Researchers at INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) in France, and collaborators, have developed a DNA-based nanorobot called the Nano-winch. The tiny creation is made using DNA molecules and a “DNA Origami” approach. The tiny robot is so small that it can land on a cell surface and interact with […]
Author: Medgadged
Sleep Monitoring at Home: Interview with Ziv Peremen, CEO of X-trodes
X-trodes, a medtech startup based in Israel, created Smart Skin, a wireless monitoring and analytics technology that is suitable for at-home sleep monitoring. At present, diagnosing sleep disorders is an arduous and expensive business, requiring patients to attend a specialized sleep clinic and wear bulky and uncomfortable equipment, all while attempting to sleep in a […]
Nouhaus Red Dot Award-Winning Massage Chair: Our Review
Many of us can attest to the lumbar pains related to sitting at a desk for endless hours week after week. Even despite using an ergonomic office chair, the reality is that your muscles still need to be stretched and stimulated, otherwise you’ll still end up feeling sore. High-end massage chairs – don’t get me […]
Upcycling CDs as Flexible Biosensors
A team of scientists at Binghamton University in New York State have developed a technique that lets them salvage material from old CDs to make flexible biosensors that are inexpensive and relatively simple to produce. The method involves using a chemical process and sticky tape to peel off the metal coating from the disks, and […]
Lumen: World’s First Device and App for Real-time Metabolic Feedback
Lumen is the first device and app available to anyone that provides real-time feedback on whether you’re burning carbohydrates or fats. These measurements are usually only made for athletes or patients through special testing centers, hospitals, or clinics, but with Lumen they are now available to everyone, anywhere. Nutrition is a very individualized topic, while […]
Silicone Heart Models Heart Failure
Scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and partners at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin have developed a silicone heart model that is intended to model heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The device, which represents a ‘mock circulatory loop’, includes a simulated version of the left atrium and […]
Point of Care Rapid PCR Test
Columbia University scientists and collaborators at Rover Diagnostics have created a rapid PCR test that can be used at the point of care. Weighing in at two pounds, the portable device can rival the sensitivity and accuracy of traditional lab-based PCR testing equipment, but providing results in as little as 23 minutes. The new device […]
Spray Coating Fights Viruses and Bacteria
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia engineered a new spray coating for surfaces that provides long-term protection against bacterial and viral contamination. The material is intended as a long-term alternative to disinfectant sprays and combines hydrophobic properties with antimicrobial nanoparticles to reduce microbial contamination. The hydrophobicity of the coating prevents liquid droplets from […]
Assessing Heart Function and Fluid Status with Cardiac Scales: Interview with John Lipman, CEO, and Corey Centen, Founder, Bodyport
Bodyport, a medtech company based in San Francisco, developed the Bodyport Cardiac Scale, a set of weighing scales that can non-invasively assess fluid status and heart function. The scales can detect these signals through the feet when a patient steps onto the device. The technology is intended to be convenient and requires only 20 seconds […]
Magnetic Activation of Specific Brain Circuits
Scientists at Rice University developed a system to wirelessly and rapidly activate specific brain circuits using magnetic fields. The technology has been developed in fruit flies, a common experimental animal, but the researchers hope that it could help in understanding the brain and to develop new treatments for neurological disorders in humans. The technology involves […]
Bacterial Microrobots Deliver Drug Payload to Tumors
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany have developed tumor-targeting microrobots using bacteria. The team exploited the tendency of bacteria to naturally gravitate towards areas of low oxygen and low ph, which both tend to occur in the vicinity of a tumor. Once near the tumor, the bacteria aggravate the immune […]
Face Mask Deactivates SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein
Researchers at the University of Kentucky created a novel membrane that can enzymatically degrade the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, rendering the virus inactive. The membrane is intended to act as an insert within face masks, providing extra protection for groups at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, such as health care staff. The researchers functionalized the membrane […]
Microparticle Vaccine Provides Boosters Automatically
Researchers at MIT have created a microparticle vaccine that can provide booster doses automatically. The hollow microparticles resemble a coffee cup with a lid, and are made using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), otherwise known as PLGA. The polymer breaks down over time in the body, releasing the contents of the hollow particles. By changing the composition of […]
Brain-Computer Interfaces at Home: Interview with Dr. Solzbacher of Blackrock Neurotech
Blackrock Neurotech, a medtech company based in Salt Lake City, has pioneered an array of brain-computer interface technologies. Medgadget last spoke with Blackrock Neurotech a year ago about their thought-to-text brain computer interface, but since the company signed an agreement with a research institution to develop portable brain computer interface (BCI) systems. This partnership will […]
Optical Tweezers Turn Neutrophils into Microrobots
The possibility of using our own cells to perform medical tasks within the body is tantalizing, as it would avoid the immune responses that can occur with synthetic objects. Researchers at Jinan University in China have now developed a method to control and move white blood cells within a living organism. The technology relies on […]
Biosynthetic Trilayered Ventricle Pumps Blood
Biomedical engineers at the University of Toronto have developed a method to create a small-scale biosynthetic left ventricle that can pump blood within a bioreactor. While the construct is too small to act as replacement for a human heart, it could lead to full-sized biosynthetic organ transplants. In fact, the man-made ventricle already showed a […]
Dissociating Tissue into Single Cells Using Electric Fields
A team of scientists at Brown University has developed a technique that allows them to rapidly dissociate a tissue sample into individual cells. The approach involves placing a tissue sample, such as a tumor biopsy, between two electrodes. Electric field fluctuations then help to pull the cells in alternating directions, eventually culminating in their dissociation. […]
Nanoparticle Vaccine for Many SARS-Like Coronaviruses
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology, better known as Caltech, have developed a nanoparticle vaccine that appears to confer broad protection against SARS-like betacoronaviruses. This includes SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the current pandemic, and SARS-CoV, which caused the original SARS pandemic in the early 2000s. The vaccine consists of protein nanoparticles that are studded with […]
Surgical Dressing Helps Kill Melanoma, Regenerate Healthy Cells
Scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK have created a surgical dressing that is specifically designed to facilitate and enhance photothermal therapy following melanoma resection. The dressing allows for near-infrared photothermal therapy that lasts just 15 seconds every 48 hours. The concept involves killing any remaining melanoma cells, while encouraging healthy cells to […]
Artificial Ventricle Mimics Helical Muscle Fibers
Researchers at Harvard developed a technique that lets them recreate the helical arrangement of cardiac muscle fibers within the heart ventricles in a bioengineered construct. The breakthrough could pave the way for artificial bioengineered hearts. The researchers used a technique called Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS) that allows them to deposit tiny polymer fibers in […]