Medical Technologies

3D Printing

Dentistry
  • The largest user of 3D printing in medicine
  • Used to create models, night guards, dentures, retainers
  • 3D printing is used often because the products are small in size
Prosthetics
  • Used within the products and in the manufacturing process
  • Used to create moulds for prosthetics
  • Lowers production costs
Medicine
  • Used to create personalized medication
  • The first 3D-printed drug was approved in 2015
Medical Research
  • Used to create prototypes for research
  • the Canadian Space Agency used 3D-printed centrifuges
Bioprinting
  • Use of living tissues to print working organs
  • None have been approved for human use though some organs have been connected to oxygen
  • 3D-printed organs can curb the transplant waitlist and reduce the chance of rejection

Bionic Limbs

What It Is
  • Advanced prosthetic limbs that restore motor functions
  • technology is used to mimic natural movements
  • Can establish a connection between the limb and the user’s nervous system
Importance
  • Improved quality of life for amputees
  • Allows users to regain independence
  • Improves their psychological well-being
How it has Changed Medicine
  • Spurred research and innovation in neuroprosthetics
  • Positively impacted patient outcomes, rehabilitation, and individual well-being

Defibrillator

What It Is
  • Delivers an electric shock to the heart to restore its natural rhythm
  • Used in emergency situations to prevent loss of life
  • Modern defibrillators are automated external defibrillators (AED)
    • Portable
    • Designed for use by non-medical personnel
  • AEDs analyze the heart’s rhythm and will charge itself and deliver a shock if necessary
Uses
  • Cardiac Arrest
    • sudden loss of heart function
  • Ventricular Fibrillation
    • Type of abnormal heart rhythm
  • Sudden Cardiac Arrhythmia
    • Heart beats irregularly or too fast
Portable Defibrillator
  • Increased likelihood of survival with immediate defibrillation
  • Found in places such as hospitals, clinics, cruise ships, trains
  • Availability in public areas has led to increased knowledge of this issue

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

What It Is
  • Type of X-ray technology where beams are rotated along a patient’s body
  • Generates images of structures including organs, bones, and veins
  • Gives more information than a 2D X-ray
Uses and Applications
  • Used to search for abnormalities across the body
  • Can find:
    • Tumours in the abdomen
    • Blood clots in veins
    • Excess fluid in the lungs
    • Fractures in bones
    • Heart disease
    • Diabetes
How it has Changed Medicine
  • It has replaced more invasive procedures
  • Can detect diseases much earlier

Endoscopes

What It Is
  • A long, thin tube with a camera in the end
  • Used in an endoscopy
  • Used to look inside the body to diagnose different diseases
  • Used in:
    • The digestive system
    • Ears
    • Nose'
    • Throat
    • Heart
    • Urinary tract
    • Joints
Importance
  • Used to diagnose:
    • Gastroesophageal reflux disease
    • Ulcers
    • Cancer
    • Precancerous abnormalities
    • Inflammation
    • Celiac disease
    • Blockages

mRNA Technology

What Is mRNA
  • Single-stranded RNA
  • Carries the instructions which direct cells to make proteins
  • Created through transcription and translation
  • Transcription
    • DNA is copied to make RNA molecule
  • Translation
    • Carries the information of the protein from the nucleys DNA to the cytoplasm
    • mRNA sequence is read
    • Protein antigens that match with the corresponding pathogens are built
Applications
  • Cell therapy
    • Using “trained” immune cells to fight diseases in patients
  • Gene Editing
    • Can introduce non-native proteins into cells
    • Can include gene editing tools such as CRISPR
  • Vaccines
    • Antigen for a disease is directly introduced rather than creating a natural defense response
  • Antibodies
    • more attractive alternative to traditional antibodies
  • Protien Replacement
    • many genetic diseases are caused by a malfunctioning or absent protein
    • mRNA can replace or code for these proteins

Insulin Pump

What It Is
  • Mimics the way a pancreas works
  • Used to help people with diabetes manage blood sugar levels
Importance
  • Helps patients keep blood sugar at a constant level
  • Lowers the risk of having low or high glucose levels
  • More flexible and accurate than injections
  • Ensures the continuous delivery of insulin

Stem Cells

What Are Stem Cells
  • Embryonic Stem Cells
    • Derived from early stage embryos
    • Can differentiate into any type of cell
    • Used for organ regeneration and tissue repair
  • Adult Stem Cells
    • Can anly become cells from the tissue where they reside
    • Ex. bone marrow stem cells can only become blood cells
    • Used for stem cell transplants/therapy and therapeutic cloning
Stem Cell Therapy
  • Regeneration medicine designed to repair cells within the body
  • Transplantation through IV infusion
  • Can be done with:
    • Hematopoietic Stem Cells
    • Used to treat blood and other cancers
    • Mesenchymal Stem Cells
    • Used to treat neurological disorders
    • Induced Pluripotent Cells
    • Used for a wide variety of diseases
Other Uses of Stem Cells
  • Tissue Regeneration
    • Repair or replace damaged tissues
  • Drug Discovery and Testing
    • Testing the safety and efficiency of new drugs and therapies
  • Gene Therapy and Genetic Editing
    • Stem cells can be genetically modified to correct mutations responsible for inherited diseases
  • Immunotherapy
    • Stem cells can be used to modulate the immune system
    • Valuable for autoimmune disease treatment
  • Personalized Medicine
    • Creating medications to develop patient-specific therapies and medications

Healthcare Apps

What It Is
  • Apps that allow people to manage their own health and wellbeing
  • Used to:
    • Track symptoms
    • Monitor vital signs
    • Set medication reminders
    • Keep track of medical history
    • Set up appointments
  • They can reduce healthcare costs
  • Can help diagnose conditions
  • Provided healcare providers with new resources

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

What It Is
  • Uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce images
  • Does not use radiation
  • Can show organs, bones, muscles, blood vessels
  • Used for:
    • A medical diagnosis
    • Brain or spinal cord injuries
    • Tumours
    • Joint disorders
    • Other abnormalities
    • Research
    • Sports medicine
    • Veterinarian medicine
    • Industrial uses
    • Forensic science
Importance
  • Safer option as it doesn’t use radiation
  • Non-invasive testing
  • Can diagnose things that are difficult to detect with other technologies

Nano Technology

What It Is
  • Use of nanoscale particles and robots to interact with specific targets in the body
  • Non-invasive and very safe with few side effects
  • Four types:
    • Biosensors
    • Surgical Procedures
    • Gene Editing
    • Carriers/drug releases
Applications
  • Drug delivery systems
    • Encapsulating drugs and delivering them to specific areas
  • Gene editing
    • CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to remove/replace genes
  • Tissue Engineering
    • Nanoscale scaffolding to support growth and recovery
  • Cancer treatment
    • Nanoparticles specifically target cancer cells, reducing harm to healthy cells

Pacemaker

What It Is
  • An implantation that helps to control the heartbeat
  • Single chamber pacemaker
    • Connects to one chamber of the heart
  • Dual chamber pacemaker
    • Connected to both right-side chambers of the heart
  • Biventricular pacemaker
    • Connects to both sides of the heart
  • Leadless pacemaker
    • Has no wires and attaches to the inner wall of the heart
  • Endocardial Implantation
    • Implanted with an incision in the chest
  • Epicardial Implantation
    • Implanted through the abdomen
  • Risks:
    • Infection
    • Allergic reactions
    • Blood clots
    • Malfunctions

Robotic Surgery

What It Is
  • The use of robotic systems controlled by surgeons to perform operations
  • Enhances surgical precision, provides improved outcomes, and enables minimally invasive procedures
Applications and Importance
  • Used in urology, gynecology, general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and more
  • Robotic systems offer 3D visualization
  • Provide increased dexterity and range of motion
  • Patients experience less pain or scarring and can recover quickly

Transplants

What It Is
  • A procedure in which a tissue or organ is removed from a donor’s body and placed in a recipient’s body
  • Needed when the recipient’s organ is damaged or has failed
  • Transplants must be between people with compatible blood types
  • Donors can be living or deceased depending on the organ
Importance
  • One donor can save up to 7 people
  • Only way of survival form some late-stage diseases