Medicine and Technology, what would we do without them?

When I think of technology, I think of the future and how technology progresses more and more as time goes by. But then I think of all the negative affects it has on us and we now depend on it, today kids in grade four have cellphones, I didn't get one till the summer of grade eight. But have you ever thought of how useful technology is and how much it has helped us today? Technology runs in the veins of society. 


When it comes to medicine, technology plays a big role. Technology in medicine has made operations easier and faster, it's helped in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Technology; in the form of instruments, devices, machines, drugs, and systems; has aided medical science, altered medical practice, and changed the illness experience of patients. There are many different types of medical machines today, with all kinds of functions. Examples are:
-The X-ray, discovered in 1895 by german scientist Wilhelm Rontgen. The X-ray is used to see your bones and primarily to check for bone fractures. 
-The electrocardiograph, invented in 1903 by Willem Einthoven. The electrocardiograph works mostly by detecting and amplifying the tiny electrical changes on the skin that are caused when the heart muscle "depolarizes" during each heart beat.
-The endoscope, invented by Basil Hirschowitz in 1956. An endoscope is a device with a light attached that is used to look inside a body cavity or organ.
-The ultrasound scan, invented by the English physician Ian Donald in 1958. Ultrasound scans are used to take images of the internal organs created from sound waves. Ultrasound scanning is used to help monitor and diagnose conditions in many parts of the body, including the kidneys, the liver and the heart. 
- The CT (CAT) scan, 1973 by Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack. The CT scan is great at providing detailed views of all types of tissues. Diagnoses many different types of cancer, being able to measure the size and location of tumors. The is a major breakthrough and is an abundant help.

- The artificial heart, used to bridge time in a heart transplant or in some cases, permanently replaces the heart. Invented by Robert Jarvik in 1982.

These examples are only few of many. Many lives today have been saved thanks to the help of these machines. Technology has helped us so much, it's helped things become clearer, when we need to understand things.  It's such an important aspect in today's society. Without technology things would be way different. We wouldn't be able to communicate as easily and things would be more complex. Also, medicine has evolved so much in the past years and we have incredible discoveries all the time.  A major medical discovery was in the 1800s when anesthetics were discovered, which make surgeries painless and two Canadian doctors made great contributions to the developments in anesthesiology. In 1923, W.E. Brown of the University of Toronto established the value of ethylene as an anesthetic, and in 1942 Dr Harold Griffith advanced the science of anesthesia by his use of curare, a plant extract used by South Americans as an arrow poison. Technology in terms of medicine has also increased the life span of an average person. 


I find that technology is one of the most important advancements for people. It's more than just aided, but it's changed lives, New things are discovered daily and I would hope and recommend the progression for the future. 

sources
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/ultrasound.htm
http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/about/tra16e.cfm
http://www.discoveriesinmedicine.com/To-Z/X-ray-Machine.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002360.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_heart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_equipment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrocardiography
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005203 



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