Connected medical devices

Wearable tech offers up-close look at infant development

Researchers at the Beckman Institute have developed a tool to measure stress regulation and parent-child bonding in young children. The device enables infants as young as one month to provide useful information from the comfort of … READ MORE

Brain implants and wearables let paralyzed people move again

A “neural bypass” routes signals around the damaged spinal cord, potentially restoring both movement and sensation. Motion Restored: Luke Tynan, who was paralyzed in 2017 by a spinal cord injury, demonstrates the wearable system … READ MORE

New treatment to regain hand and arm function after spinal cord injury

Using physical therapy combined with a noninvasive method of stimulating nerve cells in the spinal cord, University of Washington researchers helped six Seattle area participants regain some hand and arm mobility. That increased … READ MORE

Gore (the Gore-Tex company) thinks it holds the key to on-skin wearables

Gore is recruiting startups to Silicon Valley to make wearables or flexible electronics from the same material used in Gore-Tex. Gore Innovation Center By Tekla S. Perry, IEEE Spectrum 13 July 2018 I confess, I wasn’t familiar with … READ MORE

Digital humanism and healthcare

Patients not only have to be put in the center of care, but also in the center of health technology. In a more general manner that’s what digital humanism is about. The Medical Futurist 13 July 2019 ▽ Table of Contents Overview … READ MORE

Wearables track social distancing and sick employees in the workplace

As companies re-open, employees may don wearable tech to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Blackline Safety. By Emily Waltz, IEEE Spectrum 1 May 2020 As shuttered businesses make plans to resume on-site operations, many plan to outfit … READ MORE

Empathetic technology: can devices know what you’re feeling?

For some, the word “technology” might evoke cold imagery of steely robots and complex computer algorithms. But a talk on “empathetic technology” at this year’s Wired Health conference did a lot to change … READ MORE

Spinal stimulation enables three people with paraplegia to walk again

Combined with other recent studies, new evidence points to electrical stimulation as a promising treatment for paralysis. David, 28, who suffered a spinal cord injury, can walk (with a walker) for more than 1 kilometer with electrical … READ MORE

A “GPS” for inside your body

Investigating inside the human body often requires cutting open a patient or swallowing long tubes with built-in cameras. But what if physicians could get a better glimpse in a less expensive, invasive, and time-consuming manner? MIT … READ MORE

Wearable device from Stanford measures cortisol in sweat

By drawing in a bit of sweat, a patch developed in the lab of Alberto Salleo can reveal how much cortisol a person is producing. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone but is involved in many important physiological functions. … READ MORE

UBC breakthrough opens door to $100 ultrasound machine

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new ultrasound transducer, or probe, that could dramatically lower the cost of ultrasound scanners to as little as $100. Their patent-pending innovation—no bigger than … READ MORE

Tomorrow’s doctors must be engineers too

The medical profession is changing, and so must medical education. When King Li went to medical school 40 years ago, he sometimes felt like he was trying to memorize the human body. “I’d see these curves in the textbook, and have … READ MORE

Mind-controlled robotic third arm gives new meaning to “multitasking”

Need a helping hand? Tell this robotic arm—with your mind—to grasp that thing you need while your own two hands are busy. Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory, ATR By Emily Waltz, IEEE Spectrum 25 July 2018 Imagine commanding a robotic … READ MORE

University of Calgary launches wearable tech program as demand for graduates explodes

Grant will train 80 graduate students over next 6 years to become experts in field of wearable technology Reed Ferber from the University of Calgary’s faculties of kinesiology and nursing, is leading the Wearable Technology … READ MORE

Non-surgical recovery of function: Not a fantasy

“Improved voluntary hand function occurred within a single session in every subject tested.” Dr. Reggie Edgerton, Director of UCLA Edgerton Lab, poses for a portrait in his lab on the campus in Los Angeles, California, March 16, … READ MORE

Wearables for a world without disease: Interview with imec’s Chris Van Hoof

Medgadget was recently invited to attend the imec Technology Forum conference in Antwerp, Belgium. Imec is a non-profit R&D innovation organization specializing in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Like many digital … READ MORE

E-textiles control home appliances with the swipe of a finger

Electronic textiles could allow a person to control household appliances or computers from a distance simply by touching a wristband or other item of clothing — something that could be particularly helpful for those with limited … READ MORE

The virtual human is here — how much are you willing to share about yourself with the world?

Dr. Christian Jacob with PhD student Timothy Davison working with LINDSAY Virtual Human applications on a display wall in the Visualization Studio at the Digital Library, University of Calgary. University of Calgary photo By Christian … READ MORE

‘I can’t continue to do this forever’: Families with children aging out of care seek answers

CBC Radio’s Crisis of Care panel brought together concerned families and a group of experts. Matthew Canto with his parents Rose and Tony. Rose spoke about her fears for Matthew’s future as she struggles to find … READ MORE

Plug-and-play diagnostic devices

Modular blocks could enable labs around the world to cheaply and easily build their own diagnostics. Jose Gomez-Marquez, co-director of MIT’s Little Devices Lab, holds a sheet of paper diagnostic blocks, which can be easily printed … READ MORE

Embroidering electronics into the next generation of ‘smart’ fabrics

Is an archaic sewing skill a key to connected, sensing, communicating fabrics of the future? Ohio State researchers in the Electro Science Lab are developing embroidered antennas and circuits with 0.1 mm precision—the perfect size … READ MORE

Non-invasive spinal stimulation method enables paralyzed people to regain use of hands

More than 1.2 million Americans are living with paralysis from spinal cord injuries, which results in loss of the ability to perform such tasks as opening a water bottle. Nonsurgical technique allows them to turn doorknobs, open water … READ MORE

Smartphone case offers blood glucose monitoring on the go

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a smartphone case and app that could make it easier for patients to record and track their blood glucose readings, whether they’re at home or on the go. GlucPhone: a … READ MORE

Human hair as interactive material

UC Berkeley researcher and artist Eric Paulos and his students continue their explorations of “cosmetic computing” with a new prototype and paper about Human Hair as Interactive Material. If you’d like to coif your … READ MORE

Clever socks connect remote patients and physios

New ‘smart socks’ are helping physiotherapists better diagnose and treat injuries, particularly in remote patients. It is becoming common for physiotherapists to use video consultations to diagnose and treat remote patients. … READ MORE

Radiologist harnesses virtual reality as powerful teaching tool

Physicians, trainees and even lay people can now join an expert radiologist as he performs one of the most difficult medical procedures of its kind — thanks to virtual reality. Ziv Haskal, MD, watches the radiology procedure in … READ MORE

On tumors, MRIs and telepathy: Mary Lou Jepsen on the future of reading images from our brains

Mary Lou Jepsen was finishing her PhD work in holography at Brown University when she started getting sick. Really sick. After a year of steady decline, she was living in a wheel chair and covered in sores. When she could no longer do … READ MORE

Do you see what I see? Researchers harness brain waves to reconstruct mental images

A new technique developed by neuroscientists at U of T Scarborough can, for the first time, reconstruct images of what people perceive based on their brain activity gathered by EEG. Dan Nemrodov (left) and Professor Adrian Nestor … READ MORE

In chronic disease care, family helpers are key, but feel left out

Physicians and policymakers should consider those family and friends who aren’t quite caregivers — but are definitely health supporters — in chronic disease care, a new study finds. Kara Gavin, Michigan Health Lab January 12, … READ MORE

Stroke, MS patients walk significantly better with neural stimulation

Robert Bush has multiple sclerosis (MS), which sapped his ability to walk five years ago. Joseph McGlynn suffered a stroke that seriously impaired his left side, also five years ago. Neural stimulation helps Joseph McGlynn, left, who … READ MORE

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