Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania created a dental implant that resists bacterial growth and generates electricity thanks to its piezoelectric properties. The generated electricity could power a light source for on-board phototherapy, a technique that could help protect gum tissue from disease and inflammation. The implant contains disc (Read more...)
Author: Medgadged
EXALT Model B Single-Use Bronchoscope: Interview with Dave Pierce, Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific recently announced FDA clearance of the EXALT Model B single-use bronchoscope, intended for bedside procedures in intensive care units or in the operating room. As a single-use device that boasts high quality imaging and suction capabilities, the bronchoscope is ready to go out of the packaging, which means it mitigates the risk o (Read more...)
Cleveland Clinic’s New Prosthetic Arm with Advanced Functionality
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have developed an advanced bionic arm that allows users with upper limb amputations to achieve a similar level of function as non-amputees. The system incorporates a sense of touch and movement and allows for intuitive motor control. The device is intended for users who have undergone targeted sensory and motor [ (Read more...)
Carbon Nanotube Thread Lets Clothes Monitor Health
Researchers at Rice University managed to create flexible carbon nanotube fibers that can be incorporated into clothing to function as wearable health monitors. The new thread is highly conductive, but it is washable and strong, allowing it to function as an unobtrusive component of clothing. So far, the researchers have incorporated the fibers int (Read more...)
Cracking Calcium in Arteries Using Sound Waves: Interview with Shockwave Medical’s Scott Shadiow
Shockwave Medical, a medtech company based in California, has developed a technique called intravascular lithotripsy, which involves delivering sonic waves to calcified plaque in an artery in much the same way that sound waves have been used to treat kidney stones for many years. The idea is to safely crack the calcified deposits so that […]
(Read more...)Magnetic Beads for More Precise Control of Bionic Limbs
At MIT a team of engineers have developed a system that they claim will enhance a user’s control of a bionic limb. The technology consists of implantable magnetic beads and a series of sensors that can monitor their movement. When implanted within a muscle in a residual limb, pairs of the beads can provide information […]
Steerable Catheter to Navigate Tortuous Blood Vessels in Brain
A team at University of California San Diego invented a way to make steerable catheters that can more precisely navigate the tortuous architecture of the brain vasculature. The device was bioinspired by delicate structures found in nature, including flagella and insect legs, and uses principles from soft robotics to create a hydraulic steering syst (Read more...)
Sweat Powered Battery for Wearable Medical Devices
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore created a flexible battery that is powered by sweat. The device could provide a new way to energize medical wearables, some of which already use sweat to detect or monitor disease. The stretchable device incorporates silver flakes that clump together and generate a small electrical curren (Read more...)
Inflatable Prosthetic Hand with a Sense of Touch
Researchers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University created an inexpensive robotic hand intended for use by upper limb amputees. The device is more like a soft robot than previous robotic prostheses, and includes inflatable components and pneumatics, making it lightweight and inexpensive. Excitingly, the hand is equipped with sensors and provides (Read more...)
Tiny Neural Sensors for Brain Computer Interfaces
Researchers at Brown University have developed wireless micro-implants that can function as a network of neural sensors and stimulators in the brain. The research team has dubbed their creation “neurograins,” which are intended to be implanted in the brain in large numbers. When inside, they can transmit data to an external communicatio (Read more...)
Virtual Reality System to Entertain During MRI Scans
Researchers at King’s College London developed a virtual reality system that is intended to distract and calm patients who find MRI scans challenging, including children and other vulnerable individuals. The patient wears a specialized VR headset during the scan and can interact with the system merely by moving the eyes, allowing them to play (Read more...)
Photoacoustic Carbon Nanotubes Reveal Dangerous Atherosclerotic Plaques
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a system that allows the imaging and identification of inflamed atherosclerotic plaques, which are considered to be at risk of rupture. Their system involves administering carbon nanotubes that are preferentially taken up by macrophages and monocytes, which tend to accumulate at inflamed plaqu (Read more...)
Microwave Sensor for Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Researchers at University of British Columbia Okanagan campus have developed an inexpensive and portable microwave sensor that can rapidly detect changes in bacterial growth to assess antibiotic susceptibility. Using a split ring microwave resonator, the device can very sensitively measure bacterial growth in the presence of different concentration (Read more...)
Neuromodulation for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: Interview with Martha Morrell, M.D., CMO of NeuroPace
NeuroPace, a medtech company based in California, has developed the RNS system, an implantable neuromodulation device for focal drug-resistant epilepsy. The system continuously monitors brain activity and then responds appropriately to target the seizure source in the brain for personalized seizure prevention. The company reports that the stimulati (Read more...)
Robotic Scanner for Automated Eye Imaging
Researchers at Duke University created a robotic eye scanner that can detect signs of several eye diseases, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The system includes several 3D cameras that track the location of the patient, who merely has to stand in front of the robot, while a robotic arm containing the scanning hardware tracks and [&helli (Read more...)
Wearable Sensor Monitors Myoclonic Jerks
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have developed a wearable surface electromyography and three-dimensional accelerometry system that can measure the occurrence and severity of myoclonic jerks, which are sudden muscle movements experienced by patients with progressive myoclonic epilepsy. The muscle jerks can be unpleasant, but can als (Read more...)
CRISPR-Based Spit Test Detects SARS-CoV-2 and Variants
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute and MIT have developed an inexpensive at-home test for SARS-CoV-2 and several variants, which does not require nasal swabs. The test uses a simple spit sample, and provides results that can be read using a smartphone app within an hour. With access to a 3D printer and commonly available […]
Pressure-Sensing Glove to Aid in Stroke Recovery
Researchers at MIT created a sensing glove that can detect small pressuref changes along its surface when a wearer grasps something. The glove is threaded with tiny pressure sensors, which are studded with micropillars that create changes in an electrical signal when they bend and deform. This provides an incredibly sensitive measurement of tactile (Read more...)
3D-Printed Implant for Personalized Knee Realignments
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK created a framework for 3D printing personalized high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) plates, using a titanium alloy, for knee realignments in osteoarthritis patients. The plates should fit nearly perfectly when implanted thanks to the new approach. The researchers have also developed an improved surgical tech (Read more...)
Breath Test Predicts Treatment Regimen for Epilepsy Drugs
Anti-seizure medication must be tailored for individual patients, as the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic one is quite small. Now, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have developed a breath test that can rapidly provide information on the optimal drug treatment approach for epilepsy patients. Their test provides (Read more...)