Migraines are throbbing headaches often associated with light or sound sensitivity and nausea. They can be a severely debilitating, with an estimated 13% of US adults experiencing them and 2-3 million of whom are classified as chronic sufferers. Although the causes of migraines are not completely understood, many sufferers report increased incidence correlating with weather […]
Tag: Medicine
Healthcare on the Blockchain, Day 2: Drug Management, Machine Learning, & Private vs. Public Blockchains
Day 2 of IEN’s “Healthcare on the Blockchain” event began with sessions on using blockchain technology for secure verification and changing the architecture of consumer decision making. Morning speakers included David Houlding, Director of Healthcare Privacy & Security at Intel, returning to moderate a session on blockchain security with Jeremy Grant, Managing Director of Technology […]
Healthcare on the Blockchain, Day 1: Tech Primer, Use Cases, & Privacy
Blockchain technology is poised to revolutionize a number of industries from fintech to medtech and everywhere in between. While much of the recent hype around blockchains has more specifically focused on cryptocurrencies, which are built using, but not synonymous with, blockchain, other real-world applications of the underlying technology are beginning to receive more attention. Last […]
Device Helps Disabled Docs Perform Physical Exams
Doctors with disabilities managed to overcome a great deal of challenges to be able to perform their professional duties. The challenges keep on coming, though, because tools that physicians use were almost never designed with disabilities in mind. A couple of folks at the University of Michigan wanted to help out a physician-in-training, that happens […]
Amazon’s Alexa May Soon Answer Your Healthcare Questions
CNBC is reporting that Amazon has formed a team within its Alexa division, the one responsible for the company’s AI voice assistants, focused on health and wellness. It seems Amazon wants to make its technology applicable for healthcare applications, but a variety of hurdles will be in the way. Details at CNBC: Amazon is building […]
Artificial Intelligence Spots Congenital Long QT Syndrome on ECGs
Clinical researchers at Mayo Clinic, working with AliveCor, the company that essentially introduced mobile electrocardiography (ECG) to the mass market, have published a study abstract demonstrating that artificial intelligence can be used to spot patients with congenital Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). The readings come from lead 1 of a 12-lead clinical grade ECG, which means that […]
Exclusive: BeCare Link’s Innovative App for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
BeCare Link has created a mobile application (“BeCare MS Link” in the Google Play app store) that connects patients to physicians and researchers to provide unprecedented levels of insight into multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. As paraphrased from a MS patient: “Much of MS is what is happening in your head, and you […]
Students Develop Cheap and Portable Cough Assist Device
People with cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and other chronic conditions can have serious difficulty coughing. This creates not only discomfort, but potentially dangerous complications for the lungs and heart. There are cough assist devices on the market that help, but they tent to be pricey, heavy, and require electric power. Now students at Michigan’s Grand […]
Thousands of Tiny Microfluidic Chips Create Perfectly Sized Drug Particles
While a drug’s chemical makeup determines what impact it will have on the body (pharmacodynamics), it is often the shell that it’s encapsulated in that defines how fast the drug will be released, the location of that release, and even how how the release can be triggered externally (pharmacokinetics). Allowing drug designers to tune such […]
Biomarker to Differentiate Between Type 1 Diabetes and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young
Scientists from MedGenome, Genentech and Madras Institute of Technology in India have spotted a biomarker that may help avoid misdiagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in children. Those with Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) have different treatment needs than Type 1 requires, but a genomic analysis like the one done by the researchers can help […]
AI-Driven Interactive Patient Engagement for Hospitals: Interview with TeleHealth’s Richard Bootes
TeleHealth Services’ iCare Navigator is touted by the company as the healthcare industry’s first interactive patient engagement and education platform driven by artificial intelligence. Patients participate in learning via a health coach avatar and the interaction with this technology follows the patient throughout the duration of their hospital stay, and even into post-acute care at […]
Imaging Agent to Spot Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis
A research team based in South Korea has developed a positron-emission tomography (PET) tracer that may help to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The tracer spots the translocator protein (TSPO), which is produced when white blood cells are active as in the joints of RA patients. Study in Journal of Nuclear Medicine: 18F-FEDAC as a Targeting Agent […]
SmokeBeat Uses Fitness Bands and Smartwatches to Detect Smoking: Interview with CEO of Somatix
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health issues in history. There are more than one billion smokers worldwide and smoking kills more than seven million people annually. Although many smokers recognize how deadly their habit can be and express the desire to stop smoking, quitting remains very difficult. To help smokers kick […]
“Smart” Training Devices Alleviate Concerns of Self-Injection: Interview with Noble International’s Joe Reynolds
Most patients encounter shots and injections, like the flu vaccine, in the context of a clinic or local pharmacy. However, for many patients, shots and injections are not an annual occurrence but are required frequently and, as a result, need to be self-administered at home. Biologic drugs have recently found success addressing chronic diseases but can […]
A Brief Look at Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System
Last month, Dexcom received FDA approval for the latest version of its continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, the G6. Amongst a number of improvements to the system, the most highly-anticipated new feature was the elimination of required fingersticks to calibrate the system. We received a (non-functional) demo of the Dexcom G6 system containing the sensor […]
Fitbit Versa: Medgadget Reviews One of The Best Fitness Wearables
An already crowded smartwatch/fitness & health tracker space just got a little more congested with the recent release of Fitbit‘s latest smartwatch. The new Fitbit Versa is the company’s latest attempt to claim a slice of the smartwatch pie currently dominated by Apple and Samsung. Fitbit, of course, is no stranger to wearables; they’re the […]
t:slim X2 Insulin Pump with Dexcom G5 CGM Connectivity Cleared in EU
Tandem Diabetes Care finally won European regulatory clearance to introduce its t:slim X2 insulin pump. The device can be reprogrammed and upgraded in order to be able to interface with other devices and to take advantage of newly introduced algorithms and features. As a major first capability provided by this is the compatibility with […]
NuProbe Global to Commercialize Multiplexed, Rare Gene Testing Technology
Harvard’s Wyss Institute researchers are bringing a specific and multiplexed genetic diagnostic technology to market with NuProbe Global, a Boston based company. It addresses the current need to detect rare genetic mutations, which may be present in only a few cells of the body. Current detection techniques using gene amplification are not specific enough and […]
Device Keeps Implanted Pancreatic Islets Oxygenated and Alive
MIT researchers have developed a device to keep implanted pancreatic islets oxygenated and alive. The technique involves a replenishable oxygen reservoir and a coating that protects the cells from the immune system. In tests in diabetic rats, the subcutaneous implants kept nearly 90% of the islets alive for up to eight months, and blood glucose […]
Graphene Spike Coating for Implants Kills Any Bacteria Trying to Settle
Graphene, the material that consists of a one atom thick layer of carbons, is so impressive that its development was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics. To add to its abilities, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden used it to create microscopic spikes that kill bacteria upon contact. Because our native cells are […]