Researchers at Georgia State University have developed a more effective way of delivering influenza vaccines thanks to a dissolvable microneedle array and a special formulation of the vaccine. The microneedle device is made of a biocompatible polymer, the needles of which are tightly packed with the vaccine. The vaccine works well thanks to a novel […]
Tag: Pediatrics
Embrace Neonatal MRI System Cleared to Stay Inside Neonatal ICUs
The FDA has just cleared Aspect Imaging‘s Embrace Neonatal MRI System, the first dedicated neonatal MRI system to receive a regulatory green light in the U.S. It’s intended to be used to image the head and brain, and to remain inside of neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Currently, these fragile little patients have to be […]
Zika: Check All Potentially Exposed Infants for Eye Damage
Eye abnormalities may be the only sign of Zika virus exposure in infants and may be present even in those without microcephaly or other central nervous system abnormalities, a new study has found. Medscape Medical News
Masimo’s EU Approved Super Sensor Monitors Variety of Physiologic Parameters
Masimo just announced receiving European approval for its new rainbow Super DCI-mini sensor, a pulse oximeter that can simultaneously monitor arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), hemoglobin (SpHb), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO), methemoglobin (SpMet), pleth variability index (PVi), index of perfusion (Pi), and pulse rate (PR). This is the first non-invasive fingertip sensor capable of monitoring all these parameters, indicated […]
A Pill to Replace Needles: Interview with Mir Imran, Chairman and CEO of Rani Therapeutics
Operating within InCube Labs, a multi-disciplinary life sciences R&D lab based in Silicon Valley, Rani Therapeutics is developing a novel approach for the oral delivery of large-molecule drugs such as basal insulin, which is currently delivered via injections. By replacing painful injections with a painless, easy-to-take pill, the technology has the potential to drastically improve […]
Needle-Free Viscous Drug Injections: Interview with CEO of Portal Instruments
High viscosity biologic drugs generally require syringe injections, but many patients are extremely uncomfortable around long needles and injection times can create a great deal of anxiety. Portal Instruments, a company out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a nearly automatic needle-free injector that reminds us of something doctors in science fiction movies would use. We […]
Self-Administered Microneedle Patch to Make Flu Vaccine More Accessible
These days flu vaccines are administered using needles and in some pediatric applications via a nose spray. Needles in particular can create quite a bit of anxiety and for many people even the idea of a visit with a medical professional keeps them from being vaccinated. A new flu patch developed at Georgia Tech, that […]
Wrist Worn Wearable Measures Glucose, Cortisol, and Interleukin-6 from Sweat
Researchers at University of Texas at Dallas may have revolutionized diabetes management thanks to a remarkable new wrist-worn sensor that is able to continuously and accurately monitor glucose, cortisol, and interleukin-6 in perspired sweat for up to a week. These days, blood has to be drawn and levels of cortisol and interleukin-6 can only be measured once in a while […]
Strollair, The First True Outdoor Pollution Filter by Blue Skies (Interview)
Blue Skies, a Harvard Innovation Lab startup, has launched the first true outdoor pollution filter to keep you and your family safer (available for pre-order via Indiegogo). It is described by the company as the first and only thin filter capable of removing the three most common outdoor pollutants (particulate matter (PM), and chemical gases […]
Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G Hybrid Closed Loop Insulin Delivery System Now Available in U.S.
Medtronic, having received FDA approval last year, is now introducing its MiniMed 670G hybrid closed loop insulin delivery system to the U.S. market. The first such system to become available, the MiniMed 670G utilizes Medtronic’s SmartGuard HCL algorithm to deduce when and how much insulin to deliver, yet allowing the patients themselves to make changes […]
Nitrite Sensor to Help Asthmatics Detect Onset of Airway Inflammation
The presence of relatively high concentrations of nitrite (NO2−) in exhaled breath may be indicative of the presence of inflammatory processes within the airways, and so measuring it may be an effective way of performing early detection of the onset of the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Devices that are able to measure […]
Vision Impairment Among U.S. Preschoolers a Growing Problem
A growing number of U.S. children may develop vision problems before they reach kindergarten, according to a study that suggests eye screenings will become increasingly important for the preschool set. Reuters Health Information
Non-Contact Respiratory Rate Sensor Built Into a Cotton T-Shirt
At the Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada, researchers have developed a respiration sensor built into a t-shirt that can be sampled by a nearby radio device. The idea is that patients in a hospital would wear a lightweight, comfortable shirt that doesn’t have any wires, while their breathing rate would be discreetly monitored in real-time. The […]
iGlucose Glucometer with Built-In Cellular Connectivity and API Interoperability
Smart Meter Corporation, a New York firm, won both FDA clearance and European CE Mark approval for its iGlucose system, a blood glucose meter that features built-in cellular connectivity. Diabetics using the iGlucose will have the convenience of seeing their readings automatically uploaded to the company’s web portal, from where their doctors and caretakers can […]
Flourish Magnetic Device for Non-Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Atresia
The FDA is now allowing the introduction of Cook Medical‘s Flourish Pediatric Esophageal Atresia Anastomosis device as a non-surgical option for treatment of esophageal atresia, a birth defect in which the esophagus is not connected to the stomach due to a poorly formed esophagus. Two catheters with magnetic tips are positioned at the ends of the […]
New Cheap, Easy to Manufacture Dry Powder Inhaler for Developing World
H&T Presspart, a firm based in Lancashire, UK, has announced that it will be releasing the PowdAir Plus dry powder inhaler. The device, originally developed by Hovione Technology, a spinoff of Hovione, a Portuguese company, is designed for the developing world where attention to cost is acute and the need is severe. The PowdAir Plus uses capsule […]
New Cheap, Easy to Manufacture Dry Powder Inhaler for Developing World
H&T Presspart, a firm based in Lancashire, UK, has announced that it will be releasing the PowdAir Plus dry powder inhaler. The device, originally developed by Hovione Technology, a spinoff of Hovione, a Portuguese company, is designed for the developing world where attention to cost is acute and the need is severe. The PowdAir Plus uses capsule […]
Sympfiny System for Dispensing Multiparticulate Medications
Multiparticulate medications can consist of beads, mini-tablets and microspheres encased in a coating that hides their flavor and prevents them from being dissolved before they reach the stomach. Benefits include the ability to make these medications have just about any flavor, to make them release the drug at a pre-programmed rate, and even release it in […]
Artificial Womb Improves Survival and Health of Premature Lambs
Extreme premature infants are babies that are born before 28 weeks of gestation. Recent technological advances have ensured that these children have improved survival rates; however, babies born around 22-23 weeks of gestation typically have higher rates of chronic lung disease and other complications due to immaturity of their organs. Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of […]
Smartphone Controlled Cells Produce Insulin in Diabetic Mice
Scientists in China and Switzerland have developed hydrogel implants containing red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and engineered cells that produce and release insulin in response to the far-red light emitted by the LEDs. The LEDs can be controlled wirelessly using a smartphone app, meaning that the scientists could control insulin levels in diabetic mice using the […]