Industries
Edwards SAPIEN 3 Valve receives FDA approval
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation has announced it has received U.S. FDA approval for aortic and mitral valve-in-valve procedures using the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve. The SAPIEN 3 valve is the first transcatheter heart valve approved in the U.S. for the treatment of both aortic and mitral patients who are at high risk for a subsequent open-heart surgery to replace their bioprosthetic valve.
DABRA begins first commercial in-patient use
Ra Medical Systems has announced the commercial launch in the United States of the Company’s groundbreaking DABRA System for the treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease. This follows FDA clearance. Dr. Athar Ansari of the California Heart & Vascular Clinic in El Centro, Calif., treated the first post-FDA clearance patient today, performing the first ever DABRA case on arterial blockages via brachial artery access.
We live in a void, literally speaking
The Milky Way and its immediate neighborhood are in the boondocks. In a 2013 observational study, University of Wisconsin–Madison astronomer Amy Barger and her then-student Ryan Keenan showed that our galaxy, in the context of the large-scale structure of the universe, resides in an enormous void — a region of space containing far fewer galaxies, stars and planets than expected.
From highways in the sky, to ‘eye‑ways' in our homes
Surely it’s a dream to have a car that will move you and your family from Point A to Point B without ever sitting in traffic? Let’s think about how convenient it would be to book a taxi that rises above the city streets and flies you to your destination through the clouds?
Self-contained robot cell provides flexible development platform
An entry-level solution to industrial robotics has been developed by Loop Technology, borne from the realisation of a recent project for the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). The MTC, based in Coventry, asked Loop Technology, a member of the MTC and a long-term supplier, to design a self-contained robot cell capable of providing a flexible development and demonstration platform with capability for future expansion.
Gene therapy could ‘switch off’ severe allergies
A single treatment giving life-long protection from severe allergies such as asthma could be made possible by immunology research at The University of Queensland. A team led by Associate Professor Ray Steptoe at the UQ Diamantina Institute has been able to ‘turn-off’ the immune response which causes allergic reaction in animals. “When someone has an allergy or asthma flare-up, the symptoms they experience results from ...
Sequencing approach enables early detection of cancer
In a study of 124 patients with advanced breast, lung, and prostate cancers, a new, high-intensity genomic sequencing approach detected circulating tumour DNA at a high rate. In 89% of patients, at least one genetic change detected in the tumour was also detected in the blood. Overall, 627 (73%) genetic changes found in tumour samples were also found in blood samples with this approach.
Injectable solution could provide weeks of glucose control
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created a technology that might provide weeks of glucose control for diabetes with a single injection, which would be a dramatic improvement over current therapies. In primates, the treatment has been shown to last for weeks, rather than days.
microRNAs could protect the brain from developing epilepsy
On December 16, 1997, hundreds of Japanese children were brought to hospital suffering from epilepsy-like seizures. They all had one thing in common: they had been watching an episode of the Pokemon TV show when their symptoms began. Doctors determined that their symptoms were triggered by five seconds of intensely bright flashing lights on the popular TV program. But why did the lights affect a few hundred children while thousands of other viewe...
Blood-brain barrier model improves treatment of brain conditions
Delivering drugs to the brain is no easy task. The blood-brain barrier -a protective sheath of tissue that shields the brain from harmful chemicals and invaders - cannot be penetrated by most therapeutics that are injected into a person's blood stream. But for treating diseases of the central nervous system and cancers such as glioblastoma, it's essential to get drugs across this barrier and deliver them to where they are needed most.