Unlocking the Power of the Mind - Up and Coming Medical Tech

 Medicine  

The human brain remains the most complex phenomenon in the known universe. More and more, medical research is uncovering the mysteries of the brain and applying that knowledge to new technology.

In the last few years, medical practice and the growing complexity and refinement of technology has led to some astounding breakthroughs in a number of medical fields. Interestingly, while technology has certainly been responsible for some groundbreaking implementations on its own, it is often the ability to understand the inner workings of the human body through technology that allow medical science to make huge leaps forward in preventative and curative medical approaches. The human brain is often at the forefront of such inquiry, as in many ways remains the last true enigma.

Man-Machine Interface

Some of the most impressive breakthroughs in recent times have undoubtedly been the ability to harness brain waves, in turn using them to enable control of tech. Perhaps one of the most arresting events is the recent story of a Swedish truck driver, who lost an arm ten years ago. Through a process they named ‘Osseointergration’, scientists at Chalmers University of Technology created an interface between the biological and technological allow the man to have a much wider level of control over his new prosthetic arm. While this kind of basic idea has already been achieved by placing electrodes on patients, this direct link between man and machine is the first of its kind, and opens up a huge amount of possibilities for the future.

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Work has already begun on finding ways to allow signals to travel back from the prosthetic to the brain, in an effort to enable to the user to essentially ‘feel’ their arm. This goes hand in hand with recent breakthroughs in the US, which allow prosthetic arms to be controlled through the electrical signals of muscle contractions. Of course, behind these amazing innovations is the application of computer models and software - in essence technology and medicine are now working more closely than ever before. As we gain an ever increasing understanding of the brain, the way we approach medical problems will begin to, and already has in some cases, begin to change forever.

Understanding how we process information for example, has led to understanding how to implement accelerated learning, and the ongoing research into addiction disorders is also looking promising. Even simple smartphone apps are having a positive impact, especially when used in addition to traditional therapy and support.

Mapping the Brain

Ongoing research of the brain has led to a number of other recent discoveries, which set the stage for some truly exciting applications in the near future. Brain Mapping itself has been ongoing for a decade, and as a result scientists and neuroscientists are now able to view the brain in higher detail than ever before.

Perhaps what is even more exciting however, is how the relationship between the organic and the technological continue to evolve in a way that mirror each other. Neuromorphic chips for example, are modeled on the brain itself, and have to potential to give computers much more awareness and power - something that will be fundamental in the ongoing development of robots and artificial intelligence. The chips are not set to be manufactured until next year, but the prospects are certainly exciting. The basic idea behind the chip is that it uses silicon to model the neural pathways of the brain. This in turn allows the chip to not only achieve much higher processing speeds, but also helps to circumvent the traditional problems that processors currently face: heat.

Despite continual advances in tech, a processor as we know it today are consistently limited by heat generation. The neuromorphic chip could bypass this problem, potentially leading to some major new advancements in both computer power and speed, but also in the range and ability of tasks a computer will be able to handle.

While it may be some time before the Qualcomm developed chips are sitting comfortably in our smartphones and tablets, the potential benefits for almost all areas of the computer tech industry and others is huge. In the end, despite our increasingly and ever growing technical savvy, the neuromorphic chip serves as a great example of how we can unlock better, more efficient tech by unlocking more about ourselves and the natural world around us.


SOURCE  Top Image - Human Connectome Project

By Anne Foy

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