10 Medical Devices That Changed The World

Medical devices may sound like a modern invention, but they in fact have helped us manage and treat diseases for centuries. Here are our top ten picks of medical gadgets that play a significant role in our lives, many of them so ubiquitous that we sometimes take them for granted.



#2 HYPODERMIC NEEDLE

Ancient Greeks and Romans used thin, hollow tools to introduce fluids into the body, a precursor to the modern needle. In 1656, Christopher Wren used a goose quill as a crude needle to deliver intravenous injections into dogs.

The hypodermic needle as we know it was invented in the mid-1800s by Charles Pravaz and Alexander Wood. Hypodermic refers to anything just below the surface of the skin.

Today, the hypodermic needle is used together with a syringe to inject or extract fluids, medication and blood from our bodies with minimal pain and reduced risk of contamination.


Photo: Steven Depolo/Flickr/CC.
Photo: Steven Depolo/Flickr/CC.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist