Medical Discoveries & Inventions

The world of medical discoveries and inventions is constantly in motion, with new and updated data coming in every day. Since ancient times, inventors and researchers have been interested in creating devices and substances that will improve human health. This article details a small sampling of some of the most unique and useful inventions throughout history.

Anesthetics

• Anesthetics are administered during medical procedures to lessen or deaden the pain and anxiety produced by the procedure. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of anesthesia is a "loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness," and this is precisely what these substances do.

  Anesthetics of one form or another have been used for centuries. The early Chinese used acupuncture. The Hindus used hemp and wine. Other cultures relied on alcohol, opium and other plant-based substances.

  The use of more modern anesthesia began in the late 18th century when chemists began using various gases, such as nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and chloroform. Intravenous anesthesia was first attempted around 1659 by Sir Christopher Wren. Both modalities have slowly progressed as research has found which substances are most safe and effective.

Artificial Heart

• The first attempt at an artificial heart was a joint effort in 1935 by French surgeon Alexis Carrel and famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. The team designed a perfusion pump that worked outside the body. The pump worked to keep the body and its organs alive by keeping blood pumping through them.

  It wasn't until 1957 that a complete artificial heart was developed and implanted in a dog at the Cleveland Clinic. After the successful implantation, a team was put together by the National Institutes of Health to develop and perfect artificial heart devices.

Contact Lenses

• It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci was the first to envision the concept of a contact lens. Three European scientists are credited with making da Vinci's ideas a reality: Adolf Eugene Fick, Eugene Kalt and August Muller. In 1888, they presented a scientific paper in Paris with a prototype for a glass lens. A German company began production of these lenses in the 1920s. Although they worked well, researchers knew improvements were needed because of the severe eye irritation they caused.

False Teeth

• Queen Elizabeth I of England seems to have been the first person to come up with the idea of false teeth. It is reported that she would fill in her dental gaps with cloth during public appearances.

  Soon after, inventors started designing hand-carved false teeth that were tied in place with silk threads. This slowly led to dentures that were held in place with a glue-like substance. The initial dentures were incredible problematic. They were poor-fitting, had to be completely removed for the person to eat, and could suddenly spring out of the wearer's mouth.

Toothpaste

• Substances to assist in cleaning teeth have been used since ancient times. Early writings contain recipes for teeth-cleaning powders made with burnt shells, talc, honey, powdered fruit and even lizard livers.

  Modern toothpaste appeared in the 1800s and contained soap and chalk. The first toothpaste tube was developed by a dentist in Connecticut, and marketed under the name "Dr. Sheffield's Creme Dentifrice" in 1892.