One of the most hoped-for features for prosthetic devices is being able to have a sense of touch. All the fine mechanics, motorized power, and dexterity that can be achieved in a robotic hand can’t be taken proper advantage of without feeling what it is you’re touching. Johns Hopkins researchers are working to make this […]
Author: Medgadged
Nanolasers to Shine Light on Things Inside Body
At the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, scientists have created microscopic lasers that may end up being used for imaging inside the body, control of biological activity via optogenetics, and performing novel biological studies on living specimens. The lasers, which are about 5 microns in diameter, smaller than red blood cells, turn infrared (Read more...)
Eversense Implantable Glucometer Keeps Tabs on Blood Sugar Continuously for 3 Months
Senseonics, a company based in Germantown, Maryland, won FDA approval for its Eversense continuous glucose monitoring system. This is the first implantable, long term blood sugar monitor that can be used for up to three months at a time. The technology relies on a small device that’s implanted under the skin of the upper arm. A [… (Read more...)
Wearable Vital Signs Monitor for Newborns: Interview with Neopenda Co-founders Sona Shah and Teresa Cauvel
Neopenda, a medical device startup based in Chicago, is developing medical solutions for low-resource settings, and has recently unveiled its first product, a wearable vital signs monitor for newborns. The company has reported that almost 3 million babies die within the first month of life. Up to 98% of these deaths occur in developing countries, [ (Read more...)
New Siemens Acuson Sequoia Ultrasound Beams Through Obese Patients
Siemens Healthineers is releasing a fresh update to its popular ACUSON Sequoia ultrasound system. The device can image deeper than before while maintaining a high quality output, an important capability for those on the front lines of the obesity epidemic. As an example, using the Deep Abdominal Transducer (DAX) that comes with the Sequoia, cl (Read more...)
Data Integrity with Blockchain Technology: Interview with ULedger CEO Josh McIver
ULedger is blockchain technology start-up Medgadget had a chance to meet at the “Healthcare on the Blockchain” event earlier this year (See our coverage of Day 1; Day 2) . The company focuses on helping enterprises achieve data integrity through its blockchain platform. Data integrity is particularly important in lig (Read more...)
New Microscopy Technique Can Image Living Tissues in Real Time
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new microscopy technique that can image living tissue in real time, without the need for chemical stains or dyes. The technique can achieve significant detail, such as allowing researchers to see the movement of vesicles, which are tiny transport packages, between cells. This approach could (Read more...)
3D Joint Space Mapping Helps Assess Arthritis Patients
At the University of Cambridge, scientists have developed a method of monitoring small changes in joints of patients living with osteoarthritis. The capability should give clinical researchers and physicians treating patients a new tool to better understand and deal with the disease. The technique relies on CT scans of patient joints, and it measur (Read more...)
Grown Cartilage Used to Fix Diseased Joints Responsible for TMJ Dysfunction
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a condition which makes it difficult to chew on food and talk, while being quite painful and unpleasant. It’s caused by the breakdown of the cartilage disc that brings together two bones of the jaw. Researchers from University of California, Irvine, University of California, Davis, and Th (Read more...)
Nano Scale Matrix Promotes Neural Stem Cell Growth Without Risk of Cancer
Growing neural stem cells is a complicated process that has the potential to result in the unintended production of cancer cells. In large part this is due to the addition of growth factors to the culture mix, which can result in indiscriminate cellular multiplication. Now researchers from the Hong Kong Baptist University have developed a [… (Read more...)
FlexiHub Allows Hearing Aid Reprogramming from Home: Interview with Helga York of Eltima Software
Loss of hearing results in a decreased quality of life. While hearing aids generally improve hearing by about one-half of the loss, they face significant barriers to use. According to a 2012 study of hearing aid usage by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), only 1 in 7 American adults over 50 […]
(Read more...)Why B2B eCommerce is Perfect for Medical Device Companies
B2B eCommerce and the medical device industry are both growing. Frost & Sullivan predicts B2B eCommerce will be double the size of B2C by 2020 ($6.7 trillion versus $3.2 trillion). At the same time, an aging population and the development of new technologies are fueling growth in the medical devices and supplies market. According to […]
International Diagnostic Championship Inviting Med Students Worldwide to Participate
Medical students around the world are invited to participate in the first international diagnostic championship hosted by International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and InSimu, a company that makes apps for students to practice diagnostic decisions. Teams of up to three students can participate from anywhere in th (Read more...)
Contact Lens Measures Glucose, pH, Lactate in Eye
At Purdue University researchers have come up with a way of reliably attaching thin film sensors and other small electronic devices to soft contact lenses. The capability may allow for real-time, non-invasive measurement of glucose levels, delivery of drugs directly to the eye, and maybe even tracking intraocular pressure. “We developed a ver (Read more...)
Non-Contact Bluetooth Thermometer Now Available for Masimo Root Patient Monitor in U.S.
Masimo and Thermomedics, a part of PositiveID, announced they’re releasing in the U.S. the TIR-1 non-contact Bluetooth thermometer. The infrared thermometer integrates with the Masimo Root patient monitor, allowing contact-free forehead temperature measurement in patients of all ages. Since no contact is made, there’s no need to replace (Read more...)
Photoacoustic Computed Tomography May Replace Mammographies for Breast Cancer Screening
Though mammography helps to provide early detection of breast cancer, it is a modality that suffers from limitations, particularly in dense breasts. A new technology, developed at Caltech, may have the potential to eclipse mammographies for spotting cancerous lesions. The photoacoustic system sends near-infrared laser light into breast tissue and d (Read more...)
Streamlining the EHR: Interview with Mihai Fonoage, VP of Engineering at Modernizing Medicine
Modernizing Medicine, a medtech company based in Florida, has developed the Electronic Medical Assistant (EMA), an EHR system which the company claims can significantly streamline clinician workflow. Cloud-based and developed by physicians, the EMA aims to intuitively adapt to each individual doctor’s unique style of practice and remembers th (Read more...)
Light Beams Guide Growth of Cells and Entire Tissues
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), a European intergovernmental research organization, has announced that its scientists have managed to harness the power of optogenetics to guide how cells and tissues grow. They were able to generate different tissue shapes, a capability that may develop into growing tissues for therapeutic applications (Read more...)
Special Nanoparticles Cloaked in Tumor Cells Deliver Protein to Kill Cancer
Many cancers tumors are actually quite easy to kill, if not for our extremely skeptical immune systems. There are proteins, for example, that are quite toxic to some cancers, but they get broken down rapidly as soon as they are injected into the body. Researchers at Penn State University have now created a way of […]
Hairy Frosted Glass Slides Capture Circulating Tumor Cells for Screening and Early Diagnosis
Biopsies are typically the way prostate cancer is identified, but prostate cancers also release circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that are telltale signs of the presence of the disease. Because they’re so rare and difficult to separate from whole blood, CTCs remain rarely used for establishing diagnoses. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of S (Read more...)