Our human body is as fascinating as it is complex. With our intricate internal body systems (like the digestive, circulatory or respiratory), we rely on discoveries and new technologies to help us understand, analyze and heal.
When it comes to technologies, novel concepts, and ideas, Canada is creative and innovative. From inventions of splitting knives to revolutionary methods like music therapy for the physically disabled and hypothermia during heart surgery to slow down body processes, there are plenty of Canadian contributions to talk about.
First off, the cobalt bomb. While it sounds dangerous, it is actually considered as the grandfather of radiation technology since cobalt bombs are one of the most effective and best ways to combat cancer.
Cancer was originally treated by radiation from x-ray machines and radium, both of which were expensive, complicated and weak. After some extensive research, Canadian scientists discovered that when Cobalt-59 (cobalt in its natural stable state) attracted another neutron and became Cobalt-60, it becomes extremely unstable. Thanks to Ms. Chaput-Ross, I now understand that when Cobalt-60 decays, it emits a beta particle of radiation… one that has 100x more radioactive power than radium.
KABOOM.
Not only do cobalt bombs kill cancerous cells in patients, but because of its intensive and concentrated dose – it is especially effective for deeper tumours (in the cervix, bladder and lungs). And it was much cheaper than radium.
“It was futuristic, it worked miracles, and it was made in Canada." – The Beaver, a Canadian history magazine on their summarizing thought on the cobalt bomb.
Now, for another, but no less futuristic sounding technology… robot surgeons.
Basically, robot surgeons are machines that help improve surgery techniques. It’s not as invasive as and infinitely more precise than that of a human hand that can tremble or tire easily. It maximizes healing and has many benefits such as less post-operative pains, shorter hospital stays and less blood loss – all resulting in a faster recovery.
Of course, it’s not replacing surgeons in any way, but instead, making it safer and more convenient for both the patient and the surgeon. The only issue is that these robotic surgeons have no sense of touch. That loss of connection is extremely important in surgeries since you want to be able to assess and feel the tissue as accurately as possible. There are still improvements to be made with better receptors and more sensitive vibrations.
However, the above benefits still remain, as well as lower costs and more efficient surgery time and post-operative time.
Check our this video, revealing all the secrets about a robot surgeon here.
These medical breakthroughs are just two of many technologies that help heal us. Modern and ground-breaking, technological advancements as innovative as these are being developed every day, improving our knowledge and abilities for healing the complex human body.
I commented on: Inggrid’s blog and Taylor’s blog
My references are:
Canadian’s Greatest Medical Research
Cobalt Bombs
Robot Surgeons:
