Biomedical technology applies engineering and technological advances to medical science. Biopharmaceuticals, genetic testing, gene therapy, and biomedical informatics are all applications of biomedical technology that have made significant strides in treating and managing diseases. Medical education also uses computer models to teach students.
Biomedical technology refers to the application of technological and engineering advances to medical science. Biomedical research has made great strides in numerous fields, such as pharmaceuticals, creating biopharmaceuticals, drugs produced using biomedical technologies, which can cure a number of diseases. Genetic testing uses biotechnical methods to provide information about a person’s genetic makeup. Gene therapy, in which defective genes are replaced using biomedical technology, can help treat genetic diseases. Medical teaching and information management also make use of advances in computer science.
Biopharmaceuticals are proteins or nucleic acids produced with biomedical technology. These types of drugs have been around since 1982, when biomedical engineers created synthetic insulin. Biopharmaceuticals can treat a variety of diseases, such as anemia, leukemia, multiple sclerosis and some types of arthritis.
Genetic testing, another application of biomedical technology, can detect genetic mutations and diseases. Newborn screening is one of the most common genetic tests. Newborn screening uses biotechnical genetic testing techniques to test newborns for inherited diseases such as phenylketonuria, a disease that can lead to mental illness if left untreated.
When a person shows signs of a genetic disorder, diagnostic tests are used to determine whether the cause is genetic. People who have a family history of a genetic disorder may also be given carrier tests to show whether they carry faulty genes that could lead to the disease occurring in their children. Prenatal testing can detect genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome and inherited diseases.
There is often no cure for genetic disorders because they are caused by mutations or problems in the genetic code. A new branch of biomedical technology called gene therapy allows doctors to actually inject a new, functional gene into a person’s cells to replace a faulty gene. Researchers have used bioengineering to modify certain types of bacteria or viruses so that they can carry the replacement gene into cells.
Biomedical informatics is another application of technology to medical problems. This branch of biomedical technology uses computer science to store and retrieve vital medical information in a virtual environment. For example, patient records containing diagnostic and basic information can be digitized so that a doctor can simply retrieve them on a computer for quick reference.
Biomedical technology has also been incorporated into medical education. Computer models are often used to demonstrate the functions of certain organs or to show what organs look like when they are diseased. Medical students can gain experience working with virtual models before treating a real patient.
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