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The term non-invasive in medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 has two meanings:

For centuries, physicians have employed many simple non-invasive methods based on physical parameters in order to assess body function in health and disease (physical examination
Physical examination

File:Reeve 978.jpgPhysical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a health care provider investigates the body of a patient for sign of disease....
 and inspection
Inspection (medicine)

In medicine, inspection is the thorough and unhurried visualization of the client. This requires the use of the naked eye.During inspection, the examiner observes:...
), such as pulse
Pulse

In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their artery. It can be palpated in any place that allows for an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck , at the wrist , behind the knee , on the inside of the elbow , and near the ankle joint ....
-taking, the auscultation
Auscultation

Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope; based on the Latin verb auscultare "to listen"....
 of heart sounds
Heart sounds

The heart sounds are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it. This is also called a heartbeat....
 and lung sounds
Breath sounds

Respiratory sounds refer to the specific sounds identified through auscultation of the respiratory system with a stethoscope.In this context, "adventitious" refers to sounds heard apart from the normal sounds of Inhalation and expiration....
 (using the stethoscope
Stethoscope

The stethoscope is a acoustic medicine device for auscultation, or listening to eth internal sounds of an animal body. It is stom often used to listen to heart sounds....
), temperature examination
Temperature examination

#REDIRECT Normal human body temperature...
 (using thermometer
Thermometer

The thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles; it comes from the Greek language roots thermo, heat, and meter, to measure....
s), respiratory examination
Respiratory examination

In medicine, the respiratory examination is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with a respiratory problem or a history that suggests a pathology of the lungs....
, peripheral vascular examination
Peripheral vascular examination

In medicine, the peripheral vascular examination is a series of maneuvers to elicit sign of peripheral vascular pathology. It is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with leg pain suggestive of a cardiovascular pathology....
, oral examination, abdominal examination
Abdominal examination

The abdominal exam, in medicine, is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with abdominal pain or a history that suggests an abdominal pathology....
, external percussion
Percussion (medicine)

Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structure, and is used in clinical examinations to assess the condition of the thorax or abdomen....
 and palpation
Palpation

Palpation is used as part of a physical examination in which an object is felt to determine its size, shape, firmness, or location. Palpation should not be confused with palpitation, which is an awareness of the beating of the heart....
, blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
 measurement (using the sphygmomanometer
Sphygmomanometer

A sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter is a device used to measure blood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure....
), change in body volumes (using plethysmograph
Plethysmograph

A plethysmograph is an instrument for measuring changes in volume within an Organ or whole body ....
), audiometry
Audiometry

Audiometry is the testing of hearing ability. Typically, audiometric tests determine a subject's equal-loudness contour with the help of an audiometer, but may also measure ability to discriminate between different sound intensities, recognize Pitch , or distinguish Interpersonal communication from background noise....
, eye examination
Eye examination

An eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist assessing Visual perception and ability to Focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes....
 and many others.

The discovery of the first modern non-invasive techniques based on physical methods, electrocardiography and X-ray
X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequency in the range 30 Hertz to 30 Hertz and energies in the range 120 Electron volt to 120 keV....
s, dates back to the end of the 19th century.






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The term non-invasive in medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 has two meanings:
  • A medical procedure
    Medical procedure

    A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems.A medical procedure with the intention of determining, measuring or diagnosis a patient condition or parameter is also called a medical test....
     is strictly defined as non-invasive when no break in the skin is created and there is no contact with the mucosa, or skin break, or internal body cavity beyond a natural or artificial body orifice. For example deep palpation and percussion is non-invasive but a rectal examination
    Rectal examination

    A rectal examination or rectal exam is an internal examination of the rectum such as by a physician or other healthcare professional.The digital rectal examination is a relatively simple procedure....
     IS invasive. Similarly, examination of the ear-drum or inside the nose or a wound dressing change all fall outside the strict definition of "non-invasive procedure".
  • An abnormal tissue growth, such as a neoplasm or tumor
    Tumor

    A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells . Tumor is not synonymous with cancer. A tumor can be Benign neoplasm, Carcinoma in situ or malignant, whereas cancer is by definition malignant....
    , that doesn't spread (invade) to the surrounding healthy tissue.


For centuries, physicians have employed many simple non-invasive methods based on physical parameters in order to assess body function in health and disease (physical examination
Physical examination

File:Reeve 978.jpgPhysical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a health care provider investigates the body of a patient for sign of disease....
 and inspection
Inspection (medicine)

In medicine, inspection is the thorough and unhurried visualization of the client. This requires the use of the naked eye.During inspection, the examiner observes:...
), such as pulse
Pulse

In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their artery. It can be palpated in any place that allows for an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck , at the wrist , behind the knee , on the inside of the elbow , and near the ankle joint ....
-taking, the auscultation
Auscultation

Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope; based on the Latin verb auscultare "to listen"....
 of heart sounds
Heart sounds

The heart sounds are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it. This is also called a heartbeat....
 and lung sounds
Breath sounds

Respiratory sounds refer to the specific sounds identified through auscultation of the respiratory system with a stethoscope.In this context, "adventitious" refers to sounds heard apart from the normal sounds of Inhalation and expiration....
 (using the stethoscope
Stethoscope

The stethoscope is a acoustic medicine device for auscultation, or listening to eth internal sounds of an animal body. It is stom often used to listen to heart sounds....
), temperature examination
Temperature examination

#REDIRECT Normal human body temperature...
 (using thermometer
Thermometer

The thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles; it comes from the Greek language roots thermo, heat, and meter, to measure....
s), respiratory examination
Respiratory examination

In medicine, the respiratory examination is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with a respiratory problem or a history that suggests a pathology of the lungs....
, peripheral vascular examination
Peripheral vascular examination

In medicine, the peripheral vascular examination is a series of maneuvers to elicit sign of peripheral vascular pathology. It is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with leg pain suggestive of a cardiovascular pathology....
, oral examination, abdominal examination
Abdominal examination

The abdominal exam, in medicine, is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with abdominal pain or a history that suggests an abdominal pathology....
, external percussion
Percussion (medicine)

Percussion is a method of tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structure, and is used in clinical examinations to assess the condition of the thorax or abdomen....
 and palpation
Palpation

Palpation is used as part of a physical examination in which an object is felt to determine its size, shape, firmness, or location. Palpation should not be confused with palpitation, which is an awareness of the beating of the heart....
, blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
 measurement (using the sphygmomanometer
Sphygmomanometer

A sphygmomanometer or blood pressure meter is a device used to measure blood pressure, comprising an inflatable cuff to restrict blood flow, and a mercury or mechanical manometer to measure the pressure....
), change in body volumes (using plethysmograph
Plethysmograph

A plethysmograph is an instrument for measuring changes in volume within an Organ or whole body ....
), audiometry
Audiometry

Audiometry is the testing of hearing ability. Typically, audiometric tests determine a subject's equal-loudness contour with the help of an audiometer, but may also measure ability to discriminate between different sound intensities, recognize Pitch , or distinguish Interpersonal communication from background noise....
, eye examination
Eye examination

An eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist assessing Visual perception and ability to Focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes....
 and many others.

The discovery of the first modern non-invasive techniques based on physical methods, electrocardiography and X-ray
X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequency in the range 30 Hertz to 30 Hertz and energies in the range 120 Electron volt to 120 keV....
s, dates back to the end of the 19th century. Since then, non-invasive methods – which penetrate the body nonetheless, but by electromagnetic
Electromagnetic radiation

Electromagnetic radiation takes the form of wave propagation waves in a vacuum or in matter. EM radiation has an electric field and magnetic field component which oscillate in phase perpendicular to each other and to the direction of energy Wave propagation....
 or particle radiation
Particle radiation

Particle radiation is the radiant energy of energy by means of fast-moving subatomic particles. Particle radiation is referred to as a particle beam if the particles are all moving in the same direction, similar to a light beam....
 rather than a scalpel
Scalpel

A scalpel is a small but extremely sharp knife used for surgery, anatomical dissection, and various arts and crafts. Scalpels may be disposable or re-usable....
 – have continuously enlarged the scope of medical technology
Medical technology

Medical technology refers to the diagnosis or therapeutic application of science and technology to improve the management of health conditions. Technologies may encompass any means of identifying the nature of conditions to allow intervention with devices, pharmacology, biology or other methods to increase life span and/or improve the quality...
. Non-invasive techniques commonly used for diagnosis
Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the identification of the nature of anything, either by process of elimination or other analytical methods. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with slightly different implementations on the application of logic and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships....
 and therapy include the following:

Diagnostic images


  • Bioluminescence imaging
    Bioluminescence imaging

    Bioluminescence imaging is a technology developed over the past decade that allows for the noninvasive study of ongoing biological processes in small laboratory animals....
  • Dermatoscopy
    Dermatoscopy

    Dermatoscopy is the examination of skin lesions with a dermatoscope, a magnifier with a light and a liquid medium between the instrument and the skin, thus illuminating the lesion without reflected light....
  • Diffuse optical tomography
  • Gamma camera
    Gamma camera

    A gamma camera is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy. The applications of scintigraphy include early drug development and nuclear medicine to view and analyse images of the human body of the distribution of medically injected, inhaled, or ingested radionuclides emitting gamma rays...
     and other scintillographical methods, such as Positron Emission Tomography
    Positron emission tomography

    Positron emission tomography is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body....
     (PET) and Single-Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT), using radioactive tracers in the body
  • Computed Tomography
    Computed tomography

    Computed tomography is a medical imaging method employing tomography. Geometry Processing is used to generate a stereoscopy of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation....
  • Gene expression imaging
  • Infrared
    Infrared

    Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves ....
     imaging of the body
  • Magnetic resonance elastography
    Magnetic resonance elastography

    Magnetic resonance elastography is a medical imaging technique that images propagating mechanical waves using MRI. It non-invasive measures the stiffness of biological tissues....
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
    Magnetic resonance imaging

    GaneshMagnetic resonance imaging , or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize the structure and function of the body....
    , using external magnetic
    Magnetism

    In physics, magnetism is one of the phenomena by which materials exert attractive or repulsive forces on other materials. Some well-known materials that exhibit easily detectable magnetic properties are nickel, iron, cobalt, and their alloys; however, all materials are influenced to greater or lesser degree by the presence of a magnetic fiel...
     fields
  • Magnetic resonance spectroscopy
  • Optical coherence tomography
    Optical coherence tomography

    Optical coherence tomography is an optical signal acquisition and processing method allowing extremely high-quality, micrometre-resolution, three-dimensional images from within optical scattering media to be obtained....
  • Posturography
    Posturography

    Posturography is a general term that covers all the techniques used to quantify postural control in upright stance in either static or dynamic conditions....
  • Radiography
    Radiography

    Radiography is the use of X-rays to view unseen or hard-to-image objects. The main diagnostic purposes of X-rays are to see inside one's body, most commonly the bones which can be viewed at an optimum resolution ....
    , fluoroscopy
    Fluoroscopy

    Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique commonly used by physicians to obtain real-time moving images of the internal structures of a patient through the use of a fluoroscope....
     and computed tomography
    Computed tomography

    Computed tomography is a medical imaging method employing tomography. Geometry Processing is used to generate a stereoscopy of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation....
    , using X-ray
    X-ray

    X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequency in the range 30 Hertz to 30 Hertz and energies in the range 120 Electron volt to 120 keV....
    s
  • Ultrasonography and echocardiography
    Echocardiography

    An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonography of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart....
     using ultrasound
    Ultrasound

    Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing . Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 Hertz in healthy, young adults and thus, 20 kHz serves as a useful lower limit in describing ultrasound....
     waves for imaging


A recent advance is the substitution of invasive
Invasive (medical)

The term invasive in Medicine has two meanings:* A medical procedure which penetrates or breaks the skin or a body cavity, i.e., it requires a perforation, an incision, a catheterization, etc....
 medical tests, such as colonoscopy
Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the endoscopy examination of the large Colon and the distal part of the ileum with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus....
 by computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
-based 3D reconstructions, such as virtual colonoscopy
Virtual colonoscopy

Virtual colonoscopy is a medical imaging procedure which uses x-rays and computers to produce two- and 3D computer graphics images of the colon from the lowest part, the rectum, all the way to the lower end of the small intestine and display them on a screen....
.

Diagnostic signals


Ekg2
  • Electrocardiography (EKG)
  • Electroencephalography
    Electroencephalography

    Electroencephalography is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. In clinical contexts, EEG refers to the recording of the brain's spontaneous electrical activity over a short period of time, usually 20-40 minutes, as recorded from multiple electrodes placed on the scalp....
     (EEG)
  • Electromyography
    Electromyography

    Electromyography is a technique for evaluating and recording the activation signal of muscles. EMG is performed using an medical instrument called an electromyograph, to produce a record called an electromyogram....
     (EMG)
  • Photoplethysmograph
    Photoplethysmograph

    A photoplethysmograph is an optically obtained plethysmograph, a volumetric measurement of an organ. A PPG is often obtained by using a pulse oximeter which illuminates the skin and measures changes in light absorption ....
    (PPG)
  • Electrical impedance tomography
    Electrical impedance tomography

    Electrical impedance tomography is a medical imaging technique in which an image of the conductivity or permittivity of part of the body is inferred from surface electrical measurements....
     (EIT)
  • Electroneuronography
    Electroneuronography

    Electroneuronography is a neurology non-invasive test that was first described by Esslen and Fisch in 1979 and is used to examine the integrity and conductivity of a peripheral nerve....
     (ENoG)
  • Electroretinography
    Electroretinography

    Electroretinography measures the electrical responses of various cell types in the retina, including the Photoreceptor cell , inner retinal cells , and the ganglion cells....
     (ERG)
  • Electronystagmography
    Electronystagmography

    Electronystagmography is a diagnostic test to record involuntary movements of the eye caused by a condition known as nystagmus. It can also be used to diagnose the cause of vertigo , dizziness or balance disorder dysfunction by testing the vestibular system....
     (ENG)
  • Magnetoencephalography
    Magnetoencephalography

    Magnetoencephalography is an imaging technique used to measure the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the human brain via extremely sensitive devices such as SQUID ....
     (MEG)
  • Evoked potentials, such as the visual evoked potentials (VEP) and the brain evoked response audiometry (BERA) tests
  • Body impedanciometry
  • Impedance phlebography
    Impedance phlebography

    Impedance phlebography, or impedance plethysmography , is a non-invasive medical test that measures small changes in electrical resistance of the chest, calf or other regions of the body....
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance
    Nuclear magnetic resonance

    Nuclear magnetic resonance is the name given to a physical resonance phenomenon involving the observation of specific quantum mechanics magnetism properties of an atomic atomic nucleus in the presence of an applied, external magnetic field....
     spectroscopy
  • Percutaneous
    Percutaneous

    In surgery, percutaneous pertains to any medical procedure where access to inner organs or other tissue is done via needle-puncture of the skin, rather than by using an "open" approach where inner organs or tissue are exposed ....
     light spectroscopy
    Spectroscopy

    Spectroscopy was originally the study of the interaction between radiation and matter as a function of wavelength . In fact, historically, spectroscopy referred to the use of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g....
     (such as in pulse oximetry
    Pulse oximetry

    Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method allowing the monitoring of the oxygenation of a patient's hemoglobin.A sensor is placed on a thin part of the patient's anatomy, usually a fingertip or earlobe, or in the case of a infant, across a foot, and a light containing both red and infrared wavelengths is passed from one side to the other....
     and capnography
    Capnography

    Capnography is the monitoring of the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the respiratory gases. Its main development has been as a monitoring tool for use during anaesthesia and intensive care....
    )
  • Actigraphy
    Actigraphy

    Actigraphy is a relatively non-invasive method of monitoring human rest/activity cycles. A small actigraph unit, also called an actimetry sensor, is worn by a patient to measure gross motor activity....
  • Breath test
    Breath test

    A breath test is a type of test performed on air generated from the act of exhalation.Types include:*Breathalyzer - By far the most common usage of this term relates to the legal breath test to determine if a person is driving under the influence of alcohol....
    s, such as the urea breath test
    Urea breath test

    The urea breath test is a rapid diagnosis procedure used to identify infections by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral bacterium implicated in gastritis, gastric ulcer, and peptic ulcer disease....
  • Intelligent biomedical clothing
  • Non-invasive biomedical sensors
  • Endoluminal capsule monitoring
    Endoluminal capsule monitoring

    Endoluminal capsule monitoring is a non-invasive medical procedure diagnostic procedure which uses a miniaturized wireless radio transmitter embedded into an ingestible water-tight capsule....


Therapy

  • Radiation therapy
    Radiation therapy

    Radiation therapy is the medicine use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer oncology to control malignant cell s . Radiotherapy may be used for curative or Adjuvant chemotherapy cancer treatment....
     and radiosurgery
    Radiosurgery

    Radiosurgery, also known as stereotactic radiotherapy, is a medical procedure which allows Non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant conditions, arteriovenous malformation , and some functional disorders by means of directed beams of ionizing radiation....
    , procedures that uses external atomic particles (protons, neutrons, photons, alpha particles, etc.) or gamma rays to destroy pathological tissue within the body
  • Lithotripsy, a procedure that uses ultrasound
    Ultrasound

    Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing . Although this limit varies from person to person, it is approximately 20 Hertz in healthy, young adults and thus, 20 kHz serves as a useful lower limit in describing ultrasound....
     shock waves to break urinary calculus
  • Defibrillation
    Defibrillation

    Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia....
    , a procedure to block heart fibrillation
    Fibrillation

    Fibrillation commonly refers to the rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart. There are two major classes of fibrillation: atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation....
     and start normal rhythm
  • Mechanical ventilation
    Mechanical ventilation

    In medicine, mechanical ventilation is a method to mechanically assist or replace spontaneous respiration .Mechanical ventilation is typically used after an invasive intubation, a procedure wherein an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube is inserted into the airway....
    , such as the iron lung
    Iron lung

    An iron lung is a medium size machine that enables a person to respiration when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
    .
  • Transdermal patch
    Transdermal patch

    A transdermal patch or skin patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a specific dose of medication through the skin and into the bloodstream....
    es, used to deliver drugs applied to the skin
    Skin

    The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
    .
  • Biofeedback
    Biofeedback

    Biofeedback is a form of alternative medicine that involves measuring a subject's quantifiable bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, sweating, and muscle tension, conveying the information to the patient in real-time....
  • CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) used to treat sleep apnea
    Sleep apnea

    Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea , lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep....
  • VPAP
  • BIPAP
  • Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation
    Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation

    Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation is a method of ventilation which requires the patient to wear an upper body shell or cuirass, so named after the body-armour worn by medieval soldiers....
     (BCV, eg. Hayek RTX)
  • Photodynamic therapy
    Photodynamic therapy

    Photodynamic therapy , matured as a feasible medical technology in the 1980s at several institutions throughout the world, is a third-level treatment for cancer involving three key components: a photosensitizer, light, and tissue oxygen....
  • Therapeutic ultrasound
    Therapeutic ultrasound

    Therapeutic ultrasound refers generally to any type of procedure that uses ultrasound for therapeutic benefit. This includes HIFU, lithotripsy, targeted ultrasound drug delivery, trans-dermal ultrasound drug delivery, ultrasound hemostasis, and ultrasound assisted thrombolysis....
  • Extracorporeal thermal ablation
  • Extracorporeal magnetic innervation
  • Photo-infrared pulsed bio-modulation
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation
    Transcranial magnetic stimulation

    Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive method to excite neurons in the brain: weak electric currents are induced in the tissue by rapidly changing magnetic fields ....


In some cases, non-invasive methods will not work for the intended purpose, so medical technology has developed minimally-invasive methods, such as hypodermic injection (using the syringe
Syringe

A syringe is a simple piston pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube....
), endoscopy
Endoscopy

Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an instrument called an endoscope....
, percutaneous
Percutaneous

In surgery, percutaneous pertains to any medical procedure where access to inner organs or other tissue is done via needle-puncture of the skin, rather than by using an "open" approach where inner organs or tissue are exposed ....
 surgery, laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery , bandaid surgery, keyhole surgery is a modern surgery technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions as compared to larger incisions needed in traditional surgical procedures....
, coronary catheterization
Coronary catheterization

A coronary catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure to access the coronary circulation and blood filled chambers of the heart using a catheter....
, angioplasty
Angioplasty

Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel; typically as a result of atherosclerosis. Tightly folded balloons are passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size using water pressures some 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure ....
, stereotactic surgery
Stereotactic surgery

Stereotactic surgery or stereotaxy is a minimally-invasive form of surgery intervention which makes use of a three-dimensional coordinates system to locate small targets inside the body and to perform on them some action such as ablation , biopsy, lesion, injection, Deep brain stimulation, implantation, radiosurgery etc....
 and many others.

The benefits for the patient are self-evident.

See also

  • Medical imaging
    Medical imaging

    Medical imaging refers to the techniques and processes used to create s of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science .As a discipline and in its widest sense, it is part of biological imaging and incorporates radiology , radiological sciences, endoscopy, thermography, medical photography and microscopy ....
  • Biomedical engineering
    Biomedical engineering

    Biomedical engineering is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to help improve patient health care and the quality of life of individuals....
  • Minimally invasive
  • Molecular Imaging
    Molecular imaging

    Molecular imaging originated from the field of radiopharmacology due to the need to better understand the fundamental molecular pathways inside organisms in a noninvasive manner....
Medical tests