Abbott won FDA approval for its Gallant implantable cardioverter defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator devices. Cleared in Europe earlier this year, the implants feature Bluetooth connectivity, allowing data to stream to a physician for closer observation and monitoring. The devices connect to the myMerlinPulse smartphon (Read more...)
Author: Medgadged
A Virtual Care Platform for Respiratory Illness: Interview with Stacie Ruth, CEO of AireHealth
AireHealth, a medtech company based in Orlando, Florida, currently offers a portable nebulizer and companion app for respiratory patients aged two and over. The small nebulizer can be charged using a micro USB charger and then placed in a bag or pocket for easy transport and use on the move. The companion app is geared […]
Kyocera Helps Develop Wearable for Remote Rehab Monitoring During COVID Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a slew of new challenges for clinical facilities, including how to deliver as much care as possible at a distance. The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) Medical Hospital is working with Kyocera to be able to deliver rehab therapy to patients while closely monitoring (Read more...)
The Rig Lets Disabled People go Offroading
People with lower limb paralysis generally don’t get to enjoy the great outdoors nearly as easily as other nature lovers. Wheelchairs aren’t designed to traverse rugged terrain and to go on long treks, but a couple in Utah wanted to design something they themselves can use to see the world and their ideas have led […]
Noona Cloud Tool for Cancer Patients: Interview with Jani Ahonala, VP, Global Patient Outcomes, Varian Medical
Varian Medical Systems, based in Palo Alto, California, has announced that its Noona mobile service now has some new features, some of which are a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Noona is a cloud-based system that allows cancer patients to connect with their clinicians and clinics. Patients can record their symptoms and proactively manage (Read more...)
Boston Sci’s Lux-Dx Smart Implantable Arrhythmia Detector FDA Cleared
Boston Scientific has announced winning FDA clearance for its LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM), an implant that can detect hard-to-spot cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, and help diagnose their origin. The device’s detection algorithm has two separate components, one of which detects a suspect arrhythmia and the other v (Read more...)
Blood Vessel Networks Made by 3D Printing Powdered Sugar
To study the complex functionality of groups of cells, and to one day build replacement tissues, researchers have been trying to find a way to generate artificial vascular networks capable of supplying oxygen and nutrients to thousands of cells. Extrusion 3D printing, in which a liquefied material is layered down and allowed to harden, has [&hellip (Read more...)
Philips Gets FDA Approval for Two New Defibrillators
Philips won FDA approval for its HeartStart FR3 and HeartStart FRx automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The HeartStart FR3 is an advanced device intended for use by medical professionals, including paramedics, and features such capabilities as “quick shock” to minimize hands-off time, and military-level ruggedness, ECG monitoring f (Read more...)
Injectable Liquid Prosthesis to Treat Retinal Diseases Developed
Retinal prostheses promise the restoration of vision to people with age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and other conditions that lead to the loss of functional photoreceptors. A number of technologies are already in existence that mimic the functionality of the retina by stimulating the inner retinal network, but most of these (Read more...)
AI for Comprehensive Annotation of Retinal Lesions
Researchers at Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands have developed a new AI algorithm for detecting diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The algorithm’s iterative approach identifies greater lesions than non-iterative approaches, and boosts specificity by approximately 10%, with diagnostic accuracy of abo (Read more...)
NASA Launches “Lunar Loo” Challenge to Design a Reduced Gravity Toilet
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has set an exciting, yet ambitious timeline to get us back to the moon by 2024! But instead of merely planting a flag, playing a round of golf, and collecting some rocks to bring home, NASA hopes to establish a permanent lunar base that will eventually act as […]
Go-2 Spinal Stimulator Helps Return Leg Function: Interview with Jan Öhrström, Chairman of the Board, GTX Medical
GTX Medical, a medtech company with offices in The Netherlands and Switzerland, has announced that it received Breakthrough Device Designation for the Go-2 system, an implant that provides targeted epidural spinal stimulation therapy for patients with spinal cord injuries. The device aims to allow such patients to regain leg motor function and neur (Read more...)
Sweat Sensor Gathers Large Samples for Accurate Analysis
Sweat excreted by the skin contains important biomarkers for a number of diseases, as well as being a critical parameter in athletic performance, overall body function, and even an early warning indicator of an oncoming illness. Measuring sweat output and its chemical composition, in an accurate and easily administered way, has been a challenge. At (Read more...)
Dexcom Moves Toward Diabetes Prevention With the G6 Pro System: An Exclusive Look
The introduction of the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has been a game-changer in the field of diabetes management. For patients, CGMs drastically reduce the number of annoying and painful finger sticks needed to monitor blood glucose. With readings as often as every five minutes (or on-demand), patients can see trends in their glucose levels thr (Read more...)
Electric Anti-Viral Face Masks
As the wearing of face masks has become ubiquitous in public places, people end up reusing these devices as they go from place to place. Pathogens get deposited on the exterior of the masks and within the fabric. Considering that many pathogens, including that which causes COVID-19, can reside on surfaces for a long time, […]
Nanostimulators Activate Damaged Tissue to Heal Itself
Peripheral artery diseases and injuries to tissue reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches the affected muscles. Such ischemia is difficult to treat, as new vessels are required to carry more oxygen into damaged tissues. Stem cells derived from fat tissues have been shown to excrete substances that spur angiogenesis and calm nearby inflammation. Bu (Read more...)
ReActiv8 Neurostimulator Treats Cause of Back Pain, Now FDA Approved
Mainstay Medical, an Irish firm, just won FDA approval to introduce its ReActiv8 neurostimulator that works to address the underlying causes of back pain. Most existing pain reducing implants work to simply mask the pain by delivering electrical signals to the relevant nerves. The ReActiv8 instead stimulates the multifidus muscle, that lies next to (Read more...)
Easily Removable Surgical Tape to Seal Internal Wounds
Researchers at MIT recently developed an adhesive tape that allows surgeons to seal internal wounds and that can readily stick to slippery internal surfaces, as a potential replacement for sutures. However, the adhesive worked a little too well, and was difficult to remove or adjust without causing irritation or tissue damage. Now, the research tea (Read more...)
Colibri Micro Single-Use ENT Endoscope Coming to U.S.
3NT Medical, a company based in Israel, has won FDA clearance to introduce its Colibri Micro ENT Scope in the United States. The single-use device was designed to make surgical procedures a bit easier for otologists. The device features built-in suction for two-handed operation, a 2.2 mm tip, and a light handle that’s easy to […]
CIVILITY Mask Lets People See Each Others’ Faces During Pandemic
Since it seems that the virus that causes COVID-19 is going to be with us for a while, face masks will be around as well. As everyone who hasn’t worked in the OR before just noticed, not seeing the entirety of people’s faces influences how we interact with each other. Smiling, for example, completely loses […]