Engineers at MIT have developed smart textiles that can detect and recognize body movements. The garments fit snugly, and contain a network of pressure sensors that can detect movement, and in conjunction with machine learning approaches, the technology can learn to recognize specific movements in wearers. The fabric contains conductive yarns and piezoresistive components that […]
Author: Medgadged
TORdx LUNG Test for Donor Lung Assessment: Interview with Eric Brouwer, Chief Scientific Officer at SQI Diagnostics
SQI Diagnostics, a medtech company based in Canada, is developing the TORdx LUNG Test. The technology is intended to assist clinicians in assessing donor lungs in their suitability for transplantation. At present, clinicians typically assess donor lungs using qualitative variables, such as donor health and lung size. One of the most important factors, lung inflammation, […]
Artificial Muscles are Stronger and More Flexible than Real Muscle
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles created artificial muscles that are stronger and more flexible than the real thing. The new material is an example of a dielectric elastomer, which is an electroactive polymer that can change its shape or size when stimulated using electricity. The researchers tweaked the crosslinking between polymer chains […]
Imaging Technique Shows Gene Expression in Real Time
A team at the University of Minnesota developed a new technique that lets them view gene expression in the brains of live mice in real time. The approach relies on two-photon excitation microscopy, specialized imaging processing techniques, and genetically modified mice that express mRNA that naturally includes a fluorescent protein. Using the method, the researchers […]
Diamond Sensor for Smaller, Portable MEG Scanners
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia have developed a diamond sensor that can measure magnetic fields up to 10 times more sensitively than current sensors. The breakthrough could lead to a new generation of magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanners that are small and portable, and can function at room temperature. The researchers envisage that the new scanners […]
Magnetic Microrobots to Brush and Floss Teeth
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a technique to manipulate magnetic microrobots into bristle and string shaped-structures that can brush and floss teeth. The iron oxide nanoparticle-based microrobots also activate hydrogen peroxide to release bacteria-killing free radicals to further target bacterial populations in the mouth. The technology may eventually be suitable for those […]
Improving Transplant Survival with Organ Preservation Tech: Interview with Dr. Anderson, CEO of Paragonix
Paragonix Technologies, a medtech company based in Massachusetts, created the SherpaPak, an FDA organ transportation device that is intended to keep donor organs safe and viable on their journey to a transplant recipient. As the viability of a donor organ can mean life or death for the receiving patient, it makes sense to take exceptional […]
Typhoid Detection Technique Improves Diagnostic Sensitivity
A team at the University of California Davis Health working with international collaborators have developed a new technique to detect typhoid and estimate its incidence in populations over time. The approach requires only a drop of blood from a finger prick and involves measuring levels of antibodies against two antigens: Hemolysin E (Hlye) and Salmonella […]
AI-Powered Robot Accelerates Medical Research
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan have developed an AI-powered robotic system that can perform laboratory experiments in regenerative medicine, learn from the results, and perform iterative rounds of experimentation to achieve a certain goal. In a proof-of-principle, the researchers set the robot the task of optimizing cell culture conditions […]
Pneumatic Prosthesis to Reduce Pressure and Irritation for Amputees
At the University of Waterloo in Canada, researchers have developed a microfluidic-based pneumatic system that adjusts the pressure within the socket of a lower limb prosthesis. The aim is to achieve the ideal pressure and adjust the fit of the prosthesis to compensate for changes in the size of the residual limb because of swelling. […]
Carbon Monoxide-Loaded Foam as Inflammatory Disease Treatment
Researchers at MIT have created a carbon monoxide-loaded foam intended for therapeutic use against inflammatory disease. While the gas is toxic if inhaled in large quantities, in small doses it has potent anti-inflammatory effects. However, delivering it to the gastrointestinal tract to treat inflammatory diseases, such as colitis, is a challenge. In response, these researchers […]
Soft Bioresorbable Implant Controls Pain by Cooling Nerves
A team of engineers at Northwestern University led by John Rogers, the person responsible for many advances in flexible electronics, created a drug-free implant that can control pain by cooling nerves. The soft implant is intended to be wrapped around a nerve during surgical procedures that would typically involve opioid-based analgesia afterwards. As a drug-free […]
Self-Powered Implant Tracks Spinal Fusion Healing
Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh created a self-powered implant that can track spinal healing while also providing mechanical support. The device can be 3D printed so that it fits a given patient perfectly and the mechanical properties can also be easily tuned to customize for each situation. The spinal fusion cage contains a triboelectric […]
Microfluidic Chip Models Inflammatory Intestinal Disease
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have modeled Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a childhood inflammatory intestinal disease, on a microfluidic chip and gained new insights into the genetic changes underlying the condition. This is the first in vitro model of the disease, and highlights the power of organ on a chip systems to provide insights into […]
Spinning Disc Separates Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
A team of researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology in Korea created a centrifugal system to separate circulating tumor cells from blood samples. Resembling a DVD, the device separates the cells using the centrifugal force created when it is spun. A layer of white blood cells and circulating tumor cells is formed […]
Smart Jumpsuit Tracks Motor Development in Children
Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland created a smart jumpsuit that can track toddler movements. The idea is to closely monitor motor development and identify any issues early, allowing for earlier interventions. Issues with motor development can be related to wider neurodevelopmental problems, and so tracking a young child’s activity can provide a […]
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires
Percutaneous coronary intervention is an incredibly useful technique to minimally invasively investigate and treat cardiac issues, such as blockages in the coronary arteries, but it requires a significant amount of skill to perform safely and effectively. Manipulating a guidewire through the tortuous vasculature is not for the faint hearted, with the possibility of perforating a […]
One-Step Manufactured Meta-Bots with Medical Potential
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles have developed “meta-bots,” which are fingernail sized robots that can move, sense, and navigate their environment. Strikingly, the robots are essentially ready for use when they emerge from the 3D printer, and consist of piezoelectric actuators that can respond to or generate electricity. The robots consist of […]
Polymer Brushes Capture and Release Proteins on Demand
Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a “polymer brush” system that can capture and release proteins on using electrical stimulation. Protein therapeutics are increasingly in demand, but creating them efficiently is still a challenge. Isolating therapeutic proteins from the liquid surrounding the cells used to produce them in biotechnological processes […]
AI-Powered Surgical Robot Excels at Tricky Kidney Stone Procedure
Clinical researchers at Nagoya City University in Japan have tested an AI-powered surgical robot in its ability to assist with percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which is a minimally invasive procedure to remove large kidney stones. The technique involves accessing the kidney through the skin, and typically requires a highly experienced surgeon. The robot, called the Automated Needle […]