Researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China have developed a microfluidic-style chip that models the alveoli present in our airways. The tiny air sacs in our lungs are crucial for gas exchange, but they can be difficult to study and model. A better understanding of airflow patterns in these structures could be very […]
Author: Medgadged
3D Printed Tablets for Controlled Drug Release
Researchers at the University of the Basque Country have developed a technique that allows them to 3D print pharmaceutical tablets using different types of starch. By modifying the types of starch used and the shape of the tablets, the team can fine-tune drug release to be either rapid or slow. This includes full release of […]
Granular Hydrogels for Improved Bioinks
Researchers at Penn State have developed a granular hydrogel that contains both hydrogel microparticles and self-assembling nanoparticles, and which could be highly suited for bioprinting purposes. The concept involves the nanoparticles becoming adsorbed onto the hydrogel microparticles and reversibly adhering the microparticles together, providing a printed gel structure that is porous enough to permit cell […]
Motion Sensors to Detect Age-Related Disease
Researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland have developed a motion tracking system that is intended to assist in detecting age-related disease in elderly people. The system could be installed in someone’s home or in assisted-living facilities, and consists of a series of motion sensors that can monitor for signs of unusual movement. The […]
Wearable Pneumatic Assistive Tech with Logic Gate Control
Researchers at Rice University have developed a textile control system, free of any electronics, for pneumatic wearable technology that is designed to be helpful for people with limited mobility. Medgadget recently covered the pneumatic ‘gripper’ developed by Rice researchers. Now, they have created a textile control system for such wearables, that consists of tubes through […]
Surface Coating Rapidly Kills Pathogens, Lasts Months
A team at the University of Michigan has developed a coating for frequently touched surfaces that can rapidly kill a wide array of pathogens, including MRSA and SARS-CoV-2. The technology incorporates polyurethane that contains crosslinked compounds from essential oils with wide-spectrum anti-microbial action. The researchers fine-tuned the crosslinking process so that the oils were available […]
Pneumatic Assistive Device for People with Disabilities
Researchers at Rice University have developed a pneumatic assistive device for people with disabilities. The technology includes an air pump that is mounted in the wearer’s shoe, providing pneumatic power with each step. This power is stored in a wearable belt that includes an “arm” that can reach out and grip items when activated. The […]
AI Device Monitors Breathing to Diagnose Parkinson’s
Researchers at MIT have developed an AI system that can diagnose Parkinson’s disease and track its progression, simply by monitoring someone’s breathing patterns as they sleep. The device looks like an internet router and can be mounted on the wall in a bedroom. It emits radio waves and then a neural network analyzes the reflected […]
Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat
Researchers at UCLA have developed a fingertip sensor that can rapidly provide data on the levels of lithium in the body. Used as a treatment for bipolar disorder and depression, lithium requires very accurate and sensitive dosing, with too little providing no therapeutic benefit but slightly too much potentially leading to unwanted side-effects. At present, […]
Smart Socks Help Prevent Falls Among At-Risk Patients
Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have tested the PUP (Patient is Up) Smart Socks, developed by a medtech company called Palarum, in their ability to reduce falls among at-risk patients. The socks contain pressure sensors that alert caregivers when a patient is attempting to stand up. This can include situations such […]
Mining Ultrasound Data to Improve Liver Diagnostics: Interview with Beth Rogozinski, CEO at Oncoustics
Oncoustics, a medtech company based in Ontario, Canada, developed the OnX Liver Assessment Solution, an AI-powered ultrasound-based diagnostic system for liver disease. At present, detecting liver disease is a challenge, potentially involving high-end imaging systems, specialists, and invasive biopsies. These challenges, and the related expense, can limit patient access to such testing for those with […]
EEG Caps for Brain Organoids
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created tiny EEG caps for brain organoids. The team was inspired by full size EEG caps that are used to measure brain activity in human patients. Previously, the Hopkins researchers were forced to use flat electrode arrays that were originally designed to take recordings from cell monolayers, but applying […]
Magnetic Microrobots Assist with Root Canal Treatment
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a microrobot system that can help with biofilm disruption, drug delivery, and sample retrieval, all within the restrictive space of the root canal. It can be difficult for dentists to know if they have removed all the infectious material when performing a root canal, and failure to […]
Catheter-Free Urodynamics Testing: Interview with Derek Herrera, CEO at Bright Uro
Bright Uro, a medtech company based in California, has created the Glean Urodynamics System, a catheter-free urodynamics testing system. At present, urodynamics testing can help clinicians to diagnose and assess patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, including a frequent urge to urinate and incontinence. The procedure typically involves inserting a catheter into the bladder and […]
Wearable Tracks Mental States
Researchers at New York University have created a wearable system that can measure electrodermal activity, a property of the skin that is influenced by mental states, such as stress or excitement. The system is called Multimodal Intelligent Noninvasive brain state Decoder for Wearable AdapTive Closed-loop arcHitectures (MINDWATCH) and it can assess electrodermal activity by measuring […]
AR Headset Helps Surgeons Place Implants: Interview with Louie Vogt of Enovis Surgical
Enovis, a medtech company based in Delaware formerly known as DJO, recently announced the launch of ARVIS (Augmented Reality Visualization and Information System), an augmented reality technology that is designed to assist surgeons during implant placement in the hip and knee. The hands-free technology consists of an eyepiece that is mounted on a surgical helmet […]
Bioengineered Cornea Restores Sight
Scientists at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a collagen-based corneal implant that can restore sight to blind patients with corneal disease. The breakthrough could pave the way for such patients to receive effective treatment for corneal disease without requiring a corneal transplant from a human donor. There is a shortage of donor corneas, so […]
Tough Ultrasound-Controlled Bioadhesives
Scientists from McGill University in Canada created a technique of using ultrasound-mediated cavitation to make bioadhesives better stick to body’s tissues, including wet surfaces that are typically challenging for such materials. The new method involves ultrasound to create microbubbles within the adhesive. The bubbles burst, which then temporarily forces some of the adhesive components deeper […]
Light-Activated Hydrogel Disrupts Oral Biofilms, Whitens Teeth
Researchers at Nanchang University in China developed a photodynamic hydrogel treatment for teeth that disrupts bacterial biofilms, helps to prevent cavities, and whitens teeth. The gel is applied to the teeth and is then activated using green light, which is less harsh on nearby skin than the high intensity blue light that is sometimes used […]
Ultrasound Sticker for 48 Hours of Imaging
Engineers at MIT have created an ultrasound patch that can provide long-term ultrasound imaging of internal organs and structures. The device contains a rigid piezoelectric probe array and uses an underlying layer of elastomer-covered hydrogel in lieu of the gel applied to the skin during conventional ultrasound procedures. At just the size of a postage […]