Medical Technologies

Over the years, significant evolution of medical equipment has occurred in all fields of medicine; technology, design, approach etc. This page shows select developments of several pieces of equipment, showing the first innovated equipment, according to our search, and the latest currently in use. These advancements, shaped the current healthcare practices by medical professionals, facilitated patient’s condition progress, and saved countless more individuals.

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First Electrocardiograph ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. The accompanying photo illustrates how electrodes are attached to the patient, with the hands and one foot immersed in jars of salt solution. Willem Einthoven was a Dutch doctor and physiologist who invented the first practical electrocardiogram in 1903. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1924 for his work, specifically for the discovery of the mechanism of the electrocardiogram.
Recent Electrocardiograph ECG
The photo of the new compact ECG design using small cables for limb and chest electrodes.
First Pacemaker
The photo shows a pacemaker, a medical device that generates electrical impulses through electrodes to stimulate heart muscle contractions and regulate the heart's electrical conduction system. Jack A. Hopps developed a simplified circuit and a portable model known as the Pacemaker-Defibrillator. This device could continuously stimulate a stopped heart to beat at a preset rate or induce spontaneous heartbeats, allowing the heart to continue beating normally afterward. Initially, these induced beats were tested in dogs and rabbits using an intracardiac catheter electrode, rather than through other methods, such as needle electrodes, which had been attempted earlier. The device was produced in limited quantities by Smith and Stone Co., Ltd., located in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. Further advancements by Zoll in 1951 led to the development of the PM-65 pacemaker, which achieved successful clinical use.
Recent Pacemaker
In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an injectable pacemaker that eliminates the need for wired leads, which can often lead to complications. This innovative device measures just one inch in length, making it about one-tenth the size of traditional pacemakers and the smallest in the world. Consider reviewing photos of traditional pacemakers for comparison.
First Ventilator
A photo depicts a ventilator, which is a device designed to move breathable air in and out of the lungs. It provides breathing support for patients who are physically unable to breathe or are breathing insufficiently. In this particular image, a patient is being placed in an iron lung in 1938. The history of mechanical ventilation began in 1928, and various improvements were made until 1949, when John Haven Emerson developed a mechanical assistant for anesthesia in collaboration with the anesthesia department at Harvard University.
Recent Ventilator
The new devices are compact, either electrically powered or driven by a compressor, and feature digital controls.

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