Researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a new type of endoscopic imaging catheter. The catheter uses metalenses, which contain nanostructures to focus light, to achieve higher resolution imaging than conventional catheter imaging systems. So far, the researchers have used the new system to image deep into tissue samples and see tissue […]
Tag: ENT
BONEBRIDGE, The First Wireless Bone Conducting Hearing Aid
MED-EL, based in Durham, North Carolina, won de novo FDA clearance for the first bone conducting hearing aid system that doesn’t require a connection between the implant and external component to penetrate the skin. The totally wireless connection of the BONEBRIDGE system means that there’s less maintenance required on the patient and a much lower chance […]
Citroën Unveils Glasses That Help Alleviate Motion Sickness
Citroën, the french car manufacturer, is releasing special glasses that help to prevent motion sickness. Though motion sickness was always a problem for some, since the introduction of smartphones and tablets the condition has been affecting more people as more of us look at screens while being chauffeured around. The so called “SEETROËN” glasses are […]
Grown Cartilage Used to Fix Diseased Joints Responsible for TMJ Dysfunction
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) is a condition which makes it difficult to chew on food and talk, while being quite painful and unpleasant. It’s caused by the breakdown of the cartilage disc that brings together two bones of the jaw. Researchers from University of California, Irvine, University of California, Davis, and The University of Texas School of […]
FlexiHub Allows Hearing Aid Reprogramming from Home: Interview with Helga York of Eltima Software
Loss of hearing results in a decreased quality of life. While hearing aids generally improve hearing by about one-half of the loss, they face significant barriers to use. According to a 2012 study of hearing aid usage by the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), only 1 in 7 American adults over 50 […]
Super Sensitive, AI Powered Drill for Safe Access Into Middle Ear
At Brunel University London in the UK, researchers have developed a remarkable surgical drill for drilling into the cochlea. The device is intended to help with placement of cochlear implants, devices that stimulate the cochlear nerve and return to people with profound hearing loss the ability to hear again. The procedure is immensely delicate, as […]
Computer Simulator Lets Docs Avoid Surgeries of Nasal Passages
At Ohio State University clinicians are investigating how the use of a computer simulation of the nasal passage can be helpful in performing procedures to improve breathing. The simulator can replicate the fluid dynamics of air passing through and what effect small changes, performed by an ENT physician, can make on the airflow. This simulation […]
Patient with Difficult to Reach Tumor Saved Using Transoral Robotic Surgery
A man with a cancer called chordoma, which afflicted the bones in the skull base and spine, has had a novel transoral robotic surgery (TORS) performed on him to remove a difficult to access tumor. The clinical team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, which developed a set of TORS techniques, managed to […]
asEars Assists People With Single-Sided Deafness – With Style!
Last month at South by Southwest (SXSW), we came across a team of students from the University of Tokyo who were in Austin, Texas to demo their prototype glasses for people with unilateral hearing loss. Called “asEars”, these high-tech and stylish glasses consist of a tiny microphone in the upper rim on the side of […]
SINUVA, a Corticosteroid Releasing Sinus Implant, Now Available for Nasal Polyps
Intersect ENT, based in Menlo Park, California, is releasing in the U.S. its SINUVA sinus implant for treating nasal polyp disease in adults that underwent previous surgical sinus procedures. The device elutes mometasone furoate, a corticosteroid, to reduce inflammation directly at the polyps. The drug is released for approximately 90 days after the SINUVA is implanted […]
FDA Clears Canon Medical’s Vantage Galan 3T XGO Edition MRI for Better Brain Imaging
Canon Medical Systems, previously known as Toshiba, won FDA clearance for its Vantage Galan 3T XGO Edition MRI scanner. The device sports the company’s Saturn X Gradient system that purportedly provides a 30% better signal-to-noise ratio when performing brain diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). The company touts that fewer breath holds have to be done when performing cardiac […]
New and Improved Planmed Verity CBCT Scanner Unveiled
Planmed, based in Helsinki, Finland, is releasing an upgraded new version of its popular Planmed Verity CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) extremity scanner. The system is intended for ortho, as well as head and neck imaging, and even advanced dental applications. It is CE marked in Europe and is now available wherever the mark applies. […]
S.T.Stent Keeps Sinus Cavity Supported Post Surgery for Nearly a Month
STS Medical, a company based in Israel, won FDA clearance for its sole product, the S.T.Stent sinus stent. The composite device is indicated for treatment of chronic sinusitis, as part of Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), to help keep the sinus cavity open post surgery. It can also be used to address nose job failures, chronic allergic rhinitis, […]
Device Delivers Sound and Electric Stimulation to Reduce Tinnitus
At the University of Michigan, scientists have developed a non-invasive technology to treat tinnitus, in most sufferers, by training the brain to “desynchronize” and to begin responding properly to real sounds. Their approach involves stimulating touch sensitive nerves using electrodes attached to the skin, while producing sounds, heard through headphones, that coordinate with the electric […]
Bespoke 3D-Printed Ear Prostheses Could Improve Hearing Loss Treatments
3D printing technology has changed the way many medical devices are designed and has huge potential to also disrupt healthcare by making devices more accessible, affordable, and personalized to the patient. While we’ve seen 3D-printed parts used in a variety of external limb prostheses and even for implants, researchers at the University of Maryland School of […]
Stratasys Releases Line of Custom Built 3D Printed Anatomy Models
Stratasys, one of the big 3D printing companies, has announced the release of its new BioMimics line of 3D printed human anatomy models. The products are designed to be used in clinical training and to help design and test new medical devices. The company is first releasing bone and heart models, with vascular structures expected […]
FDA Gives First Clearance to Siemens High-Field 7 Tesla MRI Scanner
Siemens Healthineers won FDA clearance to introduce its 7 Tesla MRI scanner, the MAGNETOM Terra. The device won European regulatory approval in August, kicking off an age of high-field MRI scanning that produces imaging details previously unavailable in a clinical setting. Previously, only scanners with a field strength of 3 Tesla were the most powerful […]
Modus V High-Powered Robotic Neurosurgical Microscope Unveiled by Synaptive
Synaptive Medical, a Toronto, Canada firm, is releasing its Modus V digital robotic surgical microscope. The optical components of the microscope reside on a robotic arm, the technology in which is partially based on the Canadarm device on the International Space Station. The high powered microscope offers the greatest magnification of any comparable system, allowing […]
A Self-Propelled Catheter for Lung Biopsies
Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a self-propelled catheter, which can move like an earthworm and could help doctors reach areas of the lung that can be tricky to access using conventional bronchoscopes. At the moment, if doctors want to take a closer look at the lesion in someone’s lungs, they typically […]
Olympus Releases ORBEYE 4K-3D Surgical Microscope System
Olympus is releasing its latest surgical microscope, the 4K-3D ORBEYE video microscope. The device was developed by a joint venture called Sony Olympus Medical Solutions. The system comes with an accompanying 4K-3D 55-inch monitor, allowing surgeons to look directly at the screen rather than a microscope eyepiece and for the rest of the clinical staff to […]