5/1/2021 30 Years/30 Devices : 1979 : The 1980s : The 1990s : The 2000s : Older

conditions with a minimally invasive approach. The system's microchip technology

and 3-D optics enable surgeons to perform complex procedures by making tiny
incisions. The da Vinci o ers users greater precision, an increased range of motion,
improved dexterity, and enhanced visibility. Because of the device, patients may Image courtesy of
experience less pain, less scarring, reduced risk of infection, and a faster recovery INTUITIVE
time. The surgical system has been used to treat heart conditions, prostate cancer, SURGICAL
endometrial cancer, morbid obesity, and mitral valve regurgitation.

PillCam 2001

Is your digestive tract ready for its close-up? The PillCam is a capsule that houses a
miniature video camera, lights, a transmitter, and batteries. Once a patient swallows
the pill and it passes through the digestive tract, it takes photos of the small intestine
and sends them to a small recorder a ixed to the patient's belt. This technology has
helped patients avoid invasive and painful endoscopic diagnostic procedures just by
Image courtesy of swallowing a pill. It also allows the entire small bowel to be viewed (endoscopes
GIVEN IMAGING allowed physicians to see only the upper part of the small bowel).

OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test 2002

Major progress has been made since the first AIDS-related diagnostic test was
commercialized in 1988. In 2002, the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test
became the first rapid HIV test to earn FDA approval. In clinical studies conducted by
the manufacturer, OraSure Technologies Inc., the test correctly identified 99.6% of
people who were infected with HIV-1 and 100% of people who were not infected with
it. The test provides results for patients in about 20 minutes. This is key because with
previous tests, which took several days to process, a significant number of patients
never returned to the clinic to learn whether or not they were infected. The test can
be stored at room temperature, requires no specialized equipment, and can be used
in both laboratory and nontraditional clinical settings.

Drug-Eluting Stent 2003 (U.S. release)

Blocked coronary arteries used to be addressed by coronary

artery bypass gra surgery. Then came balloon angioplasty. But
Image courtesy of angioplasty was o en plagued by restenosis, a narrowing of a
ABBOTT blood vessel that restricts blood flow. The stent was the next
LABORATORIES development, and although it improved outcomes, it also
increased the risk of thrombosis (clotting) and occlusion of the
stent. Eventually, stent developers wondered whether the device itself could be a
Image courtesy of
conduit for medication. Enter the drug-eluting stent, which was first approved in
ORASURE
Europe in 2002. It has reduced restenosis rates and provided significantly better
TECHNOLOGIES
clinical outcomes for patients. The drug-eluting stent has also had bigger
INC.
implications for the medical device industry—it has helped usher in the era of
combination products The marriage of devices and drugs is still changing the industry as regulators
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