| Doctors are only as good as their equipment allows. | | | | Liver cancer is becoming more common in the U.S. |
| Today, new research into medical equipment is not | | | | Traditional treatment involves either transplant or open |
| only improving the effectiveness of medical | | | | surgery. But at UC San Diego's Medical Center, a new |
| procedures every day, but also changing the way we | | | | tool is being used to remove liver tumors: microwave |
| think about health and medicine. Here are 5 of the | | | | ablation. The procedure involves accessing the liver via |
| most important and promising advancements in | | | | a small skin incision and piercing the cancerous tumor |
| medical equipment today. | | | | with a thin antenna that emits microwaves at |
| 1. Smartphone Ultrasound Imaging | | | | temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, causing |
| With the help of a $100,000 grant from Microsoft, | | | | cellular death in the tumor usually after 10 minutes. |
| computer scientists at Washington University have | | | | 4. Gamma Camera |
| combined USB-based ultrasound probe technology | | | | New high-resolution gamma cameras are allowing |
| with smart phone technology. The result is a portable | | | | doctors to detect breast cancer more effectively than |
| medical imaging device small enough to fit in your palm. | | | | with traditional mammograms or clinical exams. This |
| One of the goals of the research team is to train | | | | new method is called breast-specific gamma imaging |
| people in developing countries to use the portable | | | | (BSGI). But the possible uses of gamma imaging are |
| probe to gather patient data, which can then be sent | | | | not limited to breast cancer only. High-resolution |
| to specialists' half-way around the world for study and | | | | gamma cameras are becoming one of the most |
| quick diagnosis. | | | | important tools for early detection of many different |
| 2. New Prostate Treatment Method: Bubbles | | | | types of cancers. |
| Traditional treatment of prostate growths involves | | | | 5. First Steps toward Robotic Surgeries |
| inserting a metal tool into the prostate and scraping | | | | Medical equipment is supposed to help human beings |
| away malignant cells lining the walls. At the University | | | | perform medical procedures. But the day may not be |
| of Michigan in Ann Arbor, a team of urologists have | | | | far when human hands are not needed at all during |
| developed a more effective and less invasive method, | | | | surgeries. Unassisted, robot-performed surgeries are a |
| using incredibly focused ultrasound pulses. The pulses | | | | possibility that engineers at Duke University are |
| create microscopic bubbles out of dissolved gas in | | | | working to make reality. Using a basic, tabletop robot, |
| prostate tissue. When these bubbles collapse, they | | | | 3-D ultrasound technology and an artificial intelligence |
| release acoustic shock waves that, over thousands of | | | | program, researchers were able to create a robot that |
| repetitions, liquefy prostate growths. This is the first | | | | could perform many basic tasks required during |
| time that cavitation has been controlled well enough to | | | | surgeries on its own. More research and development |
| be used as a tool at such microscopic level. | | | | is needed before surgery robots become viably |
| 3. Treating Tumors with Microwaves | | | | usable, but the first steps have been taken. |