A team of researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology in Korea created a centrifugal system to separate circulating tumor cells from blood samples. Resembling a DVD, the device separates the cells using the centrifugal force created when it is spun. A layer of white blood cells and circulating tumor cells is formed [&hellip (Read more...)
Author: Medgadged
Smart Jumpsuit Tracks Motor Development in Children
Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland created a smart jumpsuit that can track toddler movements. The idea is to closely monitor motor development and identify any issues early, allowing for earlier interventions. Issues with motor development can be related to wider neurodevelopmental problems, and so tracking a young child’s a (Read more...)
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires
Percutaneous coronary intervention is an incredibly useful technique to minimally invasively investigate and treat cardiac issues, such as blockages in the coronary arteries, but it requires a significant amount of skill to perform safely and effectively. Manipulating a guidewire through the tortuous vasculature is not for the faint hearted, with t (Read more...)
One-Step Manufactured Meta-Bots with Medical Potential
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles have developed “meta-bots,” which are fingernail sized robots that can move, sense, and navigate their environment. Strikingly, the robots are essentially ready for use when they emerge from the 3D printer, and consist of piezoelectric actuators that can respond to or generate electr (Read more...)
Polymer Brushes Capture and Release Proteins on Demand
Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a “polymer brush” system that can capture and release proteins on using electrical stimulation. Protein therapeutics are increasingly in demand, but creating them efficiently is still a challenge. Isolating therapeutic proteins from the liquid surrounding the (Read more...)
AI-Powered Surgical Robot Excels at Tricky Kidney Stone Procedure
Clinical researchers at Nagoya City University in Japan have tested an AI-powered surgical robot in its ability to assist with percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which is a minimally invasive procedure to remove large kidney stones. The technique involves accessing the kidney through the skin, and typically requires a highly experienced surgeon. The rob (Read more...)
Flexible Microprobe for Neural Interfacing
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a tiny neural probe that is approximately one fifth of the width of a human hair. The probe is flexible and can be implanted for extended periods without aggravating the immune system, in part because of its small and unobtrusive profile. Its miniature size means […]
Automated Wearable Breast Ultrasound System: Interview with Maryam Ziaei, CEO of iSono Health
iSono Health, a medtech company based in San Francisco, has created the ATUSA System, a wearable 3D ultrasound breast scanning system. The device is worn on the breast, and does not rely on operator experience or skill to obtain consistent, high quality breast scans. As the scanning takes place automatically, it can be used by […]
Self-Regulating Footwear for Diabetic Foot Issues
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science created footwear that can self-regulate the pressure distribution when a person walks, helping to avoid pain and friction that can lead to issues for people with diabetes. Patients with diabetes can have an abnormal gait, sometimes because of pain or numbness in the extremities, potentially leading to (Read more...)
Living Skin Layer for Robots and Prostheses
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a method to coat a robotic finger in a living “skin” layer. The living coating is strong and flexible enough to allow the robotic finger to bend and flex, and it can repel water and even self-heal if damaged. The technique involves coating the robot in a […]
Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring: Interview with Jiang Li, CEO at Vivalink
Blood pressure is a crucial factor in cardiovascular health, but measuring it using conventional pressurized cuff systems in a doctor’s clinic is prone to unreliable results. A one-off measurement merely offers a clinician with one snapshot in time, potentially missing an intermittent issue. However, patients can also be prone to “white (Read more...)
Lipid Nanodiscs Unlock the Potential of Cytokine Treatment
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin created a nanocarrier for stem cell factor, a regenerative cytokine. The nanotechnological approach renders the treatment much safer, as previous attempts to use stem cell factor as a pro-angiogenic treatment have been hampered by severe allergic reactions in some recipients. This latest technology h (Read more...)
Fabric Makes Electricity from Movement to Power Wearables
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have created a wearable fabric that generates electricity from our body movements. The fabric could assist in powering medical wearables and other mobile diagnostic or therapeutic devices. The fabric contains stretchable polymers that generate electricity when bent, pressed, or brushed, bas (Read more...)
Eko DUO Digital ECG + Stethoscope: Exclusive Interview and Review
In the latest advancements of AI and med tech, the Eko DUO stands out as a smart and reliable product with FDA-cleared artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms being used to detect leading indicators of heart disease. More significantly, this is a smart stethoscope that boasts point-of-care ECG capabilities to detect signs of heart disease such as [ (Read more...)
Melt Electrowriting to Make Fibrous Heart Valve Scaffolds
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have developed a technique to create heart valve scaffolds that can mimic the variable mechanical properties of the real thing. The researchers used a method called melt electrowriting to create complex and variable patterns in the fibrous scaffolds, allowing them to mimic the structure a (Read more...)
Photonic Technique for Deeper Fluorescent Sensors
Researchers at MIT have developed a method that lets them read the signal from fluorescent sensors that are as deep as 5.5 centimeters in tissue. Previously, it was very difficult to get a good signal from a fluorescent sensor placed that deep, as fluorescence emitted by the tissue itself would muddy the signal. The new […]
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 the machine back in 2020, but now the team has announced that they stored and treated a damaged liver in the machine, which would ordinarily not be suitable for transplantation. After [& (Read more...)
Virtual Reality to Train Staff to Deal with Agitated Patients
Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, have developed a virtual reality training system that lets healthcare staff learn how to deal with agitated or aggressive patients. Patients, particularly with mental health issues, can become angry and distressed, and learning to handle such patients both with em (Read more...)
Oil-Based Drug Gels Help Patients with Difficulty Swallowing
Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a series of oil-based gels that are intended to help those with difficulty swallowing to take drugs orally. Some adults and many children have difficulty taking pills, and so developing other forms of medication for oral drugs is important. The gels could be particularly usefu (Read more...)
Dissolving Pacemaker Communicates with Patient and Wearable Tech
Researchers at Northwestern University have created a cardiac pacemaker that dissolves away, negating the need for a procedure to remove it. The pacemaker was originally announced in 2021, but in this follow-up study, the researchers have enhanced its functionality. The device can now communicate with a network of wireless sensors that are worn on (Read more...)