Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) are developing an artificial heart that may one day serve as a long-term replacement for failing natural hearts. This would be a major development, as the only FDA approved artificial heart, the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart , is only meant as a “bridge” to a transplant. OHSU’s device […]
Author: Medgadged
The Magseed Injectable Marker: Interview with Eric Mayes, CEO of Endomag
Endomag, a medical technology company based in Cambridge, UK and Austin, Texas, has developed the Magseed, a magnetic injectable marker that can be implanted by a radiologist during an imaging procedure, such as during ultrasound or X-ray mammographic procedures. The marker can then assist surgeons to find features of interest in soft tissues. Originally intended […]
Fujifilm Reveals ASPIRE Bellus II Multi-Modality Mammography Diagnostic Workstation
This weekend Fujifilm will be showing off its brand new ASPIRE Bellus II mammography diagnostic workstation at the National Consortium of Breast Centers, having received FDA clearance for it last September. The ASPIRE Bellus II workstation provides a multimodality view that can be used to analyze 2D and tomosynthesis scans against each other. Various DICOM standards are supported […]
Lens-Free Fluorescent Microscope for Imaging Deep Inside Body
Microscopes are a ubiquitous tool in the life sciences and their applications extend into clinical practice. Doctors use them to peer into the eye, examine tissues for signs of cancer, and to help perform surgeries. But, microscopes are bulky, so it’s impossible to use them to image many of the areas deep inside the body. […]
Artificial Photoreceptors Return Vision to Blind Mice
Blindness in many people is caused by diseased rod and cone cells within the retina that are responsible for turning light into electric signals. If these photoreceptor cells don’t function correctly, even an otherwise perfectly healthy eye won’t produce quality vision. There are technologies out there that bypass photoreceptors entirely, but that involves bulky technology […]
Soft Electronics for Long Term Neural Monitoring and Recording
Scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Linköping University in Sweden, and Columbia and NYU in New York City, have developed a highly flexible soft electronic neural interface probe that can be stretched to twice its original length. The device is suitable for long-term neural recording, and could help clinicians to diagnose and monitor neurological conditions […]
Orthofix Physio-Stim with Smartphone App Cleared in USA, Europe
Orthofix, a company out of Lewisville, Texas, won FDA clearance and CE Mark approval for the latest PhysioStim bone growth stimulators. PhysioStim devices deliver pulsed electromagnetic fields that are used to repair nonunion fractures within the arms and legs that have not exhibited healing on their own. The resulting electric field that is established at the […]
Drone Lifelines: Interview with Zipline’s Keenan Wyrobek
Keenan Wyrobek is the co-founder of Zipline, a California company designing, building, and deploying drones that deliver life-saving medical supplies and blood to the most remote and difficult to access places on Earth. He has a background in helping develop several tech products and patents in robotics, and is now leading product and engineering for Zipline. […]
Learning Method for Tuning Exoskeletons
Body-worn robots that assist people with disabilities are becoming more common, thanks to research and development over the last decade or so. While there’s been a great deal of progress in perfecting powered exoskeletons, there’s still a lot of work left to be able to coordinate their movements with the individuals that are wearing them. […]
Spectralink Versity Smartphones Designed for Hospital Use
Smartphones have become commonly used tools in modern hospitals, connecting clinicians to in-house electronic medical records, providing research capabilities, and even functioning as the core components of medical tools such as ophthalmoscopes, stethoscopes, and even therapeutic devices. Yet, smartphones are designed for consumers and often lack features important when used in medicine. Spectralink, a company […]
MedCline Reflux Relief System: A Medgadget Product Review
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic medical condition that occurs when the acidic stomach contents regularly move backwards into the esophagus, irritating its delicate lining. It is a very common condition, and it is estimated that the disease affects around 20 percent of the U.S. population. Not only do patients with GERD suffer from […]
Pillo Automated Pill Dispenser and Personal Assistant
Things are getting pretty cute in the field of personal health. Case in point is the Pillo, an all-in-one pill dispenser, personal digital assistant, and communication device. It seems to be a mix between an automated pill dispenser, that can prepare the correct dose of multiple drugs on a personalized schedule, an Amazon Alexa-like voice-based […]
3D Printed Patches with Living Cells Help to Overcome Tiny Blocked Vessels
Thrombotic blockages within blood vessels are a common health problem. When occlusions occur in large vessels, they can be relatively easy to deal with using wires, catheters, balloons, and stents. It is the smaller vasculature, which can be too narrow for intravascular instruments, that is currently nearly impossible to deal with. Researchers at the National […]
FDA Approves Smallest Heart Valve: Small Enough for Newborns
The world’s smallest prosthetic heart valve has been approved by the FDA, allowing even newborns to benefit from a replacement that was designed to match their anatomy. The Masters HP 15mm rotatable mechanical heart valve can be used to replace either mitral or aortic valves that are not good candidates for repair procedures. The valve is now […]
Patient Aortas Printed in 3D to Test How Replacement Valves Will Work
Implanting prosthetic heart valves is a challenge requiring careful matching of the implanted device to the patient anatomy, as well as placing the implant so that there are no leaks, hemodynamic occlusions, nor a configuration that promotes clot formation. While this is relatively manageable when performing open heart valve replacements, using transcatheter valves is a […]
Magnetic Nanoparticles to Stop Internal Bleeding
Researchers from ITMO University in St. Petersburg, Russia have developed magnetic nanoparticles to control internal bleeding, which can be localized at a bleeding site in the body using external magnetic fields. Internal bleeding is a medical emergency, and researchers are working to develop more effective therapies that are targeted at the bleeding site and that […]
OrbusNeich Gets U.S. Clearance for Smallest Coronary Balloon
OrbusNeich won FDA clearance for the OrbusNeich 1.0mm Sapphire II PRO coronary balloon, the only coronary balloon of such small size available in the U.S. It’s designed for dealing with the tightest and most difficult to treat lesions, capable of moving through tortuous vasculature and crossing through compacted plaques. “As physicians, we have continued to advance techniques […]
Hemafuse for Autotransfusion of Blood from Internal Hemorrhage
Treatment of serious internal bleeding requires replacing lost blood with fresh donor blood, but this is not always an option. In poor areas and those with a lack of healthcare infrastructure donor blood may simply be unavailable. A new device is being launched by Sisu, a young company based in Baltimore, Maryland, that lets clinicians […]
Thermal Cameras and Analytics for Patient Monitoring: Interview with Paul Baratta of Axis Communications
Axis Communications, a provider of network video technologies, offers a range of intelligent security solutions. While such technology is traditionally used for security purposes, the company also developed a range of thermal cameras that can be coupled with an analytics system to automatically detect incidents in healthcare facilities, such as patient falls. As the cameras […]
AtriClip FLEX•V Device for Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion Released in U.S.
Atricure has released its new AtriClip FLEX•V Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) Exclusion System in the U.S. following a recent FDA clearance. The device features a trigger release for deploying the clip and an open-ended design in which the tips of the jaws close earlier than the rest of the clip. Some of the features of the AtriClip FLEX•V, […]