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Information about Non Invasive (medical)

The term non-invasive in medicine 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 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:

Diagnostic images

Computed tomography machine. Source: GE
A recent advance is the substitution of invasive medical tests, such as colonoscopy by computer-based 3D reconstructions, such as virtual colonoscopy.

Diagnostic signals

Enlarge picture
Electrocardiographic tracing

Therapy

Enlarge picture
Linear accelerator treats tumors non-invasively with focused radiation beams
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), endoscopy, percutaneous surgery, laparoscopic surgery, coronary catheterization, angioplasty, stereotactic surgery and many others.

The benefits for the patient are self-evident.

See also

References

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Medicine is the science and "" of maintaining and/or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. The term is derived from the Latin ars medicina meaning the art of healing.
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A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of patients, used by medical or paramedical personnel.

A medical procedure with the intention of determining, measuring or diagnosing a patient condition or parameter is also called a medical
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Skin layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutis, showing a hair follicle, sweat gland & sebaceous gland.]] In zootomy and dermatology, skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues that guard underlying muscles and organs.
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body cavity is any fluid filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space, located between an animal’s outer covering (epidermis) and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop.
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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.

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Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. An implement commonly used for cutting is the knife or in medical cases the scalpel.
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Biological tissue is a collection of interconnected cells that perform a similar function within an organism.

The study of tissue is known as histology, or, in connection with disease, histopathology.
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Neoplasia (new growth in Greek) is abnormal and purposeless proliferation of cells in a tissue or organ. A neoplastic growth is called a neoplasm. Most neoplasms proliferate to form distinct masses, or tumors
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For malignant tumors specifically, see .


Tumor or tumour (via Old French tumour from Latin tumor "swelling") is an abnormal growth or mass of tissue. A tumor can be either malignant or benign.
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Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a health care provider investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history — an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient.
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In medicine, inspection (Latin word "Inspectio" or the act of beholding) is the thorough and unhurried visualization of the client. This requires the use of the naked eye.
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In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. It can be felt at the neck (carotid artery), at the wrist (radial artery), behind the knee (Popliteal artery), on the inside of the elbow (Brachial artery), near the ankle joint
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For the ancient monasterial worker, see Auscultare


Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope.
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heart sounds are the noises (sound) generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it. This is also called a heartbeat. In cardiac auscultation, an examiner uses a stethoscope to listen for these sounds, which provide important information about the
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The stethoscope (Greek στηθοσκόπιο, of στήθος, stéthos - chest and σκοπή, skopé - examination
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rectal temperature is generally considered to give the most accurate assessment of core body temperature, its recording is disliked by patients and medical staff alike.
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contradict the article Timeline of temperature and pressure measurement technology. Please see discussion on the linked talk page.
A thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient, using a variety of different principles.
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In medicine, the respiratory examination is performed as part of a physical examination, or when a patient presents with a respiratory problem (dyspnea (shortness of breath), cough, chest pain) or a history that suggests a pathology of the lungs.
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In medicine, the peripheral vascular examination is a series of maneuvers to elicit signs 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.
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Deposition or Depose may refer to:
  • Deposition (law), taking testimony outside of court
  • Deposition (chemistry), molecules settling out of a solution
  • Deposition (sediment), material (like sediment) being added to a landform

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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.
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Percussion is a method used by a healthcare provider to find out about the changes in the thorax or abdomen. It is done by tapping on a surface to determine the underlying structure.
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Palpation is used as part of a physical examination in which an object is felt (usually with the hands of a healthcare practitioner) to determine its size, shape, firmness, or location.
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Blood pressure (strictly speaking: vascular pressure) refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs.
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A sphygmomanometer (often condensed to sphygmometer [1] ) 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.
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A plethysmograph is an instrument for measuring changes in volume within an organ or whole body (usually resulting from fluctuations in the amount of blood or air it contains).
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Audiometry is the testing of hearing ability. Typically, audiometric tests determine a subject's hearing levels with the help of an audiometer, but may also measure ability to discriminate between different sound intensities, recognize pitch, or distinguish speech from background
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eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist assessing vision and ability to focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes.
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electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG, abbreviated from the German Elektrokardiogramm) is a graphic produced by an electrocardiograph, which records the electrical activity of the heart over time.
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X-rays (or Röntgen rays) are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the range of 10 to 0.01 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz to 30 EHz. X-rays are primarily used for diagnostic radiography and crystallography.
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