Precise delivery of therapeutic drugs into diseased tissue remains a challenge in a variety of cases. Tumors can be hard to seed with chemo agents, particularly when the blood flow is not favorable for delivery. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany have developed microscopic drug delivery devices that can (Read more...)
Tag: Medicine
Microfluidic Device Mimics Blood Vessels to Test Clotting
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a microfluidic device that mimics the complex architecture of vasculature to better study blood clot treatments. The device includes channels with spirals, bends, and curves that are similar to those found in blood vessels, and which can influence blood clotting. Besides being biomimetic, the d (Read more...)
Automated Robot Takes Swabs for Safe Covid-19 Testing
Testing people for COVID-19 typically involves performing a throat swab to collect a sample for processing. Clinicians performing this task have to wear a complete package of personal protective equipment (PPE), something that can be very uncomfortable over long periods of time. Moreover, since sampling is now widely performed outside of a clinical (Read more...)
Planning for Future Pandemics Including Smallpox Outbreaks: Interview with Dr. Phil Gomez, CEO, SIGA Technologies
The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant global consequences, with healthcare systems stretched to their limits, a growing death toll, and economic devastation as economies came grinding to a halt. The pandemic and its aftereffects will be with us for some time to come, but this isn’t the first pandemic humanity has weathered, and it won&rsq (Read more...)
Microfluidic Test for Viral Antibodies Takes Just 20 Minutes
Researchers at Hokkaido University in Japan have developed a microfluidic test that can detect antibodies against a viral infection. So far, the test has been optimized to detect avian flu, but could be adapted to detect antibodies against the virus causing COVID-19. The device can provide a result in as little as 20 minutes and […]
Quick Urine Test for Metabolic Precursors of Kidney Stones
Researchers from Penn State and Stanford University have developed a 30-minute urine test to measure levels of substances that can contribute to kidney stone formation. The test could help patients to find out if they are prone to developing kidney stones or to monitor their progress in avoiding kidney stone formation through treatment or dietary [ (Read more...)
Fidget Spinner for Rapid Detection of Urinary Tract Infections
More than half of all women experience at least one episode of urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime, with men also facing increasing risks of infection as they age. Current detection of UTIs rely on patients reporting symptoms followed by a lab culture of the urine for known bacterial culprits, which typically takes a […]
Smartphone Measures Hemoglobin Levels in Photos of Eyelids
Anemia is properly diagnosed using a blood test that measures hemoglobin, but simply looking behind a patient’s eyelid can be a pretty good alternative if you know how red the tissue is supposed to be. Now, a team at Purdue University has developed a technology that lets a clinician use smartphone pictures of the inner […]
Paper Device Rapidly Measures Lithium Levels in Blood
Researchers at Hokkaido University in Japan have developed a paper-based point-of-care device which can measure lithium levels in a drop of blood. The device could help patients with bipolar disorder to keep track of their blood lithium levels. Lithium carbonate is used to treat bipolar disorder, but must be administered carefully as the concentrat (Read more...)
Flexible Sensors Measure Vitamin C Levels in Sweat
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed flexible sensors that can be worn on the skin to sensitively track vitamin C levels in sweat. The devices could be useful in helping wearers to maintain optimal levels of the vitamin, which is important for a healthy immune system, and could be particularly useful […]
Philips Ultrasounds Cleared in U.S. to Manage COVID Complications
The FDA has granted Philips 510(k) clearance for its ultrasound systems to be used to address lung and cardiac complications that arise in COVID-19 patients. The clearance encompasses the firm’s EPIQ series, Affiniti series, Lumify, CX50 and Sparq diagnostic ultrasounds, and for offerings such as the QLAB Advanced Quantification Software. Ult (Read more...)
Butterfly TeleGuidance for Remote Ultrasound Exams During COVID Pandemic
Telemedicine has been around for over a decade in various forms, but the COVID-19 epidemic has turned a convenience into a necessity. Clinical practices that never seriously considered using telemedicine are now performing virtual house calls with their patients. However, although it’s possible to do a lot through a video call, many procedure (Read more...)
Reusable Textiles to Repel Viruses
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a coating that can be used to create textiles that repel viruses, along with bodily fluids such as saliva and blood. Interestingly, the coated textiles are reusable, and can be washed and scrubbed repeatedly without losing their virus-repelling properties. These characteristics may make the (Read more...)
VitalPatch Wins FDA Emergency Use Authorization for Cardiac Monitoring in COVID Patients
VitalConnect announced that it has received FDA Emergency Use Authorization status for use of its VitalPatch to detect changes in the QT interval of hospitalized patients undergoing drug treatment for COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, used to treat some COVID-19 patients, are associated with risk of prolonged QT interval that can l (Read more...)
BioButton to Help Track COVID, Ensure Safe Return to Work
BioIntelliSense, a Silicon Valley company, is unveiling its FDA cleared BioButton device that may help with tracking symptoms of COVID-19 in potential patients and help society return to a normal state of affairs. The BioButton is about the size of a large coin and, with the help of accompanying applications and triage dashboards, it can […]
(Read more...)Flexible Throat Sensor Powered by AI to Track COVID-19 Symptoms
As COVID-19 continues to infect more people around the world, there are still few reliable ways to spot the early onset of the disease and to monitor its symptoms in detail, particularly at a distance and while patients are at home. Now, researchers at Northwestern University have partnered with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation (Read more...)
Breathable, Stretchable Electronic Fabric for New Medical Wearables
Stretchable electronic technologies offer the potential to monitor the body over extended periods of time in unprecedented ways. The heart’s rhythms, flexion of joints, and other biomedical parameters can be tracked with high fidelity and continuously using devices that can conform to the body. While much of this has already been possible, an (Read more...)
Sensitive 10 Minute Antibody Test for SARS-CoV-2 Developed
A team of researchers at the Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, and collaborators report development of a rapid diagnostic assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human blood. They report accurate detection with patient samples, with only 10 minutes to get a readout per blood sample. The new method is a lateral flow assay, much (Read more...)
Smart Contact Lenses Measure Glucose, Deliver Drugs
Researchers at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) report development of smart contact lenses for simultaneous glucose measurement and controlled drug delivery. The research, led by Professor Sei Kwang Han, found the contact lenses resulted in low irritation in rabbits, were able to reliably detect glucose levels in tears, and (Read more...)
3D Face Scans Accurately Screen for Sleep Apnea
Researchers at the University of Western Australia have demonstrated that facial features captured from 3D photographs may be useful as a screening tool for sleep apnea. 400 individuals participated in the study, and the researchers found that they could predict which patients would have sleep apnea with up to 91% accuracy. 300 individuals with sle (Read more...)