While the development of medical of technology and tools and equipment has grown by leaps and bounds, so have the materials utilized by physicians and surgeons throughout the world.  Computerized technology has enabled doctors to study the insides of your body at greater depth and detail than ever before. Because of these technologies, a diagnosis that was often missed in the past is not only detected, but also treated earlier.

Intelligent materials are the name given to some of these sensors, controls and lasers as well as computerized technology that identify dysfunction in multiple biological systems. For example, sensors can pick up and absorb vibrations in ceramic fibers can convert mechanical or thermal function or tension into an electrical signal that can be seen on a readout strip.

Stents, or thin, flexible tubes fitted with wire mesh inside are commonly used in cardiac procedures such as coronary artery bypass and conditions such as coronary artery disease, thrombosis or atherosclerosis to widen blood vessels, but the future of stents is even more technologically advanced. Developmental studies are underway that enable surgeons to inject a stent directly into a vein, which is already done, but these stents will sense the form of the artery they are designed to affect, regardless of where it’s located.

Synthetic materials that carry “memory” are being designed, such as threads that knot themselves, and spirals that return to and retain their original form after stretching. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging equipment and technologies continue to advance, helping doctors make early and accurate diagnosis that eliminate the need for patients to undergo multiple, and expensive, tests to determine a diagnosis.

Multiple locations around the world already use “smart” medical technology. Access PlacidWay.com for information regarding state-of-the-art hospitals and facilities around the globe using, or developing, smarter medical technological services and tools.