Custom-built artificial hearts are still something from science fiction, but the engineering knowledge to get there is already being assembled in labs around the world. One important piece of the puzzle has just been reported on by researchers at Harvard University, who have built a model of the heart’s left ventricle, seeded with living heart […]
Tag: Diagnostics
Wearable Patch Can Sense Cortisol Levels in Sweat
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a stretchy wearable patch that can measure cortisol levels in sweat. The researchers hope that the technology could help doctors diagnose adrenal or pituitary problems, and help to assess stress levels in young or non-verbal children who cannot communicate with mental health professionals. Levels of the hormone cortisol can […]
Device Detects Mosquitoes Carrying Pathogenic Viruses
Mosquitoes are usually only an unpleasant nuisance, but when they’re carrying diseases we only find out once people start showing up sick at hospitals and clinics. A spinoff from Purdue University is hoping to give public health professionals, and mosquito eradication programs, an early warning system to know where to direct their resources. The company, […]
Spectral X-Ray Scanner Gives Detailed New View Inside The Body
An amazing new X-ray scanner has been tried for the first time on a human, producing 3D color images with incredible detail. The spectral (multi-energy) scanner was developed for clinical uses by researchers at Universities of Canterbury and Otago, both in New Zealand, and it relies on a detector created originally for CERN, the large European […]
Artificial Intelligence and Radar Technologies to Measure Blood Glucose
Diabetes management is slowly moving away from needles, finger sticks, and insulin pumps that intrude on a person’s life. Now, researchers from the University of Waterloo have developed a novel combination of radar and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help people manage diabetes more effectively and detect changes in glucose levels without having to traumatically […]
Contact Lens Measures Glucose, pH, Lactate in Eye
At Purdue University researchers have come up with a way of reliably attaching thin film sensors and other small electronic devices to soft contact lenses. The capability may allow for real-time, non-invasive measurement of glucose levels, delivery of drugs directly to the eye, and maybe even tracking intraocular pressure. “We developed a very unique technology […]
Photoacoustic Computed Tomography May Replace Mammographies for Breast Cancer Screening
Though mammography helps to provide early detection of breast cancer, it is a modality that suffers from limitations, particularly in dense breasts. A new technology, developed at Caltech, may have the potential to eclipse mammographies for spotting cancerous lesions. The photoacoustic system sends near-infrared laser light into breast tissue and detectors are used to spot […]
Stretchable, Conductive Hydrogel as a Biomedical Sensor
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology in Saudi Arabia have developed an electrically conductive hydrogel that can flex, stretch, and self-heal when cut and reattached. The versatile material has potential in a variety of applications including wound healing patches, wearable electronics, and touch-sensitive robotics. The research team developed the new material by […]
Health Technology Briefs from the ITF Demo Floor
Medgadget was recently invited to attend the imec Technology Forum (ITF) conference in Antwerp, Belgium. One of the highlights of the conference was the demo floor where imec, which is a non-profit R&D innovation organization, had the opportunity to show off some cool technologies from their research teams, spinoff companies, and partner organization. While the […]
Tiny Battery-Free Implantable Devices Powered Wirelessly Using Radio Frequency Waves
Scientists at MIT have developed a wireless system that can power tiny implantable devices in the body, without the need for batteries. The system relies on radiofrequency waves emitted by an antenna outside the body, which can then power the implants from as far away as one meter and as deep as 10 cm below […]
New Way to Inject Light into Microdisk Resonators May Allow New Diagnostics
Microdisks are special tiny resonators that trap light inside themselves and enhance the incoming light for specific applications. They rely on the whispering-gallery optical effect, similar to the sound-based effect of the same name that’s demonstrated at many children’s museums. Microdisks have great potential for assessing the state of individual cells at the point of care, […]
Pressure-Responsive Fibers Could Lead to Color-Changing Bandages
Engineers at MIT have developed photonic fibers that change color in response to pressure. The innovation could lead to color-changing bandages that allow clinicians to easily know if they’re tight enough or too tight. Compression stockings and bandages are a common treatment for venous ulcers. However, it can be difficult to tell if an optimal […]
Pressure-Responsive Fibers Could Lead to Color-Changing Bandages
Engineers at MIT have developed photonic fibers that change color in response to pressure. The innovation could lead to color-changing bandages that allow clinicians to easily know if they’re tight enough or too tight. Compression stockings and bandages are a common treatment for venous ulcers. However, it can be difficult to tell if an optimal […]
E. Coli in an Electronic Pill Can Detect Bleeding in the Stomach
Researchers at MIT have developed an ingestible chip containing genetically engineered E. coli. When swallowed, the bacteria can detect blood in the stomach, and produce light. The chip contains components that measure the amount of light produced and relays this information to a nearby smartphone, allowing a simple and non-invasive diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding. In […]
Monitoring Your Health is No Sweat with Eccrine Systems’ Sweatronics Wearable
Biofluids can be a goldmine of valuable information about our health. However, most of them require sharp needles, diuretics, or sappy romance dramas (blood, urine, and tears) to produce in useful quantities. One Cincinnati area startup has developed a device that samples a biofluid that everyone produces continuously while sleeping or awake – sweat! During […]
Blood Test for Quick and Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously famous for being a merciless killer, but the reality is that our current inability to diagnose it early is what makes it so intractable. Earlier diagnosis would allow therapies to be initiated before the cancer becomes untreatable. Researchers at University of California, San Diego may have just developed a blood test that […]
PeraTrend Clinical Surveillance Software Gets Clearance from FDA
PeraHealth, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently won FDA clearance for its PeraTrend clinical surveillance offering, which relies on smart algorithms to predict dangerous oncoming health issues, such as cardiac and pulmonary arrest, while the patient is in the hospital. The algorithms are based on the Rothman Index, a measure of how well a patient […]
Advanced Cancer Diagnostics Reduce Frequency of Misdiagnoses: Interview with Precipio CEO Ilan Danieli
According to 2010-2012 data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 40% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. In all its forms, cancer is known to be a clinically and emotionally challenging disease to manage. Despite the fact that each year 455 men and women per 100,000 patients are diagnosed […]
“Superman Vision” Gets a Boost from Vayyar’s Next Generation Chip: Interview with CEO Raviv Melamed
Earlier this month, Vayyar Imaging, a firm based in Yehud, Israel, announced the launch of its next generation CMOS System on a Chip (SOC), strengthening the company’s position as a global leader in 3D imaging technology. The new chip covers imaging and radar bands from 3 GHz to 81 GHz and, compared to many similar chips with […]
“Superman Vision” Gets a Boost from Vayyar’s Next Generation Chip: Interview with CEO Raviv Melamed
Earlier this month, Vayyar Imaging, a firm based in Yehud, Israel, announced the launch of its next generation CMOS System on a Chip (SOC), strengthening the company’s position as a global leader in 3D imaging technology. The new chip covers imaging and radar bands from 3 GHz to 81 GHz and, compared to many similar chips with […]