5 Marvels of Biomedical Engineering that Came Straight Out of a Comic Book

Genomic research is still at an embryonic stage, though it has attracted funding from big names – including the Bill Gates & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google Ventures and agriculture giant DuPont. Laws on genome editing vary by country – being more lenient in countries such as China, India, Ireland and Japan – and some scientists have questioned the ethics of genome editing experiments and warned of its eugenics implications. Others, however, have emphasized its incredible potential and many possible applications, such as in the treatment of cancer, sickle cell disease or thalassemia.

Prosthetics has made significant leaps in technology over recent years; some of the bionic limbs available on the market today sound like utter science fiction. Steeper’s BeBionic hand, for instance, can give its wearer the ability to crush a metal can or pick up an egg without breaking it. Meanwhile Touch Bionics’ i-limb ultra is connected to a smartphone app that enables the user to customize their prosthetic hand to deal with a variety of tasks.  

Not yet available on the market, the bionic contact lens is well on its way to transforming the way people live. Promised a bright future indeed, Google, Sony and Samsung are already working on making it a reality.  Overlaying images, information and notifications onto the real world, the smart contact lens could, for instance, send its wearer low blood glucose alerts if they are diabetic, or enable them to take pictures or record videos just by blinking!

Image published online by EyeWriter

This low-cost biomedical technology was celebrated by Time Magazine as one of the Top 50 Inventions of 2010. The brainchild of LA graffiti artist, Tony "Tempt" Quan, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, EyeWriter uses inexpensive cameras and sophisticated software to track eye movement, which it then translates onto a screen to help paralyzed patients to draw using only their eye movements!

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