Over the centuries, medicine has evolved by leaps and bounds. In the 1600’s a cure for smallpox and measles was born. In the early 1900’s, penicillin was discovered. Now we are in a new era of evolving medical technology that aims not only to find cures for diseases, but find new, innovative ways to use technology to enhance and improve the way medical procedures are carried out. Advancements in this field of engineering and technology can help make more medical advancements that may prove to be beneficial and more precise than current or previous technology.
Two such advancements in technology have lead us to create machines or robots that are capable to performing surgical procedures, and administering the appropriate amount of anesthetic to patients. One of the most recent breakthroughs in surgical technology is a robot called the da Vinci. Manufactured by Intuitive Surgical Inc. to provide patients with what is known as a minimally invasive surgical experience, the da Vinci,” combines superior 3D visualization along with greatly enhanced dexterity, precision and control in an intuitive, ergonomic interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities.
”(www. intuitivesurgical. com) The machine itself has two components. One is the surgeon’s console where the doctor sits and controls the second component which is the patient side cart. The surgeon’s console has two master controls for the surgeon’s hands and a screen that lets them see a 3d image of the patient that they are performing surgery on. The controls react immediately to the movements of the surgeon’s hands and move the arms of the patient side cart exactly where the surgeon needs to be.
The second component of the da Vinci is the patient side cart. This is the machine that will actually be inside the patient performing the movements dictated by the doctor from the surgeon’s console. It is made up of three or four mechanical arms and each arm has a certain function. Two of the arms are usually designated as instrument arms. These instruments can clamp, suture, and move tissue to where it needs to be. The remaining arm is meant to act as an endoscope which is how the surgeon can see what is going on inside the incisions.
The arms themselves are equipped with what is called EndoWrist technology. The “wrists” of the machine were modeled after the human wrist and have a very wide range of movement, and in some cases even more of a range than a human wrist allows. The procedure of surgery is very simple and non-invasive. The patient is prepped for the procedure and put under anesthesia. Small incisions are made where the arms need to be inserted into the patient. The EndoWrists are inserted, and arms are very carefully attached to the wrists so as not to harm the patient.
For example, if a surgeon is performing a prostatectomy, once the prostate is rendered from the body, it is removed by being pulled out through one of the small incisions. All incisions inside the body are stitched up. The arms are removed from the patient and the small outer incisions are bandaged. What makes this surgery so unique is that it offers so many benefits to the patient. According to the website, “Benefits experienced by patients may include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, fewer transfusions, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal daily activities.
” (www. intuitivesurgical. com) The da Vinci is a wonderful advancement in biomedical engineering. In the future, it may mean that patients will not have to travel to facilities across the country or even the world in order to have procedures done by a specific doctor. They may be able to go to their local hospital and the surgeon can operate remotely. Another such edition to the biomedical engineering that is still being enhanced is the ability to administer anesthesia with the help of a computer.
Anyone who has undergone a surgical procedure knows that, one of the most important steps is making sure that the patient is given the proper amount of anesthetic. If a patient receives too much anesthetic, they could run the possibility of waking up during the surgery which can be very traumatic. If they are sedated too heavily, the patient could run the risk of not waking up at all. Since the chemistry of each individual is different, it can be hard for anesthesiologists to know how much sedative to give each person.
Tannith Cattermole writes, “Variable factors such as age, weight, physical health, and oddly enough, naturally red hair, introduce a large margin for error and when added to human error this can be potentially fatal. ” (www. gizmag. com) A team of scientists in the Canary Islands are working on a computer program which will help ensure that the patient is given the proper dosage of anesthesia every time. In an article by Eurekalert. org it explains that the system will work by detecting the, “hypnotic state of the patient at all times and supplies the most appropriate dose of anesthetic.
” (www. eurekalert. org) It produces readings of the encephalogram which measures the activity of the brain, and the bispectral index of a patient which lets doctors gauge the hypnotic state of the individual. Computer algorithms are used to calculate the appropriate dose of anesthetic based on the readings from the encephalogram and the bispectral index. Although this technology has great potential, it is not fully available on the market yet. Both the daVinci and computer assisted anesthesia program are wonderful advancements in the field of biomedical engineering.
There are many possibilities and opportunities for growth in both fields to enhance the future of medical technology. References Cattermole, T. (n. d. ). Computer takes guesswork out of anesthetizing. Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www. gizmag. com/automatic-computer-anesthesia/14265/ Frequently Asked Questions. (n. d. ). Intuitive Surgical . Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www. intuitivesurgical. com System unveiled for regulating anesthesia via computer. (n. d. ). EurekAlert! – Science News. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from http://www. eurekalert. org/pub_releases/2010-02/f-sf-suf021810. php.