This article discusses how converging technologies such as bioinformatics (BT), information technology (IT), and nanotechnology (NT) are being utilized in the field of medicine. It highlights how medical technology is being advanced through biomedical engineering, which is revolutionizing diagnosis, treatment, personalized medicine, telemedicine, and more.
With science and technology advancing at such a rapid pace, one of the biggest issues in the field of science and technology is “future convergence technologies”. Future convergence technology is a type of convergence technology that combines two or more fields, such as bioinformatics (BT), information technology (IT), and nanotechnology (NT), and is a next-generation technology that is gaining attention across society, from the medical, energy, and food processing fields to the defense field. These technologies are not just solving current problems, but also serving as solutions to new problems of the future. In particular, as sustainability and human-centered technological advancement are becoming major topics, convergence technologies require a comprehensive approach that considers environmental, economic, and social values.
As the interest in future convergence technologies, especially in the medical field, has increased, a lot of research has been conducted to develop medical technologies, and a discipline called biomedical engineering has been created to deal with these medical technologies. Biomedical bioengineering is a technology and discipline that seeks to utilize biotechnology in the field of medicine, and covers all fields from basic medicine to materials and devices in the field of medicine based on the convergence of BT and IT technologies. As such, biomedical engineering can be categorized in several ways, as different fields of engineering are applied to different areas of medicine, and we’ll give you a few examples.
First, there are biosignal processing technologies that detect and process various types of signals from the body and analyze the results to provide useful information for medical treatment. Typical examples are EEG, which analyzes changes in electrical potentials in the cerebrum or brain currents indirectly through electrodes attached to the scalp, and electrocardiography, which detects action currents in the myocardium as the heart beats. These technologies are being developed through research on how to easily and accurately measure various electrical, mechanical, and chemical signals in the body and how to apply analytical methods to obtain appropriate and clinically useful results from the measured data. Advances in these technologies can be used in the clinical field of medicine in the form of medical devices.
Next is the technology that deals with medical image information, which involves research on new image acquisition methods, processing, and analysis methods. This technology enables the storage, transmission, and retrieval of images after processing, as well as efficient reading of the output images for more accurate diagnosis. MRI, one of the most used medical imaging technologies in hospitals these days, is a method in which a living body is placed in a uniformly powerful electromagnetic field and given electromagnetic wave energy of a certain frequency to cause a resonance phenomenon, and the energy emitted is converted into a signal to construct a tomogram through a computer. Compared to CT using X-rays, it has the advantage that there is no risk of radiation exposure and it is easy to obtain cross-sectional images in any direction. Imaging technologies such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI have attracted the attention of global companies such as Siemens, GE, Philips, and many others, and nowadays, there is no small or medium-sized hospital that does not have these technologies. In addition, advances in image analysis technology are having a major impact not only on diagnosis but also on treatment planning. For example, image analysis tools combined with artificial intelligence (AI) technology are supplementing doctors’ experience and judgment, paving the way for more precise diagnosis and treatment.
Artificial organs are an integral part of biomedical engineering. When a deteriorated or lost organ cannot be restored by any means, it is removed and an artificial organ is implanted to replace it. An example of this technology is peritoneal dialysis, in which a tube is inserted into the stomach of a kidney failure patient whose kidneys are failing and clean dialysis fluid is injected into it, using osmotic pressure differences to remove waste from the body. For many deaf people, if the hair cells in the inner ear are intact, a cochlear implant can be used to read external sound signals into a microphone, process them into signals, and stimulate the hair cells with electrical signals, allowing them to hear. Other technologies include a retinal implant, which is currently in the experimental stage, and deep brain stimulation, which can treat involuntary tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease by stimulating certain parts of the brain with electricity. In addition, artificial organ technology is increasingly moving toward personalized medicine. Personalized organs based on a patient’s individual genetic information and physiological data have the potential to improve the accuracy of treatment and dramatically improve the quality of life for patients.
Finally, there is the field of mechanized development of medical bionic technologies for clinical use. In addition to the basic and core technologies of medical devices, systems with high clinical utility are developed by considering safety, accuracy, reliability, and affordability. A technology that has recently gained a lot of attention in this field is ubiquitous healthcare (U-health care), a telemedicine service that utilizes various ITs to provide healthcare anytime, anywhere. This technology is characterized by the ability to receive medical services without time and space limitations. By establishing a network with hospitals across the country, personalized health management by primary care doctors is possible, and when people in remote mountainous areas are in physical danger, they can go to a nearby health center equipped with a video system and receive medical consultation and treatment in real time from professional medical staff in large hospitals in cities. U-health care is a very useful medical device technology for our increasingly aging society and should be commercialized nationwide as soon as possible. Furthermore, these telehealth services can go beyond simple diagnosis and prescription, and can also play a big role in continuously monitoring the health status of patients and taking preventive measures to stop diseases in their tracks.
Modern society is becoming increasingly wellness- and well-being-centered. People are becoming increasingly concerned about their bodies and health. And as we enter an aging society, the demand for healthcare services is skyrocketing. To meet this demand, medical research and development is needed more than ever, and many people believe that medical bionics, a technology that combines medicine and engineering, will be a key to this. If medicine and engineering, two different fields, can work closely together by understanding each other’s situations and accepting each other’s characteristics, we will be able to lead healthier lives through more advanced technologies. As these converging technologies develop, we will not only gain freedom from disease, but also have the opportunity to pursue a better quality of life.
