Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, and the Medical University of Graz, Austria have developed an electrical pump that can precisely deliver chemotherapeutic drugs into the brain. The technology is conceived as being implantable into brain tumor resection sites to deliver localized chemotherapy over extended periods. It is hoped that (Read more...)
Tag: Medicine
Wireless Sensor Measures Deep Tissue Oxygen Levels
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an ultrasound-powered implantable sensor that can measure oxygen levels in tissues deep within the body and transmit these data to an external device. The technology could be useful in monitoring transplant viability or oxygen exposure in preterm infants. It also has potential to (Read more...)
Sweat Sensor Warns of Impending COVID-19 Cytokine Storm
Researchers at the University of Texas and EnLiSense, a Texas startup, have developed a skin sweat sensor that can measure cytokine levels continuously for up to 168 hours. The technology has been adapted so that it can detect cytokines involved in the deadly cytokine storms that occur in patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, such […]
Heart Patch Helps Grow New Vessels Post Myocardial Infarct
Researchers at the Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea have developed a hydrogel patch system that allows for sophisticated sequential release of growth factors that stimulate angiogenesis. The sequential cascade of growth factors mimics the natural process in the body and the researchers hope that the technology (Read more...)
Rapid Compression Device to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis
Researchers at Penn Medicine have developed a wearable sleeve that provides rapid pulsatile compression, and aims to mimic the compression our calf muscles experience during walking. The technology, being commercialized by Osciflex, a spin out from Penn Medicine, is intended to prevent deep vein thrombosis in patients who are bed-bound for long per (Read more...)
mRNA Delivery System Protects Neurons After Stroke
Researchers at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University have developed a way to deliver therapeutic mRNA to the brain, in this case to produce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which can protect neurons from ischemia. The researchers hope that the treatment could help patients who have suffered a stroke to achieve better outcomes by reducing (Read more...)
3D Printed Microfluidic Bioreactor for Brain Organoid Culture
Researchers at MIT and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a 3D-printed microfluidic bioreactor that can be used to culture and study brain organoids. The tiny self-organizing nodules of brain tissue are very useful in studying neurological disease and the effects of drugs. However, the bioreactors used to grow brain organoids (Read more...)
Gold Sensor Lives Under Skin for Months Measuring Drugs and Biomarkers
Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany have developed an implantable biosensor that can measure concentrations of various biomarkers and drugs in the body. Unlike many implantable devices, the sensor can reside in place under the skin for many months without being rejected by the body or losing its functionality. The syst (Read more...)
Sticker on Skin Diagnoses Cystic Fibrosis in Real-time
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a sticker that can measure chloride levels in sweat in real-time through a simple color change. The sticker is applied to the skin and wicks sweat inside itself through a set of microfluidic channels, where an onboard bioassay measures chloride levels, a marker of cystic fibrosis. The technology (Read more...)
NIRVANA Test Rapidly Identifies and Sequences COVID-19 Viral Variants
Researchers at the Salk Institute in California, working with outside collaborators, have developed a COVID-19 test that can rapidly identify and sequence the causative virus, helping to track new variants. The test, called “nanopore sequencing of isothermal rapid viral amplification for near real-time analysis,” (NIRVANA), can also sim (Read more...)
Quick and Easy CRISPR COVID Test Spots Mutations
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed an easy to perform CRISPR-based COVID-19 test that takes only 30 minutes for the results to come in. The test, which involves dipping a paper strip into a mixture containing a nasal sample, can identify various new variants of the virus, and could be useful [& (Read more...)
Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging Detects Liver Fat Content
Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science have applied a new imaging technique in a way that may allow clinicians to assess liver fat content without having to take biopsies. Called near-infrared hyperspectral imaging, the method can highlight fat distribution in liver tissue, potentially helping clinicians to diagnose and assess conditions su (Read more...)
Robots Measure Vitals to Minimize Interactions with COVID Patients
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have developed three different robots that can sense and measure patients’ healthcare parameters, including electrocardiograms, oxygen levels, respiration rates, and temperature. One of the robots, comprising a robotic arm, contains electrodes in its fingertips, and can take measurements when i (Read more...)
Microfluidic Smartphone Dongle Detects COVID-19
Researchers at Rice University have developed a microfluidic device that can test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a drop of blood and display its results once plugged into a cell phone. The test runs in under an hour, and works by detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using antibody-studded magnetic nanobeads. In tests, the device could [&hel (Read more...)
Microfluidics and AI Microscopy for Hemoglobin Measurements
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science and SigTuple Technologies, a company based in Bengaluru, India, have developed a method to inexpensively measure hemoglobin levels in small-volume blood samples. The technique combines a microfluidic chip and an AI-powered microscope. The researchers hope that the technology will help streamline hemogl (Read more...)
Intraoral Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Interview with Akhil Tripathi, CEO of Signifier Medical
Signifier Medical Technologies, a company with headquarters in London, UK and Massachusetts, has created a new treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, and it is the first to be used during waking hours. Unlike conventional sleep apnea devices, the eXciteOSA is designed to be used for short periods during the day and employs electrical stimulation to (Read more...)
Placental Allografts for Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Interview with Tim Wright, CEO of MiMedx
MiMedx, a medtech company based in Georgia, has developed EpiFix, an off-the-shelf allograft system for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. The grafts are made using donated human placental tissues that are obtained from consenting mothers during caesarean section procedures. The tissues then undergo a proprietary processing procedure to clean t (Read more...)
Neuromuscular Tongue Stimulator for Snoring Authorized by FDA
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) impacts millions of people with wide-ranging effects that can have a serious impact on overall health. There are a number of technologies to help manage and sometimes treat the condition, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. Most patients end up receiving therapies that don’t treat the un (Read more...)
Tiny Ventway Sparrow Ventilators FDA Cleared
Inovytec, an Israeli firm, has won clearance from the FDA to introduce its Ventway Sparrow ventilators in the United States. Weighing only 2.2 pounds (1 Kg), including the built-in battery, and with a small footprint, these can be used just about anywhere that ventilator support is required. The Sparrows support both invasive and non-invasive venti (Read more...)
Synthetic Antibody Prevents COVID Virus Replication
Although a few types of COVID-19 vaccines have begun to be distributed around the world, a unique technology, developed at University of California, San Francisco, may offer an even more direct way to prevent the coronavirus from multiplying within the body. The UCSF team created a synthetic antibody that prevents SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes (Read more...)