The COVID-19 pandemic has put lung health firmly in our minds. For those with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, an important way to keep track of lung health is to use a spirometer to measure how well air can move in and out of the lungs during forced breathing. However, patients would […]
Author: Medgadged
Fluorescence Imaging System Illuminates Tumor Depth
Medical researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a fluorescence imaging technique that allows them to illuminate a tumor in situ and calculate its depth below the surface of the body. The technique could assist surgeons in accurately removing a tumor and successfully excising an appropriate margin of healt (Read more...)
Screening App to Diagnose Parkinson’s, COVID-19 from Voice
Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed an app that is intended to provide early diagnosis for Parkinson’s disease and severe COVID-19. The artificial intelligence-powered technology works by analyzing voice recordings, having previously been trained to recognize the vocal hallmarks of these diseases by listenin (Read more...)
AI-Designed Custom Knee Implants
Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK have trialed Generative Design, a design approach that relies on machine learning and artificial intelligence, to create patient-specific knee implants. At present, knee implants are typically created in a limited range of sizes and shapes. While 3D printing has opened some scope for implants tha (Read more...)
Nanoprinted Microelectrode Array for Brain Computer Interfaces
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used a nanoscale 3D printing technique that allows them to customize the microelectrode arrays used for brain computer interfaces. The approach is called Aerosol Jet 3D printing, and the researchers used it to create three-dimensional microelectrode arrays that can be customized for particular patient (Read more...)
Video Games to Improve Cognition in Older Adults
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have developed a suite of video games that have been designed to improve cognition in older adults who are otherwise healthy. The games aim to recreate common activities, such as banging a drum or driving a car. They also include a sophisticated algorithm that automatically adjusts the [&hel (Read more...)
CRISPR-Cas13 System for Quick and Sensitive SARS-CoV-2 Detection
Scientists at Rice University created a rapid COVID-19 test that is based on the gene editing CRISPR-Cas system. The researchers modified the Cas-13 protein to increase its activity and to light up with fluorescence when it encounters RNA from the virus. The system does not require the expensive lab equipment and technical expertise of PCR, [&helli (Read more...)
Novel Devices to Help Surgeons Sculpt a New Ear
At Johns Hopkins, clinical researchers have developed a set of surgical tools that allow them to more easily create a replacement ear for those born with malformed or missing ears. Currently, using cartilage harvested from the ribs, surgeons can create a new ear, but the process is difficult and requires some artistic talent to sculpt […]
Conductive Cotton Thread for Wearable Sensors in Commercial Textiles
Imperial College London researchers created a conductive cotton thread that can undergo a computerized embroidery process for incorporation into commercially produced textiles, such as t-shirts and face masks. The thread, called PECOTEX, can be used to create wearable health sensors, such as heart rate monitors, breathing monitors and even gas sens (Read more...)
Robotic Capsule Drills Intestinal Mucus to Deliver Protein Drugs
Engineers at MIT have collaborated to develop a robotic drug delivery capsule that is specially designed to administer delicate protein drugs, such as insulin, through the wall of the intestine. Proteins are not suited for oral delivery, as they are typically destroyed by the low pH in the intestine and they can’t pass through the […]
DNA Nets Capture Sars-CoV-2 for Detection and Inhibition
A team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a DNA net system that can ensnare Sars-CoV-2 and bind to the notorious spike protein. The nets contain aptamers that bind the spike protein and emit an intense fluorescent signal once they’re bound together to the protein. This signal can be easily measured using [… (Read more...)
Soft Robot Grows Like a Plant to Travel Through Tight Spaces
At the University of Minnesota, researchers have developed a soft robotic system that can ‘grow’ like a plant. The mechanism allows it to travel through difficult-to-access areas, such as the tortuous gastrointestinal tract or vasculature. The system works by extruding a liquid through an opening in the device, and at the same time a ph (Read more...)
Nanorattles for Rapid Detection of Multiple mRNA Cancer Biomarkers
Scientists at Duke University have developed a ‘nanorattle’ system that allows for the detection of mRNA biomarkers of cancer. The tiny structures consist of gold nanospheres with a surrounding silver nanocage, forming the so-called rattle. The nanorattles are also loaded with light scattering dyes called Raman reporters. When illuminat (Read more...)
Algae-Based Microrobots Deliver Antibiotics within Lungs
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a microrobot system to treat bacterial pneumonia. The microrobots consist of living algal cells that can swim very effectively in biological fluids, allowing them to navigate throughout the lungs and deliver drugs to difficult-to-reach areas. The algal cells are studded with antib (Read more...)
Microfluidic Device Mimics Embryonic Heartbeat to Stimulate Stem Cell Development
Scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed a method to produce human blood stem cell precursors from human pluripotent stem cells. The method may have use in treating cancer patients who require high doses of such blood stem cells to help replenish endogenous populations that have been destroyed by chemotherapy. [&h (Read more...)
Face Mask Detects Respiratory Viruses, Alerts User
Scientists at Shanghai Tongji University in China have created a face mask that can alert the wearer to the presence of respiratory viruses in the surrounding environment, including the viruses behind COVID-19 and influenza. The mask includes aptamers, which are short sequences of DNA or RNA that can bind to protein targets. When viral particles [& (Read more...)
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 the phone to take the measurement, and the system is so easy to use that it may be well suited for at-home use. A person presses their finger […]
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 the phone to take the measurement, and the system is so easy to use that it may be well suited for at-home use. A person presses their finger […]
3D Printed Light Sensor for Light-Sensitive Disease
At the University of Minnesota a team of researchers has developed a 3D printed light sensing wearable that can help people with light-sensitive diseases, such as lupus, to understand more about the types of light that can exacerbate their symptoms. Many people with lupus are sensitive to light, such as sunlight or even regular indoor […]
Soft Robot Biodegrades Inside Body
Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a magnetic soft millirobot that can grab and release objects, and move around by rolling. The device can be controlled using magnetic fields, and consists of a biodegradable gelatin and iron oxide microparticles. The technology has significant potential as a minimally invasive drug deli (Read more...)