Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh created a self-powered implant that can track spinal healing while also providing mechanical support. The device can be 3D printed so that it fits a given patient perfectly and the mechanical properties can also be easily tuned to customize for each situation. The spinal fusion cage contains a triboelectric nanogenerator that creates electricity when it is pressurized by the spine. This powers an on-board sensor that measures the pressure on the cage, which is indicative of spinal healing. Spinal fusion cages are often inserted...
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute have modeled Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a childhood inflammatory intestinal disease, on a microfluidic chip and gained new insights into the genetic changes underlying the condition. This is the first in vitro model of the disease, and highlights the power of organ on a chip systems to provide insights into complex disease states. The intestinal chip used in the research has been announced previously, but this latest study puts it through its paces using cell samples from EED patients. The researchers identified nutrients that appear...Read More
A team of researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology in Korea created a centrifugal system to separate circulating tumor cells from blood samples. Resembling a DVD, the device separates the cells using the centrifugal force created when it is spun. A layer of white blood cells and circulating tumor cells is formed during the spinning process and then antibody-studded magnetic beads bind and remove the white blood cells, leaving the circulating tumor cells in the final sample. The technique isolates a variety of different tumor cell types,...Read More
Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland created a smart jumpsuit that can track toddler movements. The idea is to closely monitor motor development and identify any issues early, allowing for earlier interventions. Issues with motor development can be related to wider neurodevelopmental problems, and so tracking a young child’s activity can provide a window into their overall development. Previously, this required someone to sit and watch the child, or footage of them, making it difficult to track kids for long periods of time. The suit required substantial breakthroughs...Read More
Percutaneous coronary intervention is an incredibly useful technique to minimally invasively investigate and treat cardiac issues, such as blockages in the coronary arteries, but it requires a significant amount of skill to perform safely and effectively. Manipulating a guidewire through the tortuous vasculature is not for the faint hearted, with the possibility of perforating a vessel always near. Moreover, as the procedure is frequently undertaken at the bedside, it is impossible for the clinician to avoid X-ray exposure. Now researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in Korea...Read More
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles have developed “meta-bots,” which are fingernail sized robots that can move, sense, and navigate their environment. Strikingly, the robots are essentially ready for use when they emerge from the 3D printer, and consist of piezoelectric actuators that can respond to or generate electricity. The robots consist of an intricate structure of piezoelectric components that allow them to rapidly flex and rotate. The researchers hope that the technology will lead to a variety of medical robotics, such as self-steering endoscopes or drug delivery...Read More
Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a “polymer brush” system that can capture and release proteins on using electrical stimulation. Protein therapeutics are increasingly in demand, but creating them efficiently is still a challenge. Isolating therapeutic proteins from the liquid surrounding the cells used to produce them in biotechnological processes is difficult and inefficient, but the researchers behind this latest technology hope that the new technique will form an efficient and gentle way to achieve this. In addition, another exciting application may lie in controlled...Read More
Clinical researchers at Nagoya City University in Japan have tested an AI-powered surgical robot in its ability to assist with percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which is a minimally invasive procedure to remove large kidney stones. The technique involves accessing the kidney through the skin, and typically requires a highly experienced surgeon. The robot, called the Automated Needle Targeting with X-ray (ANT-X) was developed by NDR Medical Technology, a medical startup based in Singapore. The company reports that the robot can assist with needle placement and can calculate needle targeting in a few...Read More
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a tiny neural probe that is approximately one fifth of the width of a human hair. The probe is flexible and can be implanted for extended periods without aggravating the immune system, in part because of its small and unobtrusive profile. Its miniature size means that it may also be suitable for implantation in areas where other probes can’t fit, such as between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord. Containing an electrical channel and an optical channel, the coaxial probe...Read More
Automated Wearable Breast Ultrasound System: Interview with Maryam Ziaei, CEO of iSono Health
June 16th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
iSono Health, a medtech company based in San Francisco, has created the ATUSA System, a wearable 3D ultrasound breast scanning system. The device is worn on the breast, and does not rely on operator experience or skill to obtain consistent, high quality breast scans. As the scanning takes place automatically, it can be used by non-sonographers, such as medical assistants. The system also employs AI to assist in scan interpretation and treatment decisions. The portable system can be used at the point of care, which may mean that it...Read More
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 complications such as foot ulcers when shoes rub or otherwise damage feet. These new shoes contain several arches that snap back into position when pressure that exceeds a certain level is applied, helping to distribute the...Read More
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a method to coat a robotic finger in a living "skin" layer. The living coating is strong and flexible enough to allow the robotic finger to bend and flex, and it can repel water and even self-heal if damaged. The technique involves coating the robot in a “primer” layer of collagen and human dermal fibroblasts, which are two of the major components of the connective tissue within the skin. This layer naturally shrinks to conform with the robot surface. A second layer...Read More
Medicine
Spinning Disc Separates Circulating Tumor Cells from Blood
One-Step Manufactured Meta-Bots with Medical Potential
Polymer Brushes Capture and Release Proteins on Demand

Cardiology
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires

Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring: Interview with Jiang Li, CEO at Vivalink

Lipid Nanodiscs Unlock the Potential of Cytokine Treatment

Surgery
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires

One-Step Manufactured Meta-Bots with Medical Potential

Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant

Emergency Medicine
Wearable Sweat Sensor Warns of Impending Cytokine Storm

Hemostasis on Contact: Interview with Joe Landolina, CEO of Cresilon

Swoop Portable MRI: Interview with David Scott, President and CEO of Hyperfine

Radiology
Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires

AI-Powered Surgical Robot Excels at Tricky Kidney Stone Procedure

Automated Wearable Breast Ultrasound System: Interview with Maryam Ziaei, CEO of iSono Health

Anesthesiology
Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant

Magnetic Tentacle Robot Travels Deep into Lungs

Finger Clip for Blood Pressure Monitoring
