Medicine Engineering Technologies

Developments in Engineering that are likely to Transform Medicine

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31st December 2017

Engineering in Medical ii

Table of Contents

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ iii

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Body .............................................................................................................................................................. 2

Speech restorer ......................................................................................................................................... 2

Autonomous Wheelchair ........................................................................................................................... 2

Rocket Powered Arm ................................................................................................................................. 2

Medical 3D Printing ................................................................................................................................. 3

Smart Contact Lens ................................................................................................................................... 3

Portable Dialysis ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Walking simulator ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Real-Time Diagnostics .............................................................................................................................. 4

Multi-functional radiology ........................................................................................................................ 5

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................... 6

References ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Engineering in Medical iii

Abstract

Engineering; mechanical, chemical, civil and other faculties of engineering play an important

role in our day to day life. Various discoveries and innovations that have been obtained as a

result of engineering research have served to make life easier by improving business processes

and the quality of life. The most notable aspect of life, in which engineering has played a key

role and has made tremendous impact and transformation, is the field of medicine. Many people

have had their life changed for the better as a result of engineering innovations which are meant

to address health challenges facing humans such as the blindness, lameness, deafness and many

others. These include engineering innovations and solutions such as a wheelchair, artificial arms,

eye lenses and many others. Going forward engineering is expected to play even a greater role in

changing the lives of people through new medical innovations and discoveries such as speech

restorer, artificially kidney, 3D printing of medicine and many others (Anon, 2017, 1).

Engineering in Medical 1

Introduction

Over the last few years, they have been many developments in the field of engineering with a

specific focus on medical technology. Engineers are working in collaboration with the medical

doctors and therapists in order to come up with systems, equipment and devices which are meant

to provide solutions to clinical problems. The following are medical technologies which are

going to transform the field of medicine in the future.

Engineering in Medical 2

Body

We will look at the following select engineering technologies which are set to revolutionize and

transform medical industry in the near future.

Speech restorer

People who have lost the ability to talk do not have to worry anymore. This is because a new

phonetic speech engine has been developed by Illinois based Ambient Corporation which

provides an audible voice. The patients are required to imagine that they are slowly sounding

words and then the quarter –size device of this particular technology which is located in a neck

brace will wirelessly transmit the impulses to a computer or cell phone in order to produce

speech (Popular Mechanics, 2017, 1).

Autonomous Wheelchair

This engineering technology will bring a major revolution in medical technology and will be

good news to those people who are not able to walk because of spinal cord injury and various

other diseases. This wheelchair innovation which has been developed by Massachusetts Institute

of Technology has the ability to take people to wherever they ask. This particular type of

wheelchair has the ability to learn about its environment by listening as its owner describes

specific locations. The wheelchair also builds maps through the use of Wi-Fi. It is currently still

under testing and there is high likelihood that it may be equipped with a camera, laser range

finders and collision avoidance system in the future so as to make it more effective (Popular

Mechanics, 2017, 1).

Rocket Powered Arm

This is bound to be good news to those people who have had their arms amputated because of

various reasons such as disease. Adding of strength to the prosthetic limbs which are currently in

the market has often demanded the use of bulky battery packs. This prosthetic arm is, however,

Engineering in Medical 3

going to be a game changer because it can lift 20 pounds which are around four times more than

the weight that can be lifted by the current prosthetics. Hydrogen peroxide is used to power the

arm for around 18 hours of regular activity (Baura, 2012, 225).

Medical 3D Printing

This kind of technology is set to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry in the entire world.

Bionic ears and simpler organs are expected to be printed just next to the patient. This

technology is, however, expected to be challenging to regulate because every person will have an

ability to print any particular type of drug that contains patented molecules at his home (LeVine,

2010, 221).

Smart Contact Lens

This engineering technology is poised to provide solution mainly to people who suffer from

blindness. Glaucoma which is commonly known for inducing blindness develops as a result of

pressure building up inside the eye and causing damage to the retina cells. The smart contact lens

which has been made at the University of California do have conductive wires which unendingly

monitor pressure and fluid flow inside the eyes of the people who are at a risk of contracting

Glaucoma. The lens then passes information to a small device that is put on by a patient and this

particular device wirelessly transmits information to a computer. This regular flow of

information is what will assist the doctors to be able to know the causes of the disease. Future

lenses are also poised to administer medicine in response to pressure changes (Shukla and

Tiwari, 2010, 75).

Engineering in Medical 4

Portable Dialysis

Many people suffer from kidney failure and this makes it difficult for their body organs to be

able to remove poisons from the blood. As a result, many people are forced to seek for a kidney

transplant in order to be able to get well. However, this is set to change with the invention of an

artificial kidney by Xcorporeal a Los Angles-based firm which is able to clean the blood at all

times. This kind of device is fully automated, is powered by a battery, waterproof and easily

portable because of its weight which is less than 5 pounds (Baura, 2012, 78).

Walking simulator

This kind of technological innovation comes as a blessing to people who are suffering from an

inability to walk due to complication such as spinal cord injury and stroke. This virtual reality

technology which has been developed by University of Portsmouth students can help stroke

victims to be able to recover quickly. This technology works by tricking stroke victims to

visualize moving images when they are walking on a treadmill, which in turn fool their brains

into believing that they are working slower than the reality. Because of the capability of this

technology, the patients end up walking not only faster and farther but they also end up walking

with less pain (Ermak, n.d, 89).

Real-Time Diagnostics

This technology is meant to revolutionize medical surgery upon its applications. This technology

consists of an intelligent surgical knife (iKnife) which functions through the use of old

technology whereby electrical current heats tissues so as to make a surgical incision with little

loss of blood. This technology was invented in London by Zoltan Takats of Imperial College.

Through the use of iKnife, vaporized smoke is then examined through the use of mass

spectrometer in order to identify the chemicals in a biological sample. This implies that iKnife is

capable of identifying whether a tissue is malignant real time. This technology will thus bring

Engineering in Medical 5

about transformation in medical technology because it will reduce the time that is taken by

doctors/surgeons to carry out surgical operations (Baura, 2012, 123).

Multi-functional radiology

This is a specific area of medicine which is growing faster and developing rapidly. Thus in the

future, there is a huge possibility that one multifunctional radiology machine will be able to

identify various medical problems, biomarkers, and symptoms at a go. With a single checkup, it

will be able to tell a person the number or percentage of his cells that are cancerous and those

that are cancer free. This technology is thus expected to contribute greatly towards faster and

easier detection and treatment of diseases which are afflicting human than the current technology

in place (Ermak, n.d, 75).

Engineering in Medical 6

Conclusion

Engineering innovations, technologies, and solutions are going to transform the future of

medicine and medical treatment and make healthcare not only easily accessible and of a high

standard but also easily affordable to patients. Engineering technologies and innovations are

going to provide solutions to all future healthcare challenges which are likely to face human race

and thus more funds and resources ought to be committed towards the advancement medical

engineering research.

Engineering in Medical 7

References

Shukla, A. and Tiwari, R. (2010). Intelligent medical technologies and biomedical engineering.

Hershey, PA: Medical Information Science Reference.

Ermak, G. (n.d.). Emerging medical technologies.

Baura, G. (2012). Medical Device Technologies. Waltman, Mas.: Academic Press.

LeVine, H. (2010). Medical imaging. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood.

Popular Mechanics. (2017). 20 New Biotech Breakthroughs that Will Change Medicine. [online]

Available at: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a4180/4303407/

[Accessed 31 Dec. 2017].

Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: Top 20 Medical Technology Advances: Medicine in the

Future http://medicalfuturist.com/20-potential-technological-advances-in-the-future-of-

medicine-part-i/ [Accessed 31 Dec. 2017].

Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations

http://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/bioengineering/top-5-medical-

technology-innovations [Accessed 31 Dec. 2017].

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