“Health is wealth “is a widely used notion which implies if a person is healthy and fit that is its greatest wealth. In the race of success, people are fighting for material things and superficial comforts. But they tend to ignore that these comforts are a façade over their health and healthy lifestyle.
Paying lakhs of fees in gyms and practicing running and walking on a treadmill is what people enjoy nowadays. Going to the parks and breathing in fresh air and running on the streets filled with greenery are not their priority but superficiality is.
The spread of Coronavirus in 2020 threatened everyone across the world. Lakhs of human lives were staked and lost in the COVID 19 pandemic. People eventually comprehended that health is important and cannot be neglected further because even enormous wealth could not buy them life.
Therefore putting forward the concern our health sector industry has placed itself to more advanced treatment methods and techniques.
Some of the inventions which changed and wholly transformed the healthcare are as follows -:
1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is overpowering the new era of innovation and development. Beginning with the automobile sector to health care extending its tentacles as much as possible. Artificial intelligence is filled with enormous internets and benefits if used to its utmost level. It can boost the health sector in several ways.
Some of the major development that hyped the AI in healthcare includes-:
3D Printed Smart Hand
It is a technology helping medical professionals to create more efficient, long lasting, well fitted and effectively functioning implants. This can help with hip, skull, and knee, spinal and other joint implants surgically.
3D printing also allows customized models with patients’ required specifications. They also create replicas of human organs for better research and further study.
It also helps in creating medical tools easily which used to be a hectic and time consuming process with traditional methods. Dental 3D printing has also been a boon for people as it is much more convenient to use a case structured teeth straightening device rather than having wires stuck in mouth.
Cerebral Palsy Assistant
The project aims to assist children suffering from Cerebral Palsy which is a physical disability among children disturbing their figure and posture. It is performed by letting the child get motivated. It is called gamification in which a child performs difficult tasks happily because the task is reduced to a game. It is a useful concept and has proven to be a success because children enjoy it.
Ambient Assisted Living
AAL services include the use of smart devices for people to help in performing daily life functions, especially for old age people to ensure their safety.
Cancer Detection
By designing AI in such a way that it can read abnormalities in radiography and help detect cancer. It does not replace doctors but allows them to have a second opinion which may be of great help to them. There are many more AI projects leading to substantial help to doctors, researchers and scientists.
2. TELEMEDICINE
According to WHO, telemedicine is the providing of health sector services by using information and telecommunication technology. It eliminates the one to one or direct interaction of the doctor and the patients. During the COVID 19 pandemic, when the world was shut down things were done through online platforms.
Be it education, healthcare facilities, corporate work, national and international related issues were all solved online. Therefore telemedicine was the only option for the people to interact with the doctors since the disease was infectious. It also helped to reduce regional disparities among the patients and doctors.
3. IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY
Immersive technology is the creation of a world with real physical characteristics and digital technology. It immerses the viewer to the virtual content in such a way that the person appears to be in that world.
In today’s world, Augmented Reality (AR) Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are used in the healthcare sector. They are collectively known as Immersive technology. It has allowed the medical sciences to approach the cases differently whether be it surgery stimulation or a depression.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is applying this technology to its patients having awake limp surgery. It helps the patients to divert their mind from the surgery and calms them down. It is experienced that patients undergoing the surgery on arms or legs, having a Virtual set on them distracts them and also reduces the chances of taking sedation or anesthesia while the surgery.
4. IMMUNOTHERAPY
Immunotherapy is a treatment process in which the immunity of the patient fights against the cancer. It implies the drugs which make the immunity stronger and helps fight against various diseases, hence increasing the capability of the body to increase immune response.
It is a biological therapy allowing the patients white blood cells to get stronger and destroy the cancer cells present in the body. Because white blood cells are responsible for fighting against any disease, these cells find the diseased cells and destroys them.
5. POINT OF CARE DIAGNOSTICS
Also known as Point of Care Testing (PCOT) of Bed Testing is a type of testing which is performed near the patient’s in their unit which usually reduces the involvement of laboratory staff. It is an advancement of the conventional testing methods where medical laboratory experts are required and a long wait before the results of the testing are provided.
It holds a significant role in healthcare on date, helping with the diagnosis and monitoring of various dangerous diseases. In India health services are not equally distributed among the country and in this situation Point of Care Testing holds a candle to the sector. It can help in reaching the patient’s all across the country easily and hassle free.
These are not the limited inventions that transformed the health sector, there are many more and the list is endless. Scientists, doctors and researchers are working hard to make new additions and contributions.
