Caretaker Medical, a firm based in Charlottesville, Virginia, won approval to introduce its Caretaker 4 wireless continuous non-invasive blood pressure (CNIBP) and vital signs monitoring system in the European Union. The product, already approved in the U.S., provides beat-by-beat blood pressure measurements with an accuracy sufficient for intensive care units. It also keeps track of the heart […]
Author: Medgadged
Custom 3D-Printed Microfluidics for Cell-Based Health Research
Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (yes, there is such a thing) have developed a method to 3D print functional and inexpensive microfluidic probes for cancer research. The technique could make microfluidics more accessible, allowing researchers to easily design and produce their own devices, and conduct cell-based healthcare research, such as studying cancer cells, more easily. […]
Technique to Make Nanoparticles Work Inside Pills
Nanomedicine requires the nanoparticles that are administered to be properly absorbed by the body. Given orally via a pill, nanoparticles mostly end up being metabolized and/or excreted by the gastrointestinal system. Researchers at the University of Utah have now come up with a way of making nanoparticles much easier to uptake by the body through […]
Health4TheWorld Named Tech Startup of The Year: Interview with Founders
Health4TheWorld, a Silicon Valley start-up providing education and technology solutions for resource-poor communities worldwide, has been named the 2018 Stevie Silver Award Winner by the American Business Awards for the category of Services. Created in 2002, the Stevie Awards are meant to “honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and […]
Biodegradable Paper-Based Batteries May Power Short-Life Medical Implants
The future of advanced implantable medical devices may depend on whether new, biocompatible sources of power can be developed. Batteries that work inside the body and eventually disintegrate may be important for devices that themselves can be resorbed. Researchers at Binghamton University have now developed a fully biodegradable battery that, though not directly designed for […]
Molecular Sensor to Detect if Cancer Drug is Working
Being able to monitor the chemical content of cancer cells may help scientists develop new anti-cancer medications. Additionally, it may also lead to personalized drug therapies for cancer patients that all too often end up trying multiple medications before finding one that works. Chemists at MIT have come up with just such a tool for […]
Wristband Performs Blood Cell Counts to Monitor Health Anywhere
The popularity of smart watches, activity trackers, and other wearable devices is in large part due to the hope that such tools can help monitor health. While new products keep coming out, progress on embedding sensors that can monitor things other than one’s heart rate and activity level has stalled. Now researches at Rutgers University […]
Optogenetic Cochlear Implants Aim to Improve Quality of Sound
At the University of Göttingen in Germany researchers have managed to use light to stimulate the auditory nerves of gerbils, in the process allowing the deaf animals to hear sounds. The technology is being developed to improve the audio quality of cochlear implants, devices that can bring hearing to people with several types of hearing […]
Microsoft’s Glasses to Monitor Blood Pressure
A number of approaches have been tried in the past to accurately measure blood pressure, but the upper-arm cuff remains the standard used in hospitals, clinics, and by patients at home. People that require frequent daily checks of their blood pressure know that it can often be inconvenient to have to have a cuff-based pressure […]
TIGERTRIEVER 13, World’s Smallest Clot Retriever for Strokes, Cleared in Europe
Rapid Medical, based in Yokneam, Israel, won European regulatory approval to introduce its TIGERTRIEVER 13, the narrowest clot retriever now available for use in treating ischemic stroke. The device can be used in vessels as small as 1 millimeter in width and up to a maximum of 2.5 mm, where larger retrievers would be appropriate. It works […]
Genetics Blockchain Platform Shivom Partners with SingularityNET (Interview)
With an abundance of innovation already taking place in the field of genomics, the addition of blockchain technology opens the door to even more opportunities. Blockchain-based genomics platform Shivom and it’s partners are positioning themselves to step through that door. Last month, Shivom announced a partnership with SingularityNET, another blockchain-based platform and marketplace for AI. The goal of […]
SCOUT Wire-Free Tissue Localizer Cleared in U.S. for Soft Tissues
Cianna Medical, based in Aliso Viejo, CA, won FDA clearance for its SAVI SCOUT wire-free technology to be used for localizing of soft tissues. Previously, in the U.S. the SCOUT has only been indicated for use in localizing breast tumors (see flashbacks below). “SCOUT resolves one of the most difficult aspects of breast cancer treatment by […]
gammaCore Sapphire Helps Control Migraines and Cluster Headaches: Now Available in U.S.
electroCore, based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is releasing in the U.S. its latest device for treating pain related to migraines and episodic cluster headaches. The gammaCore Sapphire, cleared by the FDA, uses the same non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation technology as the original gammaCore device, but is smaller and more modern looking, features more pleasant electrodes, […]
Microfluidic Device Manipulates Droplets with Ultrasound: May Revolutionize Diagnostics
Microfluidic devices are a major topic of research lately, partly because they have the potential to scale down existing devices and to make new diagnostic tools possible. Typically, microfluidic systems consist of scaled-down versions of conventional tubes, pumps, and valves. While effective for many applications, conventional components often get quickly clogged and lose their function […]
Flow Diverter with Hemodynamic Sensor to Monitor Aneurysm Treatment
Flow diverters are implants that are commonly used to prevent blood from flowing into aneurysms. They look very similar to stents, and are often combined into one device, but instead of providing structural strength, they provide a way for blood to pass from one part of a vessel to another without flowing into a bulging […]
Clot Busting Nanogel: A Faster, Safer Therapy for Heart Attacks
Scientists at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new way of delivering a clot buster and a mitigating drug to limit damage due to reperfusion. Currently, serious blockages leading to the myocardium are typically broken up in the cath lab, usually with a stent left […]
Twisters Inside a Lab-on-a-Chip Trap Viruses, DNA, Biomolecules
At Purdue University engineers have developed a new type of optical nanotweezers that can be used to grab onto and inspect viruses, DNA strings, and other important biomolecules. The innovative lab-on-a-chip device relies on a “nanostructured plasmonic metafilm” created out of a very thin gold sheet with nano-scale holes drilled into it. When light is […]
Smart Cane Detects Obstacles Using Ultrasound
At Texas A&M University a team of students has created a smart cane that can help visually impaired people to avoid obstacles. The Navigational & Object Visual Assistant (NOVA) is a prototype device that sends out ultrasonic signals in front of the user and vibrates when it detects something. The ultrasonic sensor is connected to motors […]
Nano-Optic Endoscope Allows High-Resolution Imaging
Researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a new type of endoscopic imaging catheter. The catheter uses metalenses, which contain nanostructures to focus light, to achieve higher resolution imaging than conventional catheter imaging systems. So far, the researchers have used the new system to image deep into tissue samples and see tissue […]
3D-Printed Ceramic Implants Help Regrow Bone
Researchers at NYU have developed 3D-printed ceramic implants that dissolves slowly, allowing bone to grow in their place. The implants can be tailored to mimic the shape of the missing bone, and are chemically-coated to stimulate bone growth. The research team hopes that the technology will be useful for patients with non-healing bone defects. At […]