Exoskeleton Created with 3-D Printer Nominated for Design of the Year Award

Friday, January 25th, 2013

An exoskeleton that helped a two-year-old girl use her arms for the first time has been nominated for the Design of the Year awards, a contest organised by London's Design Museum. The custom-made exoskeleton was manufactured by researchers at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, with the help ...

Study Demonstrates Reliability of Textile Electrodes

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Textile electronics built into clothes are as reliable as traditional electrodes when it comes to measuring vital signs, research at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden demonstrates. The study by researcher Juan Carlos Márquez found that measurements from textile electrodes can be used to accurately measure heart functions, ...

Natural Battery Could Power Hearing Aids

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

A natural battery in the ear could help power medical electronics such as hearing aids and diagnostics. Researchers at MIT have found a way to harvest this energy by implanting electrodes in the biological batteries in guinea pigs. The ear converts the vibration of the eardrum into an electrochemical signal that ...

Medtech Week Recap: Sweden and Medtech Company Bactiguard to Help Iraq Improve its Healthcare System

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Iraq and Sweden have entered into a collaboration to improve the Iraqi healthcare system. Swedish medtech company Bactiguard will play a central role by providing medical devices with antibacterial coatings to Iraq. The collaboration is the result of months of meetings between the two countries. Bactiguard sells its products to ...

Researchers Develop Electronic Devices that Dissolve in the Body

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

US researchers have developed electronic devices capable of dissolving in water or bodily fluids, according to a press release from University of Illinois. The project is a collaboration between University of Illinois, Tufts University and Northwestern University. Because the technology uses silicon, an industry standard for integrated circuits, it can be ...

Low-Cost Device Could Bring Affordable Ultrasound to Developing Regions

Friday, September 14th, 2012

When sonar technology expert Jeff Neasham and his wife expected a child, they realised how privileged they were to have access to ultrasound technology. Over 250,000 women die annually from complications during pregnancy, but 99% of these deaths could be prevented, according to UN statistics. Access to ultrasound is key ...

Fibre Optic Interrogator from FBGS Gains EN60601 Medical Approval

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

[caption id="attachment_28543" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="This X-ray image shows a catheter application of FBG sensors. The patient, who has chronic FGID, is undergoing a motility study."][/caption] FBGS, a developer of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, has announced EN60601 (medical electronic equipment) approval for its fibre optic interrogator FBG-Scan 804D, a high-precision measurement ...

Vibrating Glove Helps Patients with Spinal Cord Injury Improve Motor Abilities

Friday, July 27th, 2012

Music's contributions to healthcare goes beyond the calming and uplifting effects it can have on patients. The vibrations of music have been used to power medical implants and other devices. Now researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have created a glove that uses music to improve sensation of patients with ...

Inventors Develop Prototypes for Health Apps During 24-Hour Hackathon

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

[caption id="attachment_27983" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The winning team, Line HQ, developed an app for urine tests"][/caption] A team who developed an app capable of generating data from urine won first prize in the Health Hack Day, which took place last week in Stockholm. During the event, 10 different teams competed to develop ...

Humans Think Robots Have Consciousness and Moral Accountability, Studies Find

Friday, May 4th, 2012

As robots become more common in healthcare and beyond, researchers are increasingly focusing on studying the relationship between them and us. In the future, robots will become more and more visible in our everyday lives. The closest relationship humans will have with robots will most likely take place in healthcare. ...

Medtech Week Recap: How Artificial Intelligence Could Advance Healthcare

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Technology is rapidly advancing and soon many developments pictured in science fiction movies may become reality. The Star Trek Tricorder and robotic avatars are only two inventions that soon could be part of our everyday lives. Last week, several articles looked at the future of medical technology.

Medtech Week Recap: Cordless Portable Device Developed by Fraunhofer Researchers Could Power Medical Implants

Monday, April 9th, 2012

A cordless portable device developed at Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems can supply power to medical devices without touching them. The device can be attached to a belt and carried by the user.