Researchers at MIT, alongside collaborators from Uppsala University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, developed a ‘robotic textile’ that consists of an array of actuatable fibers. The fiber actuators are powered using compressed air, and can perform an impressive array of movements. Garments made using such fibers can sen (Read more...)
Tag: Materials
Wearable, Non-Invasive Sensor Measures Glucose in Sweat
Scientists at Penn State University developed a wearable glucose monitor that can non-invasively measure glucose levels within sweat in real time. The low-cost sensor consists of laser-induced graphene and a nickel-gold alloy that can detect the very low levels of glucose in sweat without the use of enzymes. The sensor contains a microfluidic chamb (Read more...)
Customized, Battery-Free Wearables Made to Fit Perfectly
At the University of Arizona a team of engineers have developed 3D-printed wearable devices that are custom made for each user. The personalized fit means that they do not require adhesives to stay in place. The technology can be used to monitor a variety of physiological parameters, including body temperature and muscle deformation during physical (Read more...)
Magnetoelastic Patch Turns Body Motion Into Electricity
A team of scientists at University of California Los Angeles created a magnetoelastic device that can generate electricity from movements of the body, including the movements caused by the pulse at the wrist. The patch-like device may help to power medical wearables or implantable sensors, and may function as a waterproof heart rate monitor in [&he (Read more...)
Laser-Assisted Bioprinting of Neurons
A team at Concordia University in Montreal have developed a technique called Laser-Induced Side Transfer (LIST) that allows for bioprinting of neurons. Low energy laser pulses are directed at a capillary containing a cell-laden bioink, resulting in microbubbles that eject a microjet of the ink onto the substrate below. The technique appears to be f (Read more...)
Antimicrobial Coating Prevents Infections Around Ortho Implants
A group at Duke University engineered an antibiotic delivery system to make the surfaces of orthopedic implants resistant to bacterial infiltration. The technique involves spraying or painting a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers, mixed with an antibiotic of choice, onto the surface of the implant. A UV light is then used to cure t (Read more...)
Microneedle Patch Delivers Oxygen to Chronic Wounds
A team of scientists at Purdue University created a microneedle patch that can deliver oxygen and bactericidal agents to chronic wounds. The bacterial biofilms that form over non-healing wounds, such as foot ulcers, are a formidable barrier to successful treatment. Such wounds are typically hypoxic and the bacteria within them are shielded from ant (Read more...)
Pancreatic Organoids Grown Inside Synthetic Gel
A team at MIT has developed a technique to grow organoids, both from healthy and cancerous pancreatic tissue, using a synthetic gel that predictably mimics the pancreatic extracellular environment. Compared with naturally derived materials, the synthetic gel is consistent from batch to batch, meaning that it leads to more reproducible and predictab (Read more...)
Smart Dental Implant Resists Bacteria and Generates Electricity
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania created a dental implant that resists bacterial growth and generates electricity thanks to its piezoelectric properties. The generated electricity could power a light source for on-board phototherapy, a technique that could help protect gum tissue from disease and inflammation. The implant contains disc (Read more...)
Carbon Nanotube Thread Lets Clothes Monitor Health
Researchers at Rice University managed to create flexible carbon nanotube fibers that can be incorporated into clothing to function as wearable health monitors. The new thread is highly conductive, but it is washable and strong, allowing it to function as an unobtrusive component of clothing. So far, the researchers have incorporated the fibers int (Read more...)
Sweat Powered Battery for Wearable Medical Devices
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore created a flexible battery that is powered by sweat. The device could provide a new way to energize medical wearables, some of which already use sweat to detect or monitor disease. The stretchable device incorporates silver flakes that clump together and generate a small electrical curren (Read more...)
Inflatable Prosthetic Hand with a Sense of Touch
Researchers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University created an inexpensive robotic hand intended for use by upper limb amputees. The device is more like a soft robot than previous robotic prostheses, and includes inflatable components and pneumatics, making it lightweight and inexpensive. Excitingly, the hand is equipped with sensors and provides (Read more...)
Virtual Reality System to Entertain During MRI Scans
Researchers at King’s College London developed a virtual reality system that is intended to distract and calm patients who find MRI scans challenging, including children and other vulnerable individuals. The patient wears a specialized VR headset during the scan and can interact with the system merely by moving the eyes, allowing them to play (Read more...)
Pressure-Sensing Glove to Aid in Stroke Recovery
Researchers at MIT created a sensing glove that can detect small pressuref changes along its surface when a wearer grasps something. The glove is threaded with tiny pressure sensors, which are studded with micropillars that create changes in an electrical signal when they bend and deform. This provides an incredibly sensitive measurement of tactile (Read more...)
3D-Printed Implant for Personalized Knee Realignments
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK created a framework for 3D printing personalized high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) plates, using a titanium alloy, for knee realignments in osteoarthritis patients. The plates should fit nearly perfectly when implanted thanks to the new approach. The researchers have also developed an improved surgical tech (Read more...)
Wireless Light Implant for Optogenetics Without Skull Damage
Researchers at the University of Arizona have overcome a major limitation of optogenetics with their wireless and battery-free implant that can shine light through the skull. The small device, which is implanted under the skin, could provide a light source for optogenetics that doesn’t require damage to the skull or brain. While optogenetics (Read more...)
Bladder-on-a-Chip and Bladder Organoids Reveal Dynamics of UTIs
Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland developed two complementary benchtop bladder models that could help in understanding the mechanisms behind recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs). The first involves bladder organoids, which allow the researchers to study bacterial-bladder cell interactions (Read more...)
Ultrasound Patch Monitors Blood Flow
Researchers at the University of California San Diego created an ultrasound patch that can measure blood flow in vessels as deep as 14 cm within the body. The stretchy patch can be applied to the skin and may help clinicians to monitor and diagnose various conditions, including blockages that could cause an infarct. The patch […]
Heart Model Simulates Mechanical Load on Cardiac Tissues
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, along with collaborators in the Netherlands, have developed a heart model consisting of engineered cardiac muscle tissue that is attached to an elastic material. The design allows the team to mimic the mechanical forces experienced by heart tissue in the body, which should provide them with more accurate d (Read more...)
DNA Origami to Trap Viruses Inside Body
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a method to create tiny virus traps that can bind viral particles and render them harmless within the body. The technique relies on DNA origami to create self-assembling hollow nanocapsules, which are lined with molecules that will bind viruses and prevent them from leaving. With a [& (Read more...)