Despite covid being in the headlines now, there are also countless other aspects of healthcare that are doing better than they did even a couple of years ago, thanks to the rapid, positive changes brought forth by technology. When it comes to scanners, screeners and other medical imaging devices, the three prime factors behind their upgraded diagnostic capabilities can be identified as portability/mobility, improvements/updates to existing tech, and the introduction of brand-new inventions. A quick look through the following should help us get a better understanding of what is being discussed here.
Portability Makes Diagnostic Tests More Accessible
Consider the fact that healthcare professionals are now able to conduct an ECG with just a handheld machine, or that they can use a smart otoscope to capture and transfer diagnostic images directly to a linked computer via Wi-Fi. Then there are, of course, portable ultrasound machines which present two huge advantages in any clinical setting:
- They are more affordable can therefore be bought in bulk and used by multiple healthcare professionals simultaneously in a hospital
- Due to the portability and mobility of these machines, professionals can carry these with them to bedridden patients directly for a faster diagnosis.
Upgrades have Improved Accuracy and Safety for Both Patients and Medical Professionals
Thanks to advancements made in digital radiography, diagnostic tools such as the X-ray are now more energy efficient, cost-effective, accurate and safer than before. Think about the fact that modern digital X-ray machines produce 80% less radiation than the previous generation of X-ray machines, which is particularly important as some people go under the X-ray machine a lot more than others throughout their lifetime.
In light of the current events, the Spirolyser Q13 from Depisteo deserves special mention here, since the zero-contact spirometer doesn’t require calibration or disinfection. It’s an upgraded spirometer which is proving instrumental in keeping healthcare workers safe from covid, since they no longer have to work in dangerously close proximity to covid-positive patients while checking their lung capacity.
Innovations and Inventions
Finally, it’s time to take a look at some of the true innovations or inventions made recently in the field of medical diagnostics. These would be the ones which either had no predecessors, or have been innovated to such a degree that the device is identified as a separate medical tool altogether. An excellent example would be the HeartLogic diagnostic device that can potentially predict heart failure and cardiac arrests with surprising accuracy.
There’s also a new electro-pulse-based glucose monitoring system which negates the need to prick yourself in the finger every day for checking your blood sugar levels. They need to be worn as a band and can provide glucose monitoring in real time via a smartphone app.
Medical technology has grown in leaps and bounds over the last two decades, which is why it was possible to invent multiple vaccines against a global epidemic in less than a year’s time. It would be interesting to see how 2021 goes and what else the big brains of the med-tech industry can come up with next this year.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
