2022 will be an excellent year for our planet, so we’ve decided to celebrate the achievements of humanity. As our species continues its slow climb out of the rubble left behind by climate change and neoliberalism, we’re finally reaching a point where we can start focusing on creating a better future for everyone. Here are three of the most exciting innovators of 2022:
Angela Spang – Surgical Retractor Developer: Galaxy II
Angela Spang is a surgical device developer who has developed a new device to assist surgeons in removing tumours during surgery. She is the CEO of Mosaic Surgical, a medical device manufacturing company in the JUNE Medical Group Angela founded 25 years ago.
The devices she created are retractor instruments (Galaxy II), which are currently used in many daily surgeries. The usage of this instrument shows how much of an impact this simple tool can make when assisting surgeons in performing complex procedures on patients.
Angela Spang said she’d taken something seen purely for cosmetic procedures and expanded its application into keyhole surgery, for example, abdominal surgery patients. There has been no negative feedback from surgeons using Galaxy II since its release last year due to its effectiveness at removing tumours without damaging surrounding tissue.
It’s something that would otherwise require additional time for recovery after treatment completion. The device can also reduce surgeons’ time to complete procedures by 50%. The Galaxy II innovation means physicians can dedicate more time to their patients and ensure they’re fully informed at every step.
Feifei Shi – Developing Rechargeable Batteries for Implantable Biomedical Devices
Feifei Shi, PhD, assistant professor in energy engineering at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), is developing a rechargeable battery for implantable biomedical devices. This technology could power electroceuticals like pacemakers, nerve stimulators, and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
Shi’s research focuses on developing a new generation of micro batteries for implantable biomedical devices. These batteries are about ten times smaller than the ones currently used to power implanted medical devices such as pacemakers and nerve stimulators.
Atieh Moridi – Improving 3D Printing to Make Better Bone Implants for Patients
Atieh Moridi, PhD, assistant professor at Cornell University, is a mechanical and aerospace engineer. She is one of the three pioneers celebrated this year for her contributions to 3D printing technology.
Her research focuses on improving 3D printing to make better bone implants for patients with bone disease. These implants can help improve the quality of life for these patients by giving them more mobility and independence in their daily lives.
Moridi is using 3D printing to create a porous structure for the implants, allowing them to mimic the function of natural bone. The porous bone is made by printing a layer of material that contains osteo-active molecules and then dissolving them. It creates holes in the material, miming the structure of natural bone.
Final Thoughts About Stem Icons in 2022
In a few years, we expect more recognition from people who create technologies that help us live better lives. We’re happy to be a part of this cultural shift toward recognising the value of human ingenuity and its potential impact on our future.
