Implantable Sponge for Hemorrhage Monitoring and Control
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in California have developed an implantable sponge that can monitor for signs of a hemorrhage, and then help to control bleeding once it has occurred. The researchers used silk fibroin, a protein produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm, to create the sponge, and took advantage of its biodegradation and anti-inflammatory properties to create a porous and highly absorbent shape-memory sponge. The sponge also contains two layers of silver nanowires above and below the sponge layer which deliver anti-bacterial action and serve as a hemorrhage monitoring system. The w...
Source: Medgadget - August 2, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Surgery hemorrhage TerasakiInst Source Type: blogs
Microneedle Patch for Antibiotic-Free Acne Treatment
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a microneedle patch for the drug-free treatment of skin infections, such as acne. Acne is often treated using antibiotics, but these have limited effectiveness over the long term and can result in drug-resistant bacteria. In an effort to develop a drug-free alternative, these researchers have created a microneedle patch that is ultrasound responsive. The patch contains zinc-based nanomaterials that produce a substantial amount of reactive oxygen species when stimulated using ultrasound. These reactive oxygen species are highly effective at killing acne-causing bacte...
Source: Medgadget - August 1, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Dermatology Materials Medicine acne HKUniversity Source Type: blogs
Smart Pants Track Physical Activity
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 facilities. The technology may also be applicable in tracking and quantifying movements, such as range of motion, for patients undergoing physical rehabilitation. The pants contain a series of fiber optic cables and a signal acquisition unit that can be carried in the pants pocket....
Source: Medgadget - July 25, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Geriatrics Materials Orthopedic Surgery Rehab Sports Medicine ufesoficial Source Type: blogs
Soft Coating Cools Wearable Devices
Scientists at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a coating for wearable technologies that can help to dissipate heat, reducing the chances of skin burns and increasing the life of such devices. Electronic devices can generate heat, but this can be problematic for wearables that are in constant contact with the skin. The heat may be uncomfortable, may overheat the device itself, and could even cause skin burns. The flexible coating designed by these researchers enables both radiative and non-radiative cooling and does not require electronic power to function. The coating is less than 1 millimeter thick and cons...
Source: Medgadget - July 25, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials CUHK Source Type: blogs
Photonic Radar Monitors Breathing from a Distance
Engineers at the University of Sydney have developed a photonic radar that allows them to monitor breathing rates without the need to attach equipment to a patient’s skin. Wired or more invasive systems may not be suitable for everyone – for instance, burn patients with damaged skin or infants with a tiny body surface area may not be able to avail of such systems. This latest technology can monitor breathing remotely and may enable multiple patients to be monitored from one base station. The technology relies on a light-based system to generate and collect radar signals, which results in very precise measurements.
K...
Source: Medgadget - July 25, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Critical Care Diagnostics Medicine Pediatrics Surgery Sydney_Uni Source Type: blogs
Wound Sensor Patch Indicates Healing Status
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have created a wound sensor patch that measures various wound biomarkers that can indicate would healing. Chronic wounds are an ongoing problem for many patients, and developing new ways to monitor and treat these painful lesions would be very useful. This battery-free wound patch contains five colorimetric sensors that change color in response to various wound biomarkers. These include temperature, pH, trimethylamine, uric acid, and wound moisture levels. The patch is intended to be imaged using a smartphone camera, where an AI-powered app analyses the color change to di...
Source: Medgadget - July 24, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine Surgery NUSingapore Source Type: blogs
AI-Powered Pain Relief: Interview with Claire Smith, VP at Nevro
Nevro, a medtech company based in California, has developed the HFX iQ spinal cord stimulation system, which is intended to treat chronic pain. While spinal cord stimulators can be very useful in controlling certain types of chronic pain, at present, patients must attend with their clinician to obtain adjustments to their stimulator. This is inconvenient for both patient and clinician alike.
Another common difficulty is the need for frequent adjustments. Pain is subjective, and a patient’s needs can vary from day to day, but such frequent changes in spinal cord stimulator settings are not typically possible. To addres...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Neurology Neurosurgery Orthopedic Surgery Pain Management Rehab back pain neurostimulation Nevro_HF10 Nevro_HFX Source Type: blogs
Robotic Glove Helps Stroke Patients Relearn Dexterity
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have developed a soft robotic glove that can assist stroke patients to relearn how to perform dexterous tasks with their hands. The glove contains soft actuators that helps patients to move their fingers as they perform tasks, and sensors that help to create tactile sensations. So far, the researchers have focused on using the gloves to assist patients to play music. The team used machine learning to train the gloves on a simple tune, and then when users play the tune the gloves can provide feedback on where they went wrong. This proof-of-concept shows that the technology could as...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Neurology Rehab Source Type: blogs
CRISPR-Cas13 Test Inexpensively and Rapidly Reveals HIV Viral Load
Scientists at Penn State have developed an assay that lets them to directly measure HIV viral load in a drop of blood. The technology is also faster and less expensive than current approaches. At present, RT-PCR is typically used to assess HIV levels in a patient’s blood, requiring genetic material to be amplified before it can be measured. This is time-consuming and does not provide a direct measurement of viral loads, but rather a close estimate. This new technology, called Self-digitization Through Automated Membrane-based Partitioning (STAMP), aims to directly measure viral levels in just a drop of blood. It involves...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine Public Health Source Type: blogs
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 and does not require a battery. The rubbery patch is approximately the size of two postage stamps, and can be inexpensively made using a sewing machine. The system wirelessly transmits its movement data to a smartphone, and is water-resistant, helping it to stay functional even if...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Materials Orthopedic Surgery Rehab Sports Medicine Source Type: blogs
Stiff and Tough Hydrogel for Cartilage Repair
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a protein-based hydrogel that is highly adapted for articular cartilage repair. A major challenge in creating biomaterial therapies to repair damaged articular cartilage is matching the mechanical properties of this highly specialized tissue. Cartilage is very tough, resisting breaking under force, but also very stiff, meaning that it resists being bent or deformed. To date, it has been difficult to create biomaterials that match these properties, and mismatched materials tend to produce poor quality cartilage healing. These researchers looked at the structur...
Source: Medgadget - July 18, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Orthopedic Surgery artificial cartilage ubc Source Type: blogs
App Converts Smartphone to Clinical Thermometer
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an app that converts common smartphones into clinical thermometers. Spotting the signs of fever early could make a difference in providing early treatment or beginning a period of isolation to reduce the chance of disease transmission. This is particularly important for viral diseases, such as COVID-19. However, many people may not have ready access to a clinical thermometer, so simply downloading an app could makes it accessible for people to take their temperature. The app relies on data from temperature sensors in the phone that normally monitor the temperature ...
Source: Medgadget - July 14, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Emergency Medicine Public Health Telemedicine universityofwashington Source Type: blogs
Wearable Takes Blood-Free Stress Hormone Samples
Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK have developed a wearable that can assist in keeping track of stress hormone levels in the body over time. Disregulated stress hormones can play a role in various disease states, from heart disease to depression. However, until now, researchers had to perform blood draws to measure stress hormone levels, meaning that they could obtain just one snapshot in time of hormone levels or repeated blood draws over time, neither of which are ideal. This latest technology, called U-RHYTHM, acts as a wearable sampling device, and can obtain stress hormone samples from beneath the ...
Source: Medgadget - July 14, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine stress hormone unibirmingham Source Type: blogs
MISHA Knee Shock Absorber: Interview with Anton Clifford, CEO of Moximed
Moximed, a medtech company based in California, has developed the MISHA knee system, an implantable shock absorber for use in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The system is designed as an alternative to total knee replacement, and can help to reduce pain and discomfort for patients when performing daily activities, such as walking. The system is implanted on the outside of the knee, beneath the skin, and there is no need to remove bone, muscle, or ligament, resulting in a much faster patient recovery compared with knee replacement procedures.
Many patients with knee osteoarthritis are otherwise healthy and active. Suc...
Source: Medgadget - July 12, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Orthopedic Surgery Moximed TKR total knee replacement Source Type: blogs
Fiber Probes to Investigate Brain-Gut Relationship
Engineers at MIT have developed a microelectronic probe that can measure and influence the behavior of neurons involved in the brain-gut axis. Neural communication between the brain and GI tract has been implicated in a range of conditions as varied as autism and Parkinson’s disease. However, studying the interplay between these neurons was difficult, until now. The new microelectronic probes are thin polymer filaments that contain sensors and other microelectronic components, including microfluidic channels to deliver drugs and light sources to perform optogenetics. The probes can be advanced into gastrointestinal or ne...
Source: Medgadget - July 10, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: GI Neurology Source Type: blogs
