New advancements in technology, from CT and MRI scanners to balloon catheters and replacement heart valves, have repeatedly revolutionized clinical care. Usually this is due to brand new capabilities that were simply impossible before the new technology came on the scene. But in certain cases, existing technology that has been around for decades all of a sudden becomes smart and convenient enough to do amazing things that were previously not expected. That’s the case with ultrasound, which not long ago was powered by machines the size of refrigerators producing a flat black and white image, to now when portable ultrasounds with Doppler capabilities can be found in many doctors’ coat pockets. Here’s a talk from this year’s TEDMED by Resa Lewiss, Director of Point-of-Care Ultrasound and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, talking about what this has meant for doctors and patients and for treatment of a variety of disease.
Link @ TEDMED: How an old technology became a disruptive innovation