3D Printed Jaw

Posted on August 8, 2016 by

Media Arts and Science faculty member Zebulun Wood and his student researcher, 2016 graduate Cade B.T. Jacobs, created a prosthetic mandible utilizing digital scanning and 3-D sculpture and printing technology—revolutionizing a field that has long relied on more cumbersome materials and techniques. The subject for the project is a retired maintenance worker named Shirley Anderson, who had recurring tongue cancer. Radiation treatments resulted in osteoradionecrosis, also known as “bone death.”...

New Bluetooth-Connected Insulin Pen

Posted on August 7, 2016 by

Emperra GmbH has launched a new Bluetooth insulin pen model. The new ESYSTA BT pen is equipped with a Bluetooth interface and transfers the injected insulin doses directly to the patient’s digital blood glucose diary. The smart insulin pens are automatically connected via the 868 MHz interface (similar to the ISM band), which are already being successfully used in medicine in combination with a wireless transmission blood glucose meter as an integrated diabetes management system, ESYSTA. Both...

GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system

Posted on August 6, 2016 by

GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) is considered the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It regulates neuronal excitability and muscle tone.1 GABA is synthesized from glutamate (using vitamin B6 as a cofactor). GABA is Interestingly, while glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter,2 GABA “puts the brakes” on in the brain, helping to control overstimulation. gamma-Aminobutyric acid (γ-Aminobutyric acid) /ˈɡæmə əˈmiːnoʊbjuːˈtɪrᵻk ˈæsᵻd/ (also called G...

Artificial wombs: The coming era of motherless births?

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

Researchers are currently working on replicating the conditions inside a mother’s uterus in an artificial one. Benefits to an artificial womb could include allowing premature babies a better chance at survival, enabling women with fertility issues to have children, and making it much easier for transgendered people and gay couples to have children. However, artificial uteruses could lead to overpopulation, as well as missed bonding between mother and child during pregnancy, and they could ent...

NASA to sequence DNA in space for first time

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

July 16, a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station carrying a DNA sequencer into space for the first time. While this isn’t big-deal science, no one has ever tried to decode DNA in outer space before. Being able to is something that might come in handy on a Mars mission if a crewmember gets sick or alien mold appears in a spaceship. “Right now we culture stuff and return it to Earth, but if you send people to Mars you aren’t going to...

UCI Stem-Cell Pioneer Poised to Launch Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Patients

Posted on July 31, 2016 by

Henry Klassen, M.D., Ph.D., is only about a year from launching a clinical trial for a stem cell treatment to rescue vision in people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and, potentially, other retinal diseases. At the Foundation’s recent Orange County Innovation Symposium, the University of California (UC), Irvine clinician-researcher reported that he and his colleagues are in the midst of final lab studies with patient-grade cells. Once finished, they’ll request authorization from the U.S. Food and...

Harvard Study on – ‘The biology of emotion—and what it may teach us about helping people to live longer’

Posted on July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 by

The Grant Study is part of the Study of Adult Development at Harvard Medical School. It is a 75-year longitudinal study of 268 physically- and mentally-healthy Harvard college sophomores from the classes of 1939–1944. It has run in tandem with a study called "The Glueck Study," which included a second cohort of 456 disadvantaged nondelinquent inner-city youths who grew up in Boston neighborhoods between 1940 and 1945. The subjects were all male and of American nationality. The men continue to be...

iBaby is a smart Wi-Fi air monitor that detects VOCs & purifies the air for a healthier life.

Posted on July 26, 2016July 27, 2016 by

A smart Wi-Fi air monitor that detects VOCs & purifies the air for a healthier life. iBaby Air is a smart Wi-Fi air quality monitor and the world’s smallest air purifier that is surprisingly powerful. iBaby Air detects dangerous VOCs, alerts the user of changes in air quality and sends suggestions and tips on how to improve the air quality. This makes iBaby’s second Indiegogo campaign, the first being iFamCare’s Helmet. We were able to successfully raise over 300% of our desired go...

MIT research – Ingestible sensor measures heart and breathing rates from within the digestive tract.

Posted on July 26, 2016 by

Using technology invented at MIT, doctors may one day be able to monitor patients’ vital signs by having them swallow an ingestible electronic device that measures heart rate and breathing rate from within the gastrointestinal tract. This type of sensor could make it easier to assess trauma patients, monitor soldiers in battle, perform long-term evaluation of patients with chronic illnesses, or improve training for professional and amateur athletes, the researchers say. The new sensor calc...

Linking Sense of Smell to Alzheimer’s

Posted on July 26, 2016 by

Researchers at The University of Florida asked over 90 participants to smell a spoonful of peanut butter at a short distance from their nose. Some participants had a confirmed early stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis, some had other forms of dementia, while others had no cognitive or neurological problems. Of those participants, only those with a confirmed diagnosis of early stage Alzheimer’s had trouble smelling the peanut butter. Additionally, those patients also had a harder time smelling the peanu...

Thermo is a no-contact thermometer

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Thermo is a no-contact precise temperature possible, and automatic sync with the dedicated app also allows you to track temperature readings, get reminders, and input related symptoms/medications right on your smartphone. Clinical accuracy Thermo measures from the temporal artery, considered the best place to detect temperature changes, as the blood that circulates there comes from the core of the body. As Thermo sweeps across the forehead, 16 infrared sensors take over 4,000 measurements to f...

MIT research identifies mechanism that allows the brain to strengthen links between neurons

Posted on July 23, 2016 by

Neuroscientists reveal how the brain can enhance connections Newly identified mechanism allows the brain to strengthen links between neurons. When the brain forms memories or learns a new task, it encodes the new information by tuning connections between neurons. MIT neuroscientists have discovered a novel mechanism that contributes to the strengthening of these connections, also called synapses. At each synapse, a presynaptic neuron sends chemical signals to one or more postsynaptic receiv...

‘Bite Counter’ is a watch that counts bites to help watch weight

Posted on July 18, 2016 by

Researchers at Clemson University have been working for several years on the relationship between the number of bites you take and caloric intake. They designed and have run extensive studies with a bite-counting wristband that they now sell as a separate business. https://youtu.be/G8BfxRz-J8I The Bite Counter is a watch that also counts bites based on pattern recognition of wrist movements. The Bite Counter comes with PC software for configuring the device and connects via a micro USB por...

FDA Approved – ‘Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation’ to treat variety of brain-related disorders

Posted on July 18, 2016 by

Israeli medical device maker Brainsway has developed a helmet-like device that uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS) to treat a variety of brain-related disorders. Deep TMS is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. The pulses are sent through an electromagnetic coil (H-coil) placed near the patient's scalp in the area a therapist wants to treat for 20 minutes at a time. According to the company, the treatment has no side effects. P...

Google’s DeepMind helping detect early signs of sight-threatening diseases.

Posted on July 18, 2016 by

Google’s DeepMind is initiating a new research project to aid doctors spot the early signs of sight-threatening diseases. The team uses machine learning to analyze more than a million eye scans and thereby creating algorithms that can detect early symptoms that humans might miss. The research project is DeepMind’s second collaboration with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). https://youtu.be/d58_mb95oVY Moorfields Eye Hospital in London will partner with Google and DeepMind for a fi...

Artificial Intelligence Used to Predict Onset of Alzheimer’s

Posted on July 18, 2016 by

Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that allows computer programs to learn when exposed to new data without being programmed. Now, researchers in The Netherlands have coupled machine learning methods with a special MRI technique that measures the perfusion, or tissue absorption rate, of blood throughout the brain to detect early forms of dementia, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. “MRI can help with t...

Surprising New Role for the Immune System Discovered

Posted on July 15, 2016 by

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have made a surprising discovery: the immune system directly impacts – and even controls – creatures’ social behavior, such as, for instance, their inclination to interact with others. The researchers' findings suggest that immune system problems could potentially contribute to the inability to have normal social interactions, a fact that could have important implications for neurological disorders like schizophrenia. The brain and ...

Intestinal Bacteria Can Predict Susceptibility to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted on July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 by

The bacteria in your gut don’t just break down food. According to Dr. Veena Taneja, an immunologist at Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine, they can also can predict susceptibility for rheumatoid arthritis. Over 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakenly attacks itself. The body breaks down tissues around joints, causing painful swelling in the joints. At present, scientists have a limited understanding of the processe...

Airing Promises to Transform Sleep Apnea Treatment

Posted on July 13, 2016 by

Airing is designed to be the world’s first maskless, hoseless, cordless micro-CPAP device to combat obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is usually caused by a blockage of the airway in which soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses during sleep. If OSA is untreated, it has the potential to lead to serious health problems from high blood pressure to cardiovascular disease to memory impairment. Typically, OSA is treated with “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure,” o...

Livia: The Wearable, Drug-Free Solution To Cramp Pain

Posted on July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 by

Cramps plague women around the world; Livia, an instant pain relief solution, is a device which has the potential to end them. The “off switch” for your cramps, Livia is a drug-free solution for menstrual pain. With a single touch, the wearable device closes the "pain gates" by stimulating the nerves and blocking the pain from passing to the brain. The technology itself relies on the “Gate Control Theory.” Livia transmits a pulse that keeps the nerves “busy” so they are unable to transmit ...

‘Eve’ – Wireless indoor air quality monitoring

Posted on July 12, 2016July 12, 2016 by

Live smarter by knowing more about the place you care about most. With Eve, see your home at a glance, right on your iPhone and iPad. The Eve family of HomeKit accessories gathers data on air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, energy consumption and more. Gain insights that help you improve your comfort, and make your home a smarter place. https://youtu.be/CEHBGoG60mU With Eve Room, Eve senses indoor air quality, temperature, and humidity. Eve Room is...

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for therapeutic purposes

Posted on July 12, 2016 by

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS or TNS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes. TENS, by definition, covers the complete range of transcutaneously applied currents used for nerve excitation although the term is often used with a more restrictive intent, namely to describe the kind of pulses produced by portable stimulators used to treat pain. The unit is usually connected to the skin using two or more electrodes. ...

Somaxis sensor used to measure muscle energy

Posted on July 9, 2016 by

Cricket is the future of ergonomic evaluations. Apply a comfortable wearable sensor that measures muscle tension and posture. Get guided effortlessly through streamlined workstation evaluations that follow OSHA standards. Get automated reports that quantify the effectiveness of your adjustments, and which isolate which muscle groups or activities need additional attention. Use a monitor throughout the work day and get feedback when tension levels are elevated or when you are using your worksta...

‘Tinké’ – Smartphone Based Fitness And Wellness Tracker

Posted on July 8, 2016 by

Fitness: By taking a vita measurement, Tinké measures 3 parameters (blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, heart rate) and indicates your fitness level in 30 seconds. Wellness: By taking a Zen measurement, tinke provides a 60 seconds breathing exercise to practise mindful breathing, and indicates your level of relaxation at the end of the exercise via your heart rate variability. Monitor and chart your Vita and Zen measurements with Tinké. Know your progress and be empowered in taking active ste...

Telehealth

Posted on July 7, 2016 by

Telehealth involves the distribution of health-related services and information. Distribution is via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long distance patient/clinician contact and care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admissions. As well as provider distance-learning; meetings, supervision, and presentations between practitioners; online information and health data management and healthcare system integration. Telehealth coul...

FDA approval – Kit to measure the amount of hepatitis C virus in a patient’s blood

Posted on July 7, 2016 by

The cobas® HCV is a laboratory test used to measure the amount of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA (ribonucleic acid) in a patient’s blood. Viral RNA is genetic material from HCV. Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by HCV. Hepatitis C is transmitted when blood or another body fluid from a person infected with the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment, from mother to baby at birth, ...

My UV Patches track your real-time UV exposure

Posted on July 6, 2016 by

MY UV PATCH is a real breakthrough in skin wellness. It coaches you to protect your skin from damage and premature aging. While using with the app, it will determine your personal skin-type, track your real-time UV exposure and alert you when your level of sun exposure might no longer be safe. UV PATCH is a real breakthrough in skin wellness. It coaches you to protect your skin from damage and premature aging. While using with the app, it will determine your personal skin-type, trac...

Medtronic Accelerates Path to Artificial Pancreas – Insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems

Posted on July 5, 2016 by

Medtronic has been advancing artificial pancreas research and development for ... our path to the artificial pancreas, a study of our Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) system. Type I diabetes comes with a lifetime commitment to maintaining health. Patients have to measure blood glucose levels and adjust insulin levels as necessary as indicated by multiple finger stick blood tests daily. Glucose monitors can reduce the number of finger sticks to two a day for calibration to be sure the monitor is worki...

Masimo has gained FDA clearance for its wireless, wearable patient monitor

Posted on July 1, 2016 by

Masimo is an American Irvine, California-based manufacturer of noninvasive patient monitoring technologies. The company is best known for its pulse oximetry and it sells more pulse oximeters to hospitals than any other company. Masimo was founded by electrical engineer Joe Kiani, who was later joined by fellow engineer Mohamed Diab. Masimo invented measure-through motion and low perfusion pulse oximetry, known as Masimo SET (Signal Extraction Technology). Masimo has been recognized for its in...

FDA approved – Prestige LP Cervical

Posted on June 30, 2016 by

Prestige LP Cervical Disc treats one diseased disc in the neck (cervical disc) that causes arm pain and/or weakness or numbness (radiculopathy or myelopathy). The Prestige LP Cervical Disc consists of a titanium-ceramic alloy that fits between the top and bottom surface of the neck bones (cervical vertebrae). How does it work? The implanted device is placed between two adjacent cervical vertebrae to replace a diseased cervical disc. It is designed to maintain the distance between two adjacent...