Saturday 23 October 2010
World's most powerful x-ray machine
After years of design and construction, the world's brightest X-ray machine has come to life at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in the hills near Stanford University. The mile-long machine produces a probing laser beam made of X-rays instead of visible light. Its laser bursts are so bright and so brief that researchers will use them as an ultrafast stop-motion camera to capture the minute details of things previously unseen, such as the arrangement of atoms in metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and proteins.
Improved Medical Equipment for the Obese
Improved Medical Equipment for the Obese New X-ray Machine Handles Patients Up to 600 Pounds According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity over the last two decades. With expanding waistlines also come increased health risks and more demand for bariatric surgery, gastric bypasses and lap bands.
Due to the lack of medical equipment designed to cater to their size, people who suffer from obesity often experience difficulty getting quality healthcare. In response to the increased size of patients, the medical industry is using innovation and technology to raise the standard of care.
A new X-ray machine, the Axiom Luminos TF, can handle people weighing up to 600 pounds. Described as an X-ray video camera, it allows doctors to see what's going on inside the body in real time. It also has a larger gap between the table top and the tower - which shoots a much wider picture.
With improvements like these, people undergoing surgery can be monitored in comfort within hours of the operation and in the following months; giving them the same level of care as the average sized person.
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Medical Ventilators
Mechanical ventilation can be used to provide complete support, which means the ventilator is doing on the breathing for the patient. It can also be used to assist with breathing. This means the patient is still breathing on his own, but the ventilator is providing some assistance.
Before a person is placed on a medical ventilator, a breathing tube will be inserted into the airway, usually through the mouth. In some cases, a tracheotomy is performed instead. An incision is made in the trachea, and a tracheotomy tube is placed. This is usually done if long-term ventilator support is needed.
Ventilators can be set to different modes, which provide varied levels of support. A respiratory rate and a percentage of oxygen can be set. Mechanical ventilation is most often used in hospitals and can be complex.
The length of time a person stays on a medical ventilator depends on their condition. Patients who are only on a ventilator for surgery are usually extubated, which means the breathing tube and ventilator are removed. People with medical conditions that cause breathing problems may need to stay on a medical ventilator until the condition is treated and breathing improves.
Some individuals may need a mechanical ventilator for the rest of their lives. Conditions such as certain spinal cord injuries and severe brain damage may require continuous mechanical ventilation. Ventilators intended for home use are available.
When a patient is intubated, a sedative will be delivered through intravenous (IV) therapy. Sedatives are used to stop patients from fighting the ventilator which could cause damage to the lungs. Sedation may also lessen the pain and irritation of the throat or nasal passage associated with intubation.
Negative pressure is the oldest form of mechanical ventilation. The iron lung, a huge machine that stretches from the neck to the lower abdomen, was the first used in 1929 to treat breathing problems. The negative pressure used to stimulate breathing expands the abdomen which can cut off blood circulation to the lower body. Regular movement of the legs is required to stop blood from pooling in the extremities.
Iron lungs are rarely used today due to machine size and inability of the patient to move. Negative pressure, however can be a lifesaving form of mechanical ventilation. The Biphasic Cuirass is a modern form of the iron lung used in patients that cannot or should not be intubated. The cuirass machine works with the same negative pressure as the iron lung, but is much smaller and lighter.
Mechanical ventilation is meant to be a short term treatment. Injury to the airway, lungs, and pneumonia are risks associated with forced breathing. Patients are often weaned off artificial respiration slowly by using spontaneous breathing trials to judge whether the lungs will work properly without ventilation.
Before a person is placed on a medical ventilator, a breathing tube will be inserted into the airway, usually through the mouth. In some cases, a tracheotomy is performed instead. An incision is made in the trachea, and a tracheotomy tube is placed. This is usually done if long-term ventilator support is needed.
Ventilators can be set to different modes, which provide varied levels of support. A respiratory rate and a percentage of oxygen can be set. Mechanical ventilation is most often used in hospitals and can be complex.
The length of time a person stays on a medical ventilator depends on their condition. Patients who are only on a ventilator for surgery are usually extubated, which means the breathing tube and ventilator are removed. People with medical conditions that cause breathing problems may need to stay on a medical ventilator until the condition is treated and breathing improves.
Some individuals may need a mechanical ventilator for the rest of their lives. Conditions such as certain spinal cord injuries and severe brain damage may require continuous mechanical ventilation. Ventilators intended for home use are available.
When a patient is intubated, a sedative will be delivered through intravenous (IV) therapy. Sedatives are used to stop patients from fighting the ventilator which could cause damage to the lungs. Sedation may also lessen the pain and irritation of the throat or nasal passage associated with intubation.
Negative pressure is the oldest form of mechanical ventilation. The iron lung, a huge machine that stretches from the neck to the lower abdomen, was the first used in 1929 to treat breathing problems. The negative pressure used to stimulate breathing expands the abdomen which can cut off blood circulation to the lower body. Regular movement of the legs is required to stop blood from pooling in the extremities.
Iron lungs are rarely used today due to machine size and inability of the patient to move. Negative pressure, however can be a lifesaving form of mechanical ventilation. The Biphasic Cuirass is a modern form of the iron lung used in patients that cannot or should not be intubated. The cuirass machine works with the same negative pressure as the iron lung, but is much smaller and lighter.
Mechanical ventilation is meant to be a short term treatment. Injury to the airway, lungs, and pneumonia are risks associated with forced breathing. Patients are often weaned off artificial respiration slowly by using spontaneous breathing trials to judge whether the lungs will work properly without ventilation.
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