Since the last decade, the medical field has made a lot more advancement than it has in previous historical times. From the discovery (and making) of drugs to the invention of machines to aid the medical facility.
Everyone can agree that most of these inventions would have been ridiculed if spoken of years ago and even tagged impossible. But here we are now with some of the most amazing and groundbreaking medical technologies.
200 years have passed since the first blood transfusion and 40 years since the first outbreak of HIV and AIDS in the US, and there still manages to be a breakthrough each time.
ComputingNews has compiled a list of the ten most notable advancements in the medical field below. Read on to find out.
The 10 Greatest Medical Advances in The Last Decade
Smart Contact Lenses
Gone are the days of glasses being the only alternative for people with eye defects. Now, thanks to the advancement in medical technology, smart contact lenses now exist. In 2012, Microsoft invented contact lenses that were effective in monitoring glucose levels. This was a stepping stone for scientists who began different inventions. Now a Michigan professor known as Zhaohui Zhong is currently working on a night vision clear contact lens. How cool is that?
Full Face Transplants
Of course, we cannot compile this list without mentioning the wonder that is full face transplants and how the medical field has managed to skillfully explore this in the last decade. The first full-face transplant happened in 2011. A clinic in Cleveland performed the transplant on the youngest patient, which goes a great length in proving its success. Since the first operation, it has been used in saving patients, as in the case of a woman who had her whole face disfigured during an accident.
3D Breast Implants
Women who go for breast augmentation often opt for silicone or saline implants. They were the only available options. But all of that is looking to change. A company known as Lattice Medical, started by a scientist called Julien Payen, produces 3D-printed breast implants. The 3D-printed Breast Implants are a more advanced option, not to mention that they aid in the regeneration of adipose tissue, a central body organ for regulating body homeostasis and a reservoir for energy stored in the form of lipids. Clinical trials are set to begin.
Acute Stroke Remediation
Stroke has been and remains a dreadful illness. Certainly, the inability to walk or communicate effectively—manifesting alongside other dire side effects—due to the inability of blood flow to the brain would scare even the sturdiest of men. The good news is there are drugs now that are tested and approved by the Federal Drug Administration that combat effectively the illness, and treatment that is proving to be very positive.
Disease Detection by Voice
This is as intriguing and brilliant as it sounds. In 2016, the first step in auditory medical advancement was taken in a clinic using a voice-analyzing application to detect heart disease in patients. Now, illnesses such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, brain damage, anxiety, and more are on the verge of being detected through a person’s voice. Scientists are working to find symptoms of these diseases in a person by the pitch of the voice, texture, volume, and other characteristics.
Detecting Disease by Smell
Just as the measures were being taken to be able to detect disease just by the tone, volume, or pitch of a person’s voice, measures were also being taken to detect disease by smell. In 2016, scientists worked to be able to detect disease through the smell of a person’s urine, sweat, and even breath. What comes next is the mind-blowing fact that some diseases are now detectable through smell; lung cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, gum disease, preeclampsia, psychotic disorders, and a host of others. Being able to detect these diseases by numerous methods and on time leads to early diagnosis and an effective treatment method.
HIV Pills
After the outbreak of HIV, medical field experts worked endlessly to find a remedy for it. And after years, some pills were made that helped to contain the virus and lessen its effects. There, however, proved to be a problem with its administration. The complicated dosing of the pills resulted in patients missing a dosage, and with missed dosage came a less effective treatment. But in 2018, a single pill that held up to a week’s dosage of HIV/AIDS drugs was created, solving the problems that the researchers first encountered.
Possible HIV Vaccine
From the aforementioned point, it is deduced that the pills made to manage HIV have been very effective over the years. Researchers, however, do not plan to stop there. On the contrary, so much work has gone into making a vaccine for the deadly virus. Medical experts think that if they have been able in the past to provide vaccines for polio, pox, and other diseases that have arisen before this, then surely, a vaccine for HIV should not be an impossible feat. Interestingly, the HIV Vaccine Trial Network announced its success with an initial inoculation phase.
Medical Marijuana
Yes, marijuana has its negative sides, but it also has its positive sides. Since 1996, when marijuana became legalized in California, it has also began to be legalized in other states. Marijuana, which was first used on patients with cancer, chronic pain, and HIV, is now being used to treat other illnesses. Illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, fibromyalgia, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Teeth Regeneration
It is widespread knowledge that adult teeth are hardly repaired when damaged. But instead of filling in a cavity in the teeth, researchers are exploring ways to regenerate a tooth, which would just be a major dental breakthrough. In 2018, a bioengineer named Paul Sharpe proved through a series of mice trials that stem cells can regenerate in the dental pulp, resulting in the ability of the tooth to heal naturally.
