(Image Credit: https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/bioengineering/top-5-medical-technology-innovations )
I know that there is a lot of people with diabetes who have to constantly poke themselves with needles for self- care. They always have to draw blood for testing or inserting insulin. According to ASME, a new piece of technology called the Echo Therapeutics is being developed to replace the needle poking with a patch. The device has an electric- toothbrush- like device that comes with it. The toothbrush device removes just enough skin cells off of the patient's top- layer of skin to put the patients's blood chemistry in a range where the Echo Therapeutics can collect a reading ( MacRae para.8) . This device seems like a very efficient innovation that would help a lot of people because according to a study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.3 percent of Americans have diabetes and 27.8 percent of people are not diagnosed ( National Center for Chronic Disease table. 1). Personally, I know numerous people with diabetes who had to constantly poke themselves and I am sure that they would prefer to use a tool like a toothbrush rather than a needle.
This new piece of technology is important because of the amount of people that it can help. As an inspiring medical student I would rather prescribe my patients the Echo Therapeutics rather than a needle. This also shows how the medical field is advancing and it shows that in the medical field the patients are the main concern. As a future medical student, observing the new inventions can allow you to see the path that the medical field is headed towards and how are they easing the lives of their patients.
References
MacRae, Michael. "Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations." The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ASME, Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 May 2015. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment