The Development of Medical Technology

Progress in medical technological is not only applied to daily life and electronic products, but medical technology also provides new ways to fight disease and keep us healthy.

1. Pain replacement therapy:

   Today, the opioid crisis has become a public health crisis. Chronic pain often necessitates the need for an opioid prescription, and although there are some clinically approved alternative treatments for chronic pain, none of these substitutions can fully achieve the benefits of opioids.
   Medical organizations are doing active research in the field of pharmacogenomics, and there is hope that by analyzing the genetic makeup of patients, doctors can predict the patient’s metabolism of individual drugs, including opioids. Pharmacogenomic testing can be used to avoid side effects, and help determine where unnecessary and ineffective prescription drugs can be eliminated and replaced with more effective drugs.

   Pharmacogenomics can also be used to predict the effects of opioid analgesics. If the patient's pain is not relieved, pharmacogenomics can give a timely update to the prescription of such patients, and provide a plan for customized drug therapy. With the proliferation of genetic trials, pharmacogenomics has the potential to bring about major advances in precision therapy and eradicate the opioid crisis.
   

2. The development of medical artificial intelligence:

   The application of artificial intelligence in the medical field has moved from theory to practice. In the medical industry, the application of AI in decision support, image analysis, and patient triage is changing the development of the medical industry. Now, with the assistance of AI technology, doctors can make more accurate decisions in diagnosis and treatment, and can analyze patient scan results more conveniently and accurately.
   With the development of artificial intelligence technology, machine learning algorithms can be used in the medical field to point out the problematic parts of patient images, and quickly find out the reasons, or reference data from other past cases in the electronic medical record system. As AI is integrated into healthcare, healthcare services will be transformed and become smarter. Thanks to massive clinical data in the medical field and the support of artificial intelligence technology, medical artificial intelligence has developed rapidly. Progress has been made with many applications such as smart health management platforms, artificial intelligence, virtual assistants, medical image-assisted diagnosis, and drug research development. The development of medical artificial intelligence will greatly ease the shortage of medical resources, adjust the medical service model, reduce the burden on doctors, and improve service efficiency.
   The purpose of AI is not to replace doctors or make clinical decisions, but to enhance and improve the humanization of machines to better communicate with people. As AI combines with healthcare, healthcare services will transform to use a smarter approach.

3. Extend the time window of acute stroke intervention:

   The timing of intervention in acute cerebral stroke is particularly important, as the rescue time is key to the survival of the patient. Ischemia following a stroke can cause irreversible damage to the patient, often resulting in disability. Extending the time window of stroke treatment can reduce the risk of disability for more stroke patients and provide opportunities for patients to recover.

4. Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy:

   Cancer immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a technique that uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. While immunotherapy for cancer has been around for some time, new immunotherapy targets continue to emerge due to the world's ongoing research dedicated to curing cancer.
   Tumor immunotherapy refers to the application of immunological principles and methods to specifically remove tumor residual lesions, inhibit tumor growth, and break immune tolerance by activating immune cells in the body and enhancing the body's anti-tumor immune response. Tumor immunotherapy is to overcome the mechanism of tumor immune escape, thereby reawakening immune cells to eliminate cancer cells. Due to its small side effects and obvious therapeutic effects, it is gradually becoming the development direction of future tumor treatment and is known as the fourth largest tumor treatment technology after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

5. 3D technology - printing for the production of products for the special needs of patients:

   Today, 3D technology is also used in the medical field. Through 3D printing technology, joints can be used to create implants and can be printed even during surgery. 3D printed prosthetics are gaining popularity as digital printing capabilities allow the printing of fully customized prosthetic that match individual measurements down to the millimeter, providing unprecedented implant comfort and ease of movement. Using 3D printing technology, special materials are used to tailor the required prostheses, skulls, and orthopedic implants for patients. The medical aids produced in this way can be better accepted by the human body, reduce the occurrence of rejection reactions, and improve patient outcomes. It also reduces unnecessary waste. 
   Long-lasting and soluble items can be produced using a printer. For example, 3D printing can be used to print pills containing multiple drugs, which will help patients organize the timing and monitoring of multiple drugs.

6. Virtual reality

   VR (Virtual Reality Technology) is a computer simulation system that can create, and give the experience of virtual worlds. It uses computers to generate an analog environment, allowing the experiencer to see dynamic three-dimensional stereoscopic images.
   

   Virtual reality has been around for a while. More recently, with advances in medicine and technology, medical students have been able to use the technology to attain a realistic medical experience. State-of-the-art VR equipment provides an intuitive understanding of how human anatomy is connected through rehearsal routines to help achieve the desired experience. VR equipment will also provide greater help to patients and has a very good application in inpatient rehabilitation.

7. High-tech helmet - for out-of-hospital stroke patient diagnosis:

   A device called the Cerebrates Visor, a high-tech helmet developed by Medical Systems in the United States, detects strokes using a process called Volume Impedance Phase Shift Spectroscopy (VIPS). The device is placed on the patient's head and works by emitting low-energy radio waves that travel through the left and right hemispheres of the brain. As these radio waves pass through the fluid in the brain, their frequency changes. By assessing changes in these frequencies and comparing data from the left and right hemispheres of the brain, a significant difference indicates a stroke, and the greater the difference, the more severe the stroke.

8. Robotic surgery innovation:

   In the United States, surgical robots have been used clinically for more than ten years, and they are still developing. Using robotic surgery can improve accuracy, reduce the incidence of infection, shorten hospital stays, and reduce surgical trauma.
   Robotic surgery is used in minimally invasive procedures to help improve precision, control, and flexibility. With the help of surgical robots, surgeons can perform very complex surgeries that would otherwise be very difficult or impossible to perform. As technology improves, it can be combined with augmented reality to allow surgeons to instantly view other vital patient information while operating. Robotic surgery helps to assist and enhance the work of the surgeon and the performance of the surgery.

9. Percutaneous Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Replacement:

   The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body and cannot stop functioning. The heart must continue to maintain its heartbeat after a valve problem occurs, but the problems arising from the heart often become more and more serious. When it develops to an advanced stage, heart valve replacement surgery is required. However, at this time, the cardiopulmonary function of patients is often unable to tolerate cardiac surgery, and many patients have to work hard to maintain signs of life under the maintenance of drugs.
   It is generally believed that there are many causes of organic tricuspid regurgitation, such as rheumatic heart disease, congenital Ebstein malformation, valve damage caused by infective endocarditis, tricuspid valve prolapses, right ventricular myocardial infarction, chest trauma, etc.
   While cardiac surgery is now well established, cardiac specialists continue to research techniques to reduce trauma, such as placing stents in the heart through arteries. Recently, medical scientists have been also looking for better heart valve replacement technology. In 2016, percutaneous cardiac mitral and tricuspid valve replacements were successfully performed. This technique involves subcutaneously puncturing the blood vessel and delivering a catheter to the valve to surgically replace the lesion.

10. Gene therapy:

    In recent years, more and more industries have invested in gene therapy research, and more and more gene therapy products have been launched and tried out. The academic side has also received more and more industry funding, further expanding the research and development of gene therapy drugs.

Taiwan's medical care has always been valued internationally. Before the epidemic, Taiwan had made breakthroughs in 5G technology, but after this epidemic, more and more people have paid attention to the development of the combination of medical care and technology. Committed to integrating the upstream and downstream of medical care, it combines the complete industrial chain of smart medical care, IT electronics, information, and communication industry, precision machinery, biotechnology pharmaceuticals, and innovative medical materials to promote innovation and development of Taiwan's medical technology.