Category: Technology & Devices
Enhanced blood test monitoring with new lab-on-chip technology
Stanford researchers have developed a new device that can continuously sense levels of virtually any protein or molecule in the blood. The researchers say it could be transformative for disease detection, patient monitoring and biomedical research. The RT-ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) prototype consists of three modules: in the first (bottom), blood from the subject is […]
Smart jewellery concept design helps monitor blood glucose levels
Instead of frequent finger pricks to analyse blood glucose levels, a student from England has designed an earring that would track blood glucose levels via the earlobe. The Sense Glucose Earring (Sense) would pierce the earlobe and pulse high-frequency radio waves through the surrounding tissue as a way of measuring blood sugar levels. The earring […]
Manage glaucoma with an injectable, natural polymer-based hydrogel
In glaucoma patients, the main opening through which fluid, or aqueous humour, within the eye drains is sometimes blocked. It leads to pressure buildup, which in turn will press on the optic nerve and eventually blind the patient. Scientists at the Georgia Technical Institute, US, have developed an experimental technique to relieve this pressure – […]
Modified device offers non-invasive way to detect liver fibrosis
Liver fibrosis is a condition whereby too much scar tissue or fat cells (fatty liver disease) accumulate within the organ, causing inflammation and other serious conditions. The current method of diagnosis for liver fibrosis is often too late, and involves an invasive procedure; thankfully, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, have developed […]
Detecting Alzheimer’s disease through blood test shows real potential
A new blood test is able to check if those with mild memory loss are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) later on. AD is notoriously difficult to diagnose until much too late, so scientists at Sweden’s Lund University looked at ways to pick up the disease during its early stages, before it develops […]
Weak magnetic fields interacting with cells promote good muscle health
Healthy muscles ensure many aspects of health but for those suffering from injury, disease or frailty because of old age, exercise isn’t always a viable option. Thankfully, scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a molecule that can promote muscle health when subjected to weak magnetic fields – it can be used […]
NHS to trial reliable blood test for 50 types of cancer
An early-stage cancer detection blood test, designed to detect at least 50 types of cancer, will be trialled by the NHS in England for the next three years. Developed by US biotechnology company Grail, the test can detect molecular changes in the blood caused by cancer in people with no obvious symptoms – some 165,000 […]
Imaging baby brains made easy with new wearable technology
Studying the infant brain is no easy task, especially working with MRI machines, since the subjects wiggle around a lot and are easily distracted. Novel technology for imaging the brains of infants and babies is hoped to provide a solution to this problem – a team of UK scientists and engineers from University College London […]
World-first 3D colour hand-and-wrist scanner sent to trial
New Zealand-based Mars Bioimaging Ltd. (MBI) has introduced a new, high-resolution CT scanner that creates striking three dimensional (3D) images in colour instead of flat black-and-white. The 3D scanner can diagnose hand or wrist bone fractures and monitor healing, and is set to be used in a larger international trial. MBI’s new technology is built […]
Radio waves used to slow pain transmission in arthritis
Scientists have chanced upon a novel technique that uses low-grade radiofrequency energy (cooled radiofrequency ablation) to help sufferers of osteoarthritis. According to Dr. Felix M. Gonzalez from the Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia, US, this form of targeted and long-lasting pain relief involves inserting needles into the affected joint to “stun” the sensory nerves […]
