Month: October 2020

Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have developed a robotic system that can assist a physician or nurse to perform a colonoscopy. The system uses magnets to guide a probe through the body, and its developers claim that the approach is easier for operators and less painful and uncomfortable for patients. The researchers hope that the system could make colonoscopies more widely available. Colonoscopies are vital in detecting a variety of pathologies, including colorectal cancer. However, they…

Biomedical sensors typically perform their best when they’re placed in close proximity to the body. While wearables, such as wrist-worn heart rate monitors, are common these days, they are very limited by where they can be placed on the body, have poor signal quality, and are often uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. Now, researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Harbin Institute of Technology in China, and a few other Chinese institutions have developed a way to print electronic sensors, as…

Tinnitus, the sensation of ringing in the ears, is one of the most common medical conditions. Approximately 15% of the population suffers from it, but the nature of this malady makes it difficult to study and find therapeutic options. Now, a multinational collaboration of researchers has shown that a neurostimulation system made by Neuromod Devices Limited, an Irish company, can significantly reduce the symptoms of tinnitus. The technology is based on a finding that stimulating the trigeminal nerve, which scientists…

Butterfly Network, a company out of Guilford, Connecticut, is releasing a new generation of its popular mobile ultrasound device. The new Butterfly iQ+ features better imaging capabilities, improved ergonomics, and longer battery life. Clinicians can utilize the portable, handheld ultrasound in a variety of situations and clinical fields to image the heart, lungs, bladder, and other organs and tissues. It even has Needle Viz technology that aids with imaging a needle during in-plane guided procedures. The entire ultrasound is the…

Medtronic recently announced its plans to acquire Avenu Medical, a decade-old medtech company that produces a system for minimally invasive creation of arteriovenous (AV) fistulae for end-stage renal disease patients who need to establish dialysis access. The deal to bolster Medtronic's offerings for ESRD patients follows a New England Journal of Medicine publication in August supporting the company's existing drug-coated balloon used for AV access, and also the quiet tuck-in acquisition of Laser Associated Sciences, which makes a noninvasive tool…