Technology

Topic
For my I search project I am researching artificial body parts and the technology that is used along with them. An artificial organ is a man-made device that is implanted or integrated, into a human to replace a natural organ, for restoring a specific function so the patient can continue a normal life. Artificial organs unlike plastic surgeries are only used in drastic conditions. such conditions are preventing imminent death, drastic improvement of the patient's ability for self care, improvement of the patient's ability to interact socially, and cosmetic restoration after cancer surgery or accident. These surgeries are very very expensive. Hip replacements and replacement bone are not considered organ transplants. Testing is done extensively on animals, humans who face death, or have tried every other type of treatment. Testing on healthy humans is only done when the human volunteers and is facing execution. The most successful artificial organs are the cochlear implant (ear) and the artificial lungs with some already fully functional.?

Upcoming artificial body parts
1. Artificial wombs- embryos grow outside a women's body. Uses: helps women who have gone miscarriages due to problems with embryo implantation, women not being able to carry their own children, gay couples can have babies now. Problems: Some people say mother-child bond will not be as strong, concerns with respect to cloning, and the right to ban abortion will be okay because the fetus can grow outside the body. 2. Artificial gut (stomach) - mimics both physical and chemical reactions taking place during digestion. Made out of fancy plastics and metals and can survive the corrosive gut acids and enzymes. This stomach can be fed real foods making it easy for the patient. This gut can even vomit. Problems: none 3. Artificial heart- Artificial hearts have been around from the 1960s, but this heart is the first FDA approved meaning that is can be planted into humans. The heart is called TAH t (Total artificial heart). The first person to receive this was a 46 year old fitness instructor who was suffering from biventricular end-stage heart failure and was in irreversible carcinogenic shock. He got the heart in the beginning of 2007. This heart extends you life expectancy and they are trying to make hearts that make you live longer and longer. The latest heart to be passed is the AbioCor made by Abiomed Inc. the two-pound AbioCor has an internal thoracic (chest) unit, an internal rechargeable battery, an internal miniaturized electronics package and an external battery pack. Some of the down sides are the large size and shorter life span. Here is a video [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cScFsxul7] **More upcoming artificial body parts**

4. Artificial blood- Blood need all over the world is increasing day by day. Artificial blood is not someone else's blood it is blood that is made then inserted into people. Artificial blood is separated into 2 groups volume expanders and oxygen therapeutics. Blood expanders only increase blood volume and oxygen therapeutics that replace the bloods natural ability to carry oxygen. Blood expanders are used in hospitals but the oxygen therapeutics are still in clinical trails. 

5. Artificial blood vessels- Scientists have now developed artificial blood vessels using collagen taken from the skin of salmon. While scientists have already developed artificial tissues from bovine (found in cow) and porcine (found in pig) collagen, there are diseases transferred from cows such as Mad cow disease and swine flu from pigs. Since humans get no recorded diseases from salmon this is very safe to use but this will be first tested on larger animals such as dogs. Chris Mason, a Medical Research Council Clinical Fellow at University College London discovered a way of creating blood vessels for heart bypass surgery. Blood vessels will now be a reality. 6. Artificial bones- under clinical trials. scientists have recently discovered that that citric acid, with 1,8-octanediol (a non-toxic chemical) makes a stretchy and strong yellow rubber that can be molded into many shapes and fix damaged body parts. The polymer mixed with a certain powder gives out a very hard material that can be used to repair bones. The powder used is the same natural powder that makes up our bones. 

7. Artificial skin- in 1996 MIT developed an artificial skin to be used on people with server burns or who have lost their skin. This was FDA approved. In 2001 a self repairing "skin" was developed. Just like own skin this skin bleed and then healed it self. This discovery made a breakthrough in vital materials use in surgical implants. Soon after another breakthrough in ageing was discovered. They have succeeded in finding a way to grow these cells dubbed fibroblasts in the lab only. Fibroblasts make a protein called collagen, which add to the strength to our skin as we age, but as we age these cells decline causing wrinkles. What these scientists discovered is that when Fibroblasts are injected into the skin collagen is made making the skin to regenerate making us look younger. Scientists also discovered bacteria resistant skin, that can sweat, tan, and fight off infection. == ==

Even more Upcoming artificial body parts
8. Artificial Retina- status: Developed successfully, waiting for commercialization. U.S. scientists have urbanized a bionic eye that can restore sight to the blind. They are testing this on 50-75 patients. This retina cures the two most common types of blindness. The types are Macular Degeneration or Retinitis Pigmentosa. Macular Degeneration is when light sensing cells over time stop working. Retinitis Pigmentosa is an advanced version of night blindness or tunnel vision, most people of this type of blindness are not blind till their 40s and 50s. The first generation of this technology will be available in 2009 at 15,000 euros. 

9. Artificial limbs- A new research is saying that humans can grow some limbs back. This is great for amputees. Humans have successfully grown back limbs for Salamanders with the help of an extract from pigs bladder. In the future researchers want to replace damaged heart parts and spinal cord parts. 10. Artificial body parts from stem cells- Status: prototypes developed, more research on way. Scientists from England have found a way to grow a heart valve from stem cells, within ten years they can grow a whole heart. The limitation is embryo ethics.



How an artificial limbs are made
Artificial limbs have been around for hundreds of years. One early example is the peg leg often the ones pirates wear. Back in the day limbs were made from wood and iron, as you can imagine these were very heavy. Recently computers have been used to help amputees with Prosthetic limbs. About 85% of facilities use a CAD/CAM model to design these limbs. Measuring and casting 1.Accuracy is very important in the is process because doctors want to give u a limb that is as comfortable as a natural one. Before the limb is made a prosthetist evaluates the amputee and takes an impression or digital reading of the limb. 2. The Prosthetist then measures the length of relative body parts, determines the location of bones. By using these numbers this person makes a plastic cast of the stump. This is most commonly made of plaster of Paris, because it dries fast and yields a detailed impression. From the plaster cast, an exact duplicate of the stump is created.

Making the socket
3. Then a sheet of clear thermoplastic is heated in a large oven and then vacuum-formed around the mold. Then the air between the sheet and the mold is sucked out dry making the sheet the exact shape of the mold. This thermoplastic sheet is now the test socket; it is transparent so that the prosthetist can check the fit. 4. The doctor works with the patient in making sure it is an exact fit. If the patient is missing a leg he/she would walk around with it on. The patient tests the comfort and if necessary minor changes are made or the patient can get a thicker socket. 5. The permanent socket is then formed. This is usually made of polypropylene, it can be vacuum-formed over a mold in the same way as the test socket. The stump usually shrinks after surgery and stops about a year later. The socket is replaced at that time and every so often as needed.

Artificial Limbs part 2.
once patients get an artificial limb there is a lot physical therapy involved. Sometimes muscles are to weak to signal the device so patients must learn how to strengthen these muscles. These patient learn how to wash their limbs and how to take them off. All of this can take a while. There is an instruction system for amputees to learn. It takes an amputee with a fake leg 18-20 weeks to walk again by them self. These people are taught how to get into bed, get into a car, how to fall down then get back up, how to walk up a hill etc... There are no standards for limbs in the U.S. Companies have to make up their own rules and regulations regarding this products. Some people are scared to get these because there are no regulations and feel like they will be harmed. This is not true at all. For instance a load is added onto a limb to test its strength and how much weight it can support. Cyclic loads determine the lifetime of the device. The future is very bright for this product. Scientists want limbs to be as most comfortable, come off very easily, be strong, lightweight, and look natural

**Artificial Liver**

The most common transplant we hear about is the liver transplant. Every year there are nearly 28,000 deaths from liver failure and only 6,000 are donated every year. Liver failure is the inability of the liver to perform its normal synthetic and metabolic function as part of normal physiology. You can die within 48 hours of liver failure. Liver failure is trigged by too much alcohol intake hepatitis B or C and other causes. People with failed livers often bleed then fall into a coma. A liver can sometimes recover on its own if enough time is given. Doctors have created a machine that helps people while their liver is recovering. The machine is called the ELAD "extracorporeal liver assist device." This machine is powered by human liver cells which make the job easier. The price is $30,000 which is a lot of money. This machine does not replace a liver, and there are many side effects that could lead to liver failure. When this happens half the patients die.

Artificial Lung
Just like artificial livers many people die on the waiting list for an artificial lung. Lung failure is any condition that effects breathing or the lung itself. This is caused by blockage of the airways, weak breathing (from obesity and drugs), muscle weakness, lung disease (smoking), and an abnormal chest wall. Since there are more and more people in need of transplants every year scientists and doctors have been pressured to create something that will delay the time in order to get a transplant. Doctors need to create a machine that can supply 100% of a patient's oxygen needs by using the heart's own pumping power. It took eight years to do this. This machine is called the ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.) This machine takes over the functions of both the lungs and heart, pumping blood and exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen outside the body. This machine is not a good long term use. People with very bad lungs usually do not survive long enough to get a transplant. To keep blood moving without clotting people take a blood thinning medicine. The pumps used in this machine damage red blood cells to.

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