Prostate cancer affects 1 in 9 men and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Due to the close anatomical association between the prostate and nearby organs, well-known complications of prostate cancer treatment are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Santa Monica-based Avenda Health hopes to use artificial intelligence to decrease rates […]
Author: Medgadged
Avenda Health Uses Artificial Intelligence to Improve Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 9 men and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Due to the close anatomical association between the prostate and nearby organs, well-known complications of prostate cancer treatment are urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Santa Monica-based Avenda Health hopes to use artificial intelligence to decrease rates […]
Mini-Brain Platform Mimics Human Brain to Help Develop Drugs, Test Therapies
Studying the effect of potential therapies on the human brain is exceedingly difficult. Laboratory animals have proven to be less than ideal as mimics for identifying how a given therapy will work in people, leading to exceedingly long and difficult research journeys. Now AxoSim, a company based in New Orleans, will soon be making its […]
3D Ultrasound Developed to Guide Treatment of Gynecological Cancers
Researchers at Western University, London Health Sciences Centre, and Lawson Health Research Institute, all in Canada, have developed and tested a new 3D ultrasound system. Designed to improve the accuracy of interstitial brachytherapy, a technique in which tiny sources of radiation are placed inside tumors, the new ultrasound may help physicians to significantly improve their […]
Cloud Computing for Clinical Trial Data: Interview with Jackie Kent, SVP and Head of Product, Medidata
Medidata offers data collection, analysis, and presentation services for clinical trials through its cloud computing AI platform. The aim of the system is to reduce the workload involved in data handling and analysis. This can be considerable in clinical trials, where enormous amounts of data are generated from diverse clinical sites, making the resulting datasets […]
Virtual Reality Used to Spot Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers from the University of Cambridge demonstrated the potential for virtual reality (VR) to serve as a diagnostic tool for diagnosing early Alzheimer’s disease more effectively than existing tests. The research is based on findings that the cells in the brain’s internal “global positioning system” of the entorhinal cortex are the first to be damaged […]
Nerivio Migra Wins FDA De Novo Clearance for Acute Treatment of Migraines
Theranica, a company based in Israel, won FDA De Novo clearance for its Nerivio Migra smartphone-operated electroceutical device for treating migraine headaches. The device is worn around the upper arm, from where it delivers electronic pulses into the skin to generate a so-called “Conditioned Pain Modulation” response. This helps to mitigate the effects of a […]
Gold Nanoparticle-Coated Surgical Meshes for Photothermal Infection Control
Researchers at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Catalonia have developed a new technique to decontaminate surgical meshes once they are implanted in the body. The technique involves gold nanoparticle-coated meshes that heat up when they are exposed to near infrared light, destroying bacterial biofilms on the mesh surface. The researchers hope that this […]
Liquid Biopsy for Monitoring Transplanted Stem Cells
Researchers from the University of Maryland, University of Pennsylvania, and Emory University have demonstrated that a blood test can be used to track the efficacy of transplanted stem cells. They analyzed tiny cellular components called exosomes that were secreted from transplanted stem cells. “Exosomes contain the signals of the cells they’re derived from – proteins […]
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Working Memory
Researchers from Duke University School of Medicine have found that magnetic brain stimulation can help improve working memory. They studied repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), showing that it improved memory task performance in all ages of adults. Given that individuals with Alzheimer’s will more than double by 2050, rTMS may be a potential form of […]
Simple Test Uses UV Light to Measure Stress Levels
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have developed a simple biosensor that uses UV light to measure levels of stress hormones in saliva, blood, urine, or sweat. The researchers hope that the test will eventually be available as an at-home test kit that people can use to assess their stress. Other applications include monitoring people […]
Military-Specific Augmented Reality Patient Simulation: Interview with Dr. Kevin King, CEO of MedCognition
MedCognition, a Texas-based startup, has been awarded a contract to develop military-specific augmented reality patient simulations for the US army, in conjunction with Chenega Healthcare Services. The technology is based on an existing patient simulator, the PerSim system, which uses Microsoft HoloLens Mixed reality to project simulations of patients into real working environments to allow […]
New Device Monitors Blood Flow Through Radial Artery to Prevent Occlusions Post PCI
Following transradial percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), the radial artery can occasionally occlude, potentially resulting in serious complications. Radial occlusion is treated by applying compression, but clinicians have no idea whether nor how much blood is flowing through the artery. Moreover, once an occlusion happens in the radial artery, it cannot be used again as an […]
Electronic Wristband With Flexible Batteries Helps Maintain Body Temperature
It has been well known that using localized cooling and heating can help people regulate their body temperature, reduce muscle fatigue during exercise, and generally make feel better. Heating and cooling pads are quite bulky, heavy, and don’t provide much control of their temperature, making them difficult to use in practice. Engineers at the University […]
NightWare Gets FDA Breakthrough Status for App to Stop Nightmares of PTSD Sufferers
Nightmares are a regular part of life for many people that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can be very hard to control, since dreams seem to have a life of their own and arise in our sleep whether we want them to or not. NightWare, a company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, just won […]
3D Printed ELISA Pipette Tips for Low Cost Medical Testing
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have developed a 3D printed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) device, which fits onto a normal pipette and substantially reduces the time and cost of this common medical test. The device could allow for medical testing in remote or low-resource regions, where such tests would otherwise be unavailable. ELISA tests […]
Preserving Vaccines at Room Temperature Finally Possible
The availability of vaccines in poor and remote regions is usually the result of a lack of proper storage and transportation options. For most vaccines to survive, they must be kept cold and within a prescribed temperature range. Storage areas have to have fridges with access to reliable electricity and the delivery cars and trucks […]
ControlRad Trace Add-On for C-arms Reduces Radiation Exposure
ControlRad, a company based outside of Atlanta, Georgia, won FDA clearance for its ControlRad Trace radiation reduction solution. Designed for integration with C-arms, the product can help reduce X-ray radiation exposure to patients and nearby clinicians in most fluoroscopic procedures. The system works thanks to titanium filters that move in front of the X-ray beam, […]
EEG May be Used to Diagnose, Assess Severity of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease can be hard to diagnose in its early stages, and monitoring its progression is just as difficult. Current methods are mostly subjective, with physicians visually assessing patients during a variety of tasks. Having access to more objective tools may help doctors establish diagnoses fast, guide the type of therapies that are delivered to […]
Scope Pro-tech Coming Out to Protect Endoscope Tips
Meditech Endoscopy, a company out of Essex, England, just won FDA clearance for its Scope Pro-tech endoscopic tip protector. The device is designed to protect the optics found on the tips of endoscopes while they’re in storage or when they’re moved from place to place. The design of the Scope Pro-tech is such that air […]