54 PLUGGED IN / Technology and Gadgets
Assistants and nurses can
system can run upward of $300,000. Gal- lagher estimates a practice can break even on the technology in 3 to 5 years. By performing laparoscopic spays,
practices can get more use out of the technology, as spays are much more com- mon than biopsies or removal of foreign bodies. This can help offset the cost of an endoscopic system while eliminating the need for abdominal incisions that can get infected or dehisce. Finally, endoscopy allows owners to
feel more involved with their pets’ treat- ment, as cameras placed on scopes can provide tangible feedback. “Now we can record still or video
images of the procedure and have some- thing we can take back and show the owner, rather than just a description,” Gallagher says. “Owners feel more involved and more in-the-know with what’s going on with their pet.” Despite the expense, practices that
invest in the technology send a positive message to their clients, one that relays the importance placed on the well-being of the animals. “Hopefully, as the cost of the technol-
ogy comes down, we can make choices based on patient needs rather than money,” Gallagher says.
Smart pills In the near future, prescriptions will
provide more than just medication. Recent developments in the human medi- cal world will trickle down to veterinary medicine, and soon pills will relay critical information back to the doctor.
Already, human colonoscopies use
pill cameras to identify polyps, tumors or bleeding in areas of the gastrointestinal tract that cannot be reached by scope. These pills could be applied in veterinary work as well, but only once the technol- ogy is made small enough to navigate the animal intestine. “Certainly, as [pill camera] technology
gets less expensive, gets smaller, we will be looking to use it more in clinical cases to give us a more thorough evaluation of the GI tract,” Gallagher says. “There are a few people in the veterinary field look- ing at them for research studies, but not clinical use yet.” Further down the road, pills that
provide real-time feedback are nearing approval for use in humans. The technol- ogy completed phase II testing in Decem- ber 2011 and should be available later this year. Once swallowed, an edible com- puter chip is activated by stomach acids and relays information to a patch worn on the skin. In turn, the patch transmits data to the doctor via a smartphone app or through the Internet. The pills were originally designed to
allow doctors to monitor their patients’ adherence to a prescription regimen, but new applications are emerging. Pressure, temperature and pH levels can all be mea- sured, providing information on bowel movements and intestinal transit time. This will lead to a more accurate evalu- ation of an animal’s intestines without causing harm or trauma to the patient.
Patrick Annesty is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Denver, Colo. Trends magazine, April 2012
share accurate information simply with tablet devices, which can also impress clients while saving the practice money.
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