The term non-invasive in medicine has two meanings:

A medical procedure which does not penetrate or break the skin or a body cavity, i.e., it doesn't require
an (invasive) incision into the body or the removal of biological tissue.

An abnormal tissue growth, such as a neoplasm or tumor, that doesn't spread (invades) 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 and inspection),
such as pulse-taking, the auscultation of heart sounds and lung sounds (using the stethoscope),
temperature examination (using thermometers), respiratory examination, peripheral vascular
examination, oral examination, abdominal examination, external percussion and palpation, blood
pressure measurement (using the sphygmomanometer), change in body volumes (using
plethysmograph), audiometry, eye examination and many others.

However, since the discovery of the first modern non-invasive techniques based on physical methods,
electrocardiography and x-rays, at the end of the 19th century, medical technology has advanced more
and more towards non-invasive methods for diagnosis and therapy, such as:

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Contents

1 Diagnostic images

2 Diagnostic signals

3 Therapy

4 See also
5 References

Diagnostic images

Ultrasonography and echocardiography using ultrasound waves for imaging

Radiography, fluoroscopy and Computed Tomography, using x-rays

Magnetic resonance imaging, using external magnetic fields

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Gamma camera and other scintillographical methods, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and
Single-Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT), using radioactive tracers in the body

Infrared imaging of the body

Diffuse optical tomography

Elastography

Posturography

Optical coherence tomography

Bioluminescence imaging

Dermatoscopy

Gene expression imaging

Etc.

A recent advance is the substitution of invasive medical tests, such as colonoscopy by computer-based
3D reconstructions, such as virtual colonoscopy.

Diagnostic signals

Electrocardiography (EKG)

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Electromyography (EMG)

Photoplethysmograph(PPG)
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT)

Electroneuronography (ENoG)

Electroretinography (ERG)

Electronystagmography (ENG)

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Evoked potentials, such as the visual evoked potentials (VEP) and the brain evoked response audiometry
(BERA) tests

Body impedanciometry

Impedance phlebography

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Percutaneous light spectroscopy (such as in pulse oximetry and capnography)

Breath tests, such as the urea breath test

Intelligent biomedical clothing

Non-invasive biomedical sensors

Endoluminal capsule monitoring

Etc.