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Medical Technology and Treatments to Look for in 2021

20. Wearing medical devices in a purpose-like fashion. When we think about having to walk around with a medical device attached to us, it may not… Trista - April 24, 2021

Over the years, technology has grown. Engineers have created some marvelous things to help us out with everyday things. Whether it’s something in the home, car, or hospital, these futuristic medical treatments and technology will amaze you. We must admit, even in just the past ten years, the world has come a long way in terms of medical technology. Why wouldn’t we want to try and create something even better than what is already out there? Machines — and robots — are just the tip of the iceberg. Science is wondrous. When you put science and technology together, you get something even greater.

We may not have things to offer that you may see in Star Trek. However, what we have now is way better than what we had even 15 years ago. We are in the 21st century, after all. So scientists and inventors with some great ideas have put their minds together and have started to create some new medical technologies that you have to look forward to in the next year. So keep your eyes and ears out for the things listed in this article. Besides, they are some pretty neat things, and you may find them helpful, too. Check out these medical treatments and technology for the upcoming future.

30. Virtual appointments and advanced telemedicine are in the now.

During the Covid 19 pandemic, telemedicine took a great leap forward. An estimated 24 percent of healthcare organizations already had existing telehealth programs by January 2020. According to an analytics firm called Forrester, the country was set to complete over a billion virtual care visits by the end of the year. Many of telehealth’s regulatory barriers have been removed after being forced into functionality. Healthcare organizations now have nearly a year’s worth of data on improving and evaluating telehealth services.

In 2021, many healthcare organizations will be focusing on how they can best integrate telehealth services with their existing physical ones. Virtual visits will continue to be used to increase access to primary and urgent care. They can help improve collaboration with long-term care facilities, clinics, dialysis centers, and mental health services. Virtual visits help anyone unable to make it to any appointment. That goes for health reasons, transportation, weather, or anything else. Moreover, since we are still in a pandemic, it does help those who want to avoid exposure as much as possible but still get the help they need.

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29. A novel drug to help treat Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

When someone has multiple sclerosis or MS, their immune system attacks the fatty protective myelin sheath that covers the nerve fibers. That causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. Because of this, it can result in permanent damage or deterioration and eventual death. People with MS usually take some sort of medication to help with symptoms they may have. Approximately 15 percent of people with multiple sclerosis experience a disease subset known as a primary progressive. Doctors characterize it by gradual onset and steady progression of signs and symptoms of the disease.

Recently, however, scientists have discovered a new treatment that the FDA just approved to help treat multiple sclerosis. It is a therapeutic monoclonal antibody with a novel target that is the first and only MS treatment for people dealing with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Not many people know about this yet. However, soon enough, many more will; hopefully, everyone will quickly get a chance to get their hands on those who need this treatment.

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28. Tricorders and how it sounds like the future is here.

For decades, tricorders have been medical technology’s closest version of the flying car. That’s because its origins are in science fiction, and the concept is both elegant and eminently used and may even sound like something the doctor would use in Star Trek. As far back as the 1960s, tricorders were imagined to be palm-sized devices that could quickly and accurately monitor a wide array of vital signs and perform simple diagnostics. Furthermore, unlike flying cars, tricorders have finally made the leap from the big screen and into the hands of real people.

Basil Lead Technologies has rolled out a very real tricorder, known as DxtER. Anyone in their own home can use it, and no medical training is even needed. DxtER works because of its sophisticated diagnostics engine; it pulls the patient’s data from multiple sources and runs them through algorithms that recognize 34 different health conditions. Some of these include tuberculosis, pneumonia, stroke, and diabetes. That sounds like something that came from the future, and we are here for it. Live long and prosper.

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27. Making pacemakers even smarter.

A critical piece of medical technology, which dates back over 100 years, is the artificial pacemaker, and over a million patients use them. A pacemaker works by delivering electrical impulses to the heart’s muscle chambers, and they can prevent or even correct life-threatening heart arrhythmias. An essential part of this device’s functionality is to monitor it remotely. Traditionally, monitoring has been far from optimal for most patients, relying on complex interfaces that many may not fully understand what they are looking at and reading.

However, in 2021, pacemakers will get a little bit smarter for those who have them. Scientists have been able to enable them with Bluetooth technology to be linked with a smartphone-based mobile app that patients can better understand and utilize. In turn, that should help improve remote monitoring, and as a result, patient outcomes and help put them more at ease. Medtronic is one of the largest medical technology companies in the world. It has already rolled out its next-gen patient monitoring system for pacemakers. More will soon follow.

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26. 5G enabled medical devices for all.

Suppose the biggest drivers of cutting-edge technology, AI, Big Data, and IoT are to reach their full potential in healthcare. In that case, they will need a reliable and lightning-fast internet connection. They are introducing 5G. With a reliable real-time connection, the most immediate benefits will be seen in telemedicine, which would expand access to care for millions of people, but that’s just the beginning. Once more devices are connected with more authentic data streams, that will open up the possibility of a revolutionized healthcare system.

With next to zero latency or no lag, 5G connected sensors and medical devices can capture and transmit data nearly instantaneously, almost as if you are right there. That will further improve patient monitoring. In turn, it will directly enhance patient outcomes tremendously. Futurists are already considering the benefits of a connection between 5G, healthcare, and robotics. Patients won’t have to wait long to see a change, though. Why? Because experts say, 5G enabled devices will rapidly bring on a new healthcare paradigm, nicknamed 4P, which is predictive, preventative, personalized, and participatory.

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25. Nanomedicine sure sounds futuristic.

Although it may sound like a made-up word from a Sci-Fi movie, nanomedicine is a real thing in 2021. To explain what it is, it’s the medical application of nanotechnology, which is the technology that operates on the atomic, molecular, or supramolecular scale. Moreover, for something of such a small size, the potential of nanomedicine is vast. It has applications in sensing, imaging, diagnosis, and delivery through medical devices. That is super helpful for doctors when giving a diagnosis quicker instead of having to wait.

Researchers are finding new ways to use nanomedicine to target individual cells, and in 2021 they will be putting that research into action. A cancer nanomedicine leader, called CytImmune Sciences, has recently completed a phase 1 trial of using gold nanoparticles to target drug delivery to tumors. Who knew that gold could be used for more than just jewelry making? A biopharmaceutical company known as BlueWillow Biologics has developed nanotech that fights bacteria and viruses. With everything that’s been going on around the world lately, that sounds amazing and very helpful for everyone everywhere, honestly.

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24. Gene therapy has come a long way.

Hemoglobinopathies are genetic disorders that affect the structure or production of the hemoglobin molecule, which is the red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. Sickle cell disease and thalassemia are the most common hemoglobinopathies. They affect more than 330,000 children born worldwide every year combined. More than 100,000 patients with sickle cell disease in the United States alone. That is quite a lot of people when you think about it, and you wouldn’t be able to guess just by looking at someone that they have this genetic disorder, either.

Scientists are conducting the research; they are trying to find treatments that treat those who have hemoglobinopathies. The latest research in hemoglobinopathies has brought on experimental gene therapy, giving those who have the condition the potential ability to make functional hemoglobin molecules. In contrast, they couldn’t on their own before, reducing the presence of sickled blood cells or ineffective red blood cells in thalassemia to prevent associated complications. With this new treatment, if it’s as successful as scientists hope it will be, it will help out all those who are affected.

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23. Great news for premature babies to help with their lungs.

Babies born prematurely are often underweight and frail, requiring specialized care, including ventilation for those with infant respiratory distress syndrome or IRDS. For those who have infant respiratory distress syndrome, infants are commonly administered surfactant during mechanical ventilation. It is a practice that can cause lasting lung injury in preterm infants and contribute to the development of chronic lung disease later in life. If these things could be avoided, who wouldn’t want to try something else out for their baby first, instead?

There’s some great news now, though! Unlike mechanical ventilation, there’s now something called the b-CPAP. The b-CPAP is a non-invasive ventilation strategy that delivers continuous positive airway pressure to newborns to maintain their lung volume during exhalation. The oscillation, rather than constant pressure, helps play a role in its efficacy and safety by minimizing physical trauma and stimulating lung growth when administered over a prolonged period, something some prematurely born babies need. That is excellent news for both babies and their parents, helping to bring their minds at ease.

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22. Postpartum hemorrhaging is serious.

Affecting one to five percent of women who give birth, postpartum hemorrhaging is a devastating complication of childbirth, characterized as excessive bleeding after having a baby. Mothers who are experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage may require blood transfusions. These are lengthy, uncomfortable procedures. Furthermore, drugs from it may cause dangerous side effects and even an emergency hysterectomy with fertility loss. Non-surgical interventions directed at the site of bleeding have been limited to balloon devices, which expand the uterus while compressing the site of bleeding. That sounds quite uncomfortable, especially after having just given birth.

However, thanks to the newest advancements that scientists made, something new can be used to help stop postpartum hemorrhaging. It’s a vacuum-induced uterine tamponade; that is a method that uses negative pressure created inside the uterus to collapse the bleeding cavity causing the muscle to close off the vessels. The vacuum-induced device represents another minimally invasive tool for clinicians. Patients would be thankful for as well, as they treat the complication. It provides a low-tech solution that is helpful to those who may be in developing countries with low resource availability.

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21. Migraines are no joke.

Migraines affect more than 38 million people in the United States, an estimated 12 percent of the adult population. For some time, multi-purpose drugs, such as antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, blood pressure medications, and Botox injections, have been used to help prevent migraine attacks. However, none of these medications were developed specifically for migraines. Thus, these methods have been met with mixed results. Furthermore, we all know how exhausting headaches, especially migraines, can be. Moreover, when nothing you do to try and treat it takes the edge off from the pain.

So in 2018, scientists were able to develop new medications to help head off migraine pain. The class of drugs works by blocking a molecule called calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, which spikes during a migraine, creating one. Since being actively prescribed in 2020, this new FDA-approved class of medication is the first to be specifically designed for the preventive treatment of migraine headaches, marking a new era of migraine therapeutics. New medicines are continuously being worked on to help treat and prevent migraines.

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20. Wearing medical devices in a purpose-like fashion.

When we think about having to walk around with a medical device attached to us, it may not seem all that pleasant. However, you may not think about how a fitness tracker, such as a Fitbit, can be used as a medical device. Some people may wear them as a fancy watch that tells them how many steps they took, while others may wear it to keep track of their heart rate for medical reasons. However, there is a new trend in wearables for medical technology that is more specific.

If you have diabetes, you may or may not have heard of a continuous glucose monitor or CGM. It’s precisely what the name says for those who have not or aren’t sure what that is. These allow the user to see the immediate impacts of food and exercise and shape their lifestyles accordingly. They can also catch cases of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia immediately. Wearable CGMs remove the need for intermittent glucose testing, so no more finger pricking several times a day, and instead keeps track of one’s blood sugar levels in real-time.

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19. A gene modulator that is saving lives.

Cystic Fibrosis, also known as CF, is a hereditary condition characterized by thick, sticky mucus that clogs airways and traps germs, leading to infections, inflammation, and other complications throughout the entire body. More than 30,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis alone. CF is caused by a defective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, or CFTR, protein. A class of drugs for CFTR modulators was developed to correct the protein’s action. However, medications developed before last year had only been effective in a subset of people with specific mutations that made up their CF.

In October 2019, the FDA approved a new combination drug, called Trikafta, that provides relief for patients with the most common CF gene mutation known as delta F508, which has been estimated to represent about 90 percent of individuals living with the disease. This modulator helps those who take it. Furthermore, it has even been known to make those who were once on the double lung transplant list get removed from that list and removed from oxygen tanks. In 2021, researchers are working on finding out if this drug is effective in patients who have other mutations other than delta F508.

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18. Helping those with prostate cancer.

About one in nine men in his lifetime will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, definitely not something anyone would want to hear from their doctor when being diagnosed. There has been progress in the last decade when it comes to treating prostate cancer. However, even with that progress, the disease remains the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. That is why it’s imperative to get a physical done by your doctor. It is especially true when you hit a certain age. Alternatively, when your doctor starts to recommend it depending on your health and your family’s health history.

There are pharmacological inhibitors for cancer treatments, also known as PARP inhibitors. These are used to block proteins called PARP that helps repair damaged tumor DNA in people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Pharmacological inhibitors are known for their success in women’s cancers. Nevertheless, two PARP inhibitors have been demonstrated to delay prostate cancer progression in men with refractory cancer and DNA repair pathway mutations. In May of 2020, both were approved for prostate cancer. So people who are now diagnosed with this type of cancer can be treated with these inhibitors.

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17. 3D printing is as fantastic as it sounds.

You’ve probably heard of 3D printing when it comes to making cool new things like toys or sculptures, but have you thought about what if it were possible to make things that would help in the medical community? Because scientists sure have! Three-dimensional bioprinting combines cells, growth factors, and various biomaterials to grow “living” tissues. These tissues mimic the behavior of actual living systems occurring in nature. Thus, their use can and will significantly help simplify the research. Imagine whom all this could help!

Furthermore, that’s only the beginning and current state of this technology because bioprinting researchers are already looking for ways to print devices, implants, and even entire organs. With its current ability to cut pharmaceutical research costs, it could help 3D bioprinting build and sustain a pathway to becoming a revolutionary health technology in the coming years. Think about it; for example, those on transplant lists wouldn’t have to wait to find a donor that’s a positive match, meaning they should be able to create something that would perfectly fit them.

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16. It’s not just the name of a movie.

It may seem like artificial intelligence, or AI, is everywhere. Of course, the world of healthcare is no exception to that. It appears that in 2020, COVID 19 has given health AI a boost. A little over a year ago it was mentioned the applicability of AI in monitoring and identifying epidemics. On December 31, 2019, the AI-driven algorithm of Canadian health monitoring company BlueDot sent the first warning about the coronavirus outbreak, which was about a week before the CDC or the WHO.

Artificial intelligence is already being applied in various healthcare world areas. Some of these include simulation-driven drug discovery, thermal screening, vaccine development, and diagnostics applications. We expect to see a wide array of AI-powered digital health solutions emerge in 2021, so be on the lookout. Moreover, health technology, data-base, and AI-driven prediction will also likely be used by more insurance companies. Why? To better identify risks and further optimize the plans they offer others. That’s something else we also have to look forward to.

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15. Keeping healthcare facilities sanitary.

Before Covid 19 came about, we never thought about how germy some places and surfaces could be, even when wiped down frequently. Nevertheless, since the pandemic, it has taken much teamwork to keep healthcare facilities as sanitary as possible. Healthcare providers are looking to a host of tools to tackle the critical tasks of deep cleaning and enforcing good hygiene. They are also changing layouts and the check-in processes to help reduce patient clustering and identify contagious visitors before entering the building.

Some facilities may include autonomous robots that emit a germ-killing ultraviolet light to decontaminate rooms in 15 minutes and RFID technology to track how long and how often employees wash their hands. More hospitals have started using thermal cameras at their entryways to detect those with elevated body temperatures, a common but not universal symptom of Covid 19. Expect to see more design changes to buildings—for example, transparent glass or plastic walls to view isolated patients. Also, think of tools such as touch screen kiosks and handheld alert buzzers. That way, people won’t crowd a waiting area before a visit.

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14. Bringing virtual reality closer to real-life situations.

Being put into a virtual world or viewing real-life spaces with digital enhancements isn’t just a game anymore. Medical professionals are finding ways to use augmented and virtual reality, or VR, other than to play games, with just the help of headsets and specially designed software. The pandemic has put a stop to many things, including in-person learning and training. That doesn’t work in favor of those who are in school to learn. So professionals put their heads together and came up with some great ideas that help out many people.

By using virtual reality, you have the chance to do lifelike surgical training programs. Also, think about supplemental clinical experiences for nursing students. You can use it as a distraction for pain management. Furthermore, it would even have the ability to view the images with a new and detailed perspective. For example, clinicians at the George Washington University Hospital recently used virtual reality to analyze a Covid 19 patient’s lung scans. VR has also gained traction in senior care communities. Furthermore, it is not just because activities such as virtual travel and avatar-led chat rooms may seem like fun. However, engaging and memory-triggering encounters can be highly therapeutic, as well.

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13. Masks like they’re fashionable.

You probably never thought about wearing a mask while out and about, up until the pandemic hit. Now it’s almost like making a fashion statement. Not only are there different styles, but you can even make them shimmer and stand out, or even match your shoes if you want to. Some companies have started brainstorming and have some cool and great ideas for masks they have created. A company known as Nexvoo announced a face mask called Breeze. It’s not only natural to show off your smile. It also has two silent fans that both circulate and filter the air and a UV light to automatically disinfect the mask while it’s charging.

A company called AirPop announced a mask called the Active+. It’s a cloth mask with a unique sensor that monitors your breathing patterns from inside the mask and provides information on the air quality from outside. Another company called Razer, most known for its gamer products, made an intelligent mask. Its transparent features active ventilation to circulate and filter the air. The cover contains a built-in microphone and amp to make your speech a little more clear. It also lights up in 16.8 million different colors.

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12. Cuffless blood pressure technology exists.

Surprisingly, several companies have been marketing various forms of cuffless blood pressure monitoring. This technology has been researched for many years but has yet to find its way into mainstream medical devices. You may be thinking, how can you check your blood pressure without putting a cuff on your arm? Because it’s all, we have known when going to the doctors and having our vitals checked. Nevertheless, it is possible, and it has now been done. The most helpful product was Valencell, whose biometric sensor technology is already used in many devices.

Valencell has announced a calibration-free, cuffless blood pressure technology used in wearable on the wrist, finger, and even the ear. However, not to be outdone, a Swiss company, known as Leman Microdevices, announces their V-sensor technology, which can be incorporated into a smartphone to measure blood pressure and other vitals by simply placing a finger over the sensor. Biospectal, which is another Swiss company, claims that their software can even accurately measure blood pressure. How? By using the camera on a run-of-the-mill Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

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11. Digital voice assistants technology in patients’ rooms.

We have probably all heard of digital voice assistants such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa that have secured a place in consumers’ living rooms. Hospitals and health care systems are starting to invite similar technologies into their patients’ rooms. With tech developments increasingly focused on making them sound natural when speaking with ambient listening capabilities, EHR vendors Cerner and Epic both have inked deals to integrate Nuance’s virtual assistant into their software this year. Epic has also been working on its ambient voice tech called Hey Epic!

Artificial intelligence startup Saykara launched a new voice assistant this year that operates both autonomously and ambiently. This means that it can listen to and understand the context of a conversation between a patient and their physician without being prompted by voice commands, unlike Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home. The company does count the New York City-based New York Presbyterian’s innovation arm as an investor. Furthermore, the Seattle-based Swedish Medical Group as a customer. Soon this technology will be in more facilities, helping out more patients and physicians all over.

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10. A universal treatment for the hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C has become a significant public health issue in the United States, and the CDC classifies it as a “silent epidemic.” It is spread through contact with blood from a person who is infected with the virus. The hepatitis C virus can lead to severe and life-threatening health problems in those infected, such as liver failure, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. There is no vaccine for the virus, and those who have the virus have been limited to medication. However, like many other medicines, many treatments were accompanied by adverse side effects. Alternatively, some only effective for specific genotypes of the disease.

However, there has recently been some positive news for those infected with hepatitis C because a new, approved fixed-dose combination medication has vastly improved hepatitis C treatment. This treatment is more than 90 percent effective for hepatitis C genotypes one through six, and the therapy represents a practical option for many more patients suffering from this virus. If you have hepatitis C, you should speak with your doctor right away about this new treatment and find out if you can give it a try.

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9. A chip with a lab built-in, so to speak.

Sometimes waiting is the worst part when it comes to lab results from your doctors. So researchers have come up with something clever to help out with that. They think: “if it’s taking too long to get samples to the lab, why not bring the lab to the samples?”. That’s exactly what researchers at Stanford University thought, and so they had developed what they call “a lab on a chip” based on the CRISPR enzyme Cas12. This lab in a chip is about half the size of a credit card, and it contains a complex network of channels smaller than the width of a human hair.

When this was tested out, it was even able to deliver coronavirus test results in under 30 minutes, which is fantastic. Because some people have had to wait days to get their results back from their Covid 19 test. Why? Researchers say that the test could also be modified to detect other infections, as well. How? By re-calibrating the CRISPR enzyme for a different genetic marker. The Covid 19 pandemic has taught the world that testing is the first test in combating infectious disease. Thus, getting results fast is essential. With a lab on a chip, testing can be done quickly and safely, cheaply, and more efficiently.

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8. Predictive analytics moving into the health care systems.

The accelerated digital transformation in 2020 means more health care systems now have the technical capabilities to practice precision medicine and inch closer to predictive analytics. Mount Sinai Health System in New York City created a machine learning-powered model. It can identify high risk and the likelihood of mortality among those who are Covid 19 patients. Why? For more efficient patient management. Pittsburgh-based UPMC has been at the forefront of using data analytics. Its clinical data warehouse provides insights to clinicians and patients. By layering on new tools such as AI and machine learning, the health system continuously improves its systems. In turn, technology is bringing them closer to predictive analytics.

“The use of analytical insights in the healthcare industry is very reactive,” said Ed McCallister, the senior vice president and CIO of UPMC, in an interview with Becker’s. “In the future, Becker’s is” on that the analytic insights will evolve to be used at the bedside. We also envision that analytics will enable us to proactively manage care and our patient population to keep them out of the hospital and healthy. We are already doing this today in some part of UPMC and hope to expand this to all clinic departments and service lines.”

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7. Digital front doors are becoming a thing.

Since the pandemic started, we have entered a newfound era of social distancing, thanks to Covid 19. To help continue with social distancing in healthcare facilities, organizations have ramped up their digital presence and capabilities to stay connected with their patients, even when they are at home. It means patients are communicating more with their physicians over the internet than face to face. Because of this, and with the “digital front door,” which could be serving as the first impression potential patients have of a health system, the online experience has become a critical component of their overall reputation.

As hospitals and health care systems start looking to the future, many, such as Greensboro, NC-based Cone Health and SCL Health in Broomfield, Colorado, are investing in a digital front door. That includes the organization’s website. It hosts the online patient portal, telehealth visits, educational resources, scheduling, and more. With an online patient portal account, you won’t even need to call the doctor’s office. You can see them right from there as if you were emailing your doctor. Moreover, you can even send them PDF files and access your health records right from that account. That way, you don’t even have to step inside a clinic’s office.

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6. A clinic’s urinary incontinence treatment device that works.

Atlantic Therapeutics, an Irish developer of professional and consumer medical devices, is showcasing its Innovo stress urinary incontinence device at CES 2021. This direct-to-consumer device works by delivering a non-invasive pelvic floor stimulation through wearable technology and has been FDA approved. This technology works to strengthen and reeducate pelvic floor muscles, according to the company. How? By embedding neuromuscular electrical stimulation technology into a pair of shorts that the consumer would then wear. It is better than having to go through life without trying to find a way to help those muscles become stronger again. You can stop constantly worrying about possible accidents.

Innova said results from the clinical studies had shown that 80 percent of its users experienced significant improvement after just four weeks, and 87 percent were even considered to be “dry” or “near dry” after just three months. Four out of five Innova users also found that this technology had significantly improved their quality of life. So why not try something that may help your quality of life if you are dealing with incontinence? It may just change your life for the better. Besides, it is wonderful that a city can help those in need out, too.

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5. An air purifier for wherever you go.

There is a new air purifier that will become available this year, and it’s portable! The Luft isn’t only mobile. It also uses UVA LED and photocatalytic technology to eliminate pollen, mold, dust, and pathogens molecules. LuftQI says that the device creates zero unnecessary waste with a replaceable and washable filter. So users only have to remove the filter and gently clean it. There is no need to stock up on disposable filters when you own a Luft Duo portable air purifier.

The photocatalytic technology allows the device to disintegrate pollutants that are too small for HEPA filters, like formaldehyde, which measures 0.00001 mm in size. Not only that, but it also decomposes things such as molds, VOCs, and pathogens. It can purify the air in a 240 square foot space. Furthermore, it works by simply plugging it into a wall and turning it on with the simple push of a button. LuftQI said that through research conducted by a third-party research lab, the company could find out that the coronavirus cannot survive in the air for more than one hour when near the Luft Due device. In contrast, the virus usually lasts for 21 hours when airborne.

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4. Health and wellness monitoring on your smartphone.

Binah.ai talked about its artificial intelligence-powered video-based monitoring tools for health and wellness monitoring at CES in January 2021. Binah.ai explains that their technology measures a wide range of vital signs, such as oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiration rate, heart rate variability, and mental stress, all just by using a smartphone’s camera. The smartphone supports vital sign monitoring of anyone above the age of 18 and any gender and skin color. With this type of technology at your fingertips, you wouldn’t need all that equipment to measure each vital sign individually and would save a ton of money, too.

According to the company, the technology works by applying a unique mix of signal processing and artificial intelligence technologies. Together, they extract vital signs by analyzing signals from the face’s upper cheek region. Furthermore, the process happens in under one minute with medical-grade accuracy. Their platform also includes tools for easy management for anyone who is using it. Users get enhanced reporting and analysis. That makes it easy to work and read. Here is future technology at your fingertips, especially since almost everyone owns a smartphone.

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3. A detection system that predicts cancer.

Some people are more prone to certain cancers if it runs in the family, same with Alzheimer’s disease. Maybe you have not been diagnoses, but you could in the future. That’s where Axion Resea stepped up with its AXiR engine, which is an early detection system that predicts cancer and early risks for Alzheimer’s disease. It works by predicting the user’s future health analysis of all their disease risks, big data, and test results.

It’s not only capable of cancer detection. It has an AI-powered engine that can determine a user’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases. The company made it easy to understand how to read the visual presentation of the user’s disease risk and their future health; they use risk analyses for chronic and other diseases. They are based on several years of medical data and answers to screening questions. Moreover, it is analyses changes of any test data and overlapping health transition map patterns. Why? To produce someone’s immediate and individualized health programs based on risk factors when using the Axir technology.

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2. A touchless thermometer is such a brilliant idea.

Since Covid 19, thermometers have become a prevalent and essential necessity in people’s homes. A company known as GateDoc took that into account and came up with a brilliant idea for a touchless thermometer. Their thermometers are designed for use by the general public to reduce waiting in lines. That goes for places like restaurants, supermarkets, or gyms. It works by using a touchless sensor to perform a body temperature scan within half a second with an accuracy of about 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

To use the touchless thermometer, visitors place their heads 1 to 4 inches in front of the GateDoc. The forehead temperature scanning method then illuminates a green or red light and sound that determines whether someone can enter a building or not. The device connects through an app. That means managers and owners of facilities can receive alerts when someone with a fever detected at their building entrance. Not only does this make the process of taking someone’s temperature easy. It helps to stop the spread of germs since you don’t have to check your temperature physically.

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1. A CPAP mask selector that can be done from your home.

At CES 2021, Philips is showcasing its CPAP sleep apnea Mask Selector for the first time. The Mask Selector is a clinically validated, 3D facial scanning device that helps healthcare providers fit 9 out of 10 patients with the right sized CPAP mask right from their home. Thus, you don’t have to go to the doctor’s office to fit a CPAP mask. The system is a telehealth solution for sleep apnea. Thankfully for patients, it also reduces the need to be monitored for sleep apnea in-hospital sleep studies.

The Mask Selector 3D works by capturing 150 pictures of the face. Then, it takes over 100,000 key data points of facial geometry from each image. The data goes through the algorithm of thousands of facial scans from various ethnicities. That way, it can identify the 46,200 points most critical to the mask fitting process. It makes sure that the mask fits each individual just right, without being too loose or too tight. “We can have patients take pictures of their face and give them a mask that fits their face,” Jeroen Tas, who is the chief innovation and strategy officer, said during a CES 2021 press conference. It is essential that you maintain peace and harmony during the pandemic. If you need tips for staying healthy during isolation or quarantine, keep reading.

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