Engineers at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil have developed smart pants that can non-intrusively track physical movements and provide updates to caregivers if the people they’re taking care of are showing signs of distress. This application could be very useful for people who are monitoring elderly patients in healthcare faciliti (Read more...)
Tag: Sports Medicine
Nanomagnet Patch Measures Muscle Movements
Researchers at UCLA have developed a wearable patch that can measure muscle movements in underlying tissues. The patch contains nanomagnets, and movements in underlying muscles can deform the resulting magnetic fields, creating an electric current. This both provides a readable signal for the system, and also means that the system is self-powered a (Read more...)
Flexible Knee Wearable Tracks Motion
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design have created a flexible knee wearable that contains integrated circuitry within its knitted structure. The wearable can track joint movement in real time, assisting clinicians in spotting the early signs of movement disorders or allowing them to track the progress of patients undergoi (Read more...)
Levels Is Making Metabolism and Blood Glucose Tracking Accessible To Everyone
Levels has done something truly transformative: the company made continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) accessible to the general population and every day consumer. In many circles, it seems the trend of bringing healthcare to the home and directly to the patient is continuing, but understanding metabolism and lifestyle habits through this new tech tre (Read more...)
Fingertip Sensor Measures Lithium Levels in Sweat
Researchers at UCLA have developed a fingertip sensor that can rapidly provide data on the levels of lithium in the body. Used as a treatment for bipolar disorder and depression, lithium requires very accurate and sensitive dosing, with too little providing no therapeutic benefit but slightly too much potentially leading to unwanted side-effects. A (Read more...)
Ultrasound Sticker for 48 Hours of Imaging
Engineers at MIT have created an ultrasound patch that can provide long-term ultrasound imaging of internal organs and structures. The device contains a rigid piezoelectric probe array and uses an underlying layer of elastomer-covered hydrogel in lieu of the gel applied to the skin during conventional ultrasound procedures. At just the size of a po (Read more...)
Self-Regulating Footwear for Diabetic Foot Issues
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science created footwear that can self-regulate the pressure distribution when a person walks, helping to avoid pain and friction that can lead to issues for people with diabetes. Patients with diabetes can have an abnormal gait, sometimes because of pain or numbness in the extremities, potentially leading to (Read more...)
Wearable Uses Microneedles to Track Metabolism
A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego created a wearable device that uses a disposable microneedle patch to continuously sample and analyze interstitial fluid. The wearable can measure glucose, alcohol, and lactate levels, all of which could be useful information for patients with diabetes. The disposable patch is attached (Read more...)
DNA Vibe Jazz Band Therapy: A Review
Made in the USA, the DNA Jazz Band Vibe joins a newer class of sports medicine-related healing therapies that include photobiomodulation. Photobiomodulation is a form of light therapy that uses specific wavelengths of red light and near-infrared light to help stimulate, heal, regenerate, and protect cells. However, this product goes beyond light th (Read more...)
Wearable Sensor Uses Kirigami to Improve Skin Contact
Researchers at Osaka Prefecture University in Japan developed a wearable and wireless electrocardiogram monitor that employs kirigami, an ancient art of folding and cutting paper, to ensure better skin contact, stretchability, and breathability. The kirigami design lets the researchers minimize the size of their sensor and the technology allows for (Read more...)
O2Ring Keeps an Eye on Your Blood Oxygen Level: A Medgadget Review
We have all been living through a life-altering pandemic. As a result, words such as “oxygenation” and “pulse oximetry” have become mainstream and the general public has increased the use of pulse oximeters. This should come as no surprise since hypoxia (i.e., low blood oxygen level) is one of the hallmarks of COVID-19 pneum (Read more...)
Washable and Flexible Batteries for Wearable Medical Devices
Engineers at the University of British Columbia created a flexible waterproof battery that is durable enough to undergo multiple wash cycles. The battery is so pliant that it can still function when stretched to double its original length. It’s made of low-cost materials, making it potentially highly suited for wearable health monitoring tech (Read more...)
Health Gadgets to Help Beat Sitting All Day
Whether in front of the computer or TV, driving on long commutes, or attending a sporting event, the average person spends more than 12 hours a day sitting. This can take a serious toll on your body in a variety of ways, but muscle and joint pain can be the most immediately apparent. Sitting all […]
Washable Fabric Measures Electrical Activity of Muscles
Researchers at the University of Utah engineered a wearable fabric that can function as a biosensor, measuring electrical activity of muscles. The technology could be useful for physical rehabilitation, allowing clinicians and physical therapists to monitor patients’ progress. The fabric contains a network of silver flakes and gold nanopartic (Read more...)
Wireless Blood Pressure and Hemodynamic Monitoring: Interview with Jeff Pompeo, CEO, Caretaker Medical
Caretaker Medical, a company based in Virginia, developed the VitalStream wireless patient monitor, and the company recently announced that the device has received FDA clearance. The technology is intended to improve on traditional blood pressure cuffs that provide only a snap-shot of blood pressure data, while being an alternative, in many cases, (Read more...)
Cactus Spine-Inspired Sweat Collection Technology
A team of researchers at the Pohang University of Science & Technology in South Korea created a passive sweat collection device that is inspired by cactus spines. The device is intended as a means to collect sweat for biomedical analysis; for instance, to measure glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Having the ability to operate […]
(Read more...)Customized, Battery-Free Wearables Made to Fit Perfectly
At the University of Arizona a team of engineers have developed 3D-printed wearable devices that are custom made for each user. The personalized fit means that they do not require adhesives to stay in place. The technology can be used to monitor a variety of physiological parameters, including body temperature and muscle deformation during physical (Read more...)
Sweating E-Skin for Long-Term Health Monitoring
Researchers at MIT have developed an e-skin technology that contains artificial sweat ducts. The ducts prevent sweat accumulation underneath the e-skin, helping to prevent interference with built-in sensors. Incorporating a kirigami-style design, the material conforms to human skin but maintains a high porosity and reduced sweat accumulation. The d (Read more...)
Tunable Vibrations Could be Key to Reducing Lower Back Pain
Researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan have developed a device that can diagnose and help to correct postural instability leading to back pain. The technique involves using vibration to stimulate sensory receptors that help the brain to perceive the position of the body in space, which is known as proprioception. The approach [& (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...)