Introduction
Defects of vision are very common these days. Almost everyone begins to feel the need to use glasses sooner or later. The invention of glasses is undoubtedly considered one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Vision, being one of the fundamental properties of human perception and understanding of the world, very often requires help in the form of glasses. This accessory leads to an increase in confidence, an improvement in appearance, and a psychological state, as a person begins to better sense the world around them. It should be admitted that I have faced such a problem, and the above statements refer to me to a great extent.
Many people believe that contact lenses are a modern device for improving vision, invented recently, but this is not so. The first to attempt to create these lenses is Leonardo da Vinci. It was he who, in the 16th century, drew up sketches showing a device that directly touches the eye and corrects vision. Da Vinci is considered by most historians to be the first inventor of lenses. After da Vinci in the 17th century, the scientist Rene Descartes proposed the next prototype for modern lenses – it was a small tube filled with liquid. At one end was a magnifying element, and the other end was attached to the eye. The first lenses, which are officially considered the beginning of ophthalmic progress in this industry, were proposed in 1898. Since then and up to the present time, contact lenses have gone through a global path of improvement and improvement, and today any person suffering from ophthalmological disorders can comfortably and easily improve their life with this particular device.
Contact Lenses
As surprising as it may sound, attempts to create contact lenses were made at the end of the 16th century. And the first experience belongs to Leonardo da Vinci himself. However, the invention of the master at that time did not find proper recognition and was safely forgotten for almost 400 years. It was not until 1887 that the German glassblower Friedrich Müller took advantage of Leonardo’s idea (Eye Society, n.d.). Almost 30 years had passed, and the company “Carl Zeiss” has established the production of special sets of contact lenses. Until the mid-50s of the 20th century, all lenses were made of glass, and they had similar parameters, the diameter was 20-30 mm, and the thickness was 1-2 mm (Eye Society, n.d.). These lenses covered almost the entire visible part of the eye, both the sclera and the cornea.
A breakthrough was the fact that in 1947, there was the first contact lens with a small diameter. It covered only the cornea and was made of plastic, and not like glass before. It was after this that the contact lens became the shape it still has. A new word in the production of contact lenses was the invention of the Czech scientist Otto Wichterle in the late fifties (Eye Society, n.d.). He invented a transparent, stable polymer that is great for making soft contact lenses.
Contact lenses have expanded the range of options offered by conventional glasses. For people with poor eyesight – including myself – there is an opportunity to get rid of the accessory, which sometimes causes inconvenience. This mainly applies to the field of sports – with the advent of contact lenses, it became possible for many to be involved in all its types in situations where good vision is necessary. Everyday life has also become much easier, as contact lenses are almost invisible, unlike glasses.
Laparoscopic Surgery
With the advent of fiber optics, not only the quality of diagnostics has improved, but also the widespread introduction of this method into surgical practice has become possible. A new era in the development of endoscopic surgery began in 1986 when it became possible to transfer a color image from the eyepiece of a laparoscope to a monitor screen (Mandal, 2019). It became easier for the surgeon and the assistant to coordinate their actions. The creation of a high-resolution video camera with the ability to magnify the image by several dozen times made it possible to record videos that are of great importance both for training and for analyzing the surgeon’s actions.
In the history of the development of laparoscopy, the development of methods of hemostasis during laparoscopic operations is considered essential. It is aimed at preventing and stopping bleeding: suturing electrocoagulation, and the use of a laser. The introduction of new technologies into practice has facilitated the use of laparoscopic access for gynecological operations in many clinics around the world and the expansion of the volume of surgical interventions.
The method of laparoscopy takes a special place in the treatment of gynecological diseases. It is effective both for planned treatment and urgent surgical intervention. Today, endoscopic surgery in gynecology and other fields is beginning to occupy a leading position all over the world. Laparoscopic surgery, in contrast to the traditional one, excludes the possibility of complications such as adhesions in the abdominal cavity (Mandal, 2019). In addition, new technologies make it possible to completely restore the reproductive function of expectant mothers. Thus, modern methods of laparoscopic surgery not only put the health of their patients at a lower risk but also significantly improve their quality of life and overall well-being in the future.
CT Scan Technology
Computed tomography is a method of non-destructive layer-by-layer examination of the internal structure was proposed in 1979 by Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for this development. The progress of CT scanners is directly related to the increase in the number of detectors, that is, to the increase in the number of simultaneously collected projections. The first generation device appeared in 1973; there was one tube pointing at one detector (International Society for Computed Tomography, 2016). Further progress is associated with the advent of spiral computed tomography and an increase in the number of detectors. Then, the first multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) appeared (International Society for Computed Tomography, 2016). In them, along the circumference of the gantry, there are not one but two or more rows of detectors.
It seems reasonable to state that CT is the leading method for diagnosing many diseases of the brain, spine, lungs and mediastinum, liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands, aorta and pulmonary artery, heart, and several other organs. CT can be used both as a method of primary diagnosis and as a clarifying technique when a preliminary diagnosis has already been made using ultrasound or clinical examination. Then, MSCT is the best method for diagnosing diseases of the lungs and bones of the skeleton. With the introduction of a contrast agent, CT allowed me to obtain high-quality three-dimensional images of blood vessels and the heart, including coronary arteries and aortocoronary shunts. Hence, CT contributes to the advanced monitoring and prevention of several severe diseases using the latest computer technologies.
Adrenergic Blockers
Alpha-Blockers
Adrenergic blockers are drugs that block different types of adrenergic receptors in organs and tissues, preventing the realization of the effects of natural biologically active substances – a mediator of norepinephrine and adrenal hormone adrenaline. Norepinephrine and adrenaline realize their effects by interacting with special structural components of cells that are called adrenergic receptors (Oliver et al., 2019). Depending on their location and function, they are classified into alpha (α) and beta (β) -adrenergic receptors.
α-blockers block α-adrenergic receptors in the vessels, which leads to their expansion and, as a result, a decrease in blood pressure, as well as the normalization of peripheral circulation. In addition, due to the blockade of α-adrenergic receptors of the urinary tract, α-adrenergic blockers, facilitate urination in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (Oliver et al., 2019). Nicergoline dilates blood vessels in the brain, and improves cerebral blood flow, increasing blood flow to the ischemic (oxygen-deficient) areas of the brain. I had to use alpha-blockers to eliminate acute migraine attacks. This is their primary aim, which alleviates life significantly when it comes to considerable stress and anxiety.
Beta-Blockers
The creation in 1948 of the theory of beta-adrenergic reception (Ahlquist), and 15 years later – of pharmacological agents capable of causing their blockade, was an important achievement in clinical pharmacology (Oliver et al., 2019). This was the beginning of the widespread use of active drugs in medical practice. Beta-blockers eliminate the harmful toxic effects of the adrenaline hormone or norepinephrine neurotransmitter on the heart.
With an excess of these substances, the heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demand of the heart muscle increase. If the heart rate reaches 90 or more beats per minute, this condition is called tachycardia or tachyarrhythmia. Blocking beta-adrenergic receptors by the drug eliminates tachycardia (Oliver et al., 2019). At the same time, the heart rate decreases, myocardial oxygen demand decreases, and blood pressure decrease. The pressure-lowering effect is used in the treatment of hypertension. I have never used beta-blockers, but they have an essential role in terms of dealing with heart diseases.
References
Eye Society. (n.d.). Da Vinci to disposable: A history of contact lenses. Web.
International Society for Computed Tomography. (2016). Half a century in CT: How computed tomography has evolved. Web.
Luxottica. (n.d.). Eyeglasses timeline. Web.
Mandal, A. (2019). Laparoscopic surgery history. New Medical. Web.
Oliver, E., Mayor, F., D’Ocon, P. (2019). Beta-blockers: Historical perspective and mechanisms of action. Revista Espanola de Cardiologia, 72(10), 853–862. Web.