5 Great Medical Innovations Of The Past Few Years

When we look back on history, we often judge how far we have come by looking at the advancements we have made in medicine. Things like the polio vaccine, the discovery of penicillin and open heart transplants show us how far we have progressed. And while it may seem like these major innovations are few and far between, there are actually some major medical innovations happening all of the time. Below are just 5 of some of the best medical innovations of the past few years.

3D Printed Body Parts

Gone are the days where we could only print things in two dimensions on a piece of paper. Now, with the invention of the 3D printer, we can make complete objects that no longer have to lie flat. What started out as printing simply toys and gadgets has now blossomed into printing body parts. With a 3D printer able to print body parts, donors are no longer needed to help people out who are in need. Some examples of parts that can be printed with a 3D printer are heart valves, bionic ears, blood vessels and more.

The Bionic Eye

One of the best innovations to appear recently is aimed at helping people to see. The Bionic Eye uses a camera installed in a person’s glasses that feeds messages to an implant installed in the back of a person’s eye. While this device does not restore full sight to those who have lost it, it has been reported to help people see again whose vision had previously deteriorated, and in some cases they are even able to see colors again. You can click here to learn more about the Bionic Eye.

Chronic and Acute Pain Management

While some medical innovations are aimed at saving lives, others are about improving the quality of life. People living with chronic or acute pain may not be in danger of losing their lives, but it can be something that severely lowers their quality of life. One invention that is looking to fix this is the ODIN 1. Developed by Device Lab – a medical device development company – for Bioelectric Research, this device uses electric waveforms to reduce pain. This device allows people to reduce pain, without taking any habit-forming or addictive drugs.

Sports Equipment

Sports are undeniably a large part of the American culture, football in particular. As is the case with any contact sport, there is always the risk of injury. Great strides have been made over the years to try and protect players from getting injured – especially those types of injuries that will last beyond their playing days. One recent advancement is the Zero1 Local Deformation Helmet. This football helmet was specifically designed to help prevent players from getting a concussion when their head is contacted with force. The helmet absorbs the collision, and keeps the precious cargo inside it safe.

Cure For Hepatitis C

Any time we can find a cure for a disease, that is cause for celebration. A new drug called Sofosbuvir has recently shown promise at curing Hepatitis C, a disease that kills roughly 12,000 people each year. Current treatment for the disease is very long, and often leaves the patient with many side effects. With this new drug, there is a 95 percent cure rate, and it only lasts for 12 weeks.

The Future

So what does the future hold? It is hard to say. What we can be sure of is that when we look back on this time, we will marvel at all of the amazing medical advancements that we made, and future generations will wonder how we ever lived without them. And while these advancements may not get the fanfare that some of the others in the past have received, they are no less remarkable.