Take Up
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES
STATION ACTIVITY
1. ARTHROSCOPY
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Arthroscopes are a surgical tool that allow surgeons to
literally see within a patient’s joints without having to
surgically open the patient up.
A lens with a light are inserted through a small incision
into a joint. Commonly used in knee ligament repair
surgery.
Pros: Far less invasive than traditional surgical repair.
Allow for great accuracy with reduced strain on the body.
Cons: Although it is non-invasive there will still be
trauma
X-RAYS
The principal form of radiation used in diagnostic
radiology.
 X-rays penetrate tissues and allow for imaging to
occur of internal structures.
 They pass easily through soft tissue, conversely,
they are stopped by more dense tissues such as
bone.
 Pros: Established and fairly common
 Cons: Exposure to radiation for prolonged periods
can have negative consequences.
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ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG)
A test that uses electrodes attached to the scalp to
measure nerve impulses.
 The test can produce results in the form of a graph
of brain wave activity, or over a monitor showing
where brain activity is located.
 PROS: Non-invasive and effective for diagnosing
neural disorders such as epilepsy and stroke.
 CONS:Not accurate in localizing disorders.
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ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG/EKG)
A measure of the heart’s electrical activity by
placing electrodes on patient’s chest, arm and leg.
 A doctor or technologist are then able to interpret
the waves of the heart’s electrical functioning from
this output.
 PROS:Non-invasive. Able to detect numerous heart
related disorders and monitor recovery of patients.
 CONS: Possible false positives and inconclusive
results.
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NUCLEAR IMAGING
Through injecting, inhaling, or swallowing a
radioactive ‘tracer’ it is possible through the use of
speacial scanning cameras to visualize organ
function.
 PROS: Unlike other imaging techniques, nuclear
imaging can detect how parts of the body are
working.
 CONS: Exposure to radioactive material. Difficult
and costly to produce.
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COMPUTERIZED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY
(CAT/CT SCAN)
A series of cross-sectional x-rays taken in
sequence and manipulated with computers to
produce a 3D image.
 PROS: Quick and painless procedure. 3D diagnosis
is highly important in diagnosing conditions and
planning procedures.
 CONS: Exposure to radiation. CT units are
expensive and there can be long wait lists for
procedure.
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MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)
Similar to a CT Scan, MRI is completed with a tube
and the scanner images cross sections of the
body.
 In comparison to a CT though, MRI works with
radio waves exciting atoms in body tissues.
 PROS: Non invasive technology that does not
involve exposure to radioactivity. Can image
through and within bone.
 CONS: Cannot be used on individuals with surgical
implants such as pacemakers.
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POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY
(PET SCAN)
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Unlike other imaging technologies, PET scans reveal
biochemical status as well as the structure of tissues.
Patients are injected with radioactively died glucose that is
metabolized in the brain.
The radioactive tracers can then be detected, processed,
and give colour coded images.
PROS: Incredible level of accuracy with minimal trauma (an
injection).
Cons: Radio isotopes can be expensive to produce and there
can be wait times. Exposure to radiation. Radio isotopes
have a limited shelf life.
ULTRASOUND
Diagnostic tool using high frequency sound waves
emitted from a device called a transducer that is
placed directly on the skin of the patient. The
sound waves travel through tissues and are
absorbed and reflected at different frequencies
depending on the density of the tissues.
 The transducer receives the reflected sound waves
and converts them into electrical signals which
images can then be derived from.
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ULTRASOUND
PROS: Non invasive, largely available, and no
exposure to radiation. Provides real time
results.
 CONS: There are limitations to how much of an
image can be obtained because the sound
waves penetrate tissues and it cannot
penetrate bone.
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ENDOSCOPY
Using fibre optic cameras and lighting to access
the inside of the body rather than traditional
surgical investigation and procedure.
 A tubular instrument in inserted into a natural
body opening or through an incision.
 PROS: Far less invasive and traumatic than
traditional surgery.
 CONS: Pain, bleeding, possibility of infection.
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