Plant-Based Soft Medical Robots
Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed plant-based microrobots that are intended to pave the way for medical robots that can enter the body and perform tasks, such as obtaining a biopsy or performing a surgical procedure. The robots consist of a hydrogel material that is biocompatible and the composite contains cellulose nanoparticles derived from plants. The researchers can tune the orientation of the cellulose nanoparticles such that they respond in predictable ways when exposed to certain chemical cues such as changes in pH. This includes changing the shape of the tiny robots so that they are...
Source: Medgadget - December 11, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Surgery UWaterloo WaterlooENG Source Type: blogs

Stretchable E-Skin for Robotic Prostheses
Engineers at the University of British Columbia have collaborated with the Japanese automotive company Honda to develop an e-skin for robotic prostheses that allows such devices to sense their environment in significant detail. The soft skin is highly sensitive, letting robotic hands to perform tasks that require a significant degree of dexterity and tactile feedback, such as grasping an egg or lifting a glass of water without breaking it. The elastomer skin contains fixed and sliding pillars that allow it to buckle and wrinkle, like real skin. The skin contains four deformable capacitators that let it distinguish between ...
Source: Medgadget - November 20, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Rehab Honda ubc Source Type: blogs

Phone Attachment for Pupil Measurements with Any Skin Tone
A research team at the University of California San Diego have developed a smartphone attachment that can provide information on changes in pupil size, which can be used to assess neurological phenomena, such as traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. Such changes in pupil size have been difficult to characterize in the past in those with a dark iris, which is more common in people with darker skin tones, because it can be challenging to distinguish between the iris and the pupil. This latest smartphone attachment fits over the camera of a smartphone, and uses a filter to restrict the light entering the camera to...
Source: Medgadget - November 20, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Ophthalmology UCSD Source Type: blogs

Glasses Provide Audible Prompts for Blind Wearers
A team at the University of Technology Sydney has developed an assistive technology for blind people and those with low vision. The system consists of glasses that can view their surroundings through an on-board camera, appraise the objects nearby using computer vision technology, and then play a sound that provides a cue for the wearer as to their surroundings. These “sound icons” could include a rustling sound when leaves are viewed, or a small bark when a dog appears, as examples. The technology could offer additional information on their environment for low vision wearers, and assist with daily tasks. Technology...
Source: Medgadget - November 9, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Rehab UTSEngage Source Type: blogs

Magnetic Dressing Improves Diabetic Wound Healing
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a magneto-responsive hydrogel wound dressing that also contains two different regenerative cell types. The hydrogel is also embedded with magnetic particles that can be stimulated using an external magnetic field. The action of the magnetic field on the gel-encapsulated particles causes mechanical stresses within the gel to act on the cells, stimulating them to grow and enhancing their regenerative potential. The advanced dressing is intended to assist in healing diabetic wounds, which can be difficult to treat. In diabetes, various issues can impair wou...
Source: Medgadget - November 9, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Surgery diabetic wound hydrogel NUSingapore Source Type: blogs

A Wearable to Manage Parkinson ’s Motor Symptoms: Interview with Lucy Jung, CEO at Charco Neurotech
Charco Neurotech, a medtech company based in the United Kingdom, has developed CUE1, a non-invasive wearable that is intended to assist those with Parkinson’s disease to manage their motor symptoms. The device is typically affixed to the sternum, and provides vibratory action in a focused region of the body. The technology is based on the observation of a doctor in the early 1800s, who noticed that their patients’ motor symptoms were significantly reduced when they traveled to their appointments over bumpy roads in a horse and carriage. The technology also uses cueing to assist patients who might be prone to ‘...
Source: Medgadget - November 7, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Neurology Rehab CharcoLtd parkinson's Source Type: blogs

Robotic Ankle Helps with Postural Control in Amputees
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a robotic prosthetic ankle that can provide stability for lower limb amputees. The ankle uses electromyographic sensors placed on the sites of muscles in the residual limb that then convey the intentions of the wearer with regard to movement. So far, the system has been shown to assist with postural control, which in this context refers to the many complex and unconscious movements that the muscles in our legs make to maintain balance and keep us upright, even when we are largely standing still. Previously, lower limb amputees have sometimes struggled to maintai...
Source: Medgadget - November 7, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Rehab NCSU Source Type: blogs

Lung Chip Mimics Radiation Injury
Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University have developed a microfluidic chip that can recreate some of the features of radiation-induced lung injury. The lungs are very sensitive to radiation, and this can limit the application of radiotherapy to treat cancer. Accurately modeling radiation-induced lung injury could assist in developing new methods to prevent and treat the phenomenon, but it has been difficult to study this before the advent of advanced organ-on-a-chip models. The lung chip presented here contains human lung alveolar epithelial cells interfacing with lung capillary cells. The goal is to recrea...
Source: Medgadget - November 1, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Oncology Radiation Oncology harvard wyssinstitute Source Type: blogs

Magnetoelectric Material Stimulates Neurons Minimally Invasively
Researchers at Rice University have developed a magnetoelectric material that converts a magnetic field into an electric field. The material can be formulated such that it can be injected into the body, near a neuron, and then an alternating magnetic field can be applied to the area from outside the body. Magnetic fields are very useful in this context, as they can easily penetrate tissue without causing any damage. This magnetoelectric effect produces a small electrical current near the neuron, effectively stimulating it, without the need for invasive implants. So far, the researchers have shown that the technology can br...
Source: Medgadget - November 1, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Neurology Neurosurgery riceuniversity Source Type: blogs

Eko ’s Newest CORE 500 Stethoscope: A Review
Arriving in two boxes reminiscent of Apple product packaging – one for the chest piece (the part that contacts the body), and another for the detachable earpiece (tubes + ear tips) – the CORE 500 is clearly an upgrade from the Eko DUO stethoscope. Similar to its predecessor, the CORE 500 can be used with your own headphones, smart phone, and just the chest piece, making it free of any hassle with the earpiece tubes. It has a USB-C charging port and is good for a continuous five-hours of use. The CORE 500 chest piece itself is a bit heavier than the DUO at 6.6 oz (instead of 3.6 oz), but the construction feels a lot ...
Source: Medgadget - October 31, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Alice Ferng Tags: Cardiology Emergency Medicine Exclusive Pediatrics Telemedicine Eko_Health Source Type: blogs

Bacteria Tag Team Tumors with T Cells
A team at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a technique to enhance chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in solid tumors. The technique involves engineering E. coli bacteria, that naturally tend to accumulate in the immune privileged core of solid tumors. The bacteria have been engineered to interact with tumor cells and deposit a synthetic antigen on the cells that can then be targeted by CAR T cells. The approach could enhance CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors, which hasn’t worked as well as CAR T cell therapy for blood-borne cancers to date. Creating such bacterial/T...
Source: Medgadget - October 31, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: News CAR T columbia columbiauniversity Source Type: blogs

Device Vibrates DNA for Highly Sensitive Detection
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new method of detecting very small amounts of DNA. The breakthrough could allow clinicians to spot genetic markers of disease at the point-of-care, as the approach does not require conventional laboratory analysis, which is usually time-consuming and costly. In fact, the approach has led to a 100-fold increase in DNA detection sensitivity, with no corresponding increase in cost. The technology relies on the tendency of DNA oligomers to ‘dance’ when they are exposed to an alternating electric current, which allows the researchers to identify target ...
Source: Medgadget - October 26, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Genetics UMassAmherst Source Type: blogs

Microfluidic System Incorporates Eight Organ Tissues for Drug Testing
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a sophisticated microfluidic system that incorporates tissue from up to eight different organ systems. The technology is unprecedented in allowing researchers to study complex interactions between different organs during disease. Moreover, it also allows for more comprehensive drug testing that investigates the effects of drug candidates on multiple organ systems at once. Called Lattice, the system is a significant advancement over pre-existing in vitro systems, which typically only allow researchers to study two organ tissues at once. The entire system fits into a spac...
Source: Medgadget - October 26, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine northwestern Source Type: blogs

Suction Cup Delivers Drugs Through Cheek
Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed an alternative to injections as a way to deliver large drugs, such as peptides, minimally invasively into the blood stream. The suction cup created by these researchers is inspired by octopus suckers, and it affixes to the mucosal lining of the inside of the cheek. The cup stays in place because a vacuum is drawn when the patient presses it onto their cheek lining. This vacuum helps to stretch the tissue, making it more permeable to drugs. The suction cup also exposes the mucosal lining to an additional reagent called a permeability enhancer, which fluidizes the cell ...
Source: Medgadget - October 23, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine ETH Zurich ETH_en Source Type: blogs

Enhanced mRNA Vaccine May Work Intranasally.
Researchers at MIT have developed an enhanced mRNA vaccine system that can elicit a greater immune response at lower doses. The vaccine technology is so potent that it may be useful for intranasal COVID-19 vaccines. This would have the benefit of localized immunity in the nasal mucus membranes that could kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus before it enters the body. The system includes an mRNA strand that encodes the viral spike protein, as with earlier generations of such vaccines, but in this case the strand also encodes for an immune protein called C3d. This protein typically binds to antigens, such as the spike protein, in the b...
Source: Medgadget - October 23, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Public Health covid mit SARS-CoV-2 Source Type: blogs