|  | Public Health Safety | Medical Research

Why Do Doctors Use Microscopes?

Doctors use many tools such as the microscope to aid in their diagnoses. A microscope can be used to magnify cells and other specimens from a patient. Magnification of the specimen using a microscope helps a doctor to determine whether a sample is healthy or diseased. This will help determine the best course of action when treating the patient.

  1. Microscopes to Study Cells

    • The use of a microscope can be used to detect abnormal cells and to check for the presence of different cell types. For example, in sickle-cell anemia, blood cells are not round but have a sickle shape. The sickle shape is easily seen under a microscope. Microscopes are also used to detect urinary tract infections. Urine samples can be examined under the microscope to see if large numbers of bacteria are present.

    Microscopes to Study Tissue

    • Tissues, which are groups of cells that carry out a common function, can also be examined under a microscope. Tissues can be surgically removed from a patient in a procedure called a biopsy. In most cases, a type of doctor called a pathologist will prepare the tissue sample and examine it under the microscope. This is commonly done to test for the presence of cancerous cells within a tissue sample.

    Microscopes Used in Surgery

    • Microscopes are also commonly used to aid surgeons. For example, arthroscopic surgeries are frequently performed to repair muscles and ligaments in joints. It is now common for smaller incisions to be made because small tools such as cameras with microscopes can now aid in the repair of tissue. This is extremely useful because large incisions are no longer necessary to perform this type of surgery, which in turn decreases the chance of infections and shortens recovery time.

    Benefits

    • The benefits of microscopes to doctors are numerous. The ability to examine cells and tissues in greater detail can result in an earlier diagnosis and treatment that is tailored to the specific disease of the patient. For example, a microscope can be used to determine the stage of cancer in a patient, as well as whether the cancer has spread to neighboring tissues. This information is important when determining a treatment plan.

    Expert Insight

    • Technology continues to find new ways to implement microscopes in a manner that will aid doctors and patients. For example, there is now a microscope that can attach to a cellular phone. This new type of microscope would help doctors diagnose diseases such as tuberculosis and sickle-cell anemia in remote areas where microscopes are not readily available. The microscope would also cut down testing costs and allow doctors to make a diagnosis within minutes instead of weeks.

Medical Research - Related Articles