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Microscopic, Remotely Powered Implant to Read, Transmit Brainwaves from Inside Skull

July 19th, 2018 by Editors

Neurology

Brain-computer interfaces and other technologies that rely on reading and stimulating the brain require electrodes to obtain and deliver signals, as well as a way to transmit those signals from within the brain. Electric wires have usually served as the method of connectivity, but they create serious challenges, including potential for infection, safety issues, and lack of discreetness. Wireless technologies have a lot of promise, but most approaches require a battery or another source of energy to power an implant to beam data back and forth from deep within the...

EyeQue Insight Visual Acuity Screener: A Medgadget Review

July 18th, 2018 by Scott Jung

Exclusive

Every year, our “screen time” continues to increase as our gadgets get bigger and brighter. According to the Vision Council, our digital devices are causing 60.5% of Americans to report symptoms of digital eye strain, and it's uncertain how these devices will affect our vision long-term. Aside from taking frequent breaks from our devices, reducing screen glare, and adjusting the distance between our eyes and the screen, it's also important to frequently monitor for changes in our vision. While regular exams by an eye care professional are absolutely necessary, Newark,...

Bioengineered Bone Grafts for Large Bone Defects

July 18th, 2018 by Conn Hastings

Materials

Researchers at the New York Stem Cell Foundation have developed a technique to produce bioengineered bone grafts for large bone defects, which are currently difficult to treat using conventional techniques. To deal with bone defects, clinicians currently use either synthetic materials or bone grafts from the patient or a donor. However, these grafts can trigger an immune response, and do not always integrate with the surrounding bone. “Bone defects obtained in disease or injury are a growing issue, and having effective treatment options in place for personalized relief, no matter...

Microparticles Carrying Bacteria-Killing Viruses Halt Deadly Pneumonia

July 18th, 2018 by Editors

Medicine

Antibiotics suffer from eventual resistance by the bacteria and the fact that they can be quite indiscriminate in who they attack, including the gut's healthy microbiome. But, there are also bacteriophages, which are viruses that can kill specific bacteria without harming any other bacteria. The problems with bacteriophages, though, is that they're hard to produce in large quantities and difficult to deliver, particularly into the lungs. Researchers at Georgia Tech are now reporting that they developed special microparticles packed with bacteriophages that can be inhaled to fight bacterial lung infections....

Syringe Simulator Replicates Feeling of Needle Insertion

July 18th, 2018 by Editors

Anesthesiology

Some procedures in which a needle is inserted deep into the body, such as epidurals, require the physician to have a steady hand and to know what to feel for. This is not easy to train for, as one needs real patients to really train on properly. Engineers at Penn State have now developed a simulator that can be used to train how to perform epidurals and other complex needle insertions. The device is able to change the amount of pressure that is required to push it as the needle...

New Device Captures Circulating Tumor Cells Directly Within Blood Vessels

July 18th, 2018 by Editors

Pathology

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are present in the blood of people suffering from most cancers, but because of their rarity their presence is very difficult to spot. A number of technologies have been developed in the past to capture and count CTCs (see flashbacks below), but they tend to still have a number of limitations. The main problem is that because CTCs are so rare, a very large amount of blood is required to have a chance of finding enough of the cells to point toward a diagnosis. Scientists at Stanford University...

Jabra Elite Active 65t Review: Amazing Sound and Fit, with Minimal Fitness Tracking

July 17th, 2018 by Ben Ouyang

Exclusive

The new Jabra Elite Active 65t are probably the best wireless earbuds out there right now. We had a chance to give them a try, and they proved to be a great addition to workouts, delivering high quality sound and sweat resistance. They’re the Apple AirPods that you really want. Fitness features The Elite Active 65t are the sport-compatible version of the Elite 65t series, having added coatings and sealings that make them useable in any situation. The Elite Active 65t are IP56 rated, which means they’re protected from dust...

DiLumen Stabilizes Scopes Within Large Intestine to Help Avoid Surgeries: Now Approved in Europe

July 17th, 2018 by Editors

Lumendi, a company based in Buckinghamshire, England, won European regulatory approval for its DiLumen Endolumenal Interventional Platform (EIP). The one-time-use device fits over typical endoscopes to provide stability when visualizing, diagnosing, and treating conditions within the large intestine. It works by inflating two balloons that squeeze against the lumen of the large intestine. One of the balloons is positioned ahead of the distal tip of the endoscope, while the other is located behind the tip. The two are attached to each other via two metal rods, but the endoscope's tip is...

Method Tracks How Cancer Drugs Spread to Tumor Cells

July 17th, 2018 by Editors

Oncology

When it comes to anti-cancer drugs, it's not only their effectiveness at killing the intended target that we want to know, but also their ability to reach and penetrate the cancer cells. Knowing whether the drug actually enters cancer cells can be as important as whether it's effective once inside. Now researchers at Francis Crick Institute and Imperial College London, both in the UK, have developed a technique that lets them measure a drug's penetration into cells in situ. This is important, as laboratory studies on small groups of cells may...

Glaukos iStent Inject Implant FDA Approved to Treat Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

July 17th, 2018 by Editors

Ophthalmology

Glaukos, based in San Clemente, California, won FDA approval to introduce its iStent inject Trabecular Micro-Bypass System in the United States. The device, designed to treat mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma, is implanted alongside cataract surgeries to reduce intraocular pressure. The implant is tiny, measuring only 0.23 mm x 0.36 mm, and Glaukos believes it is the smallest device ever approved by the FDA. It's positioned to allow for fluid to move through the trabecular meshwork, producing flow in both direction within the Schlemm's canal. Some details about the study that led to the...