iBOT – powered wheelchair

Posted on May 30, 2016 by

The iBOT is a powered wheelchair developed by Dean Kamen in a partnership between DEKA and Johnson and Johnson's Independence Technology division. iBOT has a number of features distinguishing it from most powered wheelchairs: By rotating its two sets of powered wheels about each other, the iBOT can "walk" up and down stairs, much like a cog railway or a rack and pinion with the two wheels as the "teeth" of the gear. The wheels can roll slightly at each step to compensate for a wide range ...

iBeat -smartwatch that will monitor the wearer’s heart activity around the clock for heart attack

Posted on May 30, 2016 by

iBeat is a new company in San Francisco that hopes to address this problem. They are designing a new smartwatch that will monitor the wearer’s heart activity around the clock, and analyze the results. If it detects a dangerous condition, it can alert the wearer, as well as family members and emergency responders. It will include 3G cellular wireless communication, as well as a medical-grade heart rate sensor. The company has indicated that it will pursue a “Wearable-as-a-Service” business model ...

Organs grown by scientists

Posted on May 29, 2016 by

Little livers Transplanted hepatic progenitor cells can self-renew (yellow) and differentiate into hepatocytes (green) to repair the damaged liver (Image: Wei-Yu Lu, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh’) The MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine researchers used liver stem cells, called hepatic progenitor cells, to regrow damaged livers in mice. After extracting the stem cells from healthy adult mice and maturing them in the lab, the researchers transplante...

Commercial products that produce water from Air

Posted on May 27, 2016 by

Atmospheric water solutions manufacture machines that produce purified water from air. These Innovative machines extract humidity from the air which is filtered, condensed, and then processed through an additional multi-step filtration system; producing “purified great tasting water™”, with no chlorine, fluoride, or heavy metals present. Their AquaBoy® Pro II machine makes hot and cold water from air , filters it and stores up to 2 to 5 gallons every day. It’s easy to operate, environm...

Researchers urge greater attention to autism-related food issues

Posted on May 26, 2016 by

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a complex set of related developmental disorders that are characterized by impairments in communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Impairments in sensory processing are also extremely common. The prevalence of ASDs is increasing and is currently estimated to affect 1 in 150 children. ASDs are considered to be a major health and educational problem, affecting many areas of daily living, including eating. Children with ASDs are often de...

NASA’s Research To Understand How Space Travel Affects Blood Vessels

Posted on May 26, 2016 by

Ever rise quickly from the couch to get something from the kitchen and suddenly feel dizzy? With a low heart rate and relaxed muscles, the cardiovascular system does not immediately provide the resistance necessary to keep enough blood going to your head. Gravity wins, at least for a short time, before your heart and blood vessels can respond to the sudden change in position and correct the situation. Images above: These figures show feed arteries and first-order arterioles from control...

NASA’s research helps build antimicrobial prayer mats

Posted on May 25, 2016 by

Antimicrobial Agent Updates Ancient Industry of Prayer Mats Consumer Goods NASA Technology Although it is one of the most abundant organic compounds on Earth, chitin is not among the best understood. For example, chitosan, a derivative of chitin, has been used in agriculture since the 1980s and is credited with boosting plant immunity, increasing resistance to insects and fungi, stimulating nutrient uptake and germination, reducing fruit and vegetable decay, and protecti...

Research suggests meditation grows brain & improves concentration and focus

Posted on May 25, 2016 by

People who meditate grow bigger brains than those who don't. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Brain scans they conducted reveal that experienced meditators boasted increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input. In one area of gray matter, the thickening turns out to be more pronounced in older than in younger...

Medical Alert SmartWatch

Posted on May 25, 2016 by

CarePredict The CarePredict is essentially a wrist-worn sensor — like the emergency buttons — except it can do a whole lot more than alert the appropriate parties. Like any watch or smartwatch, you can change out the band to give it a different appearance or style. The internal sensor tracks a variety of data because it can detect motion. It will be able to tell when the wearer is running, sitting, standing, walking and even lying down. It can also discern location in a home and figure ou...

University of California -Sticker That Measures Glucose

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

Nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego have tested a temporary tattoo that both extracts and measures the level of glucose in the fluid in between skin cells. This first-ever example of the flexible, easy-to-wear device could be a promising step forward in noninvasive glucose testing for patients with diabetes. The sensor was developed and tested by graduate student Amay Bandodkar and colleagues in Professor Joseph Wang’s laboratory at the NanoEngineering Department and the ...

Wearable device that can be used to monitor patient conditions around the clock

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

Scientists at Northwestern University and University of Illinois have collaborated on creating a wearable device that can be used to monitor patient conditions around the clock. The thin, flexible patch moves with the person’s skin, and so should be unobtrusive to wear. The patch requires no electricity; a matrix of 60 by 60 liquid crystals provides 3,600 points of measurement. A new wearable medical device can quickly alert a person if they are having cardiovascular trouble or if it’s simply...

Smart Dose – first wearable patch medicine injector

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

West Pharmaceutical Services is developing a solution to this problem: the SmartDose. According to the company, this is the first wearable patch injector that has been tested on human subjects. The device includes a concealed needle that is activated once the patch is applied to the patient’s skin. Visual and audible feedback provides indicators about the device’s status, whether it is operating correctly, or when it needs to be removed or refilled. The device works with a disposable plastic car...

Wearable Artificial Kidney (WAK)

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

The U.S Food and Drug Administration has granted Expedited Access Pathway status to the Wearable Artificial Kidney (WAK) after the device performed successfully in its first U.S. clinical trial, at UW Medical Center in Seattle. Despite technical issues that halted the trial early, the FDA signaled its support for keeping research and development of the device fast-tracked as its components are redesigned. More than 600,000 Americans have end-stage kidney disease, whose annual mortality rate is...

Watch that monitors tremor patients by tracking and reporting tremor incidence

Posted on May 22, 2016 by

A startup called Trequant has set out to help tremor patients by tracking and reporting tremor incidence. Waterproof and able to travel with you anywhere you go! The Kanega watch is a self-contained watch and is not dependent on a connection to a home-based system or a smartphone, so you can get assistance at home or on the go in one simple, stylish watch. Voice Controlled for Ease of Use No buttons to press – speak to it by its name, and it speaks to you. It’s that easy. On-call Emergency...

Innovative camping kit

Posted on May 22, 2016 by

Mobile Foodie Survival Kit: The Mobile Foodie Survival Kit is a travel-sized spice pack that makes sure you don't have sub-par food. Anywhere you go, you are stocked with organic herbs and spices. Nightlux Handpowered Lamp and Flashlight: Its lightweight and compact design makes this lantern perfect for traveling; its handpowered or recharges via USB, has two brightness modes, and easily shifts from flashlight to lantern. Reborn by X Zhichao: Reborn is a multi functional ...

Innovative products

Posted on May 22, 2016 by

Aroma Travel Pillow: The Aroma Snoozer travel pillow combines comfort with the aromatherapy oils; it can be a great pillow for car or airline travel. Casamista Portable Humidifier: Design by Alan Wisniewski for Umbra, this house shaped portable humidifier works with any water bottle or glass. It comes with purifying filter and can be powered by a USB cable connected to your notebook. Zip It Passport Socks: with these you can keep your passport and cash securely in this zippered sock. ...

A Personalized Virtual Heart Predicts the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

Posted on May 21, 2016 by

Recently scientists and researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed an assessment technology that is much better at predicting arrhythmia risk than the blood pumping test. The team performed pre-implant MRIs from patients who were determined to need defibrillator implants. They used the MRIs to create personalized, virtual 3-D hearts. They then used the 3-D models to simulate the electrical processes in the heart to predict the likelihood that the virtual heart would develop arrhythmia. If...

MIT – Ingestible origami robot

Posted on May 21, 2016 by

Robot unfolds from ingestible capsule, removes button battery stuck to wall of simulated stomach In experiments involving a simulation of the human esophagus and stomach, researchers at MIT, the University of Sheffield, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have demonstrated a tiny origami robot that can unfold itself from a swallowed capsule and, steered by external magnetic fields, crawl across the stomach wall to remove a swallowed button battery or patch a wound. The new work, which the ...

Life expectancy

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of their birth, their current age and other demographic factors including sex. The most commonly used measure of life expectancy is at birth (LEB), which can be defined in two ways: while cohort LEB is the mean length of life of an actual birth cohort (all individuals born a given year) and can be computed only for cohorts born many decades ago, so that all their members died, period L...

Sleep directly related to life expectancy

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

Research shows naps increase performance. NASA found pilots who take a 25 minute nap are 35 percent more alert and twice as focused. Research by NASA revealed that pilots who take a 25-minute nap in the cockpit — hopefully with a co-pilot taking over the controls — are subsequently 35 percent more alert, and twice as focused, than their non-napping colleagues. Little siestas helped people across a whole host of measures. Improved reaction time, fewer errors… NASA found that naps made yo...

Blynk – is a new platform that allows you to quickly build interfaces for controlling and monitoring your hardware projects from your iOS and Android device.

Posted on May 18, 2016 by

Blynk is a Platform with iOS and Android apps to control Arduino, Raspberry Pi and the likes over the Internet. It's a digital dashboard where you can build a graphic interface for your project by simply dragging and dropping widgets. It's really simple to set everything up and you'll start tinkering in less than 5 mins. Blynk is not tied to some specific board or shield. Instead, it's supporting hardware of your choice. Whether your Arduino or Raspberry Pi is linked to the Internet ove...

Innovative heating accessories

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

Heated Steering Wheel Cover: It completely encircles a steering wheel and keep hands warm during winter drives. It provides heat for 35 minutes and recharges via the car's own 12-volt adapter. Rechargeable Heated Insole: Just place this rechargeable foot warmer inside your shoes or boots and use the wireless remote control to make it work. It uses high tech wireless thermal technology and comes with no wires or extension cords, etc. Heated Socks: The Best Heated Socks reaches a maximum t...

Innovative Bathroom Accessories

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

Homestar Spa Bath Planetarium: The Homestar Spa is a waterproof planetarium that floats in water and projects out bright light into the room. Clingies and Dockingdots: Clingies towels features coated powerful magnet in the little pocket between the fold that allows you to attach them on any metal surface and for non metal surface you just stick the docking dots where these anywhere towels attaches. Amphiro Smart Shower: Amphiro is the world's first smart meter for the shower that provi...

NASA’s PUMA technology to bring laboratory-grade biometric data directly to athletes, fitness enthusiasts and dieters.

Posted on May 15, 2016 by

Startup NASA is a new opportunity offered by NASA’s Technology Transfer Program. Startup companies can applyto license patented NASA technology with no up-front payment; choose from a diverse portfolio of more than 1,200-patented NASA technologies that range from materials and coatings to sensors, aeronautics technologies, instrumentation and more; and create new products and services. A team of Glenn engineers, led by Dr. Daniel Dietrich, initially developed PUMA to monitor the oxygen consum...

Innovative Coffee Makers

Posted on May 15, 2016 by

The Talking Coffee Maker. This is the first voice-interactive coffee maker that asks, "Would you like to set the clock or set the coffee brewing time?" and operates in response to your verbal commands. Simply saying, "Set the coffee brewing time," or "Set the clock," will prompt the machine to reply, "Please say the time, including AM or PM." It uses an advanced voice recognition system to identify any time of day you speak, eliminating the hassle of fussing with buttons. The included reusable,...

Innovative medical services online

Posted on May 14, 2016 by

Medikey™, a health data aggregator that empowers consumers and employers to take greater control over healthcare costs, today launched a partnership with Teladoc (NYSE:TDOC) and eDocAmerica to offer underinsured and uninsured consumers unprecedented access to quality, affordable medical care online or by telephone. A benefit once available only through employers and health plans, consumers can now access directly from Medikey™ this type of convenient, non-emergency care from board-certified phys...

Lung cancer screening app using NASA’s sensor technology for early detection

Posted on May 14, 2016 by

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has entered into an exclusive license agreement with an mHealth company to commercialize mobile healthcare products derived from NASA's patented technology. The agreement with NASA, annnounced by Vantage Health, licenses the use of multiple patents relating to inventions in the fields of nanotechnology, chemical sensing, carbon nanotubes, medical diagnoses, environmental sensing and cell phone applications. "Nanobeak and Vantage He...

Technology to make your lives better

Posted on May 12, 2016June 5, 2016 by

The Sensoria Smart Socks for runners are made from high-tech running friendly fabric, an electronic anklet magnetically attaches to the sock and an app monitors and guides you through real-time audio cues while you run. Working along with your smartphone, it lets you know the speed, altitude, cadence, foot landing and more. The Beddit is flat, and can be placed under the bed sheet; it measures sleep cycles and quality of it by measuring various other factors. This non-wearable smart devi...

Ultrasonic Periodontal Structures Mapping Device

Posted on May 10, 2016 by

Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center have developed diagnostic mapping system for making and recording differential measurements of periodontal structures of a dental patient. The invention employs first and second ultrasonic sensors controlled by a dental hand-piece to make measurements of the cemento-enamel-junction (CEJ) of each tooth and the depth of the periodontal pocket or cavity of the tooth relative its CEJ. These measurements are visually displayed, recorded (or mapped), and c...

NASA – Directional Microwave Applicator/Antenna

Posted on May 10, 2016 by

A directional, cylindrical antenna of ~0.095-in. (~2.4-mm) diameter has been developed for localized delivery of microwave radiation for heating (and thus killing) diseased tissue without excessively heating nearby healthy tissue. By "localized" is meant that the antenna radiates much more in one radial direction than in the opposite radial direction, so that it heats tissue much more on one side than it does on the opposite side. Prior compact, cylindrical antennas designed for therapeutic l...