New Technology in the 20th Century

What is new technology used for in the development of medicine?

As technology advances in the modern world there is now a wide range of machines and technologies used to diagnose, monitor and treat patients.

What are the different types of new technology in medicine used for?

New technology is used in a variety of ways in modern medicine.

• ❖ Various monitors can be used to check a patient's blood pressure, oxygen levels, and heart rate.
• ❖ During the 1990s, increased use of keyhole surgery - using endoscopes - allowed surgeons to carry out complex surgery with minimal trauma to patients and a reduced risk of infection. This can now be done using robotics, making incisions even smaller.
• ❖ MRI scanning and CT scanning create 3D images of the skeleton and soft tissue inside the body. This helps doctors diagnose and treat patients more accurately.
• ❖ In-vitro fertilisation, or IVF, was discovered in the 1970s as a way to help those with fertility issues have children.
• ❖ Dialysis machines are used to treat the blood of patients with kidney failure.
• ❖ Prosthetic limbs are used to replace lost body parts: for example, for soldiers in war.
• ❖ Lasers and robotics can be used for precision in surgery.
• ❖ Surgeons now have the ability to transplant organs through surgery. The first kidney was transplanted in 1956, between identical twins. The first lungs were transplanted in 1963, and the first heart in 1967.