Magical touch of an iPod now to assist orthopedic surgeons

You need not see the toolkit of an orthopedic surgeon. They deal with our bones and muscles, so the expected tools would include retractors, scissors, saws, pliers, curettes, and so on. Now, what if an iPod finds a place during surgeries along with these tools or may be replace them? Well, it’s not to relieve the tensed mind of a surgeon through music, but to aid in effective execution of joint replacement surgeries.

ipod used for ortho surgery

The human factor is always been a major contributor of any surgery and amount of risk is always a certainty. Especially for a joint replacement surgery, skills of a doctor come into play as it requires precision of highest order. When a surgeon’s skill meets technology, accuracy is just a touch way. Yes, the iPod is all set to be in the news again. The portable media player is now used as a surgical instrument.

Smith & Nephew together with Brainlab have come up with this innovative technology to effectively help in joint replacement surgeries. The whole setup mainly involves the iPod Touch and a portable infrared camera. The iPod Touch is first connected to a camera to capture pictures of a knee or hip joint. After capturing the pictures, the iPod Touch works with another device to calculate relevant angles and positions for the knee/hip joint replacement. The readings then guide the surgeon to complete the operation with precision.

Talking about portability, the surgeon can carry the device in his hand, thus the screen is at the same area where the surgery is being done. Next time you go for a joint replacement surgery, you will experience the package that has portability, accuracy, and that magical touch of an iPod.

Via: MedGadget/UberGizmo