Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed a nanofiber filter that is highly effective at removing coronavirus aerosols from air. As a major source of COVID-19 transmission, aerosols pose an ongoing threat. Technologies to remove aerosols from the air in buildings or as part of personal protective equipment are being deve (Read more...)
Tag: Public Health
Electrochemical Device Detects SARS‑CoV‑2 Spike Protein in 1 Second
Researchers at the University of Florida and the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan have developed a microfluidic device that can detect the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein in a saliva sample within one second. The electrochemical device employs antibodies against the spike protein to detect the virus, and could allow for ultra-rapid COV (Read more...)
Gene-Silencing Nanoparticles to Treat COVID-19
Researchers at City of Hope, a research center based in California, and Griffith University in Australia have collaborated to create a new experimental anti-viral therapy that can treat COVID-19. The therapeutic consists of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules encapsulated within lipid nanoparticles. When delivered into the bloodstream, the nano (Read more...)
Sweat Sensor Warns of Impending COVID-19 Cytokine Storm
Researchers at the University of Texas and EnLiSense, a Texas startup, have developed a skin sweat sensor that can measure cytokine levels continuously for up to 168 hours. The technology has been adapted so that it can detect cytokines involved in the deadly cytokine storms that occur in patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, such […]
NIRVANA Test Rapidly Identifies and Sequences COVID-19 Viral Variants
Researchers at the Salk Institute in California, working with outside collaborators, have developed a COVID-19 test that can rapidly identify and sequence the causative virus, helping to track new variants. The test, called “nanopore sequencing of isothermal rapid viral amplification for near real-time analysis,” (NIRVANA), can also sim (Read more...)
Quick and Easy CRISPR COVID Test Spots Mutations
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed an easy to perform CRISPR-based COVID-19 test that takes only 30 minutes for the results to come in. The test, which involves dipping a paper strip into a mixture containing a nasal sample, can identify various new variants of the virus, and could be useful [& (Read more...)
Hope, Resilience & Healing in the COVID-19 Era: A Virtual Conference Report
Well-being and health cannot solely rely upon symptomatic treatment. In fact, “good health” cannot be truly achieved unless the root causes of dis-eases are addressed. Even more ideal is the approach of preventative and integrative medicine, in which lifestyle and behavior changes are made holistically, in conjunction with any necessary (Read more...)
Robots Measure Vitals to Minimize Interactions with COVID Patients
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have developed three different robots that can sense and measure patients’ healthcare parameters, including electrocardiograms, oxygen levels, respiration rates, and temperature. One of the robots, comprising a robotic arm, contains electrodes in its fingertips, and can take measurements when i (Read more...)
Microfluidic Smartphone Dongle Detects COVID-19
Researchers at Rice University have developed a microfluidic device that can test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a drop of blood and display its results once plugged into a cell phone. The test runs in under an hour, and works by detecting SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using antibody-studded magnetic nanobeads. In tests, the device could [&hel (Read more...)
Philips Unveils Medical Tablet for Patient Monitoring During Emergencies
Philips is releasing a computer tablet designed to provide easy access to patient information in various emergency environments without a difficult implementation. The Medical Tablet, as it is called, can connect wired or wirelessly to hospital systems, whether the tablet itself is there or not. Thanks to integration with Philips IntelliVue XDS sof (Read more...)
Synthetic Antibody Prevents COVID Virus Replication
Although a few types of COVID-19 vaccines have begun to be distributed around the world, a unique technology, developed at University of California, San Francisco, may offer an even more direct way to prevent the coronavirus from multiplying within the body. The UCSF team created a synthetic antibody that prevents SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes (Read more...)
Microneedle Patch with Fluorescent Nanolabels Detects Antibodies in Skin
Researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis have developed a microneedle patch that can help to detect small amounts of antibodies in interstitial fluid. The painless technology could provide an alternative to blood draws for antibody tests, such as those used in the COVID-19 response. The new technology overcomes a bottleneck with many m (Read more...)
Face Mask Sensor to Detect COVID-19
Our breath holds a multitude of biomarkers, including potentially those indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Those infected with the virus are prone to exhale proteases, enzymes that speed up the breakdown of proteins, related to the new virus. This has led researchers at University of California, San Diego to (Read more...)
Cooling Vest Helps COVID Clinicians with Heat Stress
Researchers from the Radboud University Medical Center in The Netherlands have trialed cooling vests, originally designed for elite athletes, in nursing staff who have to put in long shifts in COVID-19 wards wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE). While essential, the protective equipment can lead to significant discomfort in the form of (Read more...)
10 Second COVID Antibody Test on a Chip
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a microfluidic chip that can provide rapid COVID-19 antibody tests. The electrochemical test can detect very low concentrations of antibodies in blood samples, and transmits the results to a smartphone. The test could help to measure patient responses to vaccines and determine if they have be (Read more...)
BIOMONITOR IIIm Injectable Cardiac Monitor Can Now Look for Signs of Fever
BIOTRONIK won FDA clearance for the Vital Data Sensor, a body temperature component within the BIOMONITOR IIIm injectable cardiac monitor (ICM). The ICM is designed to help cardiologists detect and diagnose cardiac arrhythmias remotely, but thanks to the Vital Data Sensor the implant now has an additional role in monitoring for signs of fever. This (Read more...)
Smart Ring Monitors Body Temperature, May Spot COVID Fever Early
A team of researchers, including those at the University of California, San Francisco and University of California, San Diego, has tested the potential of a smart ring, that can collect health data, including temperature and heart rate, to detect fever associated with COVID-19. In a proof-of-concept study, the researchers showed that the ring, deve (Read more...)
Saliva COVID Test Uses Smartphone for Results in 15 Minutes
Scientists at Tulane University have reported a new COVID-19 saliva test that uses a smartphone to provide results in as little as 15 minutes. Similar to technology from UC Berkeley that we reported on last week, the new test uses CRISPR technology and does not involve polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that, though accurate, is slow […]
Paper Test for Quick Diagnosis of COVID-19
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a paper-based electrochemical diagnostic test for COVID-19 that can provide a result in just five minutes. The inexpensive test relies on the conductive properties of graphene and gold, and contains gold nanoparticles covered in sensitive nucleic acid probes that can bind to RNA from the SARS (Read more...)
CRISPR Test Uses Cell Phone Camera to Detect SARS-CoV-2
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 that uses an enzyme to cleave viral RNA, initiating a fluorescent signal that can be detected using a smartphone camera, and which can provide a quantitative measurement of the level of viral particles in the sample. The test produce a result in as little […]