Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a tiny neural probe that is approximately one fifth of the width of a human hair. The probe is flexible and can be implanted for extended periods without aggravating the immune system, in part because of its small and unobtrusive profile. Its miniature size means […]
Author: Medgadged
Automated Wearable Breast Ultrasound System: Interview with Maryam Ziaei, CEO of iSono Health
iSono Health, a medtech company based in San Francisco, has created the ATUSA System, a wearable 3D ultrasound breast scanning system. The device is worn on the breast, and does not rely on operator experience or skill to obtain consistent, high quality breast scans. As the scanning takes place automatically, it can be used by […]
Self-Regulating Footwear for Diabetic Foot Issues
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science created footwear that can self-regulate the pressure distribution when a person walks, helping to avoid pain and friction that can lead to issues for people with diabetes. Patients with diabetes can have an abnormal gait, sometimes because of pain or numbness in the extremities, potentially leading to complications […]
Living Skin Layer for Robots and Prostheses
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a method to coat a robotic finger in a living “skin” layer. The living coating is strong and flexible enough to allow the robotic finger to bend and flex, and it can repel water and even self-heal if damaged. The technique involves coating the robot in a […]
Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring: Interview with Jiang Li, CEO at Vivalink
Blood pressure is a crucial factor in cardiovascular health, but measuring it using conventional pressurized cuff systems in a doctor’s clinic is prone to unreliable results. A one-off measurement merely offers a clinician with one snapshot in time, potentially missing an intermittent issue. However, patients can also be prone to “white coat syndrome,” where anxiety […]
Lipid Nanodiscs Unlock the Potential of Cytokine Treatment
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin created a nanocarrier for stem cell factor, a regenerative cytokine. The nanotechnological approach renders the treatment much safer, as previous attempts to use stem cell factor as a pro-angiogenic treatment have been hampered by severe allergic reactions in some recipients. This latest technology helps to unlock the […]
Fabric Makes Electricity from Movement to Power Wearables
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, have created a wearable fabric that generates electricity from our body movements. The fabric could assist in powering medical wearables and other mobile diagnostic or therapeutic devices. The fabric contains stretchable polymers that generate electricity when bent, pressed, or brushed, based on piezoelectric and triboelectric effects. The fabric is […]
Eko DUO Digital ECG + Stethoscope: Exclusive Interview and Review
In the latest advancements of AI and med tech, the Eko DUO stands out as a smart and reliable product with FDA-cleared artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms being used to detect leading indicators of heart disease. More significantly, this is a smart stethoscope that boasts point-of-care ECG capabilities to detect signs of heart disease such as […]
Melt Electrowriting to Make Fibrous Heart Valve Scaffolds
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have developed a technique to create heart valve scaffolds that can mimic the variable mechanical properties of the real thing. The researchers used a method called melt electrowriting to create complex and variable patterns in the fibrous scaffolds, allowing them to mimic the structure and mechanical […]
Photonic Technique for Deeper Fluorescent Sensors
Researchers at MIT have developed a method that lets them read the signal from fluorescent sensors that are as deep as 5.5 centimeters in tissue. Previously, it was very difficult to get a good signal from a fluorescent sensor placed that deep, as fluorescence emitted by the tissue itself would muddy the signal. The new […]
Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant
Clinical researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have created a perfusion machine to store donor livers before transplant. We originally reported on the machine back in 2020, but now the team has announced that they stored and treated a damaged liver in the machine, which would ordinarily not be suitable for transplantation. After […]
Virtual Reality to Train Staff to Deal with Agitated Patients
Researchers at the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, have developed a virtual reality training system that lets healthcare staff learn how to deal with agitated or aggressive patients. Patients, particularly with mental health issues, can become angry and distressed, and learning to handle such patients both with empathy and effectively […]
Oil-Based Drug Gels Help Patients with Difficulty Swallowing
Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a series of oil-based gels that are intended to help those with difficulty swallowing to take drugs orally. Some adults and many children have difficulty taking pills, and so developing other forms of medication for oral drugs is important. The gels could be particularly useful […]
Dissolving Pacemaker Communicates with Patient and Wearable Tech
Researchers at Northwestern University have created a cardiac pacemaker that dissolves away, negating the need for a procedure to remove it. The pacemaker was originally announced in 2021, but in this follow-up study, the researchers have enhanced its functionality. The device can now communicate with a network of wireless sensors that are worn on the […]
Thin Film Electrodes for Neuro Applications: Interview with Dave Rosa, CEO of NeuroOne
NeuroOne, a medtech company based in Minnesota, has developed the Evo Cortical Electrode and the sEEG electrode, both of which are thin film electrodes for neural recording and stimulation. The small profile and flexible nature of the electrodes allows for less invasive insertion, and the low resistance they offer delivers improved signal quality. The devices […]
Tiny Robot Crab to Perform Tasks Inside Body
Engineers at Northwestern University have developed a tiny remote controlled crab robot. The device is just half a millimeter wide, and can perform a variety of impressive tasks, including jumping, twisting, bending, turning, and walking. The tiny devices do not require electricity and instead are powered through heating using a laser. The shape-memory alloy that […]
Artificial Skin Senses Pressure, Temperature, Humidity
Researchers at Graz University in Austria have created an artificial skin that is more sensitive than your fingertip. The skin contains 2,000 sensors per square millimeter, and the researchers designed it to sense humidity, temperature, and pressure, just like human skin. The tiny sensors within the skin material consist of a hydrogel core and a […]
Microdevice Assists with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injections
Scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia created a microdevice that helps embryologists perform intracytoplasmic sperm injections. The procedure involves injecting a single sperm cell into an egg to initiate fertilization, and it is a key component of fertility procedures such as in vitro fertilization. Typically, this procedure is performed by skilled and experienced […]
Preference-Driven Haptic Feedback for Realistic Virtual Surfaces
A team at the University of Southern California developed a system to create highly realistic and personalized ‘virtual surfaces’ that can inform more advanced haptic feedback systems. Haptic feedback uses specific vibrations to simulate how it feels to touch a surface. This new approach allows people to customize their own virtual surfaces using a preference-based […]
Desktop Air Curtain Blocks Infectious Aerosols
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have developed a desktop air curtain system that prevents aerosols, such as airborne COVID-19 particles, from passing through it. The technology improves on some existing air curtain solutions that can create turbulent flow, resulting in the escape and spread of aerosols. The desktop device contains a dedicated suction port […]