In-Office Pediatric Ear Tube Procedures: Interview with Preceptis Medical ’s Greg Mielke
Preceptis Medical, a medtech company based in Minnesota, created the Hummingbird Tympanostomy Tube System. The device allows ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons to insert ear tubes in the comfort of their office. The procedure requires only local anesthetic and is intended to be less distressing for pediatric patients than the conventional approach, which requires general anesthesia.
The Hummingbird device provides a “one-pass” approach to ear tube placement, with an ear drum incision and tube placement occurring with a few simple manipulations of the device. Medgadget spoke with Steve Anderson, CEO of Preceptis Me...
Source: Medgadget - November 8, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: ENT Exclusive Pediatrics hummingbirdears Source Type: blogs
Smartphone and Cheap Earbuds for Accessible Newborn Hearing Test
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a low-cost hearing test for newborns. Traditionally, the equipment for such testing is quite expensive. As newborns cannot let us know if they can hear something, the test is based on creating a noise within the ear canal and then listening to the vibrations created by the specialized hair cells within.
The UW researchers used cheap earbuds that are connected to a small microphone that can listen to the vibrations of the hair cells. A smartphone app then analyzes the sounds and can provide guidance to attend a specialist if abnormal results arise.
Perfor...
Source: Medgadget - November 8, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: ENT Pediatrics Telemedicine UW Source Type: blogs
Improved Membrane Coating for Anti-Cancer Nanoparticles
Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland have developed a technique that lets them improve the coating of nanoparticles when using cell membranes. Cell membranes offer a lot of benefits as a coating for synthetic nanoparticles, including shielding from the immune system, prolonged circulation times and improved tumor accumulation. However, current approaches to coating nanoparticles with cell membranes often result in an incomplete covering.
These researchers realized that a simple technique involving adding some additional phospholipids during production was enough to increase the membrane fluidity of the coati...
Source: Medgadget - November 8, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Nanomedicine Oncology UniEastFinland Source Type: blogs
Electrospun Construct Mimics Elasticity of Blood Vessels
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia have developed an electrospun blood vessel replacement. The material contains tropoelastin, a natural precursor for elastin, a key component of blood vessel walls. Elastin is present in concentric circles in natural blood vessels and provides the elastic properties which allow them to distend slightly and then reform their original shape in response to changes in blood flow and blood pressure. This latest construct allows similar layers of elastin to form when implanted into the body, and over time the grafted vessel appears to develop into something approaching a functi...
Source: Medgadget - November 7, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Materials Pediatrics Thoracic Surgery Vascular Surgery electrospinning Sydney_Uni Source Type: blogs
Battery-Free Light-Powered Pacemaker Now a Reality
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a battery-free light-powered pacemaker that uses optogenetic stimulation of cardiomyocytes to achieve heart pacing. With conventional pacemakers, the leads of the device are anchored into the wall of the heart, using invasive hooks or screws. Small electrical shocks are then sent through the entire heart, potentially causing discomfort and pain. The new light-based pacemaker relies on four “petals” that wrap around the heart non-invasively, and uses light to stimulate genetically-modified cardiomyocytes to contract. The technology is primarily useful for cardiac r...
Source: Medgadget - November 7, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Genetics uarizona Source Type: blogs
Symani Microsurgical Robotic System: Interview with Mark Toland, CEO of Medical Microinstruments
Medical Microinstruments, a medtech company with offices in Pisa, Italy and Delaware, USA, has developed the Symani Microsurgical Robot. The robotic system is designed to assist with microsurgical procedures, and it boasts a variety of advanced features to achieve this goal.
These include a suite of the world’s smallest wristed surgical instruments, tremor reducing technology, and motion scaling (7-20X), to allow surgeons to perform very small and precise movements. The company has also paired with a software company to develop a surgical simulator to help with training surgeons on the system.
Medical Microinstr...
Source: Medgadget - November 3, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Neurosurgery Vascular Surgery @mmimicro_inc microsurgery Source Type: blogs
Micelle Technology Detects Airborne SARS-CoV-2
At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researchers have developed micelle technology that can detect minute amounts of SARS-CoV-2 in the air. This new capability could provide invaluable monitoring systems to detect viral contamination in healthcare facilities and beyond. Micelles are somewhat similar to liposomes in that they are both like tiny lipid bubbles. In this instance, the researchers incorporated molecularly imprinted polymer molecules into the wall of the micelles. These molecularly imprinted molecules can bind to the viral spike protein. On viral binding, the polymer molecules cause the micelle to burst,...
Source: Medgadget - November 3, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Public Health covid COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Source Type: blogs
Magnetic Bacteria Target Tumors
Scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have unveiled a technique that weaponizes bacterial cells against tumors. The approach involves using bacteria called Magnetospirillum that are naturally magnetic by virtue of the iron oxide particles they contain. The researchers use a rotating magnetic field applied at the tumor location from outside the body to help draw the bacteria through gaps in the walls of tumor blood vessels. At present, the technique has been explored as a proof-of-concept, but in the future it may be possible to attach anti-cancer drug-loaded nanoparticles to the outside of the bacteria, turning them into...
Source: Medgadget - November 3, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Nanomedicine Oncology ETH Zurich ethz Source Type: blogs
Furry Soft Robot Helps Patients During Unpleasant Medical Procedures
A team of researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan has developed a fluffy soft robot that patients can interact with to reduce their stress and fear when undergoing painful or uncomfortable medical procedures. For some patients, particularly children, a fear of needles or uncomfortable and painful procedures can make such experiences especially challenging, and may mean that they attempt to avoid treatment altogether. Finding ways to calm and reassure such patients is important in reducing their distress and enabling them to undergo necessary treatment. The robot has inflatable actuators that can interact with and...
Source: Medgadget - November 1, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: etc. Medicine Pediatrics UNIV_TSUKUBA_EN Source Type: blogs
AI-Enhanced Prostate Cancer Treatment: Interview with Brittany Berry-Pusey, Co-Founder and COO at Avenda Health
Avenda Health, a medtech company based in Santa Monica, California has developed the FocalPoint ablation system, an AI-powered prostate cancer therapy. The system is designed to provide localized prostate cancer treatment and its AI system equips clinicians with a map of a patient’s cancer, along with treatment simulations to help them chose the best course of action.
The goal behind the system is to effectively treat the tumor, but preserve as much of the healthy tissue as possible, thereby maximizing patient chances at retaining full urinary and sexual function. The ablation technology itself is laser-b...
Source: Medgadget - November 1, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Oncology Urology AvendaHealth Source Type: blogs
Impedance Cytometry for Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Scientists at Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan have come up with a method to rapidly determine the antibiotic susceptibility of a bacterial sample, such as a patient sample from a non-healing infected wound. The technique is based on impedance cytometry, which involves a high-throughput single cell analysis of the bacterial cells. The impedance system measures the dielectric properties of the cells as they flow through the device, and it can assess up to 1000 cells per minute.
Using machine learning to determine the differences in the dielectric properties between samples that have been treated with an...
Source: Medgadget - October 31, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Critical Care Medicine NAIST_MAIN_EN Source Type: blogs
Flexible Sensors Measure Fit of Face Masks
Researchers at MIT have developed a sensor system that can provide data on how well a face mask fits to a wearer’s face. The protection offered by a mask is largely dependent on how well it fits the face, but at present most face masks are one-size-fits-all and most wearers are largely unaware if their mask is providing maximal protection. This latest technology is an adhesive polymer frame containing a range of sensors.
The device can be affixed to any surgical mask and will provide information on mask fit, along with a range of other parameters including temperature, humidity, activity, breathing rate and air p...
Source: Medgadget - October 31, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Public Health Surgery mit Source Type: blogs
Flexible Catheter for Brain Access Bioinspired by Wasps
Researchers at Imperial College London in the UK have developed a flexible catheter system that is designed to enable access and treatment of the deep areas of the brain. At present, catheters intended for such applications can suffer from rigidity, making it difficult to access the brain safely and effectively. This latest technology includes a robotic arm that steers the catheter through the brain.
The robotic arm is partially controlled by artificial intelligence and partly maneuvered by the surgeon, allowing for highly sensitive movements. The catheter itself consists of four interlocking components that can sl...
Source: Medgadget - October 27, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Neurology Neurosurgery Source Type: blogs
3D Bioprinted Breast Tumors for Immunotherapy Testing
A team of scientists at Penn State has bioprinted breast tumor mimics with significant complexity, including a form of vascularization and the ability to precisely place cells in certain locations within the construct. The scientists used a technique called aspiration-assisted bioprinting to achieve this.
With many anti-cancer therapies failing at the clinical trial stage and the ethical considerations of animal studies, there is a need for better in vitro cancer models that allow for advanced therapeutic testing. The models have allowed the researchers to test advanced therapies, including CAR-T immune cell therapies....
Source: Medgadget - October 27, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Oncology Source Type: blogs
Neck Sensor Helps Masked Clinicians Communicate
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology in South Korea developed an auditory sensor that lets people wearing face masks, such as clinicians, to communicate more easily. The device is essentially a wearable microphone that picks up the vibrations of the skin in the neck that occur when someone talks. The researchers hope that it could be useful for clinicians who must wear face masks as protection against pathogens such as COVID-19, but who also need to communicate with each other clearly. Other applications of the new device include respiratory monitoring, where the sensor could record the frequency an...
Source: Medgadget - October 27, 2022 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Critical Care Medicine Public Health Surgery Telemedicine Source Type: blogs
