Posts by: Gavin Corley

New Microscope Enables Needle Free Blood Testing

by Gavin Corley on May 23, 2012

For most people blood tests are synonymous with needle-sticks. However, researchers from the biomedical engineering department at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) may have found a way to take the pain out of some of our blood tests in the future. The researchers have developed a new microscope that can non-invasively image individual blood cells.

The microscope uses spectrally encoded confocal microscopy (SECM), a technique which allows for 2D spatial imaging of the blood cells. In order to image the moving blood cells, a probe is pressed against the skin which generates a line spectrum of light from red to violet. As blood cells near the surface of the skin cross the projected spectrum they scatter the light, which is collected by the probe and analyzed to generate 2D images of the blood cells.

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Inclusive Pill Bottles for the Blind

by Gavin Corley on May 22, 2012

Here at Medgaget we are fanatical about all kinds of hi-tech gadgetry as it applies to healthcare. However, some of the most interesting and thoughtful innovations we see can often be surprisingly low-tech. A  new prototype prescription-medicine pill bottle for blind and visually impaired people is a case in point. Two University of Cincinnati design students, Alex Broerman and Ashley Ma have designed their “Inclusive Bottles for the Blind” in order to make identification and use of pill bottles more straightforward and affordable than existing hi-tech solutions.

The bottles were designed after carrying out a survey of existing products and end-users identified a number of limitations with available pill bottles. According to the press release, the key features of the design comprise:

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Medgadget Interviews Eric Berdinis and Jeff Kiske, Creators of the Kinecthesia Haptic Belt for Blind People

by Gavin Corley on May 18, 2012

Over the years we have been fortunate to cover numerous student designed medical devices and we are always amazed by the innovation and creativity demonstrated by these teams. In November of last year we covered one such project, the Kinecthesia, a haptic belt which allows the wearer to virtually sense objects ahead, and to the left and right thanks to three motors which vibrate in response to objects in their immediate vicinity. As the name would imply, at the heart of the Kinecthesia is an XBox Kinect 3D camera which is connected to a Beagle Board computing platform that processes the depth data from the device and drives the motors.

Its two student creators, Eric Berdinis and Jeff Kisk, developed the Kinecthesia at Weiss Tech House, a student-run hub of technological innovation at the University of Pennsylvania that supports students in the creation, development and commercialization of innovative technologies. The project is very innovative and reflects a growing trend in hardware hacking and customization which is creeping into a number of fields including health technology.

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Infra-Red Retinal Prosthesis Restores Sight From an Ultra-Thin Package

by Gavin Corley on May 16, 2012

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are developing a new type of retinal prosthesis which aims to simplify the complex surgery associated with existing, bulkier implants. The prosthetic comprises a pair of goggles and an implanted retinal sensor made up of an array of light-sensitive photodiodes.

The goggles incorporate a miniature camera, a pocket computer for processing the camera data, and an LCD screen embedded into the goggles for displaying the data. The LCD screen beams images using laser pulses of near-infrared light to a photovoltaic ultra thin silicon chip implanted beneath the retina. The chip, in turn, translates the infra-red pulses to neural pulses in the retina which can be processed as images in the brain. The key selling point for the new implant is the elimination of wires and cables and the relative simplicity of implantation.

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Transparent Zebrafish Shed Light on Brain Activity

by Gavin Corley on May 10, 2012

To date, measuring neuronal activity in a large region of nerve cells simultaneously has been a significant stumbling block to understanding the inner workings of the brain. In order to overcome this problem researchers at Harvard University and the University of Cambridge have developed a novel technique to measure the simultaneous activity of up to 2,000 neurons in zebrafish at the resolution of individual cells.

In order to perform their experiments the team modified the genetic configuration of transparent zebrafish, causing their neurons to fluoresce when active. Owing to the transparency of the zebrafish, the research team was able to image this fluorescent neuronal activity using a scanning electron microscope.

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Microfluidic Device Filters Blood

by Gavin Corley on May 10, 2012

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National University of Singapore have developed a technology which aims to treat sepsis in the blood using microfuidic techniques. The device, which comprises a series of microfludic channels, separates circulating bacteria and inflammatory components in the blood from the healthy red blood cells using a phenomenon known as margination. Margination normally occurs in blood vessels and causes bacteria and white blood cells to move to the side of the vessel.

The microfluidic channel network measures 20 micrometers high by 20 micrometers wide and is etched onto a polymer substrate where it handles the infected blood in three separate stages. As the infected blood flows through the first stage of the microchannel system, the harmful cells are directed towards the side walls of the channel. At the second stage the microchannel divides into three separate channels: a central channel for the red blood cells and two side channels for redirecting the harmful cells. This filtering is repeated on the central channel in the final stage of the device to remove any remaining harmful cells in the blood.

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The Domino Effect Hits Point of Care Testing

by Gavin Corley on Apr 30, 2012

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada has developed a new DNA analysis system capable of performing up to 20 simultaneous tests. The system, dubbed the Domino, uses polymerase chain reaction technology to amplify and identify specific DNA sequences.

Like many point of care diagnostic technologies, the Domino consists of a bench top unit and a disposable microfluidic cartridge containing an array of twenty gel posts. Each of the posts acts as a separate interface to a single sample of blood allowing several genetic tests to be performed simultaneously. The Domino may be used to screen for specific diseases or to determine genetic resistance to particular medication.

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Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods Treat Scoliosis in Children

by Gavin Corley on Apr 25, 2012

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the San Diego Center for Spinal Disorders have been evaluating magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) for treating scoliosis in children without the need for repeat surgeries.

Scoliosis in children is more commonly treated by implanting a rod to straighten the spine. As the child’s spine grows, the rods can be lengthened with several invasive, follow-up operations. Naturally, this process is costly and disruptive for the young patients. The new MCGR approach aims to bypass the need for repeat surgeries by carrying out the rod lengthening using a handheld magnetic controller at monthly outpatient appointments.

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OScan, a Smartphone Based Screening Device for Oral Cancer

by Gavin Corley on Apr 19, 2012

Oral cancers in developing countries can be a major public health issue if left unchecked. In some areas the lack of dentists or dental nurses can make routine dental check-ups impossible. To overcome this problem, researchers from Stanford have developed a new smart-phone-based diagnostic device to enable earlier diagnosis of these oral lesions.

Manu Prakash, PhD, an assistant professor of bioengineering has engineered a device called the OScan which works with a smartphone to create detailed images of the oral cavity and screens the mouths for suspicious oral lesions. The OScan, is approximately the size of a packet of gum and clips to the camera of any smartphone. It contains two rows of fluorescent light emitting diodes which illuminate the mouth and highlight lesions and dark spots. Naturally the presence of the smartphone allows for the transmission of images to a remote site for diagnosis if necessary.

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