Day: November 15, 2020

Researchers at Cornell University have developed stretchable sensors that can detect sensations such as strain, pressure, and bending, much like human skin. Deformation is measured through changes in optical paths within the flexible fiber optic sensors. By providing a sense of ‘touch’, the sensors could provide additional functionality for medical soft robots or prostheses and also be useful in measuring forces in physical therapy and sports medicine. Allowing machines to physically feel and explore their environment by mimicking the tactile…

GE Healthcare won FDA clearance for its SIGNA 7.0T MRI scanner, currently the most powerful device available for clinical applications. A high-end scanner’s magnetic field typically tops out at 3 Tesla, but the new device goes all the way up to 7 Tesla to provide an unprecedented look at highly detailed anatomy. Certainly intended for neurological applications, the SIGNA 7.0T should also be useful for imaging of metabolism, function, and of joints that can’t be properly seen with even a…

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new antibody-type therapy for SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus for COVID-19. The treatment exploits “nanobodies” – tiny antibody fragments – that are harvested from llama blood. The new nanobody therapy can be used in an inhalable form that may deactivate the virus within the lungs. “Nature is our best inventor,” said Yi Shi, a researcher involved in the study. “The technology we developed surveys SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing nanobodies at an unprecedented scale, which…

Researchers at University College London and King’s College London have developed a device that allows for easy earwax sampling, with the goal that the wax could be a convenient and reliable way to measure cortisol levels. The device can be used by a patient at home to obtain a sample of earwax and is less invasive and unpleasant than existing methods, such as syringing. Cortisol levels change in patients with conditions such as depression, Addison’s disease, and Cushing syndrome, and…

Researchers at the University of Houston and colleagues have developed a flexible epicardial patch which can monitor heart function and even administer treatments, such as thermal ablation and heart pacing. The device can harvest power directly from the movement of the beating heart and its flexibility means that it conforms well with the epicardial surface, allowing it to monitor the heart at various locations simultaneously. At present, implantable devices that are used to monitor and treat the heart, such as…