Tag: Medicine

Easing Migraines with an Earplug: Interview with Cirrus Healthcare’s Grant O’Connell

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 incidenc (Read more...)

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 se (Read more...)

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 happ (Read more...)

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 (Read more...)

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 he (Read more...)

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 (Read more...)

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 (Read more...)

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 [… (Read more...)

“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 disease (Read more...)

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 containin (Read more...)

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 [&h (Read more...)