Researchers at University of California San Diego have developed a tiny ‘pop-up’ sensor that can measure the electronic signals propagating inside cardiac cells. The technology consists of tiny spike-like protrusions that can penetrate cell membranes without causing damage, and which can detect electrical signals within individual cells (Read more...)
Tag: Materials
Biodegradable Screen Printed Paper Batteries for Wearable Medgadgets
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a thin and flexible paper battery that has significant potential as a component in wearable health tech. The device consists of cellulose paper that has been reinforced with a hydrogel and external screen-printed electrodes. It can provide power when flexed an (Read more...)
High Surface Area Copper for Enhanced Antibacterial Activity
At RMIT University in Australia a team of scientists developed a copper alloy that can kill bacteria on its surface 100 times faster than regular copper. The researchers created the material using copper and manganese atoms, and then removed the manganese after the material was formed, resulting in a comb-like copper structure with massively increa (Read more...)
Nanotransfection Device for Tissue Reprogramming In Situ
Genetic modification offers huge potential in treating a wide variety of conditions, but the devil is in the details. Previously explored methods to deliver genes into cells, such as using viral vectors, have been connected with safety issues. As such, the potential of gene therapy has not yet been fully realized. Technological advances may offer [ (Read more...)
Self-Assembling Coating Protects Bacteria for Therapeutic Delivery
Scientists are beginning to appreciate the importance of the gut microbiome in health and disease, and administering microbes that can enhance our health or prevent disease is the next logical step. However, bacteria are delicate and require protection. Researchers at MIT have now engineered a method to coat bacteria so that they are protected from (Read more...)
Washable and Flexible Batteries for Wearable Medical Devices
Engineers at the University of British Columbia created a flexible waterproof battery that is durable enough to undergo multiple wash cycles. The battery is so pliant that it can still function when stretched to double its original length. It’s made of low-cost materials, making it potentially highly suited for wearable health monitoring tech (Read more...)
New Hydrogel Material for Vocal Cord Repair
Researchers at McGill University developed a tough hydrogel that can resist mechanical forces found in the body. However, the material still provides a friendly environment for encapsulated cells to grow and enables the deep perfusion of blood and other tissue fluids. The injectable biomaterial may be useful in repairing tissues that experience con (Read more...)
Catheter-Deliverable Biomaterial Sealants: Interview with Natalie Artzi, Co-founder of BioDevek
BioDevek, a medtech company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a biomaterial adhesive that acts to seal internal wounds and incisions. The material is designed to be sprayed through a catheter, and the primary application for the technology so far is to act as a sealant following colonic polyp resection. At present, following polyp re (Read more...)
Airway Chip as Benchtop Model of Cystic Fibrosis
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute created a microfluidic chip that mimics the airway of patients with cystic fibrosis. By including lung airway cells from cystic fibrosis patients within the device, the team was able to reproduce many of the hallmarks of the disease, including a thick mucus layer, inflammation, and bacterial growth. The (Read more...)
Wireless Electronic Sensor to Monitor Bone Health
Engineers and orthopedic specialists at the University of Arizona built an ultra-thin wireless sensor that is designed to monitor bone health over long periods of time. The battery-free device is intended to measure a variety of physiological parameters, such as temperature and bone strain, and could be useful for patients with osteoporosis or to m (Read more...)
Voxel-Based Technique to Streamline Bioprinting
At the University of Virginia researchers developed a new bioprinting technique based on voxels. Voxels are 3D cubes that form basic building blocks in computer graphics, similar to what pixels are for 2D, and have been popularized by games such as Minecraft. The new technique involves printing discrete spherical blobs of bioink (as the voxels) [&h (Read more...)
Fish-Shaped Microrobots to Deliver Chemotherapy to Tumors
Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, working with outside collaborators, have developed shape-shifting microrobots that are designed to be guided to a target area in the body using magnets, and then release a drug cargo in response to the local environment. The application that the researchers have pursued involves gu (Read more...)
Washable Fabric Measures Electrical Activity of Muscles
Researchers at the University of Utah engineered a wearable fabric that can function as a biosensor, measuring electrical activity of muscles. The technology could be useful for physical rehabilitation, allowing clinicians and physical therapists to monitor patients’ progress. The fabric contains a network of silver flakes and gold nanopartic (Read more...)
Synthetic Peptides Jump Around to Repair Spinal Injuries
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed an injectable therapeutic that consists of synthetic peptide sequences intended to regenerate spinal tissue. The team designed the material so that it would allow the peptides to ‘dance,’ with such movements increasing the chance that they will find and interact with receptor protein (Read more...)
Cactus Spine-Inspired Sweat Collection Technology
A team of researchers at the Pohang University of Science & Technology in South Korea created a passive sweat collection device that is inspired by cactus spines. The device is intended as a means to collect sweat for biomedical analysis; for instance, to measure glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Having the ability to operate […]
(Read more...)Simple Color Change Test Identifies Wound Infections
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK, along with outside collaborators, have developed a simple color change test that rapidly indicates whether a wound is infected with harmful bacteria. The test works by detecting virulence factors released by the bacteria, which prompt a simple color change in a solution. The test could help [… (Read more...)
COVID-19 Vaccine Patch Does Not Require Cold Chain Transport
Researchers at the University of Queensland and Vaxxas, a medtech company, announced the development of a high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) that can deliver a COVID-19 vaccine through the skin without the need for needles. While such minimally invasive vaccine technology is to be welcomed, the major breakthrough is the temperature stability of (Read more...)
Battery-Free Device Acts as Artificial Cochlea
Researchers at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China created a battery-free device that could pave the way for an artificial cochlea to aid with hearing loss. The cochlea, a component of the inner ear, converts sound waves into electrical impulses, and the new device performs a similar function. The device consists of [… (Read more...)
Carbon Nanotube Sensor Detects SARS-CoV-2 Within 5 Minutes
Scientists at MIT announced the development of a rapid COVID-19 test that can detect the virus in a saliva sample in as little as five minutes. The technology does not require antibodies or other expensive reagents typically associated with protein detection, and is instead based on carbon nanotubes. The nano-structures are encased in a web [&helli (Read more...)
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Suppress Oral Biofilms
Collaborators from University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University have tested a ‘”nanozyme” system designed to reduce dental plaque. The technology consists of iron oxide nanoparticles that are applied to tooth enamel before a follow-up rinse of hydrogen peroxide. The nanoparticles act as an “enzyme” to activate the (Read more...)