This document discusses several emerging medical technologies: growing organs from a patient's own cells to address organ transplant shortages and rejection issues; implanting memory chips to help with memory loss from conditions like Alzheimer's; and retinal implants to restore sight. While these technologies could help many people by prolonging lives and improving quality of life, there are also considerations around costs, impacts on population growth, and ethical issues of enhancing human abilities. Overall, medical advances hold promise but must be guided by concern for society and ensuring technologies benefit the greater good.

1. Will It Save Us?

4. Pros Cons
We will look at both the positive and negative aspects
of the technology, as well as the social impact it may
have. We will look at inventions that will help to
prolong our lives and ones that will improve our
quality of living.

5. 1. Growing Body parts
2. Memory Implants
3. Artificial Retinas

6. Organ transplants have saved numerous
lives but there are problems with the
current donor system.
• Lack of organs – over 95,000 people on
the waiting list in 2006
• Recipient rejection - About 25 percent of
kidney recipients and 40 percent of
heart recipients experience an episode
of acute rejection in the first year after
transplant.

7.  We are now close to being able to grow vital organs in a lab using the
recipients own tissue. A windpipe transplant using a windpipe grown from
the recipients own stem cells has already taken place. There have also been
advancements in the way of using 3D printing for organ growth as well.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/06/26/lab-grown-human-organs/

8. A scientist is working on being able to implant an electronic chip to help with
memory loss. This chip will recreate the signals in the brain that
communicate with the hippocampus and create memory. It will not retrieve
lost memories but will allow patients to create new ones.
This technology would be extremely important to patients suffering from
Alzheimer's or brain trauma effecting memory. It would allow patients to
function in society where they previously would not have been able to.

9. Currently, the system of retina implants is only approved for patients with
retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that strikes around 1 in
5000 worldwide, but it’s possible the Argus II and other artificial retinas in
development could work for those with age-related macular degeneration,
which affects 1 in 2000 people in developed countries
This technology may one day be able to restore the sight of those
who have lost their vision entirely. The blind man may finally see.

10.  The technology mentioned in this presentation will
definitely change the way we live out our lives. We can
cure ailments that we previously could not. A few things
to consider however would be:
 Cost to patient
 Repercussions of having a larger population
 The moral aspect of “playing God”

11.  Not so many years ago the thought of
implanting memories, or growing your own
heart was unthinkable. In the last few years
however it is becoming evident that this is
possible. And we can only evolve more in
this sense. In a few more years we may be
able to fix all human ailments and disease
leaving the world free from early death due to
cancer or AIDS. Leaving people without the
loss of vision or hearing. Maybe even curing
the world of aging.

12.  The possibilities seem to be limited only by our lack of
imagination and initiative. I believe that the advancement
in technology will allow us to save our bodies and our
minds, but we need to mindful of the cost to society. The
game begins of who should live ,and live well vs. who
should be left to suffer. There is also the aspect of what
our planet will do with such long human life to sustain.

13. In the end, medical technology is the same
as any other, if used properly it could be a
great tool for society, but if used without
the greater good in mind, it could lead to
more harm than help. I like to believe in
the former. In a world where illness and
impairments are a thing of the past.

14.  Bhimji, S. ((2011, June 14)2011, June 14).
Transplant rejection. Retrieved from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/
000815.htm
 Cohen, J. (2013, April 23). Memory implants.
Retrieved from
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/5
13681/memory-implants/
 Sample, I. (2013, February 13). Retinal implant
restores partial sight to the blind. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/feb/20
/retinal-implant-sight-blind-people