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New Technique Allows for Live Retinal Cell Imaging

November 16th, 2018 by Conn Hastings

Ophthalmology

Researchers at the National Eye Institute in the U.S. have developed a retinal imaging technique that reveals live neurons, blood vessels, and epithelial cells within the retina. The method involves combining adaptive optics and angiography, and allows the researchers to view complex units of cells that interact in the outer edge of the retina. As this retinal region is involved in a range of diseases, including atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers hope that the technique could help with diagnosis and disease monitoring. “For studying diseases,...

EyeQue VisionCheck At-Home Eye Test for Self-Prescription of Glasses

November 16th, 2018 by Editors

Ophthalmology

EyeQue, a company based in Newark, California, is releasing a vision testing system that you can use at home to test your eyes with the help of a smartphone. The EyeQue VisionCheck personal vision tracker snaps onto the screen of a smartphone and the user simply places it against the eye to perform the testing. The accompanying app displays various images on the screen and while the user looks at those, an internal motor rotates a series of lenses that work together to measure the eye's focus and astigmatism, and so...

L'Oréal Releases Sun Exposure Monitor Through Apple

November 15th, 2018 by Editors

Dermatology

L'Oréal, the big skin care company, has just released a tiny device for monitoring skin's exposure to the sun. Offered through Apple's online shop and at some of its physical stores, the La Roche-Posay My Skin Track UV device doesn't use any batteries while being able to upload its readings to a paired smartphone. The energy of the sun is used to store the data within the device, while near-field communication (NFC) is used to download the readings to the smartphone. Downloads are activated by simply tapping the device against the paired...

Scientists Give Humans Ability to Sense Earth's Magnetic Field

November 15th, 2018 by Editors

Neurology

Birds and many other animals are able to perceive the Earth's magnetic field, an ability that allows them to navigate around the world with magical ease. Scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), a research center in Dresden, Germany, have developed an electronic skin that can give humans the same capability. The new technology may end up being used to help blind people move around their environment, and to assist those with vertigo and other orientation issues. Moreover, it may prove useful as a basis for an intuitive way to interact with computers,...

Combining Sound and Light Could Help with Early Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

November 15th, 2018 by Conn Hastings

Ob/Gyn

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a diagnostic method involving photoacoustic imaging, a technique that combines ultrasound and laser light. The development may allow clinicians to diagnose ovarian cancer earlier, helping to save lives. “When ovarian cancer is detected at an early, localized stage – stage 1 or 2 – the five-year survival rate after surgery and chemotherapy is 70 to 90 percent, compared with 20 percent or less when it is diagnosed at later stages, 3 or 4,” said Quing Zhu, a researcher involved in the...

Personalized Oxygen Releasing Insoles for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

November 15th, 2018 by Editors

Medicine

Diabetic foot ulcers are common maladies that are difficult to heal. In many cases, a total-contact cast is put on the leg with the ulcer to take the pressure off of the bottom of the foot, helping it to heal. While this is effective, supplying oxygen to the ulcer also helps it to heal. This is difficult to do when a patient wears a cast, but researchers at Purdue University have come up with a solution that just might work. The research team has developed special insoles that contain pockets...