Brain-computer interfaces and other technologies that rely on reading and stimulating the brain require electrodes to obtain and deliver signals, as well as a way to transmit those signals from within the brain. Electric wires have usually served as the method of connectivity, but they create serious challenges, including potential for infection, safety issues, and […]
Tag: Neurology
First Blood Flow Diverting Stent for Large and Giant Brain Aneurysms Approved in U.S.
Stryker won FDA pre-market approval for its Surpass Streamline Flow Diverter, a device indicated for treatment of large and even giant unruptured intracranial aneurysms. This is only the second flow diverting stent to be approved in the U.S. and the first one for large and giant wide neck aneurysms. “Surpass Streamline is the first flow diverter […]
Stimulation of Brain’s Reward System Leads to Reduction in Cancer Tumors
Scientists at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have come up with a surprising way of fighting tumors and in the process showed that our brains have a role in preventing the growth of cancers. The researchers, who reported their findings in journal Nature Communications, artificially stimulated the reward system of mice stricken with cancer. […]
Citroën Unveils Glasses That Help Alleviate Motion Sickness
Citroën, the french car manufacturer, is releasing special glasses that help to prevent motion sickness. Though motion sickness was always a problem for some, since the introduction of smartphones and tablets the condition has been affecting more people as more of us look at screens while being chauffeured around. The so called “SEETROËN” glasses are […]
Electronic Whiskers For Improved Prosthetic Touch
More than two million people are living with limb loss in the USA, and that number is expected to rise. For the majority of these individuals, prosthetic limbs are an invaluable tool to help regain some quality of life. One challenge that has been difficult to overcome in the design of prostheses, however, is enabling […]
Scientists Identify Individuals from Brain Scans While Doing Tasks
All humans are unique individuals, some of it due to the differences between our brains. Being able to identify the differences in the structure and activity of our brains may have enormous consequences for neurology and neurosurgery. While CT and MRI scans can’t yet provide a level of detail to diagnose many neurological conditions, researchers at […]
Understanding and Creating Calculators for Medical Diagnoses: Exclusive Interview with MDCalc
MDCalc is a 13-year-old medical reference started by two practicing emergency medicine physicians, Dr. Joe Habboushe and Dr. Graham Walker. A recent survey by EB Medicine has shown that MDCalc’s 370+ tools are now used weekly by 65% of U.S. attending physicians and nearly 80% of U.S. residents, which may make it the most […]
Medtronic Releases Tablet Based Deep Brain Stimulation Clinician Programmer
Medtronic won FDA approval and is releasing its Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Clinician Programmer and Activa Programming Application. The app, loaded on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet, lets neurologists and neurosurgeons program the stimulation using intuitive controls. One significant feature of the new programming capability is that it will allow rechargeable neurostimulators to work up […]
Human Simulator and 3D Motion Lab Help Spare Bodies of Rugby Tacklers
Tackling in rugby and American football are fun to do and fun to watch, but they often cause different kinds of injuries to bones, muscles, and, most concerning, to the brain. Ball carriers are commonly though to be at the greatest risk, as they’re the targets that require tackling. Yet, it turns out that ball […]
Wristband with a Myriad of Sensors to Improve Lives of Dementia Patients
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Berlin, Germany researchers are working on a sensor and software package that would help people developing dementia to slow down the disease progression and improve their and their families’ quality of life. The system, that has already been tried on patients, revolves around a wristband that measures […]
Artificial Sensory Nerve Made of Flexible Organic Electronics
Scientists at Stanford and Seoul National University managed to build artificial tactile sensory nerves out of flexible organic electronics. The system is able to detect pressures down to 1 kilopascal and to do so in clusters that mimic the sensitivity of natural skin. Using their device the investigators were able to read Braille as would […]
First Prosthetic to Really Let The User Feel Its Presence
Even the most advanced modern prosthetic devices don’t give the user a proper sense of the orientation of their mechanical appendage. This is in contrast to our native arms and legs that we can move quite accurately without having to look at how they’re doing. A major breakthrough has been announced by researchers at MIT […]
Now Available: Neural Analytics’ Lucid Robotic Ultrasound System for Brain Blood Flow Assessment
Neural Analytics, the Los Angeles based company that won FDA clearance a couple of years ago for its Lucid M1 Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound System, now won another clearance, this time for its NeuralBot robotic ultrasound positioner. The two devices work together and when united will be called the Lucid Robotic System. The NeuralBot automatically positions […]
Imec Develops Wireless Eye-Tracking Glasses to Aid in Research of Neurological Disorders
Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, can often present with symptoms of abnormal eye movements. Much research has been done in utilizing eye movement tracking technology to help with the diagnosis of these diseases and the monitoring of their progression. Traditional eye-tracking technology relies heavily on cameras, which, while accurate, are typically large […]
Responsive DBS for Parkinson’s Disease Adapts to Patient’s Changing Needs
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease management has been shown to be quite effective in controlling the symptoms of the disease. Yet, the technology currently available to patients is rudimentary in that the neurostimulation delivered is constant and doesn’t take into account the changing needs of the patient. A small clinical study has shown that […]
IQcool Warm System FDA Cleared to Cool and Rewarm Patients
BrainCool, a Swedish company, obtained FDA clearance for its IQool Warm System. The device, the name of which seems to be intended to be an oxymoron, can be used to both cool and reheat patients. The company’s first FDA cleared product, the IQool, which looks identical to the newly approved one, is indicated for rapidly […]
Soft and Highly Flexible Neural Interfaces Prevent Injury to Brain
While rigid neural interfaces can read brain activity and stimulate it quite well, these devices end up damaging the soft brain tissue they come in contact with. Moreover, the body ends up attacking these implants and forming protective layers around them that quickly degrade the electrodes. “Imagine you have a bowl of Jell-O, and you […]
Japanese Researchers Figure Out How to Connect Neurons Together
Cultured groups of neurons and even brain organoids are now routine in neuroscience research, and yet the connections between individual neurons that materialize are effectively random. In order to be able to setup tightly controlled experiments in which the neuronal networks are precisely designed, a scientist needs a method to connect individual neurons together. Now […]
EMBOTRAP II Pulls Clots from Brain With Minimal Compression: FDA Cleared
CERENOVUS, a Johnson & Johnson company that was built by combining Pulsar Vascular, Neuravi, and Codman Neuro’s neurological business, won FDA clearance for the EMBOTRAP II Revascularization Device. The stent retriever is used to pull blood clots from the brain, restoring blood flow and hopefully preventing the terrible consequences of a stroke. The device, intended […]
AI Detects and Measures Small Vessel Disease in Brain CT Scans
Clinicial researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh have developed an artificial intelligence software for identifying and quantifying small vessel disease, a frequent cause of dementia and stroke in older people, from CT scans. The investigators have already tested the software at Imperial’s Charing Cross Hospital, demonstrating that the technology rivals that […]