Researchers have developed a laser device that can tell in real time whether tissues in the body are receiving enough oxygen. The laser system relies on resonance Raman spectroscopy, and could help doctors to predict cardiac arrest, as low oxygen levels in heart muscle is a warning sign that the heart could stop pumping. “With current […]
Tag: Diagnostics
$40 Keychain Device Detects Food Allergens
For those with allergic reactions to certain foods, cross-contamination or accidental mislabeling can lead to reactions ranging from annoying to life-threatening. To address this health need, researchers at Harvard Medical School have made a device that can quickly, inexpensively, and accurately detect common food antigens. The integrated exogenous antigen testing, cleverly abbreviated iEAT, was developed to detect […]
Scientists Develop Cheap, Highly Sensitive and Accurate Test for Biomarkers
Scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a cheap, sensitive, and highly accurate way of detecting protein biomarkers. The technology may very well revolutionize diagnostics, disease monitoring, and help stop the spread of infectious pathogens. The nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) has the potential to be as simple to use […]
Novel Smartphone App for Bilirubin, Pancreatic Cancer Screening
Pancreatic cancer patients have one of the lowest five-year survival rates, due in large part to the disease going undiagnosed in its early and intermediate stages. There are no overt symptoms during the critical early period, and non-invasive screening tools for identifying early pancreatic tumors before they metastasize have yet to be developed and translated […]
Integrated Heart/Cancer on a Chip Helps Discover Side Effects of Drugs
At Kyoto University in Japan researchers have created what they call an Integrated Heart/Cancer on a Chip (iHCC) that was designed to help discover side effects of anti-cancer and other medications. The microfluidic system, which is smaller than a common glass slide used with microscopes, consists of healthy myocardial cells populating some chambers and cancerous liver cells […]
Rapid Hepatocellular Carcinoma Test Can be Administered Anywhere
Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a rapid and highly portable liver cancer screening test, that can be administered anywhere. One of the biggest challenges in treating liver cancer is that often symptoms don’t appear until the disease is in the later stages, meaning it is important that people are tested rapidly when […]
Cheap Electrochemical Diagnostic System Featuring a Triboelectric Generator
Scientists at Purdue University have developed cheap, portable, and self-powered devices for performing electrochemical analysis for diagnostic purposes. Made mostly of paper, these devices can be produced in large quantities and used by just about anyone with minor training. The current prototype of the device is able to detect glucose, uric acid, and l-lactate, and other biomarkers can […]
New High Resolution Terahertz Imaging Technique to Help Spot Skin Cancer
Terahertz (THz) imaging, well known to air travelers, promises also to be able to see at a shallow depth into the skin to spot cancer. One benefit of THz is that it is non-ionizing and is therefore probably safe for routine use, while another is that it has already been shown that THz radiation is […]
Deep Sequencing of Loose DNA in Blood for Early Detection of Many Cancers
A collaborative project between scientists in the U.S., Denmark, and The Netherlands has developed a way of spotting bits of DNA in blood that derive from tumors deep in the body. The technology may allow for early detection of cancers before any symptoms arise and earlier than any other existing approach. Though the fact that tumors […]
Paper Test for Zika Powered by Gold Nanoparticles
Zika is often a silent disease that might not display any symptoms in infected persons, making screening particularly important. In the developing world, mobile testing systems that can be easily transported and used are not available, so sending a sample to a lab is still required to detect Zika infected individuals. Researchers at Washington University […]
Smartphone-Powered Diagnostic Spectrum Analyzer Shrinks a Hospital Lab Into Portable Device
Bioengineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have turned a smartphone into a portable diagnostic laboratory capable of performing a range of spectrum analyses that is currently done using large and expensive stationary machines. The investigators built a smartphone attachment that utilizes the smartphone’s camera to analyze the colorimetric absorption spectrum, fluorescence emission spectrum, and […]
Biosensor Stimulates Perspiration for Long-Term Sweat Analysis
Investigators at the University of Cincinnati have developed a biosensor that can locally stimulate sweating. The device could make medical sensors that analyze sweat more reliable, as the patient doesn’t need to be physically active to stimulate perspiration. Scientists have developed numerous sweat sensors, some of which have been featured on Medgadget. Sweat provides a […]
New Exhaled Breath Sensor to Spot Diseases, Monitor Health
At KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, researchers have developed a new breath sensor that uses protein-encapsulated nanocatalysts to spot certain biomarkers of diseases. While the breath can hold a lot of information about what’s going on inside the body, the variety of gasses present and the large amount of […]
Breathable, Flexible Electronics Allow Long Term On-Skin Health Monitoring
At the University of Tokyo in Japan researchers have developed a new method of producing stretchable electronics that are breathable, don’t irritate the skin, and weigh next to nothing. The development may lead to ubiquitous use of on-skin electronic sensors to monitor the body continuously in a variety of places and ways. The research team […]
New Imaging Technique Provides Molecular Orientation in Samples to Help Study Neuro Diseases
A team of French scientists has developed a high speed imaging technique that provides them an unprecedented view of the chemical nature of biological samples. Not only does it provide an analysis of the chemical content, it also provides information about the orientation of the molecules detected. The newly available perspective of the molecular dynamics […]
Sepsis-Detecting Point-of-Care Microfluidic Chip Developed
Sepsis is common and often deadly. Early detection of sepsis can be incredibly useful in preventing its full onset by allowing in-time administration of antibiotics. A couple of biomarkers of oncoming sepsis is leukocyte count and neutrophil 64 (CD64), a neutrophil surface antigen. Researchers at the University of Illinois have now reported in journal Nature […]
Fluorescing Bandage Senses Wound’s Healing Process
Bandages used to treat chronic wounds present a host of challenges, particularly when they’re removed to examine and clean a wound. While this is necessary, the process can be very painful for the patient, difficult on the clinician, and the wound may become infected due to being exposed. A team of researchers from Swiss Federal Laboratories […]
Genetically Engineered Baker’s Yeast Detects Variety of Fungal Pathogens
Researchers at Columbia University have developed a cheap and easy to use fungal pathogen sensor based on store bought baker’s yeast. Currently available methods for detecting specific fungi involve expensive equipment, the use of refrigeration, and trained personnel. Using the team’s technique may result in cheap, readily available testing for a variety of fungal pathogens […]
Tiny Barometric Sensor to Detect Presence of Disease Biomarkers
Researchers from Jinan University in Guangzhou, China and Washington State University have developed a novel type of sensor that works by measuring pressure changes induced by the production of oxygen (O2). The technology may miniaturize and make readily available testing of a wide variety of biomarkers. The team of researchers has already demonstrated how the […]
Videssa Breast Blood Diagnostic Test for Breast Cancer
Provista Diagnostics, a company based in New York City, has developed the Videssa Breast blood-based proteomic test to detect breast cancer. At present, after an abnormal mammogram doctors are faced with a difficult decision: whether to carry out an invasive biopsy or not. “When a mammogram yields an abnormal result, the challenge for every clinician is […]