The University of Toronto researchers have created a new machine that they believe can heal wounds at a faster rate. The handheld 3D printer prints and deposits layers of tissue that heals deep wounds in a span of two minutes. The Canadian researchers were led by Ph.D. student Navid Hakimi and were under the supervision of Associate Professor Axel Guenther, who...
Category: <span>Devices</span>
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Penn engineer make drug microparticles a thousand times faster than ever before
Pharmaceuticals owe their effects mostly to their chemical composition, but the packaging of these drugs into specific physical formulations also need to be done to exact specifications. For example, many drugs are encapsulated in solid microparticles, the size and shape of which determine the timing of the drug’s release and its delivery to specific parts...
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Gene disruption signals cerebral palsy and autism link
University of Adelaide researchers has uncovered a genetic signal common to both cerebral palsy and autism. The finding comes from the first large-scale study of gene expression in children with cerebral palsy. The researchers, from the University’s Australian Collaborative Cerebral Palsy Research Group in the Robinson Research Institute, also showed common underlying molecular pathways in clinically diverse cerebral palsy. They say both...
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A World Without Pain
In an immersive virtual reality environment called “Snow World,” burn patients distract themselves from their pain by tossing snow balls, building snowmen and interacting with penguins. Credit: Ari Hollander and Howard Rose, copyright Hunter Hoffman, UW You glide across an icy canyon where you meet smiling snowmen, waddling penguins and a glistening river that winds...
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New drug reduces rate of progression of incurable eye disease
An international study has found a way to slow the progression of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). An international study including researchers from the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) has found a way to slow the progression of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – one of the most common causes of vision loss...
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New movement monitoring system helping prevent falls in the elderly
53 Assisted Living Facility (ALF) residents wore the wristbands for one-year to help researchers determine changes to their walking patterns. Credit: University of South Florida Technology that allows BMW’s assembly lines to run more efficiently is now being used to accurately indicate when residents in Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) are at increased risk of falling....
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Man Almost Dies From Biting Nails: Here’s What Happened
A man from the United Kingdom almost died due to biting his nails, a habit that he never thought would put his life in danger. A study from 2016 claimed that a nail-biting habit among children should be allowed, as it lessens their risk of developing allergies. The opposite, however, happened to the father of two, whose...
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‘Non-smoking’ doesn’t mean smoke-free: Thirdhand smoke persists and spreads indoors with help from aerosol particles
Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions, new research from Drexel University suggests the toxins we’ve been trying to keep out are still finding their way into the air inside. Findings by a group of environmental engineers show that third-hand smoke, the chemical residue from cigarette smoke that attaches to anything and anyone in...
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Even a ‘bad’ flu vaccine could save 61,000 lives: study
A truly dismal flu vaccine could still save thousands of lives, as long as roughly 40 percent of Americans got their shots, new research suggests. At that coverage level, a vaccine that was only 20 percent effective would avert 21 million infections and almost 130,000 hospitalizations—and save 61,000 lives. Why? Computer modeling shows that the...
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Is VR making healthcare more pleasant?
The many faces of medical virtual reality Although the use of virtual reality in healthcare is not widespread yet, the technology holds great promise. Goldman Sachs estimated in its 2016 report that 8 million physicians and medical technicians could make use of augmented reality or virtual reality products worldwide – and the number of users could grow...