Top 10 Medical Innovations of 2011 - if you have deep pockets
Published date : 04 November 2010
Article date : 04 November 2010
It’s the time of year for top 10 lists. Here’s an interesting one from the staff of the US based Cleveland Clinic who have gazed into their crystal balls and nominated their pick of the top 10 medical innovations for 2011. The list includes early detection technologies for Alzheimer’s disease, a targeted T-cell antibody for melanoma and a cancer vaccine for metastatic prostate cancer.
The devices making the list include an implantable device for remote monitoring of cardiac functioning, the Trans-Oral Gastroplasty device (TOGA) for weight loss, and capsule endoscopy for the diagnosis of paediatric GI disorders.
Like any top 10 list, this list is subjective and reflects the perspective of the judges. It also has a high-tech North American feel to it. Elsewhere in the health care industry the idea of implementing low cost technologies from the developing world in the cash-strapped systems of the developed world is gaining traction. This “reverse innovation” has lead to the dissemination of ideas such as oral rehydration solutions for children with diarrhoea, the Aravind Eye Care System for low cost cataract surgery and a low cost ECG machine from GE, developed for emerging nations and now adopted globally. In these straitened times, 2011 could in fact be the year of “reverse innovation”. What do you think?
