1. Digital tattoos for a more invisible healthcare
With the development in 3D printing as well as circuit printing technologies, flexible electronics and materials, applying so-called digital tattoos or electronic tattoos on the skin for some days or even weeks became possible. Some researchers use gold nanorods, others graphine or various polymers with rubber backing to apply the tattoo on the skin without causing irritation. Certain experts believe that these skin patches or tattoos are only the beginning, and in the future, other skin techniques such as henna, tanning, and makeup will also be tested.
These flexible, waterproof materials impervious to stretching and twisting coupled with tiny electrodes are able to record and transmit information about the wearer to smartphones or other connected devices. They could allow healthcare experts to monitor and diagnose critical health conditions such as heart arrhythmia, heart activities of premature babies, sleep disorders and brain activities noninvasively. Moreover, by tracking vital signs 24 hours a day, without the need for a charger, it is especially suited for following patients with high risks of stroke, for example. Although we are not there yet, there are certain promising solutions on the market – for example MC10‘s BioStampRC Sensor – and we just cannot wait for the future to begin.
2.Telesurgeries via 5G networks
Why does it sound so science fiction to operate on someone’s brain remotely? Well, because we know how many things could go wrong even with a standard appendicitis removal. In the case of a brain surgery where the physician and the patient are miles away from each other, not only professional expertise or the given circumstances but also technical capabilities, such as the latency of the network or the resolution of the screen would matter.
That’s where 5G networks come into the picture. Experts say that 5G’s ability to penetrate farther than current wireless networks could finally enable telesurgery, bringing necessary operations to those who need it. In January, stories in the Chinese press indicated that a surgeon there had removed the liver of a lab animal 30 miles away using da Vinci surgical robots and wireless 5G internet. Then, in March, Dr. Ling Zhipei, of Beijing’s PLA General Hospital, reportedly performed brain surgery on a human patient more than 1,800 miles away – the first reported wireless human telesurgery. Although Chinese advancements always have to be read with some skepticism as they cannot be verified by independent sources, the examples show how the field aims for progress.
3.Robot assistants lift patients and support surgeries
Assisting surgeries, disinfecting rooms, dispensing medication, keeping company: believe it or not these are the tasks medical robots will soon undertake in hospitals, pharmacies, or your nearest doctor’s office. Robots are everywhere in healthcare – and their number will only be more populous in the future.
For example, surgical robots are the prodigies of surgery. According to market analysis, the industry is about to boom. By 2020, surgical robotics sales are expected to almost double to $6.4 billion. The flagship product on the market, the most commonly known surgical robot is the da Vinci Surgical System. It features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand.
Another example for diligent metallic creatures is the TUG robot, which is able to carry around a multitude of racks, carts or bins up to 453 kilograms that contain medications, laboratory specimens or other sensitive materials. Yet another great innovation is the Riba or Robot for Interactive Body Assistance, which is somewhat similar to the TUG, although it is rather used in care homes with patients who need assistance. Its Japanese version, the Robear is shaped like a giant, gentle bear with a cartoonish head. They both can lift and move patients in and out of bed, help patients stand and turn as many times as you want to prevent bedsores.
4. Synthetic tissues through 3D bioprinting
3D bioprinting might be the response for worldwide organ shortages, as well as to the increasing reluctance to test new cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical products on animals. Experiments for 3D bioprinting tissues are already underway, which might lead to a path where new medication or cosmetic products would be tested on synthetic materials and organs would grow in Petri dishes.
While the technology is still in its early stages, some companies are trying their wings on the market. US-based CELLINK develops both bioprinters and bioprinting materials for providing ready-to-print or use models for researchers and healthcare providers to enable 3D cell culture, personalized medicine, and enhanced therapeutics. The disruptive technology is used to print tissues such as liver, cartilage, skin, and even fully functional cancer tumors that can then be used to develop new cancer treatments. Another US-based company, drug manufacturer United Therapeutics, 3D bioprinted lung tissues, while in Europe, scientists at the Spanish Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in collaboration with the bioengineering firm BioDan Group have presented a prototype for a 3D bioprinter that can create entirely functional human skin.
