Researchers at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center have developed a method to create three-dimensional bioengineered skin grafts. To date, bioengineered skin is typically created in flat sheets. However, these are difficult to fit to complex anatomy, such as the hand, and so these researchers have designed a more sophisticated techniq (Read more...)
Tag: Plastic Surgery
Tough Ultrasound-Controlled Bioadhesives
Scientists from McGill University in Canada created a technique of using ultrasound-mediated cavitation to make bioadhesives better stick to body’s tissues, including wet surfaces that are typically challenging for such materials. The new method involves ultrasound to create microbubbles within the adhesive. The bubbles burst, which then temp (Read more...)
Artificial Skin Senses Pressure, Temperature, Humidity
Researchers at Graz University in Austria have created an artificial skin that is more sensitive than your fingertip. The skin contains 2,000 sensors per square millimeter, and the researchers designed it to sense humidity, temperature, and pressure, just like human skin. The tiny sensors within the skin material consist of a hydrogel core and a [& (Read more...)
Catheter-Deliverable Biomaterial Sealants: Interview with Natalie Artzi, Co-founder of BioDevek
BioDevek, a medtech company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a biomaterial adhesive that acts to seal internal wounds and incisions. The material is designed to be sprayed through a catheter, and the primary application for the technology so far is to act as a sealant following colonic polyp resection. At present, following polyp re (Read more...)
Laser Kills Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria for Wound and Blood Decontamination
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed an ultrashort-pulse laser that can kill multidrug-resistant bacteria and their spores, and without damaging human cells. The laser works by vibrating and breaking protein structures within the bacterial cell, resulting in biochemical disruption and eventual death. Th (Read more...)
Voxel-Based Technique to Streamline Bioprinting
At the University of Virginia researchers developed a new bioprinting technique based on voxels. Voxels are 3D cubes that form basic building blocks in computer graphics, similar to what pixels are for 2D, and have been popularized by games such as Minecraft. The new technique involves printing discrete spherical blobs of bioink (as the voxels) [&h (Read more...)
Simple Color Change Test Identifies Wound Infections
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK, along with outside collaborators, have developed a simple color change test that rapidly indicates whether a wound is infected with harmful bacteria. The test works by detecting virulence factors released by the bacteria, which prompt a simple color change in a solution. The test could help [… (Read more...)
Explorer Surgical Expands into Robotic Surgery: Exclusive with CEO Jennifer Fried
As cloud and digital platforms continue to gain traction, we’re seeing a trend toward increased investments in robotic surgery in medical technology fields. Surgical training, coordination, and collaboration in the operating room are areas where digital tools can help shorten learning curves. While robotic technology continues to transform he (Read more...)
New Bioprinting Technique to Make Artificial Cartilage Implants
Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a method to 3D print cartilage-like materials consisting of a collagen hydrogel containing human chondrocytes. The printed structures mimic human nasal cartilage in terms of its mechanical, molecular and histological characteristics. The researchers hope the technology could lead to personaliz (Read more...)
Wireless Sensor Measures Deep Tissue Oxygen Levels
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed an ultrasound-powered implantable sensor that can measure oxygen levels in tissues deep within the body and transmit these data to an external device. The technology could be useful in monitoring transplant viability or oxygen exposure in preterm infants. It also has potential to (Read more...)
Heart Patch Helps Grow New Vessels Post Myocardial Infarct
Researchers at the Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea have developed a hydrogel patch system that allows for sophisticated sequential release of growth factors that stimulate angiogenesis. The sequential cascade of growth factors mimics the natural process in the body and the researchers hope that the technology (Read more...)
Tendon-Inspired Sutures Protect Fragile Tissues
Researchers at McGill University in Canada have developed bioinspired sutures that mimic the structure of human tendons. The gel-covered sutures are slippery and tough, reducing the damage caused by conventional sutures when used on soft tissues. Interestingly, the gel surface of the sutures may allow for advanced applications such as drug delivery (Read more...)
Medical Robotics and The Future of Surgery: Interview with Tracy Accardi, VP of R&D at Medtronic
Medtronic has been a key player in the minimally invasive surgery space for the last few decades, and has made great strides more recently in robotic surgery with last year’s acquisition of Digital Surgery. As a quick reference point: despite the many benefits of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), only 3% of surgeries around the world are [&hell (Read more...)
Rapid 3D Printing of Materials with Livings Cells for Organ Replacement
Researchers at University at Buffalo in New York have developed a new technique that allows them to rapidly 3D print hydrogel materials containing viable cells. The researchers hope that their method will pave the way for 3D organ printing in the future. Current limitations include the slow pace of 3D printing, leading to poor viability […]
Dexter Surgical Robot Works with All Laparoscopy Tools
Robotic laparoscopic surgery is now widely available, with Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci systems being the most common robots out there. These systems typically require specialty tools provided by the robot manufacturer, and the selection is quite limited compared with the wide array of conventional laparoscopic tools that exist. Now, Distalm (Read more...)
PREVENA RESTOR AXIO•FORM Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: Interview with Dr. Ronald Silverman, 3M’s Chief Medical Officer
3M recently announced a new negative pressure wound therapy system called PREVENA RESTOR AXIO•FORM Incision Management System, which has been available since August. The new system expands the amount of time that negative pressure can be applied to a total of 14 days, with a dressing change at 7 days. The included disposable dressings are [&he (Read more...)
Symani Microsurgical System Cleared in Europe
Medical Microinstruments (MMI), a company based outside of Pisa, Italy, won the European CE Mark of approval for its Symani robotic surgical system. The product provides 7-20X scaling of hand movements, automatically removing tremors to allow for safe microsurgical and supermicrosurgical procedures. It is hoped that this impressive new device can h (Read more...)
Portable Surgical Robot for Minimally Invasive Procedures: Interview with John Murphy, CEO of Virtual Incision
Virtual Incision, a company based in Lincoln, Nebraska, has developed the miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant (MIRA) platform to perform minimally invasive abdominal surgeries, such as colon resections. Conceived as a small and accessible surgical robotic support device, the miniaturized system is considerably less expensive than current robotic (Read more...)
Octopus-Inspired Sucker for Tranplanting Cell Sheets
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a ‘sucker’ to pick up and transfer thin cell or tissue sheets that are intended for therapeutic purposes, such as wound healing or tissue grafting. Inspired by octopus suckers, the device can gently manipulate the delicate sheets without causing damage, and uses heating and a temp (Read more...)
Supportive Gel Allows for Bioprinting of Complex Shapes
Researchers at Penn State have developed a supportive gel that allows for printing of complex shapes using cell aggregates. The gel provides a supportive matrix during the printing process, and permits the researchers to place the aggregates wherever they want. This technique could pave the way for printed replacements for tissues and organs. Biopr (Read more...)