New-Tech Europe Magazine | Q4 2021

Medical Vision Systems

David Pike, SAMTEC

In order to provide medical care, it is important to understand what is happening inside a patient’s body. The latest generation of vision systems is allowing doctors to create accurate imaging. This is providing a new understanding of the human body and is enabling a whole new approach to surgery and medical care. One of the key reasons that imaging is so important in successful diagnosis and treatment is that every patient is different. Each patient has a unique anatomy, and each will present symptoms in a different way. Despite the years of experience that doctors build up through the course of their careers, they cannot make assumptions and must be aware of the subtlety required when caring for patients. Creating an accurate image of the patient and their condition is vital to providing the ideal treatment.

For many years, X-ray technology offered the only real alternative to surgery in order to diagnose conditions. Exploratory surgery – the conducting of surgery to understand and diagnose a patient’s illness – increases the risk of secondary infection, and doctors have always looked for new methods that remove the need for invasive procedures. Advanced Vision Systems Modern imaging has come a long way since the early, crude experiments with X-rays. There are several technologies that allow doctors to form an image of the body without invasive procedures, including several that are familiar to the public – ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiography. These are supplemented by other techniques that create visual representations

via the use of cameras and even fibre optics. Imaging is not just used for diagnosis. The use of robots in the medical field is growing quickly. The ability of robots to work quickly and with great precision makes them a powerful tool in the medical field. Healthcare professionals are constantly developing new techniques to provide the best possible care for patients with improved clinical outcomes and reduced hospital stays. The first robots used in the medical world were designed to facilitate minimally invasive treatments by providing improved visualization and precision for surgeons. This is where imagery is so important, as robots do not replace the experience and skill of the surgeon. Rather, they act as an extension of the surgeon’s hands, allowing them to treat patients

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