Researchers at the University of London have collaborated with QuantuMDx, a medtech company based in the UK, to develop a microfluidic diagnostic device for tuberculosis. The CAPTURE-XT chip is designed to concentrate and purify Mycobacterium tuberculosis from suspected tuberculosis patients, particularly in areas that lack access to routine diagno (Read more...)
Author: Medgadged
Heart Valves Made in Minutes
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a technique that lets them create biomaterial heart valves in a matter of minutes. The approach, called ‘Focused Rotary Jet Spinning’, has been described by the researchers as ‘a cotton-candy machine with a hair dryer behind it.’ Essentially, the technique involves using jets (Read more...)
Surgical Patch Alerts to Intestinal Leaks
Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) have developed an advanced surgical sealant that can alert clinicians to the presence of an intestinal leak after gastrointestinal surgery. Such leaks can be very dangerous, but until now clinicians had few ways to detect them before they start causing symptoms (Read more...)
Conductive Polymer Electrode is Metal-Free
Researchers at MIT have developed a metal-free electrode using conductive polymers. The electrode is flexible and strong enough for long-term implantation in the body. The device is intended as an advanced replacement for rigid metal electrodes that can cause tissue damage and scarring over the long term, leading to device failure. The new technolo (Read more...)
Biodegradable Ultrasound Implant Helps Chemo Reach Brain
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have developed an ultrasound implant that can assist in opening the blood brain barrier to allow chemotherapy to enter and treat brain cancer. However, unlike cumbersome ultrasound systems, this technology can be implanted directly into the brain, and does not require a follow-up surgery to remove the de (Read more...)
Shelf-Stable Breast Milk Powder: Interview with Dr. Vansh Langer, CEO at BBy
BBy, a medtech company based in New York, has developed a spray drying method that hospitals can use to process human breast milk into a shelf-stable powder. Human breast milk is an incredibly important source of nutrition for neonates in intensive care units (NICUs). At present, human donor milk is frozen and must be defrosted […]
(Read more...)Flexible Knee Wearable Tracks Motion
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have created a flexible knee wearable that contains integrated circuitry within its knitted structure. The wearable can track joint movement in real time, assisting clinicians in spotting the early signs of movement disorders or allowing them to track the progress of patients undergoi (Read more...)
Tiny Cylinders for Controlled Drug Release
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new type of microparticle for drug delivery, made from a polymer called PLGA that has already been extensively explored as a component in drug delivery systems. However, what makes these new particles different is the method of loading and sealing them, which appears to give them highly tunable [&hell (Read more...)
Gelatin-Based Surgical Sealant for Rapid Sealing Inside the Body
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in Los Angeles have developed a gelatin-based surgical sealant. The sealant is thermoresponsive, meaning that it will rapidly form a semi-solid bolus when it reaches body temperature. It is also bioadhesive, adhering to slippery, wet surfaces in the body with relative ease. The researc (Read more...)
Smart Bandage Monitors and Treats Chronic Wounds
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a smart bandage for chronic wounds, such as those sometimes experienced by patients with diabetes. The bandage is flexible and stretchy, but contains electronic components that can monitor the wound for signs of infection, including abnormal temperature, increased uric acid levels (Read more...)
Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a nanotechnological solution for lymphedema, a failure of the lymphatic system that results in uncomfortable and irreversible fluid retention. Previous research efforts have focused on trying to grow new lymphatic vessels, but these researchers have taken a different approach, and in (Read more...)
Levels Is Making Metabolism and Blood Glucose Tracking Accessible To Everyone
Levels has done something truly transformative: the company made continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) accessible to the general population and every day consumer. In many circles, it seems the trend of bringing healthcare to the home and directly to the patient is continuing, but understanding metabolism and lifestyle habits through this new tech tre (Read more...)
CRISPR Combined with Glowing Proteins for Viral Detection
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a sensitive diagnostic test for viral pathogens that is suitable for use in low-resource regions. The test is based on CRISPR proteins that can detect viral genetic material but also incorporates luciferase proteins, which are bioluminescent proteins that are natura (Read more...)
Imagene Profiles Cancer Biomarkers in Real Time
Cancer therapies have proliferated over the past few decades, improving outcomes for many patients. But this variety requires accurate diagnostics and appropriate decision making to choose the optimal course of therapy. The current gold standard of identifying which cancer mutation is present is new generation sequencing (NGS), which provides a com (Read more...)
Imaging Technique Reveals Contraction Patterns During Labor
Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have developed a new imaging technique called electromyometrial imaging (EMMI) which clinicians can use to create 3D maps of uterine contraction patterns during labor. The non-invasive imaging method utilizes rapid MRI scanning with an electromyogram (Read more...)
Biomimetic Construct Models Burn Injuries
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a model of burn injuries that will allow them to investigate the mechanisms underlying healing in such injuries and test out new approaches to enhance this process. Burns can take a long time to heal and can be prone to infection and complicated by the presence of large quantities […]
Empowering Stroke Survivors: Interview with Kirsten Carroll, General Manager at Kandu Health
Kandu Health, a digital health company based in California, has developed a platform to assist stroke survivors with aftercare. Healthcare for stroke patients is primarily focused on acute care to limit the damage caused by the stroke. However, the company has identified that stroke survivors are frequently underserved after hospital discharge, and (Read more...)
Moving Cells Using Ultrasound
Researchers at Caltech have developed a technique that lets them move groups of cells very precisely. It involves genetically modifying cells so that they express small protein air sacs in their interior. The sacs render the cells highly susceptible to manipulation using ultrasound waves, and the researchers can precisely move them into complicated (Read more...)
Printing Bacteria to Make Bone-Like Structures
Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a method to 3D print mineralized constructs with a little helping hand from bacteria. The technique consists of printing a polymer bioink that contains bacteria that will produce calcium carbonate when exposed to a urea solution. The two-step (Read more...)
Scientists Grow Electrodes Inside The Body
Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a method whereby the body can ‘grow its own’ electrodes. The minimally invasive technique involves injecting a hydrogel that is laden with enzymes into target tissues. The enzymes interact with molecules that are present in the tissue to change the structure of the gel an (Read more...)