Technological Advances in the Medical Laboratory Field

Technology moves at light speed these days, and the advancement of technology in the medical laboratory is no different. If you’re a medical lab technician, you have to be up on the latest inventions and innovations all the time. While medical office assistant courses will help get you up to speed, keeping an eye on emerging trends is still very important to ensure optimal career development. These are some of the most recent impressive developments that have been going on in medical laboratories across the world.

Artificial Cells Mimicking Real Cells

We’ve been on the path to creating artificial organs and life support systems for decades now, with pacemakers being a great example. However, scientists have been making great strides in developing artificial cells that can mimic the effects of real cells found within the human body. These cells are created with tiny, synthetic gel material and are extremely useful for healing wounds and guarding against bacteria. This is the first big step on a road that will hopefully see us be able to create blood cells, brain cells and many other components of the human body.

Anti-Bleeding Gel

While adhesive bandages do their job and they do it well, there are times we’d like a quicker and more permanent solution. Scientists are hard at work on an “anti-bleeding gel” that, when applied to a wound not only seals it instantly but starts the clotting process as well. This means that you can stop a dangerous wound in its tracks and start the healing process almost instantly!

Printing Bones

It’s no secret that 3D printing has come a long way in the past couple of years, printing anything from food to household items, but did you know that scientists are finding a way to print new bones for human bodies? While not made of actual bone, they’re made of a synthetic material that has an extremely similar look, feel and makeup, meaning that they could ostensibly be used to replace broken or severed limbs. This would mean huge things for amputees and people who have their limbs damaged in accidents.

The printer creates “model” bones that are placed in the body at the fracture site, letting the real bone grow around it. Once the bone grows back, the synthetic bone disintegrates. The formula is a mixture of zinc, silicon and calcium phosphate. They’ve already done exceptionally successful tests in rabbits, and when the bone material is combined with stem cells, the bones grow back much faster and stronger than normal!

These are just some of the more exciting developments that are happening in the medical world right now, but a focused program in medical office assistant training will have you up to speed in no time at all, and will also provide you with a particularly rewarding career.