 'gadgets" are outlined below, 

THE LAB ON A CHIP

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A new microfluidic device from the University of Southampton, called single-cell impedance cytometer, is being reported in Lab on a Chip. The technology promises to perform a white blood cell differential count in a tiny package from a puny sample.

FIRE YOUR OPHTHALMOLOGIST or buy an eyePhone

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Researchers at MIT have developed a method of using a basic cellphone coupled with a cheap and simple plastic device clipped onto the screen to estimate refractive errors and focal range of eyes.

Because of its simplicity, and the fact that soon just about everyone will have access to a mobile phone, eye exams may become available to the whole world at little to no cost.

WHICH IS BETTER?  ONE OR TWO? --- NEITHER

developed at the MIT Media Lab

ARTIFICIAL RETINA

Fundus image of an implanted microelectrode array

 

ARTIFICIAL CORNEA  (This is a video of the procedure)

AlphaCor DeviceDohlman Device

 

ARTIFICIAL EYE LENS  (INTRAOCULAR LENS)

The latest is a lens that focuses in the distance, and also allow reading at close range

acrysof restor multifocal IOL cataract lens implant

JOINT REPLACEMENT

SHOULDER

HIP REPLACEMENT

 

CARDIAC DEVICES

PACEMAKERS

 

ARTIFICIAL HEART VALVES

HEART TRANSPLANTS---INFANTILE

 

AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS

 

ARTIFICIAL SKIN

 

INSULIN PUMPS & MONITORS--iMonitor-Bluetooth

 

REMOTE MONITORING TELEMEDICINE

 

ARTIFICIAL NERVES

Previous neuroprothesis worked through electric signals that triggered already existing nerves to release neurotransmitters like dopamine. However, the electric signals didn't discriminate between different types of nerve cells, which greatly reduced the fidelity and usefulness of the devices.

This new device utilizes the same neurotransmitters that natural nerves use. That allows the robotic nerve to target specific neural pathways, without the random side effects of electronic neural stimulation.

 

BIOPROSTHESIS

COCHLEAR IMPLANT

WHY TRANSPLANT A WHOLE BODY??

This is quite controversial, but possible, ethical? immoral?

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