A collaboration between groups at MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute led to the creation of a system that allows for quick determination of the susceptibility of cancer cells to specific drugs, without the need to rely on genomic markers. The technique consists of flowing the cells through vibrating microchannels, which lets the researchers obtai (Read more...)
Tag: Medicine
DNA Sensor Rapidly Determines If a Virus is Infectious
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a sensor that can rapidly detect a virus in a sample. It can also identify whether the viral particles are still infectious. So far, the researchers have trialed the technology to detect human adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2. It can provide an answer between 30 minutes and two [&he (Read more...)
Chip Detects Antibiotics in Exhaled Breath
Researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany have developed a chip that can measure antibiotic levels in breath, potentially paving the way for rapid point-of-care antibiotic testing. Attaining the correct levels of antibiotics in the body is crucial to effectively treating infections and avoiding drug side-effects or the development of ant (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...)
3D Microscopy of Whole Organs with Micrometer Detail
A team of scientists at Umeå University in Sweden came up with a way to create complex 3D maps of whole organs in incredible detail. The approach involves embedding a whole organ in agarose, a stiff gel matrix, and then using this support matrix to section the tissue into cm3 chunks. These chunks are the […]
EXALT Model B Single-Use Bronchoscope: Interview with Dave Pierce, Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific recently announced FDA clearance of the EXALT Model B single-use bronchoscope, intended for bedside procedures in intensive care units or in the operating room. As a single-use device that boasts high quality imaging and suction capabilities, the bronchoscope is ready to go out of the packaging, which means it mitigates the risk o (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...)
Microwave Sensor for Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Researchers at University of British Columbia Okanagan campus have developed an inexpensive and portable microwave sensor that can rapidly detect changes in bacterial growth to assess antibiotic susceptibility. Using a split ring microwave resonator, the device can very sensitively measure bacterial growth in the presence of different concentration (Read more...)
CRISPR-Based Spit Test Detects SARS-CoV-2 and Variants
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute and MIT have developed an inexpensive at-home test for SARS-CoV-2 and several variants, which does not require nasal swabs. The test uses a simple spit sample, and provides results that can be read using a smartphone app within an hour. With access to a 3D printer and commonly available […]
Breath Test Predicts Treatment Regimen for Epilepsy Drugs
Anti-seizure medication must be tailored for individual patients, as the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic one is quite small. Now, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have developed a breath test that can rapidly provide information on the optimal drug treatment approach for epilepsy patients. Their test provides (Read more...)
Low-Cost Nanobodies from Alpacas are Highly Potent Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, engineered mini-antibodies, called nanobodies, against SARS-CoV-2. The team’s nanobodies are stable up to 95 degrees Celsius (203 F) and are cheaper and less complex to produce than conventional antibodies. So far, the nanobodies have shown impressiv (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...)
Nanoparticles for Tumor Imaging and Cancer Urine Testing
Scientists at MIT have announced that they developed novel nanoparticles to detect cancer in urine samples. As well as detecting the presence of tumors, the nanoparticles can also accumulate at tumor sites and function as an imaging agent, helping to identify their location. These multifunctional particles could be very useful for routine cancer sc (Read more...)
AI Powered Health Assistant for Seniors: Interview with Ryan Howard, CEO of 100Plus
100Plus, a California medtech company, created a suite of remote patient monitoring technologies. These include a digital weight scale, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and blood glucose monitor. The company recently launched Ava, an AI powered healthcare assistant that is specifically intended for senior patients who may not be tech savvy or as o (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...)
Remote Monitoring for Peritoneal Dialysis: Interview with Aly ElBadry, CEO of CloudCath
CloudCath, a medtech company based in San Francisco, has created the CloudCath system, a remote monitoring technology that provides clinicians with data on the spent dialysate fluid of at-home peritoneal dialysis patients. CloudCath is incorporated into the drain line of peritoneal dialysis systems, and wirelessly transmits data to the cloud, with (Read more...)
Biomaterial-Based Vaccine Against Bacterial Infection
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed a biomaterial-based vaccine technology that could provide prophylactic protection against bacterial infection and septic shock. The technology is delivered as a biomaterial scaffold. Once inside the body, it captures bacterial pathogens and then recruits and activates dendritic cells to initi (Read more...)
Chest Strap System Monitors Severity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, have developed a system to monitor the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The system includes a commercial chest strap sensor that measures heart rate variability and a paired app that collects, collates, and presents th (Read more...)
Chest Strap System Monitors Severity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, have developed a system to monitor the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The system includes a commercial chest strap sensor that measures heart rate variability and a paired app that collects, collates, and presents th (Read more...)