Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a soft sensor and actuator to monitor bladder volume and help empty it on-demand. The device is intended to be implanted on the bladder surface during a surgical procedure to treat patients who cannot completely empty their bladders voluntarily. Patients can suffer from an underactive bladder […]
Author: Medgadged
3D Printed Microscope Costs as Little as $18
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK have developed a 3D-printed microscope design, called OpenFlexure, which is open-source and can be assembled for as little as $18. More complex versions of the design are possible, and the microscope can incorporate full automation and a Raspberry Pi computer. The research team hopes that the […]
microLED Neural Probes to Study Brain Activity in Living Animals
Optogenetics is a fast evolving technique that allows scientists to activate specific neurons within the brains of living laboratory animals using flashes of light. It may also be effective at recovering sight, as well as achieving other impressive feats (see flashbacks below). To best study and manipulate complex brain activity using optogenetics, particularly activity that […]
VentFree Respiratory Muscle Stimulator Gets FDA Emergency OK for COVID-19
Liberate Medical, a company based outside of Louisville, Kentucky, won FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its VentFree Respiratory Muscle Stimulator that aims to reduce how long patients stay on ventilators. It works to keep the abdominal muscles from atrophying by delivering electric stimulation to the relevant muscles in tune with mechanical ventilation. The device delivers […]
Flexible Throat Sensor Powered by AI to Track COVID-19 Symptoms
As COVID-19 continues to infect more people around the world, there are still few reliable ways to spot the early onset of the disease and to monitor its symptoms in detail, particularly at a distance and while patients are at home. Now, researchers at Northwestern University have partnered with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation […]
A Closer Look at Houston Methodist’s Technology Hub
During our recent tour of Houston’s vast medical research facilities, we visited Houston Methodist, one of several large hospitals that are part of Texas Medical Center. They recently opened the Technology Hub, a converted wing of the building to showcase and test new hardware and software technologies in simulated clinical settings, with the goal that […]
Breathable, Stretchable Electronic Fabric for New Medical Wearables
Stretchable electronic technologies offer the potential to monitor the body over extended periods of time in unprecedented ways. The heart’s rhythms, flexion of joints, and other biomedical parameters can be tracked with high fidelity and continuously using devices that can conform to the body. While much of this has already been possible, and documented here […]
Technique to Reprocess N95 Masks Safely Up To 20 Times Each
Only recently, the Barnes-Jewish hospital in St. Louis, Missouri had only one week’s supply of N95 masks and no expectation for replenishment due to international shortages. To overcome this challenge, it collaborated with the Washington University School of Medicine to implement a method to disinfect and reuse N95 masks up to 20 times each. The […]
Electric Stimulation Gives Robot-Assistive Surgery a Sense of Touch
A team of researchers at Texas A&M have performed studies evaluating how electrical stimulation can help users control robots, for example helping surgeons steady their movements during robot-assisted procedures. They found, in 11 subjects, that small electrical stimulations to the fingertips can help users control the pinching of a hardwood block with a robotic arm. […]
University of Alberta and Local Non-Profit Develop Respirator Similar to N95
Since the spread of COVID-19, medical face masks and N95 respirators have become very sought-after commodities. Unfortunately, they are also in short supply, pushing companies and researchers to develop alternative devices to filter out airborne particles. ACAMP, a non-profit organization in Alberta, Canada, collaborated with the University of Alberta to develop a respirator that is […]
Sensitive 10 Minute Antibody Test for SARS-CoV-2 Developed
A team of researchers at the Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, and collaborators report development of a rapid diagnostic assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human blood. They report accurate detection with patient samples, with only 10 minutes to get a readout per blood sample. The new method is a lateral flow assay, much […]
Synaptive Evry, an MRI for Any Space, Cleared by FDA
Synaptive Medical is reporting that its Evry MRI scanner has won FDA clearance. The device is designed to make magnetic resonance imaging of the head more accessible, cheaper, and easier to manage than many current systems that require specially-built facilities, safety procedures, and costly regular helium refills. The Evry is a medium power (0.5 Tesla) […]
Smart Contact Lenses Measure Glucose, Deliver Drugs
Researchers at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) report development of smart contact lenses for simultaneous glucose measurement and controlled drug delivery. The research, led by Professor Sei Kwang Han, found the contact lenses resulted in low irritation in rabbits, were able to reliably detect glucose levels in tears, and could controllably release […]
Adding Voice to Respiratory and Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis: Interview with Prof. Elad Maor
The field of telehealth is growing thanks to the steady growth in supportive technology and the need for remote monitoring, assessment, diagnosis, and testing. Voice is unique to every individual due to people’s anatomical differences, which makes for a powerful tool when working remotely. Vocalis Health is a company that uses machine learning and artificial […]
Smart, Low Cost Ventilator Tunes to Patient’s Own Breathing
Because of the common expectation that ventilators would be in dire shortage during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many teams around the world have developed simple ventilators that utilize bag valve masks (AmbuBags) to pump air in and out of the lungs. Most of these do not provide nuanced control of ventilation settings such as the […]
3D Face Scans Accurately Screen for Sleep Apnea
Researchers at the University of Western Australia have demonstrated that facial features captured from 3D photographs may be useful as a screening tool for sleep apnea. 400 individuals participated in the study, and the researchers found that they could predict which patients would have sleep apnea with up to 91% accuracy. 300 individuals with sleep […]
Graphene Biosensor Developed for Rapid COVD-19 Testing
Researchers at the Korea Basic Science Institute, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, and collaborators have published an article on the development of graphene-based test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, from nasopharyngeal swabs. They have determined it can detect SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples at a concentration of 242 copies per mL. and greater, a […]
Medical City, U.S.A.: Medgadget Visits Texas Medical Center
There’s a saying that “everything is bigger than Texas,” and healthcare is no exception. Located just south of downtown Houston in between the historic Hermann Park and Rice University, Texas Medical Center (TMC) consists of 54 medical institutions spread throughout its expansive campus, making it the largest medical complex and the 8th largest business district […]
Brain-Computer Interface Lets Man with Complete Spinal Cord Injury Feel and Move His Hand
Spinal cord injuries can leave people paralyzed and without a sense of touch in much of the body. While there’s been a tremendous amount of work in the past decade to overcome paralysis by using brain-computer interfaces to bypass damaged spinal cords, providing a sense of touch is a necessity for truly proper treatment. As […]
MOLEKULE Unveils Air Pro Rx Medical Air Filter to Protect Hospitals During COVID Pandemic
Molekule, a company based in San Francisco, is releasing its brand new Air Pro Rx air purifier. The system has been cleared by the FDA as a 510(k) Class II medical device. Designed to purify clinical environments, such as operating rooms, ICUs, and emergency departments larger than 600 square feet (55 square meters), it oxidizes […]