Diagnostic technologies help medical professionals form a conclusion about an individual’s health condition. These are the medical equipment and supplies that assist specialists in observing the health of a patient. Based on this observation, the clinicians then conclude a diagnosis. After making a diagnosis, specialists prescribe a treatment plan for the patient according to the health needs.
Diagnostic technologies are a significant part of the process of healthcare. They ease analysis and ensure diagnosis based on thorough screening of a patient’s health. Technology has been evolving immensely over the years, and similarly, diagnostic technologies have also hugely progressed. It has further simplified the measuring of various aspects of health and simplified the job of medical professionals.
Talking about diagnostic technologies, let us look into some recent emerging medical equipment and tools relating to diseases analysis.
POINT-OF-CARE ZIKA TESTING DEVICES:
The Zika virus’s emergence also brought the need to create a testing system that could detect the virus as immediately as possible. Zika virus shows very mild symptoms or often no symptoms at all. These include fever and chills. However, the Zika virus poses significant risks for pregnant ladies. It presents risks of congenital disabilities and severe health issues for the newborn.
A point-of-care (POC) Zika testing system is the solution to curbing the virus. Zika virus turned into a pandemic, and tests became inevitable.
The testing kit is of paper, and patients can expect these kits to be readily available. This test will also allow mass screening of the population. Zika virus is transmittable through mosquitos. In a few cases, it has also transferred perinatally or sexually. Mass screenings will allow the diagnosis and management of this disease. Scientists are still working towards making a cheaper version of this Zika test with easy functioning understandable by non-specialists.
MICROFLUIDIC CHIP TO PREDICTS PRETERM BIRTH:
Detecting pregnancy from trusted clinical settings like Primex labs and monitoring the baby’s progress is essential to prevent complications. Preterm labor can pose severe risks to the health of the mother and the newborn. Early diagnosis and intervention are the best way to provide the necessary medical care to the baby. So, researchers have joined their heads to build something that aids in early preterm labor detection.
One such breakthrough was when researchers developed a system whereby the medical professionals could catch and recognize a blood peptide named P1. This peptide helps in the detection of risks of preterm labor. Detecting it before time can ensure that medical professionals provide the necessary interventions to delay the birth or provide needed care to save lives and reduce the chances of disabilities.
MASS SPEC PEN TO IDENTIFY CANCER:
Scientists at the University of Texas are working towards creating a pen that can detect cancer in mere ten seconds. According to the researchers, the handheld device may aid in surgeries to remove cancerous tissues in a body. It will make surgeries easier, safer, and more accurate. The trial tests conducted for the technology conclude that the Mass Spec pen is precise entirely 96% of the time.
One of the challenges in removing cancerous tissues is finding the border between healthy tissues and cancer. A minute error may mean leaving behind some cancerous tissues, which means the surgery is unsuccessful. This Mass Spec cancer detection pen helps in accurately identifying between cancerous and healthy cells.
SWEAT SENSORS:
Our sweat reveals a lot about our body health. It is packed with physiological data and gives us details about electrolytes and metabolites in a body. Sweat analysis is a non-invasive method to detect illnesses and genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
Correlating between glucose level of sweat and blood can help in the continuous monitoring of patients with diabetes. And this is why scientists have worked upon inventing a device that senses our perspiration and analyzes it for any underlying health problems. A wearable sweat sensor is like a watch, and one may wear it on the wrist. It takes up sweat released by your body and gives out a diagnosis based on tests performed on the collected sweat sample.
SMARTPHONE TRI ANALYZER:
Today, we have everything on our cellphones, from tracking our fitness to taking professional-level photographs. If our smartphones can do so much, why can they not also serve as medical diagnostic devices? Scientists from the University of Illinois have answered this question in affirmation.
The spectral transmission-reflectance-intensity or TRI-Analyzer is a little device that attaches to your smartphone. The device can perform lab-grade diagnostic tests that would otherwise cost you thousands. You can analyze urine, blood, or saliva samples as reliably as any other medical device. The TRI Analyzer kills the need for heavy-duty diagnostic tools and equipment.
CONCLUSION:
Diagnostic tests are imperative to form a conclusion over a patient’s health and well-being. These tests let medical professionals observe and gauge each aspect of a patient’s physical health. The result of such diagnostic tests allows clinicians to devise an effective treatment plan to cure the disease. Technology has paved the way towards a more advanced and modern way of doing procedures. Hence, all the healthcare departments are climbing the ladder of advancement and providing modified services to the people in need.
