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April 27, 2015
Features
By Asian Scientist Newsroom

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.

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#5 CARDIAC PACEMAKER

The pacemaker, a small implantable device that regulates the human heartbeat, has saved millions of lives since it was invented in 1926 by two Australian doctors.

The early pacemaker prototype was portable and consisted of two poles: one was connected to a skin pad soaked in salt solution while the other consisted of a needle that was inserted into the patient’s cardiac chamber.

Sounds dreadful, but, believe it or not, its inventors managed to revive a stillborn baby using the primitive device. Along with improvements in battery life, today’s pacemaker batteries can run for up to 20 years and even be recharged through the skin.

Photo: Sadasiv Swain/Flickr/CC.

#Diabetes #Medical Devices #Pacemakers #Stents #X-Rays

Asian Scientist Newsroom

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.

Asian Scientist Newsroom

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.

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