Medical
Mild electrical current estimulation can sharpen vision
Stimulating the visual cortex of the brain for 20 minutes with a mild electrical current can improve vision for about two hours, and those with worse vision see the most improvement, according to a Vanderbilt University study published in Current Biology.
Micro-camera can be injected with a syringe
German engineers have created a camera no bigger than a grain of salt that could change the future of health imaging—and clandestine surveillance. Using 3D printing, researchers from the University of Stuttgart built a three-lens camera, and fit it onto the end of an optical fibre the width of two hairs. Such technology could be used as minimally-intrusive endoscopes for exploring inside the human body, the engineers reported in t...
NASA technology implemented in breast cancer research
Getting spacecraft ready for launch may have more to do with medical research than you think. For a study on microbes that may be associated with a history of breast cancer, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, employed the same sequencing and analysis methods used for examining bacteria in spacecraft assembly rooms. Those techniques were designed for planetary protection—ensuring that NASA spacecraft do no...
3D printing creates cartilage patches from bioink
Strands of cow cartilage substitute for ink in a 3D bioprinting process that may one day create cartilage patches for worn out joints, according to a team of engineers. "Our goal is to create tissue that can be used to replace large amounts of worn out tissue or design patches," said Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics. "Those who have osteoarthritis in their joints suffer a lot. We need a new alternative ...
Cryogel model to further prostate cancer research
A team of researchers led by Dr. Friederike J. Gruhl and Professor Andrew C. B. Cato at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are developing a three-dimensional model for prostate cancer research based on cryogels. The model will be used to reproduce natural processes and above all to examine the development and the progression of tumors.
Cambridge Uni team publishes research to improve elderly living
A team of post-graduate students from the University of Cambridge has published research with the potential to transform the lives of millions of older people around the world. The team has made a genuine contribution to society, an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their careers.
A strategy for ‘convergence’ research to transform biomedicine
What if lost limbs could be regrown? Cancers detected early with blood or urine tests, instead of invasive biopsies? Drugs delivered via nanoparticles to specific tissues or even cells, minimising unwanted side effects? While such breakthroughs may sound futuristic, scientists are already exploring these and other promising techniques.
MT-CONNECT: Nuremberg's new event for medical technology
The name says it all: MT-CONNECT is the new sector platform for medical technology. The trade fair held by NürnbergMesse in co-operation with the honorary sponsor, Forum MedTech Pharma e.V., brings together all the sub-sectors involved in the development and manufacture of medical products.
Researchers join together to extend MRI capabilities
Three Grenoble-based research and medical partners have been selected to join the EU funded IDentIFY project to significantly extend the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in disease detection.
Bio-ink for 3D printer could produce complex tissues
Scientists at the University of Bristol have developed a kind of bio-ink, which could eventually allow the production of complex tissues for surgical implants. The stem cell-containing bio ink allows 3D printing of living tissue, known as bio-printing. The bio-ink contains two different polymer components: a natural polymer extracted from seaweed, and a sacrificial synthetic polymer used in the medical industry, and both had a role to play.