Engineers at the University of British Columbia have collaborated with the Japanese automotive company Honda to develop an e-skin for robotic prostheses that allows such devices to sense their environment in significant detail. The soft skin is highly sensitive, letting robotic hands to perform tasks that require a significant degree of dexterity and tactile feedback, such as grasping an egg or lifting a glass of water without breaking it. The elastomer skin contains fixed and sliding pillars that allow it to buckle and wrinkle, like real skin. The skin contains...
A research team at the University of California San Diego have developed a smartphone attachment that can provide information on changes in pupil size, which can be used to assess neurological phenomena, such as traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. Such changes in pupil size have been difficult to characterize in the past in those with a dark iris, which is more common in people with darker skin tones, because it can be challenging to distinguish between the iris and the pupil. This latest smartphone attachment fits over the camera...Read More
A team at the University of Technology Sydney has developed an assistive technology for blind people and those with low vision. The system consists of glasses that can view their surroundings through an on-board camera, appraise the objects nearby using computer vision technology, and then play a sound that provides a cue for the wearer as to their surroundings. These “sound icons” could include a rustling sound when leaves are viewed, or a small bark when a dog appears, as examples. The technology could offer additional information on their environment...Read More
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a magneto-responsive hydrogel wound dressing that also contains two different regenerative cell types. The hydrogel is also embedded with magnetic particles that can be stimulated using an external magnetic field. The action of the magnetic field on the gel-encapsulated particles causes mechanical stresses within the gel to act on the cells, stimulating them to grow and enhancing their regenerative potential. The advanced dressing is intended to assist in healing diabetic wounds, which can be difficult to treat. In diabetes, various issues...Read More
A Wearable to Manage Parkinson’s Motor Symptoms: Interview with Lucy Jung, CEO at Charco Neurotech
November 7th, 2023 by Conn Hastings
Charco Neurotech, a medtech company based in the United Kingdom, has developed CUE1, a non-invasive wearable that is intended to assist those with Parkinson’s disease to manage their motor symptoms. The device is typically affixed to the sternum, and provides vibratory action in a focused region of the body. The technology is based on the observation of a doctor in the early 1800s, who noticed that their patients' motor symptoms were significantly reduced when they traveled to their appointments over bumpy roads in a horse and carriage. The technology also...Read More
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a robotic prosthetic ankle that can provide stability for lower limb amputees. The ankle uses electromyographic sensors placed on the sites of muscles in the residual limb that then convey the intentions of the wearer with regard to movement. So far, the system has been shown to assist with postural control, which in this context refers to the many complex and unconscious movements that the muscles in our legs make to maintain balance and keep us upright, even when we are largely...Read More
Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University have developed a microfluidic chip that can recreate some of the features of radiation-induced lung injury. The lungs are very sensitive to radiation, and this can limit the application of radiotherapy to treat cancer. Accurately modeling radiation-induced lung injury could assist in developing new methods to prevent and treat the phenomenon, but it has been difficult to study this before the advent of advanced organ-on-a-chip models. The lung chip presented here contains human lung alveolar epithelial cells interfacing with lung capillary cells....Read More
Magnetoelectric Material Stimulates Neurons Minimally Invasively
November 1st, 2023 by Conn Hastings
Researchers at Rice University have developed a magnetoelectric material that converts a magnetic field into an electric field. The material can be formulated such that it can be injected into the body, near a neuron, and then an alternating magnetic field can be applied to the area from outside the body. Magnetic fields are very useful in this context, as they can easily penetrate tissue without causing any damage. This magnetoelectric effect produces a small electrical current near the neuron, effectively stimulating it, without the need for invasive implants. So...Read More
Arriving in two boxes reminiscent of Apple product packaging – one for the chest piece (the part that contacts the body), and another for the detachable earpiece (tubes + ear tips) – the CORE 500 is clearly an upgrade from the Eko DUO stethoscope. Similar to its predecessor, the CORE 500 can be used with your own headphones, smart phone, and just the chest piece, making it free of any hassle with the earpiece tubes. It has a USB-C charging port and is good for a continuous five-hours of use....Read More
A team at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a technique to enhance chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in solid tumors. The technique involves engineering E. coli bacteria, that naturally tend to accumulate in the immune privileged core of solid tumors. The bacteria have been engineered to interact with tumor cells and deposit a synthetic antigen on the cells that can then be targeted by CAR T cells. The approach could enhance CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors, which hasn’t worked as well...Read More
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new method of detecting very small amounts of DNA. The breakthrough could allow clinicians to spot genetic markers of disease at the point-of-care, as the approach does not require conventional laboratory analysis, which is usually time-consuming and costly. In fact, the approach has led to a 100-fold increase in DNA detection sensitivity, with no corresponding increase in cost. The technology relies on the tendency of DNA oligomers to ‘dance’ when they are exposed to an alternating electric current, which allows...Read More
Microfluidic System Incorporates Eight Organ Tissues for Drug Testing
October 26th, 2023 by Conn Hastings
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a sophisticated microfluidic system that incorporates tissue from up to eight different organ systems. The technology is unprecedented in allowing researchers to study complex interactions between different organs during disease. Moreover, it also allows for more comprehensive drug testing that investigates the effects of drug candidates on multiple organ systems at once. Called Lattice, the system is a significant advancement over pre-existing in vitro systems, which typically only allow researchers to study two organ tissues at once. The entire system fits into a space...Read More
Medicine
Magnetic Dressing Improves Diabetic Wound Healing
Eko’s Newest CORE 500 Stethoscope: A Review

Microfluidic System Incorporates Eight Organ Tissues for Drug Testing

Cardiology
Eko’s Newest CORE 500 Stethoscope: A Review

Shear-Thinning Biomaterial for Embolic Applications: Interview with Upma Sharma, President and CEO of Arsenal Medical

Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

Surgery
Magnetic Dressing Improves Diabetic Wound Healing

Sensor Monitors Transplanted Organs for Signs of Rejection

Refillable Device for Drug Delivery Past the Blood-Brain Barrier: Interview with Mike Maglin, CEO at CraniUS

Emergency Medicine
Eko’s Newest CORE 500 Stethoscope: A Review

App Converts Smartphone to Clinical Thermometer

Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

Radiology
Shear-Thinning Biomaterial for Embolic Applications: Interview with Upma Sharma, President and CEO of Arsenal Medical

Ultrasound-Equipped Bra Monitors for Breast Cancer

Portable and Radiation-Free Imaging with Magnetic Nanoparticles

Anesthesiology
Device Measures Hemoglobin More Accurately in Dark Skin

Smartphone Camera Measures Blood Oxygen

Perfusion Machine Restores Donor Liver for Transplant
