| Since the advent of computer technology, medical | | | | Microwaving Tumors |
| equipment technology has been making leaps every | | | | Liver cancer treatment involves either surgery or |
| day. Technology that we once thought would come | | | | transplant. But a third option is now available at the UC |
| many years into the future is being developed and | | | | San Diego Medical Center. It’s called microwave |
| implemented now. Here are 5 recent and important | | | | ablation and it involves inserting a thin needle into the |
| developments in medical technology. | | | | cancerous tumor and then emitting hot microwaves |
| Ultrasound Imaging on Your Phone | | | | into it, causing it to die after about 10 minutes. The |
| Ultrasound machines are still relatively clunky and | | | | potential to use microwave ablation to treat other |
| heavy. But with the help of a $100,000 grant from | | | | types of cancer is being studied. |
| Microsoft, researchers at Washington University have | | | | Gamma Cameras |
| created the first ever portable ultrasound machine that | | | | High-res gamma cameras have become one of the |
| fits in the palm of your hand by combining the | | | | most useful tools for the diagnosis of breast cancer. |
| Microsoft smartphone with USB-based ultrasound | | | | Other imaging techniques did not provide sufficient |
| probe technology. With the device patient data from | | | | detail to fully detect cancer in some instances. |
| remote locations can be sent to specialists via phone | | | | Brest-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) is helping doctors |
| instantly, and they can in turn study the data and send | | | | detect cancer cases that would have otherwise |
| back a diagnosis. | | | | remained overlooked. |
| New Prostate Treatment: Cavitation | | | | Doctor-free Surgeries |
| Treatment of prostate growths is traditionally invasive, | | | | Engineers at Duke University are working to bring |
| painful and not always effective. At the University of | | | | about the advent of robot surgeries, unassisted by |
| Michigan in Ann Arbor, however, urologists have | | | | human hands. By using a rudimentary tabletop robot |
| developed a new method of treating prostate growths | | | | and 3D ultrasound imaging along with an artificial |
| by using highly focused microwave pulses. When | | | | intelligence program, they built a robot that can perform |
| these pulses reach the growth, they create bubbles of | | | | basic surgical tasks on its own. Though far from |
| dissolved gas from prostate tissue. When these | | | | practical yet, their robot marks one of the first steps |
| microscopic bubbles explode, they create a | | | | towards this space age dream of someday having |
| shockwave, which dissolves the growth. This | | | | robots that perform all kinds of medical procedures, |
| shockwave effect is called cavitation, and not many | | | | especially in places not immediately accessible to |
| thought that it could ever be controlled with such | | | | humans. |
| precision. | | | | |