Take Up
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.