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PRIME hand injury diagnosis system takes hold of innovation prize

by Vladislav Savov, posted Jul 8th 2009 at 11:12PM

It may look like little more than a pegboard and a force meter at present, but the PRIME hand-strength measuring device has already won first place at the IShow innovation showcase. Its magic lies in the custom software loaded onto the appended PDA, which makes it possible to accurately and repeatably diagnose hand and wrist injuries that doctors currently test for by squeezing and prodding. The Rice University students responsible for the Peg Restrained Intrinsic Muscle Evaluator have applied for a patent and are planning to commercialize the device, so we'll be looking for it on the next episode of House.

[Via Physorg]

Steve Jobs back to work at Apple

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 29th 2009 at 2:01PM

And he's back, folks. Six months after Steve Jobs took a medical leave from Apple due to health reasons, the company has announced that he's back on the job, working a "few days a week" on the Apple campus and from home the remainder. Of course, we'd been hearing of Steve's continual involvement in "key aspects" of Apple's business for a while now, so this seems like more of a rubber stamp on the status quo than a major change, but now that it's official we're sure the questions from shareholders and other interested parties regarding Steve's health will only grow louder and more insistent -- especially given the news of his liver transplant earlier this year. We'll see how Apple decides to handle the situation when the time comes -- until then, we're just thankful that he's returned and is doing well.

BMW's Emergency Stop Assistant halts your vehicle if you can't

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 8th 2009 at 9:58AM

While it may seem as if BMW and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany just hate seniors, we kind of doubt that's the prevailing mentality behind the admittedly brilliant Emergency Stop Assistant. Said technology is being testing as part of the Smart Senior project, and in theory, it will be able to detect medical emergencies, activate hazard lights and autonomously pull the car over safely if the driver cannot. Of course, we're still anxiously awaiting details on how the system plans on detecting said calamities and figuring out how to pull over without crashing, but one thing's for sure: OnStar just got a lot more outdated.

NC State gurus keep hearts beating outside of the body

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 11:37AM

If NC State's athletic branches had even half the aptitude as its medical researchers, maybe then those blue boys down the road wouldn't have so much right to bang us up. Personal beefs aside, we're simultaneously stoked and amazed by a new machine crafted down in Raleigh, one that enables scientists to keep a heart pumping even after it has been removed from the body, but for research purposes only. Andrew Richards, a bright young mechanical engineering student, designed the so-called dynamic heart system, which "pumps fluid through a pig heart so that it functions in a very realistic way." Obviously, such a device has a multitude of benefits, including time / money savings compared to alternative approaches, the ability to record the inner workings of a pumping heart and scoring the creator some serious street cred in the industry. Mind-blowing video is just after the break.

[Via Neatorama]

Continue reading NC State gurus keep hearts beating outside of the body

Corkscrew nanopropellers may one day deliver drugs internally

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 1st 2009 at 12:56AM

Clearly, vaccinations are so three years ago. As the race continues to find the best, most mobile internal transportation device for delivering drugs to remote places within the body, Peer Fischer of The Rowland Institute at Harvard University has teamed with colleague Ambarish Ghosh to concoct the wild creation you see to the right. The glass-derived nanopropeller was designed to move in a corkscrew motion in order to plow through syrupy, viscous liquids within the human frame. The device itself is fantastically small, measuring just 200 to 300 nanometers across at the head and 1 to 2 micrometers long. Fischer points out that each of these can be controlled with a striking amount of precision via an external magnetic field, though we don't get the impression that they'll be on to FDA testing in the near future. Ah well, at least our gra, er, great-grandchildren will be all taken care of.

Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart

by Darren Murph, posted May 21st 2009 at 1:40PM

We've got to say, we're guessing both Survivor and Prince would approve here, as this is easily one of the most impressive uses of a heart rate sensor yet. Anaid Gomez Ortigoza, a bright young lass at NYU, has whipped up what she's calling kokoro, which translates into "the heart of things" in Japanese. Put as simply as possible, this prototype project allows for iPod playlists to be shuffled depending on one's current heart rate; if your heart is pumping some kind of fierce, the device will likely cue up a little M83, and if you're at rest, you just might get to hear a smooth jam from the likes of Copeland. Don't believe us, though -- hop on past the break for a demonstrative video.

[Via talk2myshirt]

Continue reading Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart

Merlin medical implant monitoring system approved for use in Europe

by Laura June, posted May 1st 2009 at 10:29AM

Merlin.net, a medical monitoring system developed by St. Jude's Medical has been approved for use in Europe (after previous approval in the US). The system transmits medical information from an implanted pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), to a Merlin monitoring unit in the patient's home, which then transmits the information to the hospital or caretaker. Transmitting the data can occur at any time, regardless of whether the patient is even awake, and provides constant monitoring of the patient. If the system detects a possible problem or "event," it will alert the doctor by text message, email or fax, making possibly emergency situations more easily treatable. Merlin is expected to be marketed to health care provides starting in the spring -- which is currently happening -- so any day now.

[Via Medgadget]

FINIS AquaPulse monitors, communicates heart rate to swimmers

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 21st 2009 at 6:17AM

Now that every kid on planet Earth is attempting to mimic the once-heroic Michael Phelps, it's only fair to equip them with the very best in training tools. FINIS, the same firm that's been cranking out bone conducting underwater MP3 players for years on end, has finally branched out a bit with the introduction of the AquaPulse. By utilizing an Infrared sensor, the device -- which straps onto one's goggles and rests on the temple bone -- can continually monitor heart rate and communicate it audibly to the swimmer via bone conduction in customizable intervals. Unfortunately, FINIS didn't think to integrate music playback into this for moments when it's not dishing out vitals, but you could also rock one of its dedicated music players on the non-dominant ear. Olympians-to-be can catch it this May for $139.99. Full release is after the break.

Gallery: FINIS AquaPulse monitors, communicates heart rate to swimmers

Continue reading FINIS AquaPulse monitors, communicates heart rate to swimmers

Medigenic Infection Control keyboard will be easy to clean when the zombies attack

by Laura June, posted Apr 15th 2009 at 5:02PM

We don't have a phobia about germs or anything, but this keyboard still really strikes our fancy. Designed by Esterline Advanced Input Systems for use in hospitals, the Medigenic Infection Control keyboard boasts a couple of features that make it less likely to be infested with disgusting germs, as well as easier to clean. First off -- it's a flat surface, and has no "keys" -- just the 3D-looking printed keyboard layout -- so that you don't get crumbs, dirt, or anything else trapped in there. It also has a disable key, so that you can turn off the keys for quick cleaning, and a customizable reminder system to let you know when it's ready for a wipe down. A companion mouse is also available. The keyboard is available for $140, and the mouse is $80.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Researcher plans to use GPS to study asthma triggers

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 12th 2009 at 7:26PM

You wouldn't expect GPS tech to have an impact on asthma research, but the University of Wisconsin-Madison's David Van Sickle says it will -- he's planning on tagging sufferers so he can learn when and where they reach for their inhalers. The data will hopefully make sorting out environmental triggers of the disease much easier -- it took scientists eight years to prove that soybean dust near the Barcelona harbor caused a massive asthma outbreak in the 80s, a timeline that might have been dramatically shorter if location information had been available from the start. The plan's still in the early stages, but would-be participants can sign up already -- let's just hope the tracker is slightly more attractive than Kogan's enormous watch unit.

[Via CNET]

Wearable blood pressure monitor: portable and fashionable

by Laura June, posted Apr 10th 2009 at 2:43PM

We've seen some wild ideas when it comes to blood pressure -- including, yes, underpants -- but this newest device, a small monitor attached to the hand, which can be worn 24 hours a day for continuous monitoring, strikes us as having the potential for extreme usefulness. The monitor works differently than regular old blood pressure cuff, using a method called pulse wave velocity, which measures the pulse at two points along an artery. Built by a team of engineers at MIT, this prototype could boast a lot of advantages over monitors, including its portability, its ability to see long-term patterns of rises and falls in pressure, and of course -- you wouldn't have to be at the doctor's office to use it -- which is bound to take a little stress out of the equation. The device is moving toward commercial production and Harry Asada, leader of the MIT team, sees the possibility for monitoring conditions such as sleep apnea in the future as well.

SimMan 3G patient simulator will undoubtedly creep you out

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 6:01AM

Look, we want the next generation of robot doctors to be as competent as possible; after all, it's them that'll likely be taking care of us when our fingers lock up and our cranium-housed SSDs finally fail. That said, we can't help but be freaked completely out by Laerdal's latest and greatest patient simulator, the SimMan 3G. This almost-human can be programmed with various practice scenarios for to-be doctors to hone their skills on, and as any sophisticated mannequin should, this one is also wireless, self-contained and able to withstand four hours of surgery before conking out. We have no clue how many thousands this thing will set HOSA clubs around the nation back, but anything that bleeds, winks, and secretes shouldn't be something you "buy," anyway.

Light-activated lock could revolutionize drug delivery

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 1:57AM

The Gators may not be in the Final Four this year, but the brainiacs on campus are still toiling away, regardless. Researchers at the institution (that'd be the University of Florida) have just stumbled onto a remarkable discovery that could eventually "starve cancer tumors and prevent side effects from a wide range of drugs." The magic find? A "lock-like molecule" that clasps or unclasps based on exposure to light. Sure, we've seen our fair share of newfangled drug delivery tools, but none that have been this noninvasive or simple to activate. In tests, gurus found that they could use visible or ultraviolet light to open or close a clasp, letting blood flow or creating a clot; in theory, this could one day be used to "prevent the formation of tiny blood vessels that feed tumors." Everything about this sounds just fantastic on the surface, but seriously, can you imagine how dead we'd be if the robots ever got ahold of this?

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of NanotechNow]

Eizo debuts 56-inch 4k x 2k RadiForce LS560W LCD monitor

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 1:29PM

Eizo's known for doling out less-than-affordable LCD monitors, but this one just takes the crown (for now). Slated to dazzle in operating rooms everywhere this July, the RadiForce LS560W is a 56-inch behemoth of an LCD that boasts a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 (or darn close to native 4k x 2k). We're also told that the panel features a 176-degree field of view, a 1,200:1 contrast ratio and 450 nits of brightness. And to think -- we were beginning to wonder if all that 4k surgery footage would ever find a dedicated screen to run on.

Piezoelectric nanowires could lead to blood-powered iPods, cellphones

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 29th 2009 at 11:54AM

You know what'll be awesome? Actual end products resulting from this presumably nonstop research on piezoelectric nanowires. Yet again we're hearing of a new group of researchers that have figured out a way to harness electricity from life's simplest things: walking, a heart beating or even the flowing of blood. Put simply, the gurus have discovered how to use zinc oxide nanowires in order to generate an electric current when "subjected to mechanical stress." The difference here, however, is that these critters could actually be implanted under the skin, though the scientists have made quite clear that there isn't a timetable for commercial production. In other words: yawn.

[Via textually, image courtesy of NSF]