Technology and medicine have shared history for so long that they have practically become inseparable. It’s hard to imagine where modern medicine, and indeed humanity, would be today without photography, microscopes, pacemakers, prosthetics, and the like. Thinking about how far we’ve come, from being able to detect and diagnose disease to advancing treatment and rehabilitation, the way technology has improved human life is worth celebrating.
As we wrap up the year, we look back at some of the wondrous and often mind-boggling technological breakthroughs of 2022 that may soon change medicine.
Bionic eyes could restore blurred vision or blindness
Earlier this year, surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London successfully performed the first bionic eye transplant in the UK. The patient was an 88-year-old woman with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – a condition that affects the middle part of the visual field and can cause blurred vision or blindness in this area of the eye.
A two-millimeter microchip was implanted in the woman’s retina, after which she was fitted with glasses equipped with a camera connected to a small computer. The camera would scan its surroundings and transmit the information to the chip, which would then send it to its brain via electrical signals.
The bionic eye is still in the research stage, with more tests and treatments to come. However, the bionic transplant offers new hope to people with AMD.
A whole new way to study tumors
Tumors are three-dimensional in nature, but so far we have used 2D imaging to study them. Believing that 3D scanning can reveal more secrets about cancer, a team of researchers from Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute developed an innovative tumor map in virtual reality. Led by Professor Greg Hannon, the project was an international, interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and VR artists. To create the map, Hannon’s team at the IMAXT lab worked with Owen Harris and his company. Súil Interactive who developed the virtual reality software.
For a Mashable online exclusive, we traveled to Cambridge to speak with the duo and filmed a software demo led by IMAXT Lab Manager Dr. Dario Bressan. You can watch it above.
Bioprinting has a role to play in donor transplants
What if, instead of waiting for donors, we could just print human organs? In April, we explored the amazing development of bio-printing and its potential role in the future of donor transplantation.
Whether it’s a life-size hand printed in just 19 minutes, a model liver, or a coin-sized lung air sac, bioprinting is already doing a lot . Although the technology is still in its infancy, it is safe to say that we are witnessing history in the making.
Prostheses could become more intuitive thanks to AI
In 2022, tech startup Esper Bionics developed a self-learning bionic arm which promises to connect the human body to prosthetic limbs more seamlessly. Lighter than a human arm, the Esper Hand uses AI to gather information about the user’s individual behavior, to better detect muscle activity and respond to external stimuli. This means that the arm improves over time as it gathers more information about its user.
Since Mashable first reported on it in early February, the prosthetic arm has been spotlighted as one of TIMEit’s the best the inventions of 2022. In August, the startup began beta testing and began medical operations in the United States. Although the prosthesis is not yet widely available, members of the public can now sign up for a waiting list. As a company with Ukrainian rootsEsper Bionics also has a form for Ukrainians need for prosthetic arms and limb restoration in the future.
Bionic exoskeletons for children
In April, we reported on the very first bionic exoskeleton created specifically for children. Creation of the Spanish technology company Marsi Bionics ATLAS 2030 to help children with neuromuscular diseases, such as muscle wasting and cerebral palsy. The exoskeleton can support a child’s entire body, from the torso to the feet, although it is also possible to add a headrest.
The exoskeleton is equipped with joints that work with the system’s sensors to recognize the user’s movement intentions in order to transform them into actions. ATLAS 2030 offers total stability, allowing the user to move around independently. Currently there is a form available to those wishing to use the exoskeleton.
