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Pathology

A team of scientists at Brown University has developed a technique that allows them to rapidly dissociate a tissue sample into individual cells. The approach involves placing a tissue sample, such as a tumor biopsy, between two electrodes. Electric field fluctuations then help to pull the cells in alternating directions, eventually culminating in their dissociation. Current approaches typically involve using enzymes to digest bulk tissue samples, which takes longer and is more complex. The technique will be very useful for single cell analyses, such as the genetic analyses performed on...

July 20th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Public Health
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology, better known as Caltech, have developed a nanoparticle vaccine that appears to confer broad protection against SARS-like betacoronaviruses. This includes SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the current pandemic, and SARS-CoV, which caused the original SARS pandemic in the early 2000s. The vaccine consists of protein nanoparticles that are studded with spike protein elements of eight different SARS-like betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, but the researchers hope that it will confer broad immunity to new viral strains, including new and existing variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like betacoronaviruses...Read More

July 19th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Oncology
Scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK have created a surgical dressing that is specifically designed to facilitate and enhance photothermal therapy following melanoma resection. The dressing allows for near-infrared photothermal therapy that lasts just 15 seconds every 48 hours. The concept involves killing any remaining melanoma cells, while encouraging healthy cells to regenerate within the resection site. The dressing contains graphene oxide (a photothermal agent, which converts the energy from light to heat, killing cancer cells), elastin, and ethanol. Combining the graphene oxide with elastin reduces its...Read More

July 19th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Cardiac Surgery
Researchers at Harvard developed a technique that lets them recreate the helical arrangement of cardiac muscle fibers within the heart ventricles in a bioengineered construct. The breakthrough could pave the way for artificial bioengineered hearts. The researchers used a technique called Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS) that allows them to deposit tiny polymer fibers in a helical fashion very rapidly. When seeded with cardiac cells, the resulting artificial ventricles begin to beat after a few days, and the researchers showed that this arrangement results in a greater ejection fraction and...Read More

July 19th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Materials
Engineers at MIT have developed smart textiles that can detect and recognize body movements. The garments fit snugly, and contain a network of pressure sensors that can detect movement, and in conjunction with machine learning approaches, the technology can learn to recognize specific movements in wearers. The fabric contains conductive yarns and piezoresistive components that change their resistance when pressure is applied. To reduce the data noise that occurs when the fabrics jostle together during movement, the researchers used thermoforming fabrics that help to stick the knitted layers together. The...Read More

July 18th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Exclusive
SQI Diagnostics, a medtech company based in Canada, is developing the TORdx LUNG Test. The technology is intended to assist clinicians in assessing donor lungs in their suitability for transplantation. At present, clinicians typically assess donor lungs using qualitative variables, such as donor health and lung size. One of the most important factors, lung inflammation, is difficult to assess, and clinicians will often play it safe and reject an organ if there is any doubt about it. This means that lungs that might actually be suitable for transplantation are often...Read More

July 18th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Materials
Engineers at the University of California Los Angeles created artificial muscles that are stronger and more flexible than the real thing. The new material is an example of a dielectric elastomer, which is an electroactive polymer that can change its shape or size when stimulated using electricity. The researchers tweaked the crosslinking between polymer chains within the material, allowing it to be more flexible while maintaining its strength. Each film of the new material is only as thick as a human hair, but the researchers layer them up to form...Read More

July 18th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Genetics
A team at the University of Minnesota developed a new technique that lets them view gene expression in the brains of live mice in real time. The approach relies on two-photon excitation microscopy, specialized imaging processing techniques, and genetically modified mice that express mRNA that naturally includes a fluorescent protein. Using the method, the researchers were able to gain insights into how long-term memories are formed in the brain, and hope that this knowledge could lead to breakthroughs in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease. The method will likely also be...Read More

July 18th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Neurology
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia have developed a diamond sensor that can measure magnetic fields up to 10 times more sensitively than current sensors. The breakthrough could lead to a new generation of magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanners that are small and portable, and can function at room temperature. The researchers envisage that the new scanners could even work as a helmet that a patient could place over their head, making it useful in detecting concussions at the point of care or for routine monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases. The new sensor...Read More

July 14th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Dentistry
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a technique to manipulate magnetic microrobots into bristle and string shaped-structures that can brush and floss teeth. The iron oxide nanoparticle-based microrobots also activate hydrogen peroxide to release bacteria-killing free radicals to further target bacterial populations in the mouth. The technology may eventually be suitable for those with dexterity issues, or for lazy people, to take care of their oral hygiene. So far, the researchers have shown that the microrobots can effectively remove biofilms from 3D printed replicas of human teeth and...Read More

July 12th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Exclusive
Paragonix Technologies, a medtech company based in Massachusetts, created the SherpaPak, an FDA organ transportation device that is intended to keep donor organs safe and viable on their journey to a transplant recipient. As the viability of a donor organ can mean life or death for the receiving patient, it makes sense to take exceptional care of it in transit. The traditional method for organ transport is to simply pack it in ice in a beer cooler and hope for the best. This is arguably inadequate, as demonstrated by the...Read More

July 12th, 2022 by Conn Hastings
Public Health
A team at the University of California Davis Health working with international collaborators have developed a new technique to detect typhoid and estimate its incidence in populations over time. The approach requires only a drop of blood from a finger prick and involves measuring levels of antibodies against two antigens: Hemolysin E (Hlye) and Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The researchers simplified the assay so that it can be performed in remote and low-resource regions. The method also employs AI to calculate antibody decay, which provides an indication of when someone was...Read More

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Medicine

Point of Care Rapid PCR Test

Columbia University scientists and collaborators at Rover Diagnostics have created a rapid PCR test that can be used at the point of care. Weighing in at two... August 2nd, 2022

Cardiology

Silicone Heart Models Heart Failure

Scientists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and partners at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin have developed a silicone heart model that... August 3rd, 2022

Surgery

Emergency Medicine

Radiology

Magnetic Steering System for Guidewires

Percutaneous coronary intervention is an incredibly useful technique to minimally invasively investigate and treat cardiac issues, such as blockages in the coronary... June 28th, 2022

Anesthesiology

Finger Clip for Blood Pressure Monitoring

At the University of Missouri a team of researchers developed a custom finger clip device that can continuously measure a variety of vitals, including blood... January 5th, 2022

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