The World Health Organization (WHO) has released an interim report on the "Fourth round of the global pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic: November 2022–January 2023." The report indicates that health systems in countries are showing promising signs of recovery after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. While disruptions in routine health services have reduced, the report emphasizes the importance of investing in recovery efforts and building stronger resilience for the future. Recovery of…

Dubai Healthcare City Study Unearths Promising Trends and Opportunities in the Region's Health Industry. Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), the governing body of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), has launched a major whitepaper titled “Emerging Opportunities in Middle East Healthcare”. The report provides in-depth insights into the regional healthcare sector, with a special focus on the GCC. This initiative is the latest in DHCA’s mission to contribute to the development of the healthcare sector in line with Dubai’s goal to become…

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed artificial neurons that demonstrate 15 of the 20 characteristics of biological neural cells and can communicate with natural neurons in the body. The researchers call their device the “conductance-based organic electrochemical neuron,” or c-OECN, and it is based on materials that can conduct a negative charge, including organic electrochemical transistors and n-type conducting polymers. By printing thousands of such transistors on a flexible substrate, the researchers have been able to create artificial…

A team of researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed a soft, hydrogel scaffold that can function as a living electrode for brain-computer interface applications. The researchers used electrically conductive materials and created a porous and flexible scaffold using a freeze-drying process. They then seeded the scaffold with human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and cultured the scaffolds for extended periods, prompting the cells to differentiate into a variety of neurons and astrocytes. The researchers hope that the resulting 'living…

At the University of South Australia, researchers designed a system that allows them to measure a patient's blood pressure with a camera. The camera visualizes the patient's forehead and focuses on two regions in particular to optically determine photoplethysmographic signals that AI algorithms then convert to blood pressure data. The researchers tested their system in 25 volunteers, and so far it has proven to be approximately 90% as accurate as traditional pressure cuff measurements. The system could provide contact-free measurements…