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Medical technology

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leah_holmes

This document discusses several emerging medical technologies: growing organs from a patient's own cells to address organ transplant shortages and rejection issues; implanting memory chips to help with memory loss from conditions like Alzheimer's; and retinal implants to restore sight. While these technologies could help many people by prolonging lives and improving quality of life, there are also considerations around costs, impacts on population growth, and ethical issues of enhancing human abilities. Overall, medical advances hold promise but must be guided by concern for society and ensuring technologies benefit the greater good.

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Will It Save Us?
Medical technology
Medical technology
Pros Cons We will look at both the positive and negative aspects of the technology, as well as the social impact it may have. We will look at inventions that will help to prolong our lives and ones that will improve our quality of living.
1. Growing Body parts 2. Memory Implants 3. Artificial Retinas
Organ transplants have saved numerous lives but there are problems with the current donor system. ? Lack of organs ¨C over 95,000 people on the waiting list in 2006 ? Recipient rejection - About 25 percent of kidney recipients and 40 percent of heart recipients experience an episode of acute rejection in the first year after transplant.
? We are now close to being able to grow vital organs in a lab using the recipients own tissue. A windpipe transplant using a windpipe grown from the recipients own stem cells has already taken place. There have also been advancements in the way of using 3D printing for organ growth as well. http://www.euronews.com/2013/06/26/lab-grown-human-organs/
A scientist is working on being able to implant an electronic chip to help with memory loss. This chip will recreate the signals in the brain that communicate with the hippocampus and create memory. It will not retrieve lost memories but will allow patients to create new ones. This technology would be extremely important to patients suffering from Alzheimer's or brain trauma effecting memory. It would allow patients to function in society where they previously would not have been able to.
Currently, the system of retina implants is only approved for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that strikes around 1 in 5000 worldwide, but it¡¯s possible the Argus II and other artificial retinas in development could work for those with age-related macular degeneration, which affects 1 in 2000 people in developed countries This technology may one day be able to restore the sight of those who have lost their vision entirely. The blind man may finally see.
? The technology mentioned in this presentation will definitely change the way we live out our lives. We can cure ailments that we previously could not. A few things to consider however would be: ? Cost to patient ? Repercussions of having a larger population ? The moral aspect of ¡°playing God¡±
? Not so many years ago the thought of implanting memories, or growing your own heart was unthinkable. In the last few years however it is becoming evident that this is possible. And we can only evolve more in this sense. In a few more years we may be able to fix all human ailments and disease leaving the world free from early death due to cancer or AIDS. Leaving people without the loss of vision or hearing. Maybe even curing the world of aging.
? The possibilities seem to be limited only by our lack of imagination and initiative. I believe that the advancement in technology will allow us to save our bodies and our minds, but we need to mindful of the cost to society. The game begins of who should live ,and live well vs. who should be left to suffer. There is also the aspect of what our planet will do with such long human life to sustain.
?In the end, medical technology is the same as any other, if used properly it could be a great tool for society, but if used without the greater good in mind, it could lead to more harm than help. I like to believe in the former. In a world where illness and impairments are a thing of the past.
? Bhimji, S. ((2011, June 14)2011, June 14). Transplant rejection. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/ 000815.htm ? Cohen, J. (2013, April 23). Memory implants. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/5 13681/memory-implants/ ? Sample, I. (2013, February 13). Retinal implant restores partial sight to the blind. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/feb/20 /retinal-implant-sight-blind-people

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Medical technology

  • 4. Pros Cons We will look at both the positive and negative aspects of the technology, as well as the social impact it may have. We will look at inventions that will help to prolong our lives and ones that will improve our quality of living.
  • 5. 1. Growing Body parts 2. Memory Implants 3. Artificial Retinas
  • 6. Organ transplants have saved numerous lives but there are problems with the current donor system. ? Lack of organs ¨C over 95,000 people on the waiting list in 2006 ? Recipient rejection - About 25 percent of kidney recipients and 40 percent of heart recipients experience an episode of acute rejection in the first year after transplant.
  • 7. ? We are now close to being able to grow vital organs in a lab using the recipients own tissue. A windpipe transplant using a windpipe grown from the recipients own stem cells has already taken place. There have also been advancements in the way of using 3D printing for organ growth as well. http://www.euronews.com/2013/06/26/lab-grown-human-organs/
  • 8. A scientist is working on being able to implant an electronic chip to help with memory loss. This chip will recreate the signals in the brain that communicate with the hippocampus and create memory. It will not retrieve lost memories but will allow patients to create new ones. This technology would be extremely important to patients suffering from Alzheimer's or brain trauma effecting memory. It would allow patients to function in society where they previously would not have been able to.
  • 9. Currently, the system of retina implants is only approved for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that strikes around 1 in 5000 worldwide, but it¡¯s possible the Argus II and other artificial retinas in development could work for those with age-related macular degeneration, which affects 1 in 2000 people in developed countries This technology may one day be able to restore the sight of those who have lost their vision entirely. The blind man may finally see.
  • 10. ? The technology mentioned in this presentation will definitely change the way we live out our lives. We can cure ailments that we previously could not. A few things to consider however would be: ? Cost to patient ? Repercussions of having a larger population ? The moral aspect of ¡°playing God¡±
  • 11. ? Not so many years ago the thought of implanting memories, or growing your own heart was unthinkable. In the last few years however it is becoming evident that this is possible. And we can only evolve more in this sense. In a few more years we may be able to fix all human ailments and disease leaving the world free from early death due to cancer or AIDS. Leaving people without the loss of vision or hearing. Maybe even curing the world of aging.
  • 12. ? The possibilities seem to be limited only by our lack of imagination and initiative. I believe that the advancement in technology will allow us to save our bodies and our minds, but we need to mindful of the cost to society. The game begins of who should live ,and live well vs. who should be left to suffer. There is also the aspect of what our planet will do with such long human life to sustain.
  • 13. ?In the end, medical technology is the same as any other, if used properly it could be a great tool for society, but if used without the greater good in mind, it could lead to more harm than help. I like to believe in the former. In a world where illness and impairments are a thing of the past.
  • 14. ? Bhimji, S. ((2011, June 14)2011, June 14). Transplant rejection. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/ 000815.htm ? Cohen, J. (2013, April 23). Memory implants. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/5 13681/memory-implants/ ? Sample, I. (2013, February 13). Retinal implant restores partial sight to the blind. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/feb/20 /retinal-implant-sight-blind-people