Photos: 12 ways tech is revolutionizing healthcare and medicine
Image 1 of 12
1. Klick SymPulse Tele-Empathy Device
1. Klick SymPulse Tele-Empathy Device
Doctors and healthcare professionals are using emerging technologies to provide care and perform research. Here are 12 ways the healthcare industry is pushing forward with tech.
These technologies span the industry, including the treatment of movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Using an electromyogram sensor and Bluetooth technology, the Klick SymPulse Tele-Empathy device records a patient’s tremors, and wirelessly sends the information in real time to an armband. The wearer of the armband can feel the tremors, allowing family members and doctors to understand what the patient feels.
2. BIOLASE
2. BIOLASE
For many, dentists are scary. BIOLASE hopes to change that perception through its Waterlase Express, a minimally invasive, all-tissue laser. Using the laser for treatments allows dentists to perform more procedures per visit, according to the company. For patients, it may mean less invasive procedures and faster recovery times, as lasers eliminate hemorrhaging and stimulate cells to produce energy to heal more efficiently, the company said.
3. Brainsway
3. Brainsway
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the US, but some patients don’t respond to antidepressant medications. A psychiatrist can use Brainsway treatment to deliver deep transcranial magnetic stimulation through a cushioned helmet for non-invasive therapy. The patient receives brief magnetic fields, similar to an MRI, for 20 minutes each day for four to five weeks to help alleviate symptoms.
4. SyncThink
4. SyncThink
With the dangers of concussions for athletes making headlines, the condition is on the minds of those in the sports and medical industries. SyncThink using virtual reality (VR) and eye-tracking technology to search for an individual’s concussion symptoms. The platform can diagnose concussion symptoms within 60 seconds, the company said.
5. Duke NICU
5. Duke NICU
Recently named the best use of technology in analytics by the North Carolina Technology Association, Duke University’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) simulation project uses SAS Simulation Studio to replicate the real NICU. The simulated version can be used for training for nurses and doctors, allowing users to see how changing various factors affects the babies being cared for.
6. Redivus Health
6. Redivus Health
Redivus Health is a mobile app for doctors and paramedics to provide step-by-step support in critical health situations, including cardiac arrest, stroke, and sepsis. While not a replacement for training and education, the guidance aims to prevent care variation between providers and reduce medical errors. The app also helps healthcare professionals document these events in real-time.
7. Eccrine Systems
7. Eccrine Systems
Focused on serving military and industrial customers, Eccrine Systems‘ wearable sweat-sensing devices monitor signs of heat stress. For those industries, heat stress avoidance is important to keep soldiers and workers safe in demanding conditions. The non-invasive device measures sweat rate, and fluid and electrolyte loss, and alerts users when their bodies may need a break from the heat.
8. ALS eNGAGE
8. ALS eNGAGE
To help researchers and doctors track ALS progression, the ALS eNGAGE app lets patients input information about their symptoms. Using the FileMaker app platform, the app tracks a patient’s progression based on metrics including fine motor skills and motion, along with details about medication. Medical professionals can then view the metrics and compare different outcomes.
9. NHS Chest Emergencies AR App
9. NHS Chest Emergencies AR App
Targeted to non-clinical staff in hospitals, the NHS Chest Emergencies AR App helps track and revise symptoms for patients with one of the most critical emergencies: Chest pains. The iPad app helps users identify and explain symptoms on the go. It uses augmented reality (AR) to help explain to patients and their families what is going on inside of them, as well.
10. Organ donation
10. Organ donation
While not a specific product, the organ donation process is getting a tech boost. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which manages the organ transplant system in the US, is utilizing big data to help people get organs faster. With the new system, data processing times drop from 18 to four hours, according to ZDNet. The UNOS estimates 85 more people get the organ they need each day.
11. Epson Moverio BT-300 Smart Glasses
11. Epson Moverio BT-300 Smart Glasses
Utilizing AR and weighing more than 20% less than past models, the Moverio BT-300 Smart Glasses help nurses and medical students train. The glasses can also act as a second screen for procedures, or toprovide wait time entertainment for patients, the company said.
12. BIOLIFE4D
12. BIOLIFE4D
Technology is beginning to tackle heart transplants that stem from conditions like heart disease or failure, potentially saving people time on a heart waiting list. Using 3D bioprinting and bioink, companies like BIOLIFE4D create cell patterns within a construct to make a biological structure that could potentially be used to improve or replace an organ. Doctors pull cells via a blood sample, along with an MRI of the organ, to provide the basis of the organ.
