Great physicists and their discoveries. Great discoveries in medicine were made by accident

Scientific breakthroughs have created many useful medicines, which will certainly soon be freely available. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the ten most amazing medical breakthroughs of 2015, which are sure to make a serious contribution to the development of medical services in the very near future.

Discovery of teixobactin

In 2014, the World Health Organization warned everyone that humanity was entering a so-called post-antibiotic era. And she turned out to be right. Science and medicine have not produced truly new types of antibiotics since 1987. However, diseases do not stand still. Every year new infections appear that are more resistant to existing medications. This has become a real world problem. However, in 2015, scientists made a discovery that they believe will bring dramatic changes.

Scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics from 25 antimicrobial drugs, including a very important one, called teixobactin. This antibiotic kills germs by blocking their ability to produce new cells. In other words, microbes under the influence of this drug cannot develop and develop resistance to the drug over time. Teixobactin has now proven highly effective in the fight against resistant Staphylococcus aureus and several bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

Laboratory tests of teixobactin were carried out on mice. The vast majority of experiments showed the effectiveness of the drug. Human trials are due to begin in 2017.

One of the most interesting and promising areas in medicine is tissue regeneration. In 2015, the list of organs recreated artificially was supplemented with a new item. Doctors from the University of Wisconsin have learned to grow human vocal cords from virtually nothing.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Nathan Welhan has bioengineered tissue that can mimic the functioning of the mucous membrane of the vocal cords, namely the tissue that appears as two lobes of the cords that vibrate to create human speech. The donor cells from which new ligaments were subsequently grown were taken from five volunteer patients. In laboratory conditions, scientists grew the necessary tissue over two weeks, and then added it to an artificial model of the larynx.

The sound created by the resulting vocal cords is described by scientists as metallic and compared to the sound of a robotic kazoo (a toy wind musical instrument). However, scientists are confident that the vocal cords they created in real conditions (that is, when implanted into a living organism) will sound almost like real ones.

In one of the latest experiments on laboratory mice with inoculated human immunity, researchers decided to test whether the rodents' body would reject the new tissue. Fortunately, this did not happen. Dr. Welham is confident that the tissue will not be rejected by the human body.

Cancer drug could help patients with Parkinson's disease

Tisinga (or nilotinib) is a tested and approved medicine that is commonly used to treat people with symptoms of leukemia. However, new research from Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the drug Tasinga may be a very powerful treatment for controlling motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease, improving their motor function and controlling non-motor symptoms of the disease.

Fernando Pagan, one of the doctors who led the study, believes that nilotinib therapy may be a first-of-its-kind effective treatment for reducing cognitive and motor function decline in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

Scientists gave increased doses of nilotinib to 12 volunteer patients over a six-month period. All 12 patients who completed this drug trial experienced improvement in motor function. 10 of them showed significant improvement.

The main objective of this study was to test the safety and harmlessness of nilotinib in humans. The dose of the drug used was much less than what is usually given to patients with leukemia. Despite the fact that the drug showed its effectiveness, the study was still conducted on a small group of people without the involvement of control groups. Therefore, before Tasinga is used as a therapy for Parkinson's disease, several more trials and scientific studies will have to be conducted.

World's first 3D printed ribcage

The man suffered from a rare type of sarcoma, and doctors had no other choice. To prevent the tumor from spreading further throughout the body, specialists removed almost the entire sternum from the person and replaced the bones with a titanium implant.

As a rule, implants for large parts of the skeleton are made from a variety of materials, which can wear out over time. In addition, replacing bones as complex as the sternum, which are typically unique to each individual case, required doctors to carefully scan a person's sternum to design the correct size implant.

It was decided to use titanium alloy as the material for the new sternum. After conducting high-precision 3D CT scans, the scientists used a $1.3 million Arcam printer to create a new titanium rib cage. The operation to install a new sternum in the patient was successful, and the person has already completed a full course of rehabilitation.

From skin cells to brain cells

Scientists from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, have spent the past year studying the human brain. They have developed a method for transforming skin cells into brain cells and have already found several useful applications for the new technology.

It should be noted that scientists have found a way to turn skin cells into old brain cells, which makes them easier to further use, for example, in research into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and their relationship with the effects of aging. Historically, animal brain cells have been used for such research, but scientists have been limited in what they can do.

Relatively recently, scientists have been able to turn stem cells into brain cells that can be used for research. However, this is a rather labor-intensive process, and the resulting cells are not capable of imitating the functioning of the brain of an elderly person.

Once researchers developed a way to artificially create brain cells, they turned their efforts to creating neurons that would have the ability to produce serotonin. And although the resulting cells have only a tiny fraction of the capabilities of the human brain, they actively help scientists research and find cures for diseases and disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and depression.

Birth control pills for men

Japanese scientists from the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases in Osaka have published a new scientific paper, according to which in the near future we will be able to produce actually working contraceptive pills for men. In their work, scientists describe studies of the drugs Tacrolimus and Cixlosporin A.

These medications are typically used after organ transplant surgery to suppress the body's immune system so it does not reject new tissue. The blockade occurs by inhibiting the production of the enzyme calcineurin, which contains the PPP3R2 and PPP3CC proteins normally found in male semen.

In their study on laboratory mice, scientists found that as soon as rodents do not produce enough PPP3CC protein, their reproductive functions are sharply reduced. This led researchers to the conclusion that insufficient amounts of this protein could lead to sterility. After more careful study, experts concluded that this protein gives sperm cells the flexibility and the necessary strength and energy to penetrate the egg membrane.

Testing on healthy mice only confirmed their discovery. Just five days of using the drugs Tacrolimus and Ciclosporin A led to complete infertility in mice. However, their reproductive function was fully restored just a week after they stopped receiving these drugs. It is important to note that calcineurin is not a hormone, so the use of drugs in no way reduces libido or excitability of the body.

Despite the promising results, it will take several years to create a real male birth control pill. About 80 percent of mouse studies are not applicable to human cases. However, scientists still hope for success, since the effectiveness of the drugs has been proven. In addition, similar drugs have already passed human clinical trials and are widely used.

DNA stamp

3D printing technologies have led to the emergence of a unique new industry - the printing and sale of DNA. True, the term “printing” here is rather used specifically for commercial purposes, and does not necessarily describe what is actually happening in this area.

The executive director of Cambrian Genomics explains that the process is best described by the phrase “error checking” rather than “printing.” Millions of pieces of DNA are placed on tiny metal substrates and scanned by a computer, which selects those strands that will eventually make up the entire sequence of the DNA strand. After this, the necessary connections are carefully cut out with a laser and placed in a new chain, pre-ordered by the client.

Companies like Cambrian believe that in the future, people will be able to use special computer hardware and software to create new organisms just for fun. Of course, such assumptions will immediately cause the righteous anger of people who doubt the ethical correctness and practical benefits of these studies and opportunities, but sooner or later, no matter how much we want it or not, we will come to this.

Currently, DNA printing is showing some promising potential in the medical field. Drug manufacturers and research companies are among the early clients of companies like Cambrian.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden went even further and began to create various figures from DNA chains. DNA origami, as they call it, may at first glance seem like simple pampering, but this technology also has practical potential for use. For example, it can be used in the delivery of drugs into the body.

Nanobots in a living organism

The robotics field scored a big win in early 2015 when a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego announced that they had completed their task while inside a living organism.

The living organism in this case was laboratory mice. After placing the nanobots inside the animals, the micromachines went to the rodents’ stomachs and delivered the cargo placed on them, which were microscopic particles of gold. By the end of the procedure, the scientists did not note any damage to the internal organs of the mice and thereby confirmed the usefulness, safety and effectiveness of the nanobots.

Further tests showed that more gold particles delivered by nanobots remained in the stomachs than those that were simply introduced there with food. This has led scientists to believe that nanobots in the future will be able to deliver needed drugs into the body much more efficiently than with more traditional methods of administering them.

The motor chain of the tiny robots is made of zinc. When it comes into contact with the acid-base environment of the body, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in the production of hydrogen bubbles, which propel the nanobots inside. After some time, the nanobots simply dissolve in the acidic environment of the stomach.

Although the technology has been in development for almost a decade, it wasn't until 2015 that scientists were able to actually test it in a living environment rather than in regular petri dishes, as has been done many times before. In the future, nanobots could be used to identify and even treat various diseases of internal organs by exposing individual cells to the desired drugs.

Injectable brain nanoimplant

A team of Harvard scientists has developed an implant that promises to treat a range of neurodegenerative disorders that lead to paralysis. The implant is an electronic device consisting of a universal frame (mesh), to which various nanodevices can later be connected after it is inserted into the patient’s brain. Thanks to the implant, it will be possible to monitor the neural activity of the brain, stimulate the functioning of certain tissues, and also accelerate the regeneration of neurons.

The electronic mesh consists of conductive polymer filaments, transistors or nanoelectrodes that interconnect intersections. Almost the entire area of ​​the mesh is made up of holes, allowing living cells to form new connections around it.

By early 2016, a team of Harvard scientists was still testing the safety of using such an implant. For example, two mice were implanted into the brain with a device consisting of 16 electrical components. The devices have been successfully used to monitor and stimulate specific neurons.

Artificial production of tetrahydrocannabinol

For many years, marijuana has been used in medicine as a pain reliever and, in particular, to improve the conditions of cancer and AIDS patients. A synthetic substitute for marijuana, or more precisely its main psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC), is also actively used in medicine.

However, biochemists from the Technical University of Dortmund have announced the creation of a new type of yeast that produces THC. Moreover, unpublished data shows that these same scientists have created another type of yeast that produces cannabidiol, another psychoactive component of marijuana.

Marijuana contains several molecular compounds that interest researchers. Therefore, the discovery of an effective artificial way to create these components in large quantities could bring enormous benefits to medicine. However, the method of conventionally growing plants and then extracting the necessary molecular compounds is currently the most effective method. Up to 30 percent of the dry mass of modern marijuana varieties may contain the desired THC component.

Despite this, Dortmund scientists are confident that they will be able to find a more efficient and faster way to extract THC in the future. By now, the created yeast is re-grown on molecules of the same fungus instead of the preferred alternative of simple saccharides. All this leads to the fact that with each new batch of yeast the amount of free THC component decreases.

In the future, scientists promise to optimize the process, maximize THC production and scale up to industrial scale, ultimately satisfying the needs of medical research and European regulators who are looking for new ways to produce THC without growing marijuana itself.

Hi all! At the urgent request of my blog readers, I continue to talk about what great discoveries in medicine were made by accident. You can read the beginning of this story.

1. How X-rays were discovered

Do you know how X-ray was discovered? It turns out that at the beginning of the last century no one knew anything about this device. This radiation was first discovered by the German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen.

How did doctors of the last century perform operations? Blindly! The doctors did not know where the bone was broken or where the bullet was located; they relied only on their intuition and sensitive hands.

The discovery happened by accident in November 1895. The scientist conducted experiments using a glass tube containing rarefied air.

Schematic illustration of an X-ray tube. X - X-rays, K - cathode, A - anode (sometimes called anticathode), C - heat sink, Uh - cathode voltage, Ua - accelerating voltage, Win - water cooling inlet, Wout - water cooling outlet.

When he turned off the light in the laboratory and was about to leave, he noticed a green glow in a jar on the table. As it turned out, this was the result of the fact that he forgot to turn off his device, which was located in another corner of the laboratory. When the device was turned off, the glow disappeared.

The scientist decided to cover the tube with black cardboard and then create darkness in the room itself. He placed various objects in the path of the rays: sheets of paper, boards, books, but the rays passed through them without hindrance. When the scientist's hand accidentally fell in the path of the rays, he saw moving bones.

The skeleton, like the metal, turned out to be impenetrable to rays. Roentgen was also surprised when he saw that the photographic plate in this room also lit up.

He suddenly realized that this was some kind of extraordinary case that no one had ever seen. The scientist was so stunned that he decided not to tell anyone about it yet, but to study this incomprehensible phenomenon himself! Wilhelm called this radiation “X-ray.” That's how amazingly and suddenly the X-ray was discovered.

The physicist decided to continue to carry out this interesting experiment. He called his wife, Frau Bertha, inviting her to put her hand under the X-ray. After that, they were both stunned. The couple saw the skeleton of the hand of a man who did not die, but was alive!

They suddenly realized that a new discovery had occurred in the field of medicine, and such an important one! And they were right! To this day, all medicine uses x-rays. This was the first X-ray in history.

For this discovery, Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901. At that time, scientists did not know that improper use of X-rays was dangerous to health. Many received severe burns. Nevertheless, the scientist lived to be 78 years old, engaged in scientific research.

Based on this greatest discovery, a large area of ​​medical technologies began to develop and improve, for example, computed tomography and the same “X-ray” telescope, which is capable of capturing rays from space.

Today, not a single operation can be performed without X-rays or tomography. This unexpected discovery saves lives by helping doctors accurately diagnose and find the diseased organ.

With their help, it is possible to determine the authenticity of paintings, distinguish real gems from fake ones, and it has become easier for customs to detain smuggled goods.

The most amazing thing is that this is all based on a random, ridiculous experiment.

2. How penicillin was discovered

Another unexpected event was the discovery of penicillin. During the First World War, most soldiers died from various infections that got into their wounds.

When Scottish physician Alexander Fleming began studying staphylococcal bacteria, he discovered that mold had appeared in his laboratory. Fleming suddenly saw that the staphylococcus bacteria that were located near the mold began to die!

Subsequently, he extracted from that same mold a substance that destroys bacteria, which was called “penicillin.” But Fleming was unable to bring this discovery to completion, because... was unable to isolate pure penicillin suitable for injection.

Some time passed when Ernest Chain and Howard Florey accidentally discovered Fleming's unfinished experiment. They decided to see it through to the end. After 5 years they received pure penicillin.

Scientists administered it to sick mice, and the rodents survived! And those who were not given the new medicine died. It was a real bomb! This miracle helped heal many ailments, including rheumatism, pharyngitis, and even syphilis.

To be fair, it must be said that back in 1897, a young military doctor from Lyon, Ernest Duchesne, observing how Arab grooms lubricated the wounds of horses rubbed with saddles, scraping mold from the same damp saddles, made the discovery mentioned above. He conducted research on guinea pigs and wrote a doctoral dissertation on the beneficial properties of penicillin. However, the Paris Pasteur Institute did not even accept this work for consideration, citing the fact that the author was only 23 years old. Fame came to Duchenne (1874-1912) only after his death, 4 years after Sir Fleming received the Nobel Prize.

3. How insulin was discovered

Insulin was also unexpectedly obtained. It is this drug that saves millions of people with diabetes. People with diabetes have been accidentally discovered to have one thing in common: damage to the cells in the pancreas that secrete a hormone that coordinates blood sugar levels. This is insulin.

It was opened in 1920. Two surgeons from Canada, Charles Best and Frederick Banting, studied the formation of this hormone in dogs. They injected the sick animal with the hormone that was formed in the healthy dog.

The result exceeded all scientists' expectations. After 2 hours, the hormone level in the sick dog was reduced. Further experiments were carried out on sick cows.

In January 1922, scientists dared to conduct a human test by injecting a 14-year-old boy with diabetes. A little time passed before the young man felt better. This is how insulin was discovered. Today this drug saves millions of lives around the world.

Today we talked about three great discoveries in medicine that were made by accident. This is not the last article on such an interesting topic, visit my blog, I will delight you with new interesting news. Show the article to your friends, because they are also interested in learning about it.

Advances in medicine

The history of medicine is an integral part of human culture. Medicine developed and was formed according to laws that were common to all sciences. But if the ancient healers followed religious dogmas, then later the development of medical practice took place under the banner of the grandiose discoveries of science. The Samogo.Net portal invites you to familiarize yourself with the most significant achievements in the world of medicine.

Andreas Vesalius studied human anatomy based on his dissections. For 1538, analyzing human corpses was unusual, but Vesalius believed that the concept of anatomy was very important for surgical interventions. Andreas created anatomical diagrams of the nervous and circulatory systems, and in 1543 he published a work that became the beginning of the emergence of anatomy as a science.

In 1628, William Harvey established that the heart is the organ that is responsible for blood circulation and that blood circulates throughout the human body. His essay on the work of the heart and blood circulation in animals became the basis for the science of physiology.

In 1902 in Austria, biologist Karl Landsteiner and his colleagues discovered four blood groups in humans and also developed a classification. Knowledge of blood groups is of great importance during blood transfusion, which is widely used in medical practice.

Between 1842 and 1846, some of the scientists discovered that chemicals could be used in anesthesia to relieve pain from operations. Back in the 19th century, laughing gas and sulfuric ether were used in dentistry.

Revolutionary discoveries

In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen, while conducting experiments with electron ejection, accidentally discovered x-rays. This discovery earned Roentgen the Nobel Prize in the history of physics in 1901 and revolutionized the field of medicine.

In 1800, Pasteur Louis formulated a theory and believed that diseases were caused by different types of microbes. Pasteur is truly considered the “father” of bacteriology and his work became the impetus for further research in science.

F. Hopkins and a number of other scientists in the 19th century discovered that a lack of certain substances causes diseases. These substances were later called vitamins.

In the period from 1920 to 1930, A. Fleming accidentally discovers mold and calls it penicillin. Later, G. Flory and E. Boris isolated penicillin in its pure form and confirmed its properties in mice that had a bacterial infection. This gave impetus to the development of antibiotic therapy.

In 1930, G. Domagk discovered that the orange-red dye affected streptococcal infections. This discovery makes it possible to synthesize chemotherapy drugs.

Further research

Doctor E. Jenner, in 1796, first vaccinates against smallpox and determines that this vaccination provides immunity.

F. Banting and co-workers discovered insulin in 1920, which helps balance blood sugar in people with diabetes. Before the discovery of this hormone, the lives of such patients could not be saved.

In 1975, G. Varmus and M. Bishop discovered genes that stimulate the development of tumor cells (oncogenes).

Independently of each other, in 1980, scientists R. Gallo and L. Montagnier discovered a new retrovirus, which was later called the human immunodeficiency virus. These scientists also classified the virus as the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

The main anti-hero of our time - cancer - seems to have finally been caught in the network of scientists. Israeli specialists from Bar-Ilan University talked about their scientific discovery: they created nanorobots capable of killing cancer cells. Killer cells are composed of DNA, a natural, biocompatible and biodegradable material, and can carry bioactive molecules and drugs. Robots are able to move with the bloodstream and recognize malignant cells, immediately destroying them. This mechanism is similar to the work of our immunity, but more precise.

Scientists have already conducted 2 stages of the experiment.

• First, they planted nanorobots in a test tube with healthy and cancer cells. After only 3 days, half of the malignant ones were destroyed, and not a single healthy one was harmed!
• The researchers then inserted hunters into cockroaches (scientists have a strange love for barbels in general, so they will appear in this article), proving that robots could successfully assemble fragments of DNA and accurately find target cells, not necessarily cancerous ones, inside a living creature.

Changing eye color

The problem of improving or changing a person’s appearance is still solved by plastic surgery. Looking at Mickey Rourke, attempts cannot always be called successful, and we have heard about all sorts of complications. But, fortunately, science offers more and more new ways of transformation.

Californian doctors from Stroma Medical also committed scientific discovery: learned to turn brown eyes into blue. Several dozen operations have already been performed in Mexico and Costa Rica (in the United States, permission for such manipulations has not yet been received due to a lack of safety data).

The essence of the method is to remove a thin layer containing melanin pigment using a laser (the procedure takes 20 seconds). After a few weeks, the dead particles are eliminated by the body on their own, and a natural Blue Eye looks at the patient from the mirror. (The trick is that at birth all people have blue eyes, but in 83% they are obscured by a layer filled with melanin to varying degrees.) It is possible that after the destruction of the pigment layer, doctors will learn to fill the eyes with new colors. Then people with orange, gold or purple eyes will flood the streets, delighting songwriters.

Change in skin color

And on the other side of the world, in Switzerland, scientists have finally figured out the secret of the chameleon's tricks. What allows it to change color is a network of nanocrystals located in special skin cells - iridophores. There is nothing supernatural about these crystals: they are made of guanine, an integral component of DNA. In a relaxed state, nanoheroes form a dense network that reflects green and blue colors. When excited, the network tightens, the distance between the crystals increases, and the skin begins to reflect red, yellow and other colors.

In general, once genetic engineering makes it possible to create iridophore-like cells, we will wake up in a society where the mood can be conveyed not only by facial expressions, but also by the color of the hand. And it’s not far from conscious control of appearance, like Mystique from the movie “X-Men”.

3D printed organs

An important breakthrough in the repair of human bodies has been made in our homeland. Scientists from the 3D Bioprinting Solutions laboratory have created a unique 3D printer that prints body tissue. Recently, for the first time, mouse thyroid tissue was obtained, which is going to be transplanted into a living rodent in the coming months. Structural components of the body, such as the trachea, have been stamped before. The goal of Russian scientists is to obtain fully functioning tissue. These may be endocrine glands, kidneys or liver. Printing tissues with known parameters will avoid incompatibility, one of the main problems of transplantology.

Cockroaches in the service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Another amazing development could save the lives of people stuck under rubble after disasters or trapped in hard-to-reach places like mines or caves. Using special acoustic stimuli transmitted using a “backpack” on the back of a cockroach, the minds made scientific discovery: learned to manipulate an insect like a radio-controlled car. The benefit of using a living creature lies in its instinct of self-preservation and ability to navigate, thanks to which the barbel overcomes obstacles and avoids danger. By hanging a small camera on a cockroach, you can successfully “inspect” hard-to-reach places and make decisions about the method of evacuation.

Telepathy and telekinesis for everyone

Another incredible news: telepathy and telekinesis, which were considered quackery all along, are actually real. In recent years, scientists have been able to establish a telepathic connection between two animals, an animal and a human, and, finally, recently, for the first time, a thought was transmitted over a distance - from one citizen to another. The miracle happened thanks to 3 technologies.

1. Electroencephalography (EEG) records the electrical activity of the brain in the form of waves and serves as an “output device.” With some training, certain waves can be associated with specific images in the head.
2. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses a magnetic field to create an electrical current in the brain, which allows images to be stored in the gray matter. The TMS serves as the “input device.”
3. Finally, the Internet allows these images to be transmitted as digital signals from one person to another. So far, the images and words being transmitted are very primitive, but any complex technology must start somewhere.

Telekinesis became possible thanks to the same electrical activity of gray matter. So far, this technology requires surgical intervention: signals are collected from the brain using a tiny grid of electrodes and transmitted digitally to a manipulator. Recently, 53-year-old paralyzed woman Jen Scheuerman, with the help of this scientific discovery by specialists from the University of Pittsburgh, successfully flew an airplane in a computer simulator of the F-35 fighter jet. For example, the author of the article has difficulty using flight simulators, even with two functioning hands.

In the future, technologies for transmitting thoughts and movements at a distance will not only improve the quality of life of paralyzed people, but will also certainly become part of everyday life, allowing you to heat up dinner with the power of thought.

Safe driving

The best minds are working on a car that does not require active driver participation. Tesla cars, for example, already know how to park independently, leave the garage on a timer and drive up to the owner, change lanes in traffic and obey road signs that limit the speed of movement. And the day is approaching when computer control will finally allow you to throw your feet up on the dashboard and calmly get a pedicure on the way to work.

At the same time, Slovak engineers from AeroMobil actually created a car straight out of science fiction films. Double the car drives on the highway, but as soon as it turns into a field, it literally spreads its wings and takes off to take a shortcut. Or jump over the toll booth on toll roads. (You can see this with your own eyes on YouTube.) Of course, custom flying units have been produced before, but this time the engineers promise to launch a car with wings on the market in 2 years.

The beginning of the 21st century was marked by many discoveries in the field of medicine, which were written about in science fiction novels 10-20 years ago, and patients themselves could only dream about them. And although many of these discoveries face a long road of implementation into clinical practice, they no longer belong to the category of conceptual developments, but are actually working devices, even if not yet widely used in medical practice.

1. AbioCor artificial heart

In July 2001, a group of surgeons from Louisville (Kentucky) managed to implant a new generation artificial heart into a patient. The device, called AbioCor, was implanted in a man who suffered from heart failure. The artificial heart was developed by Abiomed, Inc. Although similar devices have been used before, AbioCor is the most advanced of its kind.

In previous versions, the patient had to be connected to a huge console through tubes and wires that were implanted through his skin. This meant that the person remained confined to the bed. AbioCor, on the other hand, exists completely autonomously inside the human body, and does not require additional tubes or wiring that go outside.

2. Bioartificial liver

The idea of ​​​​creating a bioartificial liver came to the mind of Dr. Kenneth Matsumura, who decided to take a new approach to the issue. A scientist has created a device that uses liver cells collected from animals. The device is considered bio-artificial because it consists of biological and artificial material. In 2001, the bioartificial liver was named Invention of the Year by TIME magazine.

3. Tablet with camera

With the help of such a tablet, cancer can be diagnosed at the earliest stages. The device was created with the goal of obtaining high-quality color images in confined spaces. The camera tablet can detect signs of esophageal cancer and is approximately the width of an adult's fingernail and twice as long.

4. Bionic contact lenses

Bionic contact lenses have been developed by researchers at the University of Washington. They were able to connect elastic contact lenses with printed electronic circuitry. This invention helps the user see the world by superimposing computerized pictures on top of their own vision. According to the inventors, bionic contact lenses could be useful for drivers and pilots, showing them routes, weather or vehicle information. In addition, these contact lenses can monitor a person's physical indicators such as cholesterol levels, the presence of bacteria and viruses. The collected data can be sent to a computer via wireless transmission.

5. iLIMB bionic arm

Created by David Gow in 2007, the iLIMB bionic hand was the world's first artificial limb to feature five individually motorized fingers. Users of the device will be able to pick up objects of various shapes - for example, the handles of cups. iLIMB consists of 3 separate parts: 4 fingers, thumb and palm. Each part contains its own control system.

6. Robot assistants during operations

Surgeons have been using robotic arms for some time, but now there is a robot that can perform surgery on its own. A group of scientists from Duke University has already tested the robot. They used it on a dead turkey (since turkey meat has a similar texture to human meat). The success rate of robots is estimated at 93%. Of course, it is too early to talk about autonomous robotic surgeons, but this invention is a serious step in this direction.

7. Mind Reading Device

Mind reading is a term used by psychologists that involves the subconscious detection and analysis of nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions or head movements. Such signals help people understand each other's emotional states. This invention is the brainchild of three scientists from the MIT Media Lab. The mind-reading machine scans the user's brain signals and notifies those with whom communication occurs. The device can be used to work with autistic people.

8. Elekta Access

Elekta Axesse is a modern device to fight cancer. It was created to treat tumors throughout the body - in the spine, lungs, prostate, liver and many others. Elekta Axesse combines several functionalities. The device can perform stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic radiation therapy, radiosurgery. During treatment, doctors have the opportunity to observe a 3D image of the area that will be treated.

9. Exoskeleton eLEGS

The eLEGS exoskeleton is one of the most impressive inventions of the 21st century. It is easy to use and patients can wear it not only in the hospital but also at home. The device allows you to stand, walk and even climb stairs. The exoskeleton is suitable for people with a height of 157 cm to 193 cm and a weight of up to 100 kg.

10 . Eyewriter

This device is designed to help people who are bedridden communicate. The Eyescratcher is a joint creation of researchers from the Ebeling Group, Not Impossible Foundation and Graffiti Research Lab. The technology is based on cheap, eye-tracking glasses equipped with open source software. These glasses allow people with neuromuscular syndrome to communicate by drawing or writing on a screen by capturing eye movements and converting them into lines on a display.

Ekaterina Martynenko