Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, engineered a blood-brain barrier on a chip using human-derived stem cells. The device closely mimics the blood-brain barrier and allows the researchers to study its function and the effect of drugs without having to use experimental animals. By incorporating sensors, the chi (Read more...)
Author: Medgadged
Sweating E-Skin for Long-Term Health Monitoring
Researchers at MIT have developed an e-skin technology that contains artificial sweat ducts. The ducts prevent sweat accumulation underneath the e-skin, helping to prevent interference with built-in sensors. Incorporating a kirigami-style design, the material conforms to human skin but maintains a high porosity and reduced sweat accumulation. The d (Read more...)
Inexpensive Filter Isolates Circulating Tumor Cells
Researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan have designed an inexpensive and convenient filter that can isolate circulating tumor cells from as little as 1 mL of patient blood. The highly sensitive filter can successfully work in samples containing as few as five tumor cells in 1 mL of blood, and does not require expensive equipment […]
Fluorescent mRNA to Track, Optimize Delivery
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and collaborators created a technique to produce fluorescently labeled mRNA, allowing them to track its entry and distribution into cells. Using such molecules could help scientists develop better ways to deliver mRNA therapeutics into the body, potentially playing a vital role in the new w (Read more...)
Battery-Free Wireless Pacemaker Dissolves Post Treatment
Researchers at Northwestern University and collaborators have developed a temporary cardiac pacemaker that dissolves away in the body into harmless byproducts. The technology avoids the need for leads penetrating the skin as well as follow-up procedures to remove a pacemaker. The device could make temporary pacemaker placement a safer and more conv (Read more...)
Face Mask Detects SARS-CoV-2
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute and MIT have developed a face mask that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in a wearer’s breath. The mask employs freeze dried molecular components including CRISPR-based technology, and a lateral flow assay strip to detect the virus and alert the wearer. To initiate the test, the wearer simply presses a button [& (Read more...)
Cell Cloaking to Reduce Foreign Body Response to Medical Implants
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a technique to coat implantable materials, such as stents, with extracellular matrix components and cells. The new approach could lead to implantable devices that suffer fewer adverse events, such as fibrosis, inflammation, and clotting, because of the foreign body response (Read more...)
Inflatable Neurostimulator for Minimally Invasive Pain Control
Researchers at the University of Cambridge created a spinal stimulation device that can help to control severe pain. Unlike existing technologies, which require invasive surgery for implantation, the new device can be delivered using a needle. Once implanted, the device unfurls and inflates in place to provide extensive coverage during spinal cord (Read more...)
Microarray Rapidly Identifies Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have developed a sensitive and inexpensive microarray technology that can rapidly identify antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in blood or serum samples. The test can provide a result in as little as eight minutes, but the researchers believe that this can be further reduced to just [ (Read more...)
Rapid Diagnosis of Infectious Disease at Point of Care: Interview with Shawn Marcel, CEO of Torus Biosystems
Torus Biosystems, a medtech startup that spun out of Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, has developed the Synestia system, a point of care diagnostic tool for infectious disease. The system aims to provide rapid, point-of-care identification of pathogens, and incorporates microarray and qPCR technology. &nbs (Read more...)
In Silico Clinical Trial Replicates Results of Traditional Trials
Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have conducted a virtual ‘clinical trial’, using parameters from a real patient population and in silico modeling, to investigate the use of a flow diverter device in brain aneurysms. The virtual trial successfully predicted the results of real trials in humans, suggesting that the approa (Read more...)
Mobility-Enabled Compression Device for Lymphedema: Interview with CEO of Koya Medical
Koya Medical, a medtech company based in California, has developed the Dayspring active compression system for the treatment of lymphedema. The company received FDA clearance for the use of Dayspring on the upper extremities in June 2020, and just recently announced 510(k) clearance for use in the lower extremities. Lymphedema involves impaired lym (Read more...)
Optical Fiber Imaging for Next-Generation Endoscopes
Researchers at the University of Exeter in England have developed a technique to image tissues through an ultrathin optical fiber, potentially allowing for high-resolution imaging of single cells within the body. The optical fibers are as thin as a human hair, and could lead to tiny endoscopes that can be inserted into human tissues to […]
Spray-On Hydrogel to Prevent Post-Surgery Adhesions
Researchers at University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on hydrogel that forms a protective coating on tissue surfaces, such as the surface of the heart. The new material is intended to prevent the formation of adhesions, where tissues inside the body adhere together abnormally following a surgical procedure. The crosslinked gel pe (Read more...)
AI-Powered App Interprets HIV Test Results
Researchers at University College London and the Africa Health Research Institute have developed an AI-powered app that can interpret lateral flow tests for HIV. The technique involves taking an image of the test with a smartphone camera, and the app can tell whether the result is positive or negative simply by analyzing the image. As […]
Drinking Straw Device for Hiccups Treatment
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have developed a device to treat hiccups. The drinking straw-like device allows a user to apply forceful suction to draw water into it, with subsequent swallowing triggering both the phrenic and vagus nerves, which helps to relieve hiccups. The treatment may be the [&hellip (Read more...)
Nanodecoys Bind SARS-CoV-2 for Destruction by Immune System
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a nanodecoy system that provides binding sites for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vesicles help to prevent the virus from binding to lung cells and lead to its eventual destruction by the immune system. The nanodecoys are derived from lung spheroid cells, and contain the angiotensin-convertin (Read more...)
Artificial Skin Bruises Like The Real Thing
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed an artificial skin that can effectively indicate if damage has occurred, in the same way that our skin bruises naturally. The new skin is made using an ionic hydrogel, and demonstrates changes in electrical signaling when it is deformed. It also produces a purple color […]
Graphene Sensor for Rapid COVID-19 Detection
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a graphene-based sensor that can rapidly detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The system includes graphene sheets that are coupled with an antibody against the viral spike protein. When viral particles bind to the antibodies, they change the vibrational properties of the graphene sheets, and (Read more...)
Highly Maneuverable Magnetically Controlled Miniature Robots
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed miniature robots that are highly maneuverable, and can rapidly move in six degrees of freedom. These tiny devices are magnetic and can be controlled using an electromagnetic coil system that precisely manipulates the direction and strength of magnetic fields. The researchers (Read more...)