OPTIMIZED SYSTEMS

Five Hot Topics in Medical Technology

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 06-01-11 | Comments

Improvements in optical imaging, e-health and cloud computing are just some ways in which the health care industry relies on advancing technologies. Here are five medical technologies experts predict to be hot topics in the coming years.

From health analytics to telehealth solutions, health care is one of the industries benefitting from new technologies the most. Now, industry specialists have some predictions as to what might come next.

Later this summer, the 33rd IEEE EMBS (Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society) Annual International Conference will be held in Boston to showcase, among other topics, the future of medicine. NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Distinguished Professor Atam Dhawan is chair of the Emerging Technology Committee.

NJIT Professor Atam Dhawan predicts that point-of-health solutions, optical imaging, and other technologies will drive medical advances over the next few years. (Source: NJIT)

"Our goal is to investigate which biological and biomedical engineering technologies are likely to become important within the next decade," Dhawan said in a statement. "For many people, a healthier tomorrow lies in advancements ranging from biomarkers for early diagnosis and monitoring to neural system engineering."

Here are the top five medical technologies that Dhawan thinks will make the biggest leaps in the coming years.

Point-of-care Technologies

Point-of-care solutions streamline the healthcare process by bringing various steps�from admittance to testing and diagnosis�together to the same location, thereby reducing costs and improving quality. According to Dhawan, all point-of-care solutions rely on technology, especially computer hardware and software improvements.

He hopes that technologies such as remote health monitoring, cloud computing and e-health, in addition to advancing day-to-day health care processes, will better the management of health care during disaster situations.

Optical Imaging Technologies

Recent breakthroughs in imaging have lead to non-invasive and real-time diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. Dhawan believes that advances in imaging technology will be a major focus of the next few years. Molecular imaging research to distinguish between normal and diseased agents will not only aid in diagnosis but also in treatment and staging of diseases.

Neuro-Tech

Technological advancements are already aiding research in neuroscience, according to Dhawan, who pinpoints bioelectronics, bio-nano-sensor technology and neural engineering as key areas. Neurological technologies can help researchers understand basic anatomy and functions of the nervous system, as well as diagnose and treat neurological disorders. Research in these areas could also lead to the development of devices that manipulate neural tissues.

Regenerative Medicine

Tissue engineering and regenerative technologies have made advancements in the last few years, and Dhawan expects them to continue. �The advent of stem cell-based therapies has brought regenerative medicine into an increased focus as part of the modern medicine practice,� he said. �Gene therapy will also play a greater role in this new world.�

Medical Robots

Robots are already performing autonomous surgeries and aiding doctors in patient care. Dhawan predicts that robots will become even more integrated in day-to-day health processes.

"These robots will develop novel nano, micro, and macro devices to assist in diagnosis, surgery, prosthetics, rehabilitation and personal assistance," he said in a statement. "Clinical, therapeutic and surgical applications of medical robots with advanced instrumentation, sensors, actuators, and real-time systems could make a revolutionary impact in medicine and health care."

More information about the conference can be found here. Do you agree with Dhawan�s predictions? Sound off in the comments section below!