Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor with ability to keep a track of their readings over time

Posted on January 9, 2016 by 41629066

The Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor is a device for people who want to measure their blood pressure at home, and keep track of their readings over time. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the device. Unlike conventional blood pressure cuffs, the Withings BP Monitor is permanently in a rigid cylindrical form that allows the user to easily slip their arm through. Downloading the free Withings Healthmate App takes a few more minutes to setup and get running. Once the Bluetoot...

Smart Thermometers that can read your temperature and keep your health history on smartphone

Posted on January 9, 2016 by 41629066

The Kinsa Smart Thermometer brings temperature-taking into the 21st century. While it’s not exactly a reinvention of the wheel, it reimagines the thermometer from a parent’s perspective, using a smartphones to make the process way quicker and much more informative. Once it has taken the temperature, the app displays it along with possible associated symptoms. From there you can either save the results or redo the process. Kinsa’s team of top engineers have implemented the latest technology...

Eatware: Tableware Designed for Alzheimer’s Patients

Posted on January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 by 41629066

Inspired by her late grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease, Sha Yao, an industrial designer, developed Eatwell: a user-centered tableware set designed to help increase food intake and maintain dignity for those with Alzheimer’s. Her product won first place at 2014 Stanford Design Challenge out of 52 teams from 15 countries. Firm in her commitment to improve the quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s, Yao set out to understand more about their lives. Through volunteering, she discovered ...

Nutrition apps list and their function

Posted on January 5, 2016 by 41629066

Nutrition app list - iPhone and Android Daily Burn An RDN reviews Daily Burn, an app to keep track of calories consumed and track workouts to see how much energy is burned. eaTipster Created by the Dietitians of Canada, eaTipster delivers daily healthy eating tips to your mobile devices. The app addresses common food and nutrition questions and concerns and provides tips to increase healthy eating, support a healthy weight and fight chronic disease. Diet Assistant Diet Assistant provid...

Smart devices for visually impaired

Posted on January 3, 2016January 3, 2016 by 41629066

There is a lot of work and research being done to find ways to improve life for partially-sighted and blind people. Reading and recognition devices could make smartphones, tablets, and smart glasses into indispensable aids for the visually impaired. CINVESTAV (Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute) in Mexico, there is another smart glasses project in progress. It combines computational geometry, artificial intelligence, and ultrasound techniques, among...

Smart Clothes that can monitor your heartbeat, Activity intensity, peak acceleration, steps, cadence and sleep positions…

Posted on January 3, 2016 by 41629066

Smart clothes are the next step beyond wearables. Despite smart watches and activity trackers just beginning to become popular, smart clothing is already starting to appear. So far there are already items of smart clothing available including t-shirts that measure biometrics and bras that adapt to support in certain situations. Few innovative products: Victoria's Secret, the women's lingerie specialist, has released a sports bra that is capable of measuring the wearer's heart rate. The...

Ergonomics – Human engineering, Human factors engineering.

Posted on December 29, 2015December 29, 2015 by 41629066

Ergonomics Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Human factors and ergonomics is concerned with the "fit" between the user, equipment and their environments. It takes account of the user's capabilities and limitations in seeking t...

Flosstime – World’s First Smart Floss Dispenser

Posted on December 24, 2015 by 41629066

Flosstime is the world's first smart floss dispenser that will help you build daily flossing habits and helps you to remember to floss. Flosstime, launched on Kickstarater is a smart floss dispenser that is mounted on the mirror to help build daily flossing habits. It sits on the mirror of the bathroom and dispenses the right amount of floss when you press a button, lighting up to show a blue smile. When you don’t press the button, and thus don’t floss, for a few days, the Flosstime lights tu...

EyeGuide Focus Detects Concussions in 10 Seconds

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

EyeGuide Focus, a 10-second concussion detection tool, measures neurocognitive impairment quickly and reliably, following established research protocols to return quantifiable results, aiding athletic trainers and other healthcare providers in making informed decisions on concussions. It detects concussions in 10 seconds by recording and interpreting athletes' eye movements. Focus can be administered immediately after a possible concussion. Just as important, it can be used to monitor recovery, ...

Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes can no longer spread Malaria

Posted on December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 by

US scientists have bred a genetically modified mosquito that is incapable of spreading malaria to humans, according to reports. A gene editing technique called Crispr was used to alter the genetic makeup of the insect, making it resistant to Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites that causes malaria in humans. Crucially, the GM mosquitoes passed on their anti-malarial DNA strain to 99.5% of their offspring, raising the prospect of the altered species being released in the wild one day to co...

The ‘Miracle’ Berry that could replace sugar

Posted on December 12, 2015 by

This miracle berry that grows in West Africa contains Miraculin, a glycoprotein which was first extracted back in 1968. The local population knew the effects for much longer and chewed the fruit pulp to make sour maize bread tastier. The surface of our tongue is covered by a multitude of different receptors to detect tastes from sweet to umami. Just like sugar and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, the miraculin in the berry binds to your sweet taste receptors, but far more strongly. The acid...

Stress is a trigger to many health conditions

Posted on December 10, 2015 by 41629066

Stress is a common trigger for many health condition. Stress and anxiety sometimes make you feel short of breath and may cause your asthma symptoms to become worse. You cannot avoid stress; it is part of daily life. However, developing effective ways to manage stress and learning to relax can help you prevent shortness of breath and avoid panic. The physical effects of stress and a gush of emotions can act as asthma triggers. When people cry or get anxious and upset, breathing becomes hard...

New clues to easing side effects from Parkinson’s Drug.

Posted on December 8, 2015 by

In an international study, Northwestern Medicine scientists and colleagues have identified a novel strategy for reducing the side effects of uncontrolled movement caused by the drug levodopa, commonly used to treat the stiffness, tremors and poor muscle control of Parkinson’s disease. These unwanted movements caused by levodopa significantly diminish the quality of life for Parkinson’s disease patients. A team lead by D. James Surmeier, PhD, chair and Nathan Smith Davis Professor of Physiology f...

Simple test identifies lung cancer patients with best chemotherapy response.

Posted on December 7, 2015 by

A new study shows that a certain type of protein can be used to determine if a lung cancer patient will respond positively to chemotherapy. While prognosis for the most common form, adenocarcinoma, has remained poor, new research has shown a link between the absence of a specific protein and improved patient outcomes. Scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute have found that patients who undergo chemotherapy and surgery experience significantly improved survival rates when their tumor is la...

Electric fields remove nanoparticles from blood with ease.

Posted on December 5, 2015 by

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego developed a new technology that uses an oscillating electric field to easily and quickly isolate drug-delivery nanoparticles from blood. The technology could serve as a general tool to separate and recover nanoparticles from other complex fluids for medical, environmental, and industrial applications. Nanoparticles, which are generally one thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair, are difficult to separate from plasma, the liquid ...

New method developed to predict response to nanotherapeutics

Posted on December 3, 2015 by

Many nanotherapeutics are currently being tested in clinical trials and several have already been clinically approved to treat cancers. But the ability to predict which patients will be most responsive to these treatments has remained elusive. Now, a collaboration between investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has led to a new approach that uses an FDA-approved, magnetic nanoparticle and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify tumors mos...

Scientists grow functional vocal cord tissue in lab.

Posted on December 3, 2015 by

UW-Madison scientists have grown human vocal cord tissue in a dish, which made sound when transplanted into voice boxes from cadaver dogs, a development that could lead to better treatments for people with voice disorders. Such implants likely won’t be ready for human testing for years. But re-creating the tissue, known as a vocal fold, and showing it was functional in dog larynges and was not rejected by a mouse model of the human immune system are significant steps, the researchers said. “We n...

Desalination

Posted on November 28, 2015 by

MIT has developed a new and more efficient way to desalinate water. The process, called shock electrodialysis, filters water through a material made of small glass particles, according to an MIT News report. When an electric current is introduced to the system, the water divides into areas of high or low salt concentration. Once the current reaches a certain point, a shockwave is produced that divides the streams and allows the salty and fresh waters to be separated by a physical barrier. The pr...

Flexible, implantable device could block pain signals

Posted on November 27, 2015 by

Building on wireless technology that has the potential to interfere with pain, scientists have developed flexible, implantable devices that can activate and, in theory, block pain signals in the body and spinal cord before those signals reach the brain. The researchers, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the implants one day may be used in different parts of the body to fight pain that doesn’t respond to other therapi...

Genetic link to depression.

Posted on November 26, 2015 by

Scientists discover two gene variations linked to the condition Depression which can run in families and be in the genes. While it has long been known that the condition can run in families, researchers have struggled to find any DNA mutations linked to it, despite analyzing more than 9,000 cases. This had led to debate over whether people inherited a susceptibility to the illness or if another factor, such as the environment was the true culprit. Studies on severe depression within families hav...

Researchers discover 10 new genetic links to eczema.

Posted on November 26, 2015 by

Eczema, which affects thousands of New Zealanders, is characterized by red patches of itchy, dry broken skin driven by inflammation and is most common in people who suffer from allergies. Eczema can be brought on by a wide range of environmental triggers, including soaps and detergents, perfumes, clothing, jewelry, certain foods and even extremes of weather. Ten new genetic links to eczema have been uncovered that could lead to greater understanding of the skin condition, as well as potential...

New low-cost printer tracks HIV patients’ health.

Posted on November 26, 2015 by

Researchers have patented a low-cost device that can easily monitor the health of HIV patients living in low-resource settings. The portable device works by helping clinicians count the number of CD4 cells that are attacked by HIV in the body. HIV is known to decrease the number of CD4 cells an individual has. When CD4 counts are very low, that indicates the patient’s HIV is progressing toward AIDS and a ramp up of medication is necessary. Patients with HIV are encouraged to participate in re...

Robo-Kitttens to combat loneliness felt by the elderly.

Posted on November 24, 2015 by

The Joy For All cats are sold under the slogan, ‘Why should kids have all the fun?’, and are marketed as a relaxation device, designed to make users feel happier and less alone upon hearing the mewing of the cat’s response to their touch. Created by the producers of My Little Pony and Transformers, the cat toys do not requiring feeding or bathroom breaks, and react to affection. “Joy for All” pets are robotic cats that “look, feel, and sound like real cats,” Hasbro claims on its website, whic...

Vessel – This cup tells you what it’s holding.

Posted on November 23, 2015 by

Vessel can identify the drink that is in it, along with the dietary content sugar, calories, protein, fat, caffeine and takes all the data and synchronizes it in your smartphone. The Vessyl mug created by Justin Lee has been designed to serve as a chic lifestyle product that is fashionable as well as functional, and it has a spill–proof lid, a non-stick interior, and comes with a charging coaster that provides enough power for the cup to work for a week with just one hour of charge time. It come...

Most Extensive Face Transplant.

Posted on November 23, 2015 by

This past August, Hardison, now 41, received an entirely new scalp and face. For the first time since 2001, he has ears, a nose, lips, and eyelids, the last was especially crucial because, although he retained his vision on the fire, he was unable to blink or close his eyes for 14 years. His new face was donated by 26-year-old David Rodebaugh, a young BMX biker from Brooklyn, who was pronounced brain dead after being thrown off his bike. The revolutionary face transplant took 26 hours and was pe...

Kolibree – The Fun, Intelligent, Beautiful toothbrush.

Posted on November 21, 2015 by

The first smart sonic toothbrush that turns tooth brushing into a game, educates kids, and empowers parents. The Kolibree can tell you if your brushing sessions tend to be as long and thorough as they should be.The Bluetooth-enabled Kolibree is now being replaced with a new model that’s both better and more affordable. The new Kolibree improves upon the original with better Bluetooth connectivity, more precise motion tracking and is cheaper. According to the Paris-based company behind the too...

Artificial Ebola virus slowed by large fullerene system.

Posted on November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by

A recent study shows that a large fullerene system can interrupt the infection of an artificial Ebola virus. An infection with Ebola starts when the virus gains access to the cellular DC-SIGN receptor and begins to infect the immune system’s dendritic cells. Thanks to the new, larger molecule comprised of fullerenes that are coated with carbohydrates, scientists can block the receptor and interrupt the infection. This has been tested on an artificial virus model. Researchers attained a remark...

SlingShot: Quest to solve the world’s safe water crisis.

Posted on November 20, 2015 by

Kamen's SlingShot (so-named after the Biblical David & Goliath story) device is an energy-efficient "vapor compression distiller," and one possible answer to the safe water crisis. The SlingShot is designed to take virtually any unfit source of water, such as contaminated well water or seawater, and turn it into clean water, without requiring a filter (which regularly need to be replaced) or using any chemical additives (which have to be purchased). The device does use combustible fuel to po...

Nanotechnology advances could pave way for implantable artificial kidney

Posted on November 18, 2015 by

A surgically implantable, artificial kidney could be a promising alternative to kidney transplantation or dialysis for people with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Currently, more than 20 million Americans have kidney diseases, and more than 600,000 patients are receiving treatment for ESRD. U.S. government statistics indicate kidney care costs the U.S. health care system $40 billion annually, accounting for more than 6 percent of Medicare spending. “We aim to conduct clinical trials on an implan...

Contacts could help treat Glaucoma

Posted on November 17, 2015 by

A McMaster PhD candidate has harnessed a component naturally found in tears to develop a contact lens-based drug delivery system for glaucoma patients. Chemical engineer Myrto Korogiannaki has used hyaluronic acid to help get drugs to the eye from a lens in a controlled way. Patients with front-of-the-eye diseases, such as glaucoma, traditionally use medicated eye drops twice a day to treat their ailment. But those drops are incredibly inefficient as only about five per cent of the drug they car...