Medical Gadgets
Clinical Thermometer
The temperature of our body is not fixed at all time. It changes according to our environment.
Normal temperature of human body is about 370C or 98.40F.
When body temperature increases above the normal temperature, the body is said to have fever.
We may get fever due to viral infections like cold, cough, bacterial infection of the throat. We may get fever because of stomach infection or chest conjunctions.
- A clinical thermometer is used to measure the temperature of human body.
- It was invented by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit in 1714.
- A clinical thermometer is marked from 950F to 1100F.
- Thermometer has a glass body with a thin glass tube inside. There is a bulb filled with mercury at one end.
In the ancient time we used to get the temperature either by touching the body or by feeling the pulse. Now we have this clinical thermometer.
How temperature is measured using Clinical Thermometer
The thermometers place either in the mouth or under the armpit for about one minute. The mercury in the thermometer expands when it gets heated and give the temperature of the body. The exact idea of temperature helps the doctor to medicate the patient properly.
How do we use the thermometer?
Thermometer is put in mouth, under the tongue, or in armpit for about 2 minutes to know the body temperature. When this is done, the mercury expand due to the heat and rises up. The point at which it stops, shows the exact body temperature.
If the mercury does not rise beyond 98.4, we don’t have fever.Record of your daily temperature helps the doctor to know the cause and prescribe medicine.Some thermometers are marked, according to Celsius scale. Nowadays we have digital thermometers also.
Stethoscope
Stethoscope was invented in France by doctor Rene Laennec in 1816.
It was invented to find out the functioning of lungs and hearts.
One day, Dr. Rene noticed 2 children playing a strange game. They were sitting at two ends of a long and hollow piece of wood. One was whispering through it and other was listening. Unable to control himself, he asked the children what they are doing. They told him that through this log of wood they can hear even the softest of sounds. Dr. Rene was very excited as a thought stuck him.He hurried back to his clinic and roll the newspaper and placed one end of it on a patient’s chest and other to his ear.He could now hear the heartbeat so clearly. This child play lead to the invention of stethoscope.
Uses of Stethoscope
Today,the stethoscope has gained great importance.
It is used by doctors to listen to the sound of lungs, heart and even the intestines, blood flow in arteries and veins.
This has helped doctors to diagnose and treat many diseases.
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument that makes even those objects look big that cannot be seen with the naked eyes.
Microscope has an interesting story behind it. About 400 years ago, the owner of a spectacle shop, happened to keep two lenses, one behind the other. It was an incident he looked through the lenses. He saw a fly in giant size.The idea helped him to prepare a toy called ‘Fleaglass’. It became popular in Europe.
Galileo, an Italian scientist, learned about it. He also made this instrument, but named it ‘Microscope’. He could now , not only see enlarged insects but also the minutest details like the hair on their body. Things looked very big through the microscope.Now very powerful microscopes have been developed.
When scientist discovered the drop of water has hundreds of disease causing germs when he viewed it under a microscope. Microscope help in the identification of different types of germs.
Many techniques and medicines are developed to treat the diseases caused by harmful germs.
Today, microscopes are used to examine blood, urine and many other things.This helps them to find out the disease the patient is suffering from.
Some More Machines
Some more inventions took place and doctors now use them to know about the diseases and disorders inside the human body. X-ray, ultrasound, CAT scan and MRI machines help doctors to find out about tumours, blockages or any other abnormalities inside the organs.
X-ray machine was discovered by Wilhelm Konrad Rontgen in 1896.It is used to locate fractures in the body.This is how surgeons are helped to perform operations with precision.
The Eco-cardiography (ECG) and Eco-electrography (EEG) are used to monitor the working of the heart. Another machine that has been developed recently is the heart-lung machine. This machine takes over the function of the heart and lungs in a body, when these organs are not able to perform their functions.