JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE IMAGE: The Johns Hopkins Medicine-designed multichannel vestibular implant helps patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) — loss of the sense of balance — by electrically bypassing malfunctioning areas of the inner ear and restoring most of their ability to walk, move, turn their head without dizziness and orient themselves in space. CREDIT:...
Various wearable electronic devices need regular charging of their batteries – you already know that. However, some devices in people’s bodies are not that good with their batteries. For example, pacemakers require maintenance and batteries need to be changed. But what if they could be powered by the heartbeat itself? With the new flexible and...
Researchers at Linköping University have developed a proton trap that makes organic electronic ion pumps more precise when delivering drugs. The new technique may reduce drug side effects, and in the long term, ion pumps may help patients with symptoms of neurological diseases for which effective treatments are not available. The results have been published in...
By MARIO AGUILAR ADOBE Apple’s quest to put a smartwatch on every wrist continues with its latest health research: a new study showing the Apple Watch can be used to monitor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at Apple, working with specialists who treat Parkinson’s, designed a system that uses the Apple Watch to detect the motor...
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE We’ve all felt stressed at some point, whether in our personal or professional lives or in response to exceptional circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic. But until now there has been no way to quantify stress levels in an objective manner. That could soon change thanks to a small wearable sensor...
By Ben Coxworth February 02, 2021 The 3D-printed prototype is powered by a single 1.5-volt battery Nanyang Technological University When someone has a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, it helps to be able to see all of the tiny ridges and grooves in the affected area. That’s where a portable new device comes...
By Ben Coxworth January 29, 2021 Scanning electron microscope photos of a straight thread (left) and one that’s bending under strain (right)Yiwen Jiang, Tufts UniversityVIEW 1 IMAGES While there already are body movement-tracking systems, many of them incorporate cumbersome wearable devices, or require the person to move about in front of an array of cameras. A new...
By Ben Coxworth January 28, 2021 The E-Knee should soon be on KickstarterC-EXOVIEW 3 IMAGES In order to minimize the chances of injury, many athletes wear a brace to help support a particularly vulnerable knee joint. Korean exoskeleton manufacturer C-EXO is taking that idea further, with a “smart” pneumatically activated knee brace. Known as the...
JANUARY 27TH, 2021 SCOTT JUNG CARDIOLOGY, GERIATRICS, MEDICINE Swiss company Aktiia, whose cuffless blood pressure monitor we’ve been following for several years, announced that their wrist-worn device has received the CE Mark as a Class IIa medical device in Europe, and is now available for pre-order in the UK through the Aktiia website. Aktiia recently completed a pivotal trial...
By THERESA GAFFNEY ADOBE Paralysis or the loss of mobility are among the most pressing and clear consequences of a spinal cord injury. But many patients also face lesser-known complications that can disrupt their daily lives in other ways. One of the most common problems is orthostatic hypotension, or not being able to maintain a stable...
