The medical industry made good use of technology, called medical technology. It plays a crucial part in the field of medicine and healthcare. It may include devices that can be used to simplify prevention, diagnosis, and disease treatment.
The most known products to many people are dialysis machines and implants, imaging instruments, and pacemakers, as these are technologies commonly used. Countries with the most important role in Medical technology are Western Europe and the United States, but many countries have medical centers that use technology too.
According to the industry trends, the Asian continent and China will have a more critical impact on medical technology in the following years. But these days, most of the top and best medical technology companies are from the United States. Experts say that the demand for medical devices will significantly increase in the major regions for the next five years.
What is Medical Technology?
Medical technology is referred to as the technology that is used to save the lives of people suffering from different health diseases or conditions. Medical technology has a lot of forms. It can be used to diagnose, monitor, and virtually treat each disease or condition that people may acquire.
Medical technology can be an everyday object that we are familiar with, such as sticking plasters, latex gloves, and syringes. Or it could also be hearing aids, wheelchairs, and spectacles. And in the high technology sector, medical technology has implantable devices like pacemakers and heart valves, replacement joints for hips and knees, and total body scanners.
The truth is, there are about 500,000 medical technologies around the world. They may have different purposes, but they have a common objective: to improve and extend people’s lives.
Breakthroughs in the Industry of Medical Technology
Flexible Microelectronics
Flexible Microelectronics is used to wrap irregular tissue shapes around and follow their sense of motion in order. And they can even respond to the different parameters physiologically. A lot of teams around the world are working together on this technology. And soon, it will find its way into us. Do not be afraid. The process of becoming a cyborg is a painless but healthy experience.
Google also announced that they are working on glucose-sensing contact lenses for patients with diabetes. This will allow them to get reading results without getting the patient’s blood from their fingers. How does it work? The contact lens will transmit glucose level readings based on the tear liquid. And the result can be viewed any time and anywhere from a smartphone.
The common purpose and application of all medical technology are beneficial and have a good impact on people’s health and quality of life. They all help people live better and longer and empower them to contribute and help society. By doing that, they can contribute to the improving quality of care and sustainability and efficacy of healthcare systems.
How Important are these Innovations to Medical Technology?
Innovations are critical to the advancement of medical technology. It is what drives the industry to do its job, and that is to benefit the people. And with these innovations, they can create something beneficial to everyone.
For instance, the dental industry has embraced different technological tools to help their patients have a more pleasant experience in dental offices. Dental patients are also more open to new restorative procedures because of the various options nowadays. One good example here is the rise of Invisalign braces. They are clear and almost invisible, correcting teeth imperfections without affecting the appearance of the patient.
According to research studies, in 2013, 10,000 and more were filed as patent applications. They are filed to the European Patent Office (EPO) in the medical technology field. This equals to 7% of the total number of patent applications. And the truth is since 2001, the amount of patent applications filed with EPO has doubled.
Medical technology innovations improve the lives of people. People who have health conditions that are impossible or difficult to treat are allowed to be treated. They enjoy the same benefits as other people. It is safe to say that innovations in this field are do not just improve products but also improve the way healthcare is being delivered. This makes healthcare systems more sustainable and more efficient.
The continuous innovation in the sector of medical technology helps Europe drive its competitiveness as a research-based economy. This brings a high amount of prosperity to the region, thanks to the continuous research by physicians and medical scientists. And by testing different procedures, they can help diagnose, cure, and prevent diseases. They are also able to develop new medicines and drugs.
Technology can prevent diseases, help in surgical procedures, access information better, and communicate better. All these help the medical industry save a lot of patients around the world. That said, expect more new developments for the following years, we might be able to fight every disease that may arise.