Surgery
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in California have developed an implantable sponge that can monitor for signs of a hemorrhage, and then help to control bleeding once it has occurred. The researchers used silk fibroin, a protein produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm, to create the sponge, and took advantage of its biodegradation and anti-inflammatory properties to create a porous and highly absorbent shape-memory sponge. The sponge also contains two layers of silver nanowires above and below the sponge layer which deliver anti-bacterial action and serve as...
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a microneedle patch for the drug-free treatment of skin infections, such as acne. Acne is often treated using antibiotics, but these have limited effectiveness over the long term and can result in drug-resistant bacteria. In an effort to develop a drug-free alternative, these researchers have created a microneedle patch that is ultrasound responsive. The patch contains zinc-based nanomaterials that produce a substantial amount of reactive oxygen species when stimulated using ultrasound. These reactive oxygen species are highly effective at killing acne-causing...Read More
Engineers at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil have developed smart pants that can non-intrusively track physical movements and provide updates to caregivers if the people they're taking care of are showing signs of distress. This application could be very useful for people who are monitoring elderly patients in healthcare facilities. The technology may also be applicable in tracking and quantifying movements, such as range of motion, for patients undergoing physical rehabilitation. The pants contain a series of fiber optic cables and a signal acquisition unit that can...Read More
Scientists at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a coating for wearable technologies that can help to dissipate heat, reducing the chances of skin burns and increasing the life of such devices. Electronic devices can generate heat, but this can be problematic for wearables that are in constant contact with the skin. The heat may be uncomfortable, may overheat the device itself, and could even cause skin burns. The flexible coating designed by these researchers enables both radiative and non-radiative cooling and does not require electronic power to...Read More
Engineers at the University of Sydney have developed a photonic radar that allows them to monitor breathing rates without the need to attach equipment to a patient’s skin. Wired or more invasive systems may not be suitable for everyone – for instance, burn patients with damaged skin or infants with a tiny body surface area may not be able to avail of such systems. This latest technology can monitor breathing remotely and may enable multiple patients to be monitored from one base station. The technology relies on a light-based system...Read More
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have created a wound sensor patch that measures various wound biomarkers that can indicate would healing. Chronic wounds are an ongoing problem for many patients, and developing new ways to monitor and treat these painful lesions would be very useful. This battery-free wound patch contains five colorimetric sensors that change color in response to various wound biomarkers. These include temperature, pH, trimethylamine, uric acid, and wound moisture levels. The patch is intended to be imaged using a smartphone camera, where an AI-powered app...Read More
Nevro, a medtech company based in California, has developed the HFX iQ spinal cord stimulation system, which is intended to treat chronic pain. While spinal cord stimulators can be very useful in controlling certain types of chronic pain, at present, patients must attend with their clinician to obtain adjustments to their stimulator. This is inconvenient for both patient and clinician alike. Another common difficulty is the need for frequent adjustments. Pain is subjective, and a patient’s needs can vary from day to day, but such frequent changes in spinal cord...Read More
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a soft robotic glove that can assist stroke patients to relearn how to perform dexterous tasks with their hands. The glove contains soft actuators that helps patients to move their fingers as they perform tasks, and sensors that help to create tactile sensations. So far, the researchers have focused on using the gloves to assist patients to play music. The team used machine learning to train the gloves on a simple tune, and then when users play the tune the gloves can provide...Read More
Scientists at Penn State have developed an assay that lets them to directly measure HIV viral load in a drop of blood. The technology is also faster and less expensive than current approaches. At present, RT-PCR is typically used to assess HIV levels in a patient’s blood, requiring genetic material to be amplified before it can be measured. This is time-consuming and does not provide a direct measurement of viral loads, but rather a close estimate. This new technology, called Self-digitization Through Automated Membrane-based Partitioning (STAMP), aims to directly measure...Read More
Researchers at UCLA have developed a wearable patch that can measure muscle movements in underlying tissues. The patch contains nanomagnets, and movements in underlying muscles can deform the resulting magnetic fields, creating an electric current. This both provides a readable signal for the system, and also means that the system is self-powered and does not require a battery. The rubbery patch is approximately the size of two postage stamps, and can be inexpensively made using a sewing machine. The system wirelessly transmits its movement data to a smartphone, and is...Read More
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a protein-based hydrogel that is highly adapted for articular cartilage repair. A major challenge in creating biomaterial therapies to repair damaged articular cartilage is matching the mechanical properties of this highly specialized tissue. Cartilage is very tough, resisting breaking under force, but also very stiff, meaning that it resists being bent or deformed. To date, it has been difficult to create biomaterials that match these properties, and mismatched materials tend to produce poor quality cartilage healing. These researchers looked at the...Read More
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an app that converts common smartphones into clinical thermometers. Spotting the signs of fever early could make a difference in providing early treatment or beginning a period of isolation to reduce the chance of disease transmission. This is particularly important for viral diseases, such as COVID-19. However, many people may not have ready access to a clinical thermometer, so simply downloading an app could makes it accessible for people to take their temperature. The app relies on data from temperature sensors in...Read More
Medicine
Bacteriophages to Diagnose and Treat Bladder Infections
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a bacteriophage system to identify and treat bacterial bladder infections. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria,...
August 8th, 2023
Biomaterial Injection Combines T Cell and Cancer Vaccine Treatments
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed an anti-cancer biomaterial treatment that combines adoptive T cell therapy and cancer vaccine technology to...
August 7th, 2023
Gravity-Driven Microfluidics for Low-Cost Diagnostics
Researchers at Duke University have developed a gravity-powered microfluidic device that is intended for use as a diagnostic technology in low-resource areas....
August 4th, 2023
Cardiology
Wireless Patch Monitors, Paces Heart and then Biodegrades
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a cardiac monitoring device that is intended for use in patients who have suffered a cardiac event. The soft...
August 2nd, 2023
Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance
Engineers at the University of Sydney have developed a photonic radar that allows them to monitor breathing rates without the need to attach equipment to a...
July 25th, 2023
Nanomagnet Patch Measures Muscle Movements
Researchers at UCLA have developed a wearable patch that can measure muscle movements in underlying tissues. The patch contains nanomagnets, and movements in...
July 19th, 2023
Surgery
Artificial Muscle Changes Stiffness with Voltage
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have developed an artificial muscle that can change from soft to hard in response to a voltage change. The technology...
August 2nd, 2023
Implantable Sponge for Hemorrhage Monitoring and Control
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in California have developed an implantable sponge that can monitor for signs of a hemorrhage, and...
August 2nd, 2023
Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance
Engineers at the University of Sydney have developed a photonic radar that allows them to monitor breathing rates without the need to attach equipment to a...
July 25th, 2023
Emergency Medicine
App Converts Smartphone to Clinical Thermometer
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an app that converts common smartphones into clinical thermometers. Spotting the signs of fever early...
July 14th, 2023
Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin
Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington, in collaboration with Shani Biotechnologies, a local firm, have created a point-of-care device that can...
November 11th, 2022
Smartphone Camera Measures Blood Oxygen
At the University of Washington a research team has developed a smartphone system that can measure blood oxygen levels. The technology uses the camera and flash of...
September 21st, 2022
Radiology
Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles
Researchers at the University of Würzburg in Germany have developed a portable scanner that is the first to be able to image humans using Magnetic Particle Imaging...
August 9th, 2023
Imaging Technique Reveals Living Brain Tissue in its Complexity
Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria have developed a brain imaging technique called Live Information Optimized Nanoscopy Enabling...
August 7th, 2023
Wearable Ultrasound for Deep Tissue Monitoring
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have created a wearable ultrasound system that can monitor deep tissues, as far as 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) below...
June 6th, 2023
Anesthesiology
Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin
Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington, in collaboration with Shani Biotechnologies, a local firm, have created a point-of-care device that can...
November 11th, 2022
Smartphone Camera Measures Blood Oxygen
At the University of Washington a research team has developed a smartphone system that can measure blood oxygen levels. The technology uses the camera and flash of...
September 21st, 2022
Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant
Clinical researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have created a perfusion machine to store donor livers before transplant. We originally reported on...
June 7th, 2022