Research into how crystals can be used to both create medical technologies and get better results from them has exploded over the last decade.
That’s because crystals naturally have a three-dimensional structure that makes them perfect for engineering purposes, making them widely applicable across many fields. This article will explore how crystals are helping advance medical technology.
1. Crystals as a Super-Resistance Bandage
One of the most interesting ways that crystals are being used in medical applications is as super-resistance bandages. These bandages have incredible healing properties and can even be used to improve the healing rate for wounds.
By adding crystals as a component of the bandage, they become better at removing blood from wounds and causing new blood to travel in some cases faster than it would without the presence of the crystal.
2. Implants
The medical field has always been concerned with getting implants to work efficiently. The reason why they’ve been so difficult to perfect stems from the fact that various materials react differently to healing processes.
If the healing process is interrupted, the implant may be at greater risk of complications and may lead to its removal or replacement. Crystals can help with this by being added as a component of implants used in bone-fusion surgeries.
The implant contains a special polymer that’s made from just two elements. One is a crystal, and the other is an organic compound. Here, the crystal catalyzes to help catalyze the polymerization of growth factors, which help fuse bone together.
3. Triggered Release Medication
Over the last few decades, it’s become more evident that drugs aren’t released from the body at a consistent rate. They either build up or are released too quickly, depending on the method of administration.
Some medications have faster release rates than others, which can be very effective for some people and very dangerous and even toxic for others.
Crystals can help control medication release rates by being added as a component in new and improved drug formulations. This was only introduced in 2015, but you can expect to see incredible results arising from this method.
4. Cancer Research
It’s thought that malignant cells can increase their resistance to treatments by being exposed to small, pulsed doses over a longer period.
Scientists are trying to determine whether crystals can deliver a similar effect as cancer cells are being exposed to lasers in the body. Early tests show that it’s possible, but the effect might not be as powerful on its own.
Additionally, crystals can add treatments to cancer cells to get them to recognize each other and destroy themselves. This technique is being explored to treat leukemia and other forms of cancer that rely on bone marrow.
5. Diagnostic Tools
Another application for crystals in the medical field is diagnostic technology. This stems from the fact that researchers are trying to distinguish between healthy cells and cancerous ones.
To do this, it’s exploring the use of nano-crystals inside of body cells. Doing this allows us to see whether or not cells are malignant and whether or not they identify as healthy. This is also being explored to differentiate between healthy cells, cancerous cells, and stem cells.
6. Radio-Frequency Identification
Integrating crystals with new technology can help them become more effective and efficient in many different ways. This is also true for radio-frequency identification technology. This is the type of technology used in passports and credit cards, as it helps identify people electronically.
A crystal-based technology has been developed that can be integrated into RFID chips to eliminate problems of counterfeiting.
It also works at lower temperatures than standard RFID chips, which means they can operate in hotter climates and create more reliable identification tags for machines.
7. Medical Devices
Because of the wide range of materials that crystals can be used in, they offer a lot more options for designing medical devices. For instance, beta-barium borate crystals (bbo) crystals made by Gamdan can be used as a UV stabilizer for PVC plastic.
That’s why there’s been a surge in research into using crystals to create effective yet affordable tissue-tissue engineering products. This is especially important in third-world countries where the only way to get surgery is to travel long distances and pay exorbitant fees.
Crystals can help solve some of these problems, which makes them an ideal material for engineers. As you can see, there are many more ways that crystals are making their way into the medical field than ever before.
Conclusion
By adding crystals to medical technology, it will be easy to create new devices and treatments that were previously unimaginable. Not only are there more options when it comes to designing medical equipment, but they also create a more accurate way of distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy cells.
Add Comment