Star Trek Sensation: 21st-Century Medical Technology

In this paper, I will argue why the Star Trek franchise is one of the great influences of 21st-century medical technology. The concepts of some of the technology they used already existed. Audiences are led to believe this futuristic technology is used every day. The contraptions used in television and film is the assumption of how our future may look are in their most primitive characteristics. However, the franchise was not constrained to actual science. Medical device they used are basic ideas of what things should do. Several concepts and tools which appeared in Star Trek have come to pass in the real world. It is reasonable to consider Star Trek as an integrated part of medical technology. Tractor Beam – Starships like the “Enterprise”

Usually, a tractor beam is used to guide shuttle craft through launches and landings, and for towing other vessels. Scientists in Australia developed optical tweezers, which have the characteristics of a tractor beam. These tweezers precisely manipulate molecules by harnessing small lasers into beams. This is essential in measuring the mechanical properties of bacterial cells such as E.coli. Optical tweezers are also used to study the physical properties of DNA. This has given scientist the ability to identify cells as either healthy or cancerous. Using the tweezers is advantageous to use since there is non-contact force which manipulate the cells.

Tricoder – The tricoder is a useful medical device in Star Trek since it measured everything from detecting disease to oxygen levels. Mr. Spock uses the hand-held device to survey new planets. The Lab-on-a-Chip Application Development - Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) is a handheld device for rapid detection of biological and chemical substances on surfaces aboard the International Space Station. Astronauts will swab surfaces within the cabin, mix swabbed material in liquid form to the LOCAD-PTS, and obtain results within 15 minutes on a display screen. The study 's purpose is to effectively provide a rapid

What made this engineer distinctive was his unique eyewear. Geordi is blind, but he is equipped with a visual aid called VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement). With the use of his VISOR, Geordi can see all over the electromagnetic spectrum. In 2005, Scientist at Stanford University design of an “optoelectronic retinal prosthesis system that can stimulate the retina with resolution corresponding to a visual acuity of 20/80.” The implants would be placed behind the retina. Then the patient would wear a pair of glasses with a built-in video camera. An infrared LED image on the inside of the glasses is broadcasted when light enters the camera and is processed through a small wireless computer. And the retina chips will be able to stimulate photodiodes when the images are reflected back. The photodiodes “replicate the lost retinal cells then change light into electrical signals which in turn send nerve pulses to the brain.” This can lead to a blind person living independently because it enables the user to recognize faces, read larger fonts, and orient the hem toward objects. The hope for the device is to someday bring vision back to individuals who are blind because of retinal