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Aortic Occlusion to Enhance Blood Flow to Brain and Heart: Interview with Habib Frost, CEO of Neurescue

July 8th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Exclusive

Neurescue, a medtech company based in Denmark, created the NEURESCUE system, a balloon catheter designed to occlude the aorta, resulting in a significant increase in blood flow to the heart and brain. The mechanism is intended to provide emergency treatment for patients suffering a hemorrhage or cardiac arrest. Both hemorrhage and cardiac arrest represent unmet needs, resulting in a significant number of deaths each year. At present only one in ten people survive a cardiac arrest, illustrating the stark outcomes of this patient population. Aortic occlusion can help to control...Read More

AI System Spots Prostate Cancer During Routine CT Scans

July 8th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Radiology

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, created an AI system that can identify prostate cancer during routine CT scans. It is typically difficult to spot prostate cancer in CT images, and the radiation makes CT unsuitable as a screening modality. However, if men are undergoing abdominal or pelvic scans for other reasons, this latest system can help spot prostate cancer and let clinicians initiate early treatment. Prostate cancer remains a significant cause of cancer mortality in men. In Australia, where this technology was developed, prostate cancer is responsible for...Read More

Chest Strap System Monitors Severity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

July 8th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Medicine

Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, have developed a system to monitor the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The system includes a commercial chest strap sensor that measures heart rate variability and a paired app that collects, collates, and presents these data, allowing patients to monitor their condition and share information with their clinician. ME is a debilitating condition, characterized by severe fatigue that interferes with daily activities. The prevalence of ME is expected to drastically increase in the coming...Read More

Microchip Nanosensor Detects Stress Hormone from Drop of Blood

July 8th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Medicine

Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a microchip that can perform real-time measurements of stress hormone levels in a drop of blood. The technology could provide a replacement for bulky and expensive lab tests for such hormones, and allow patients to monitor their stress levels more easily. The chip includes tiny wells that contain antibodies, and the technology monitors antibody binding through impedance measurements performed using electrodes within the device. Life has been stressful for many people during the pandemic, where illness, lockdowns and general societal turmoil have contributed to...Read More

Blood-Brain Barrier on a Chip for Neuro Drug Testing

July 6th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Medicine

Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, engineered a blood-brain barrier on a chip using human-derived stem cells. The device closely mimics the blood-brain barrier and allows the researchers to study its function and the effect of drugs without having to use experimental animals. By incorporating sensors, the chip can monitor barrier function in near real time. The blood-brain barrier is a layer of endothelium that lines the vessels of the brain, and prevents the ingress of various small molecules. This layer protects the brain from...Read More

Sweating E-Skin for Long-Term Health Monitoring

July 6th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Sports Medicine

Researchers at MIT have developed an e-skin technology that contains artificial sweat ducts. The ducts prevent sweat accumulation underneath the e-skin, helping to prevent interference with built-in sensors. Incorporating a kirigami-style design, the material conforms to human skin but maintains a high porosity and reduced sweat accumulation. The design should help the e-skin to stay in place over extended periods, allowing incorporated sensors to monitor health over this time. Wearable patches or ‘e-skin’ are a hot research area at present, with the ultimate of goal of unobtrusive health monitoring that...Read More

Inexpensive Filter Isolates Circulating Tumor Cells

July 2nd, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Oncology

Researchers at Kumamoto University in Japan have designed an inexpensive and convenient filter that can isolate circulating tumor cells from as little as 1 mL of patient blood. The highly sensitive filter can successfully work in samples containing as few as five tumor cells in 1 mL of blood, and does not require expensive equipment or reagents, unlike certain pre-existing cell capture technologies. The filter may help in developing diagnostic technologies that can aid clinicians in identifying cancer early. Circulating tumor cells are those that have detached from a tumor...Read More

Fluorescent mRNA to Track, Optimize Delivery

July 2nd, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Medicine

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and collaborators created a technique to produce fluorescently labeled mRNA, allowing them to track its entry and distribution into cells. Using such molecules could help scientists develop better ways to deliver mRNA therapeutics into the body, potentially playing a vital role in the new wave of mRNA therapies, including vaccines. mRNA therapies are enjoying a moment in the spotlight, as two of the most effective and coveted COVID-19 vaccines, produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, employ the technology. Once thought too fragile for...Read More

Battery-Free Wireless Pacemaker Dissolves Post Treatment

June 30th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Cardiac Surgery

Researchers at Northwestern University and collaborators have developed a temporary cardiac pacemaker that dissolves away in the body into harmless byproducts. The technology avoids the need for leads penetrating the skin as well as follow-up procedures to remove a pacemaker. The device could make temporary pacemaker placement a safer and more convenient experience for patients. Patients frequently need temporary pacemakers, including after cardiac surgery. Typically, such devices are not wireless, but require electrical cables to penetrate through an incision, causing an infection risk. "Sometimes patients only need pacemakers temporarily,...Read More

Face Mask Detects SARS-CoV-2

June 29th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Diagnostics

Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute and MIT have developed a face mask that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in a wearer’s breath. The mask employs freeze dried molecular components including CRISPR-based technology, and a lateral flow assay strip to detect the virus and alert the wearer. To initiate the test, the wearer simply presses a button on the mask, and it can provide a result within 90 minutes, with a similar level of accuracy as a standard PCR test. "We have essentially shrunk an entire diagnostic laboratory down into a...Read More

Cell Cloaking to Reduce Foreign Body Response to Medical Implants

June 29th, 2021 by Conn Hastings

Materials

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a technique to coat implantable materials, such as stents, with extracellular matrix components and cells. The new approach could lead to implantable devices that suffer fewer adverse events, such as fibrosis, inflammation, and clotting, because of the foreign body response. Implantable devices all suffer the same limitation – the foreign body response. It is difficult to make the body accept a foreign object, and the foreign body response is behind the majority of failures of implants, especially in devices...Read More

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