Advances in Medical Technology

Advances in Medicine Technology

Period: Jan 1, 1500 to Jan 1, 2012

The technological advances in medicine and medical practices.

First Thermometer

Apr 17, 1592

Galileo Galilei invented the first thermometer, but it was far too cumbersome for medical use.

Scuuuuurvy!

Apr 17, 1747

James Lind discovers that citrus fruit prevents scurvy. It's to bad that citrus fruit spoils fast!!

Smallpox Vaccination Method

Apr 17, 1796

Edward Jenner first injects an eight year old boy with cowpox and six weeks later he injects the same boy with smallpox. The boy never contracted the disease, which led Jenner to conclude that vaccination was possible.

Anaesthetic

Apr 17, 1800

This is the year that Humphry Davy announces the anaesthetic property of ntrous oxide. He used it on himself for pleasure but later used it to numb the pain of his teeth being pulled.

Stethoscope

Apr 17, 1815

Rene Laennee invenvted the stethoscope. A doctor was now able to hear what was going on within the patient's heart, lungs, and stomach. This meant that a diagnosis was faster and more accurate.

A Usable Thermometer

Apr 17, 1867

The British doctor Thomas Allbutt made a small clinical thermometer that was small enough to finally use for medical purposes.

The Sterile Enviornment

Apr 17, 1880

Joseph Lister started to clean equipment before use in surgery. Everyone was sceptical of his efforts, but as his death rate began to drop more and more doctors would adopt his practices. This lead to better treatment of patients and the replacement of carbonic acid with steam cleaning to kill germs in wounds,

Rabies Vaccine

Apr 17, 1882

Louis Pasteur develops a rabies vaccine. He hypothesized that microorganisms could cause diseases in his "germ" theory.

The X-Ray

Apr 17, 1895

William Conrad Rontgen discovers the x-ray by accident. He noticed that when he turned on his cathode ray tube, a piece of barum would glow. He knew that something must be connecting them in some way, which led to the discovery of the x-ray.

Aspirin

Apr 17, 1897

Aspirin was invented in Germany.

Blood Types

Apr 17, 1901

Karl Landsteiner discovered different blood types. He found that there were two types of protien that could be found on the surface of blood cells. He discovered that when type B blood was transplanted into somebody who had type A blood, the immune system would distroy the type B blood cells.

The Electrocardioscope

Apr 17, 1903

William Einthoven built an electrocardiograph which recorded a hearts electrical pulses. Doctors were now able to see the irregularities in a heartbeat.

Insulin

Apr 17, 1921

Fedrick Banting and Charles Best discover insulin.

Tuberculosis and Tetanus

Apr 17, 1927

The first vaccines for Turberculosis and Tetanus. Vaccines for these diseases were a miricle because both were practically a death sentence, because Turberculosis attacked the lungs and Tetanus paralized the body.

Penicilin

Apr 17, 1928

Alexander Fleming saw that there was far less bacteria growing when mold near one of his bacteria samples. He successfully collected a sample of the mold, but the research into penicilin did not start till much later,

Polio

Apr 17, 1952

Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine.

The Insulin Pump

Apr 17, 1972

Dean Kamen invents the Insulin Pump which makes the injection of insulin a whole lot easier

The Surgical Robot

Apr 17, 1985

Yik San Kwoh invented the surgical robot which illimated the shaking doctor's hand, He also claimed that it was faster, safer, and less invasive.

The Humane Genome

Apr 17, 2003

Scientists completed a final working draft of the human genome.