Medical Imaging Technologies: A Window to Peek Inside the Human Body

Medical imaging is widely known as famous as radiology in the healthcare industry through which several medical experts create different images of the human body for treatment and diagnostic purposes. This technology includes tests such as non-invasive, which helps doctors in diagnosing several diseases and injuries without making any cuts on the human body.

Medical imaging is one of the improved advanced outcomes of using modern imaging and diagnosis technologies. The following are the types of imaging procedures:

· X-Ray

· Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

· Ultrasound

· Endoscopy

· Tactile Imaging

· Computerized Tomography Scanning (CT Scan)

· Positron Emission Tomography Scanning (PET Scan)

The word ‘medical imaging technologies’ has a wider definition. It is an advanced technology that assists medical experts in viewing the insides of a human body that cannot be seen with naked eyes.

With the help of imaging technology, doctors and experts can plan the treatment, execute, monitor, and surveillance any specific diseases.

Who uses medical imaging technology?

Radiographers, also famous as radiology technologists or imaging technologists, are the responsible persons for administering the procedures of medical imaging. Radiographers are provided with training on complete knowledge of the human body structure and how it can be affected by several injuries and diseases. They are specialized in the previously-mentioned procedures, including CT scans and MRIs. Some other areas also handled by Radiographers include:

• Angiography: It involves the imaging of the heart and blood vessels inside a human body.
• Mobile Radiology: It involves the use of advanced technologies to perform the procedures of imaging a sick patient’s body who cannot travel to hospitals.
• Fluoroscopy: It involves the use of X-Ray technology that provides images of the internal body for the patient and displays them on the screen for proper understanding.

The radiologist can also help in treating diseases like heart diseases and cancer using minimally invasive, radiation and imagining surgeries.

Once these imaging procedures are completed, radiographers provide detailed images and analyze them for providing proper information that helps experts to choose the desired treatment option.

Importance of Medical Imaging:

Medical imaging helps the doctor in assessing patients’ organs, blood vessels, and bones in a better way via non-invasive procedures. It helps in determining whether the surgery will be an effective option, locating tumors for removal and treatment, finding blockages and other blood clots, and directing experts dealing with treatment-related fractures and joint replacements.

Overall, medical imaging technology has helped in improving treatments and diagnoses procedures by decreasing the guesswork by experts and doctors. Imaging technology helps in improving and dealing more effectively with patients’ diseases and injuries.

Which are the highly developed imaging technologies?

Medical imaging tools and technologies have evolved significantly over the past few years. Today, these technologies are helping to manage and diagnose several diseases.

X-Ray was the oldest form of medical imaging and was discovered by Roentgen in 1985. Since then, medical imagining technology has been continuously getting advanced and traditional ways of imaging are being replaced by its advanced forms such as CT scans.

Following are some widely used technologies for the medical imaging of injuries and diseases:

• Computed Tomography Scanning (CT Scan):

Medical experts used CT scans to analyze the complete internal body structure of a patient. It uses computers and X-Rays for producing images of the complete body. It captures the pictures of thin slices of the human bones, organs, blood vessels, and muscles, enabling healthcare experts to study a body in detail.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of non-invasive imaging technology used for producing three-dimensional images of the body in a more detailed manner. It is generally used for the detection of diseases, diagnosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of treatments. It works on the principle of sophisticated technology that detects and highlightsthe changes inside a body.

• Ultrasound:

Ultrasound imaging technology uses high-frequency waves for capturing live pictures from inside of the patient’s body. It is also called sonography. The technology is quite similar to that being used by radar and sonar, which helps the defense sector in detecting hostile ships and planes. An ultrasound helps the doctor in detecting the problems with vessels, tissues, and organs without making any cuts on the patient’s body.

Unlike other techniques of imaging, ultrasound doesn’t use any radiation. Hence, it is mostly preferred to see the fetus during the period of pregnancy.

Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Imaging Technology:

The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on the market for robotic-assisted imaging technologies. Only a few technologies, such as CT scans and X-Ray, were in use for screening the patients who were affected by the virus, whereas most of the other imaging technologies were not being used because of the postponement of several surgeries.

During the beginning stage of the COVID- 19 pandemic, healthcare centers drastically stopped all procedures and were restricted from performing surgeries to ensure patients’ safety and focus more on patients struggling with COVID-19.

Market Overview of Robotic-Assisted Imaging Technologies:

Presently, the major factor fueling the growth of the robotic-assisted imaging technologies market is the increase in minimally invasive surgical procedures, the evolution of technologies used for image modalities, and the development of robotics applications in the healthcare field.

As per the market report ‘global robotic-assisted imaging technologies,’ the market was valued at $617.7 million in 2020. However, it is supposed to grow and touch $2,207.8 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.74% during the forecast period 2021–2030.

Conclusion:

Today, medical imaging technology has become much more advanced and has opened doors to view the insides of a human body with the help of technologies such as computed tomography scans. It is helping the healthcare industry in diagnosing patients’ diseases in a much more effective manner and enabling the professionals to take the required steps for improving treatment procedures for different diseases.