Intratumoral Bacteria as an Injectable Anti-Cancer Treatment
Scientists at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Ishikawa, Japan have developed an anti-cancer treatment that consists of bacteria that are naturally found inside some tumors. Isolating and then injecting these bacteria into existing tumors appears to provoke a strong immune response that can lead to tumor destruction, without the need for advanced techniques such as bacterial genetic engineering or complex drug delivery. The concept of using bacteria to target tumors is not new, but typically it is studied in the context of using the bacteria to deliver a drug or using genetically engineered bacteri...
Source: Medgadget - May 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Oncology JAIST Source Type: blogs
Paper Strip Tests for Hypothyroidism
Student researchers at Rice University have developed a paper strip test for hypothyroidism, similar to those that are commonly used for COVID-19 testing. Babies with congenital hypothyroidism require prompt diagnosis and treatment, but in many parts of the world a lack of healthcare resources can mean that the condition can go undiagnosed for long periods, affecting a child’s development. This paper-based device may be well suited for large screening programs in such countries, as it is inexpensive and easy to use, requiring just a small drop of blood. The device consists of a wicking pad that is impregnated with antibo...
Source: Medgadget - May 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine Pediatrics riceuniversity Source Type: blogs
Implant Coating Fights Infection and Monitors Strain
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a bioinspired implant coating that is designed to be implanted along with devices such as spinal implants. The technology has been inspired by dragonfly and cicada wings that contain tiny pillars that can skewer bacteria, providing mechanical anti-microbial action. Unlike current approaches that use antibiotics that are gradually released by the implant, the mechanical approach will not become depleted over time or cause side-effects in nearby tissues. It also avoids the manifestation of antimicrobial drug resistance and can also easily kill drug-...
Source: Medgadget - May 17, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Orthopedic Surgery Source Type: blogs
Machine Learning Aids Rapid Design of Protein Therapeutics
Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have created a machine learning approach to scan millions of protein fragments and assess their structure and binding properties. Based on the surface chemistry and geometry of a protein, the developed software can determine a ‘fingerprint’ for each protein and predict how they might bind to various protein fragments. The researchers have now used their approach to design new protein ‘binders’ that have been created specifically to bind to proteins of therapeutic interest, such as the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The technique could allow ...
Source: Medgadget - May 17, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine EPFL machine learning Source Type: blogs
Wearable Can Take Multiple Sweat Samples
Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have developed a wearable that can take multiple sweat samples and which also supports on-board colorimetric biomarker analysis. Unlike many sweat collecting methods, which often involve a simple absorbent pad that must be removed and analyzed once wet with sweat, the ‘sweatainer’ employs a complex microfluidic architecture to take multiple sweat samples over time and store them in different compartments for later analysis. 3D printing was the key to creating this more sophisticated sweat analysis wearable, allowing the researchers to create tiny microfluidic channels an...
Source: Medgadget - May 17, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Military Medicine Sports Medicine uhmanoa Source Type: blogs
Implanted Ultrasound Lets Chemo Access Brain
Researchers at Northwestern University have trailed an implanted ultrasound device in patients, which is used in combination with microbubbles to transiently open pores in the blood brain barrier, allowing chemo drugs to enter. We have reported on this technique before as a lab-based concept (see flashbacks below), but this is the first time that it has actually been trialed in human patients, in this case patients with glioblastoma, a difficult to treat brain cancer. The approach successfully led to a four- to six-fold increase in chemo concentrations in the brain, using drugs that are not otherwise able to cross the bloo...
Source: Medgadget - May 12, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Neurology Neurosurgery Oncology Radiology glioblastoma northwestern Source Type: blogs
Wearable Ultrasound Measures Tissue Stiffness Under Skin
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a wearable ultrasound patch that is intended to provide information on the stiffness of underlying tissues as deep as 4 cm below the surface of the skin. The patch consists of a flexible 16 x 16 ultrasonic array with a silver-epoxy composite backing layer that is designed to absorb excessive vibrations. It can provide tissue stiffness data, which could be useful in a wide array of medical scenarios, including monitoring liver cirrhosis, cancer progression, sports injuries, and myocardial ischemia. The technology is part of a new wave of wearable ultrasoun...
Source: Medgadget - May 12, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Radiology UCSD Source Type: blogs
High-Throughput Testing of Hundreds of Anti-Cancer Drug Combinations
Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed a high-throughput screening method for anti-cancer drugs that they have called “pharmascopy”. To date, the researchers have tested the system with multiple myeloma samples, a cancer that has a poor prognosis and is difficult to treat because of drug resistance. In such cancers, finding the right drug or drug combination for a given patent is critical. The approach involves seeding the cancer cells into 384-well plates, and then placing different drugs or drug combinations into each well. After a 24 hour period of incubation, the cells can be labelled with ...
Source: Medgadget - May 11, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Oncology ETH Zurich ethz Nature Cancer Source Type: blogs
Brain Decoder Spells Out Thoughts
Researcher scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a brain decoding technology that combines an fMRI scanner and artificial intelligence, similar to well-known AI systems such ChatGPT or Bard. The technology can spell out our thoughts in text form, but more importantly may allow patients who cannot otherwise communicate, such as those experiencing significant paralysis, to communicate their thoughts. Unlike other attempts to achieve this, the technique is completely non-invasive and does not require surgical implants. The technique involves training the AI system, which occurs when a participant spen...
Source: Medgadget - May 11, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Neurology Radiology Rehab fMRI UTAustin Source Type: blogs
Chest Wearable Provides Key Heart Measurements
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new chest wearable that can obtain both electrocardiogram and seismocardiogram data from the underlying heart. While basic ECG can be monitored via smart watches, no other wearable combines it with seismocardiography, which would conventionally be obtained by listening to the heart using a stethoscope. Pairing both measurements into one device allows clinicians to get a more complete picture of cardiac health, while freeing patients to go about their daily activities wearing an unobtrusive wearable.
Wearables are changing how we monitor patients and ...
Source: Medgadget - May 10, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology ECG electrocardiography seismocardiography UTAustin Source Type: blogs
Capsule Delivers Electrical Current to Stomach for Appetite
This study helps establish electrical stimulation by ingestible electroceuticals as a mode of triggering hormone release via the GI tract,” said Giovanni Traverso, a researcher involved in the study. “We show one example of how we’re able to engage with the stomach mucosa and release hormones, and we anticipate that this could be used in other sites in the GI tract that we haven’t explored here.”
The MIT team designed the capsule for maximum contact with the stomach wall. Fluids in the stomach could interfere with this, so the capsule contains small grooves with a hydrophilic coating that d...
Source: Medgadget - May 10, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: GI Oncology cachexia mit Source Type: blogs
RF Technology for Health Monitoring: Michael Leabman, CTO of Movano Health
RF (radio frequency) technology uses radio waves to transmit and receive information wirelessly. RF is often seen in health monitoring devices such as wearables, implants, remote monitoring systems, and telemedicine. Mostly, though, it is used for communications, but the folks at Movano Health believe that they can use RF to monitor things like blood pressure and blood glucose.
We had a chat with Michael Leabman, CTO of Movano Health, to learn more about the company’s technology. Mr. Leabman has over 20 years of expertise in the field, with multiple related patents. His experience with RF started in the military a...
Source: Medgadget - May 9, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Alice Ferng Tags: Diagnostics Exclusive Medicine Radiology Telemedicine mmWave MovanoInc Source Type: blogs
Vein on a Chip Includes Flexible Valves
Researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom have developed a microfluidic device that mimics a human vein, including anatomical features such as valves, and physiological features such as pulsatile flow. The device is intended to make it easier to study processes such as blood clotting, which could help scientists to develop new treatments for conditions such as deep vein thrombosis. The valves can open and close during flow, mimicking the real deal, and the central channel of the device is lined with endothelial cells. The researchers hope that the technology will provide plenty of insights without t...
Source: Medgadget - May 9, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Materials Vascular Surgery DVT unibirmingham Source Type: blogs
Urine Test Could Reveal Cancer and Metastases
Researchers at MIT have developed a urine test that can distinguish between different types of cancer, and could even highlight if metastases are present. The test involves first administering nanoparticles to patients that can circulate around their blood before encountering a tumor. Enzymes that are overexpressed by the tumor can then cleave a linker on the particle surface, releasing a DNA barcode into the blood. These DNA strands are excreted in the urine, and if the patient places a urine sample on a paper strip designed by the researchers, the CRISPR/Cas system can amplify the signal to highlight its presence, which ...
Source: Medgadget - May 9, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Genetics Oncology CRISPR mit Source Type: blogs
Knitted Glove Massages the Hand to Treat Edema
A team of medical engineers at Cornell University has developed a knitted glove that is designed to treat hand edema, where fluid accumulation leads to swelling in the hands. The condition can make it difficult for patients to perform daily activities, and current treatment often involves receiving a manual edema massage performed by a trained healthcare worker. However, this is time consuming, expensive, and requires patients to attend regular appointments. This new technology is intended for at-home use, and consists of a knitted glove with in-built robotic actuators that can gently squeeze the hand. The actuations occur...
Source: Medgadget - May 8, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Materials Medicine Rehab cornell Hand edema WeillCornell Source Type: blogs