3. X-ray (Invented in 1895)
3. X-ray (Invented in 1895)
Diagnosing and treating injuries would be incredibly difficult without an X-ray machine, but that’s what doctors were forced to do for centuries. That is, until German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered the X-ray.
At the time, it was so miraculous that many people didn’t believe the initial reports. In fact, a New York Times journalist sarcastically referred to it as an "alleged discovery of how to photograph the invisible."
Today X-ray is a powerful imaging technique we see used in many medical examinations, treatment and during surgery. CT, radiation therapy and fluoroscopy are all based on X-rays.
4. Antibiotics (Invented in 1907)
The era of Antibiotics began with the synthesis of Salvarsan (now called Arsphenamine) by Alfred Bertheim and Paul Ehrlich in 1907. The drug was used as the first effective treatment for syphilis, marking the start of antibacterial treatment. In 1928 Alexander Fleming noted the antibacterial effect the fungus Penicillium caused (killing bacteria in a Petri dish), marking the beginnings of Penicillin. Antibiotics started being popularly used only after 1945 when bulk production methods for manufacturing Penicillin became available.
Antibiotics revolutionized modern medicine, as they enabled treatment and recovery from diseases that were often fatal before. Together with vaccination, antibiotics have facilitated the near eradication of epidemic diseases such as tuberculosis. It’s hard to imagine our world without antibiotics in it. Today the medical community is looking at resistant bacteria that has evolved due to overuse of antibiotics.
5. Disposable Catheter (Invented in 1944)
Most medical innovations are pioneered by highly-educated individuals, but in this case, the opposite was true. The disposable catheter was invented by David S. Sheridan who only had an 8th grade education and was working in a floor refinishing business at the time.
Sheridan created a hollow plastic tube that was designed to be discarded after a one-time use. He later went onto hold over 50 patents before passing away in 2004 at the age of 95.
6. Cardiac Defibrillator (Invented in 1947)
One of the most miraculous inventions, the idea concept of defibrillation had been known for decades. However, it wasn’t until Claude Beck, a Cleveland cardiovascular surgeon, successfully defibrillated the heart of a young boy during surgery that an apparently dead person had been brought back to life in a clinical setting.
Today, the cardiac defibrillator is used daily around the world and has saved millions of people from life-ending scenarios.
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