The COVID-19 pandemic has put lung health firmly in our minds. For those with chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, an important way to keep track of lung health is to use a spirometer to measure how well air can move in and out of the lungs during forced breathing. However, patients would […]
Tag: Cardiology
Conductive Cotton Thread for Wearable Sensors in Commercial Textiles
Imperial College London researchers created a conductive cotton thread that can undergo a computerized embroidery process for incorporation into commercially produced textiles, such as t-shirts and face masks. The thread, called PECOTEX, can be used to create wearable health sensors, such as heart rate monitors, breathing monitors and even gas sensors, including ammonia sensors for […]
Smartphone Camera Measures Blood Oxygen
At the University of Washington a research team has developed a smartphone system that can measure blood oxygen levels. The technology uses the camera and flash of the phone to take the measurement, and the system is so easy to use that it may be well suited for at-home use. A person presses their finger […]
Smartphone Camera Measures Blood Oxygen
At the University of Washington a research team has developed a smartphone system that can measure blood oxygen levels. The technology uses the camera and flash of the phone to take the measurement, and the system is so easy to use that it may be well suited for at-home use. A person presses their finger […]
Alveoli on a Chip to Reveal Airflow Characteristics in Disease and Drug Delivery
Researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China have developed a microfluidic-style chip that models the alveoli present in our airways. The tiny air sacs in our lungs are crucial for gas exchange, but they can be difficult to study and model. A better understanding of airflow patterns in these structures could be very […]
Sleep Monitoring at Home: Interview with Ziv Peremen, CEO of X-trodes
X-trodes, a medtech startup based in Israel, created Smart Skin, a wireless monitoring and analytics technology that is suitable for at-home sleep monitoring. At present, diagnosing sleep disorders is an arduous and expensive business, requiring patients to attend a specialized sleep clinic and wear bulky and uncomfortable equipment, all while attempting to sleep in a […]
Silicone Heart Models Heart Failure
Scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and partners at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin have developed a silicone heart model that is intended to model heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The device, which represents a ‘mock circulatory loop’, includes a simulated version of the left atrium and […]
Assessing Heart Function and Fluid Status with Cardiac Scales: Interview with John Lipman, CEO, and Corey Centen, Founder, Bodyport
Bodyport, a medtech company based in San Francisco, developed the Bodyport Cardiac Scale, a set of weighing scales that can non-invasively assess fluid status and heart function. The scales can detect these signals through the feet when a patient steps onto the device. The technology is intended to be convenient and requires only 20 seconds […]
Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Marker of CV Disease?
A specific AMD phenotype was seen to predict presence of vascular, myocardial, or valve disease in patients referred to retinal specialists, leading researchers to ponder its potential in screening. Medscape Medical News
Biosynthetic Trilayered Ventricle Pumps Blood
Biomedical engineers at the University of Toronto have developed a method to create a small-scale biosynthetic left ventricle that can pump blood within a bioreactor. While the construct is too small to act as replacement for a human heart, it could lead to full-sized biosynthetic organ transplants. In fact, the man-made ventricle already showed a […]
Artificial Ventricle Mimics Helical Muscle Fibers
Researchers at Harvard developed a technique that lets them recreate the helical arrangement of cardiac muscle fibers within the heart ventricles in a bioengineered construct. The breakthrough could pave the way for artificial bioengineered hearts. The researchers used a technique called Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS) that allows them to deposit tiny polymer fibers in […]
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires
Percutaneous coronary intervention is an incredibly useful technique to minimally invasively investigate and treat cardiac issues, such as blockages in the coronary arteries, but it requires a significant amount of skill to perform safely and effectively. Manipulating a guidewire through the tortuous vasculature is not for the faint hearted, with the possibility of perforating a […]
Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring: Interview with Jiang Li, CEO at Vivalink
Blood pressure is a crucial factor in cardiovascular health, but measuring it using conventional pressurized cuff systems in a doctor’s clinic is prone to unreliable results. A one-off measurement merely offers a clinician with one snapshot in time, potentially missing an intermittent issue. However, patients can also be prone to “white coat syndrome,” where anxiety […]
Lipid Nanodiscs Unlock the Potential of Cytokine Treatment
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin created a nanocarrier for stem cell factor, a regenerative cytokine. The nanotechnological approach renders the treatment much safer, as previous attempts to use stem cell factor as a pro-angiogenic treatment have been hampered by severe allergic reactions in some recipients. This latest technology helps to unlock the […]
Eko DUO Digital ECG + Stethoscope: Exclusive Interview and Review
In the latest advancements of AI and med tech, the Eko DUO stands out as a smart and reliable product with FDA-cleared artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms being used to detect leading indicators of heart disease. More significantly, this is a smart stethoscope that boasts point-of-care ECG capabilities to detect signs of heart disease such as […]
Melt Electrowriting to Make Fibrous Heart Valve Scaffolds
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have developed a technique to create heart valve scaffolds that can mimic the variable mechanical properties of the real thing. The researchers used a method called melt electrowriting to create complex and variable patterns in the fibrous scaffolds, allowing them to mimic the structure and mechanical […]
Dissolving Pacemaker Communicates with Patient and Wearable Tech
Researchers at Northwestern University have created a cardiac pacemaker that dissolves away, negating the need for a procedure to remove it. The pacemaker was originally announced in 2021, but in this follow-up study, the researchers have enhanced its functionality. The device can now communicate with a network of wireless sensors that are worn on the […]
Smart Stent Monitors Hemodynamics
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a smart stent that can monitor hemodynamic parameters. The wireless and battery-free device can transmit the data to the outside of the body, and is powered through a wireless energy transfer system that uses magnetic fields, similar to wireless chargers that are available for many smartphones. […]
Heart Chamber on a Chip
Researchers at Boston University engineered a heart chamber on a chip that can beat by itself. The technology relies on cardiomyocytes generated from induced pluripotent stem cells and small acrylic valves that allow the fluid pumped by the chamber to come and go. The chamber is supported by a thin acrylic scaffold that aims to […]
Wireless Data Transfer for Implanted Devices Using Ionic Communication
Researchers at the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new method for implanted devices to communicate with the outside world that exploits the ions that are naturally present in our tissues. Ion-rich tissues store potential energy, and in this paradigm an implanted device would alter this stored energy with alternating […]