Scientists at the always-progressive Johns Hopkins have been working on an electronic, inner-ear "balancing" device that could help correct problems like unsteadiness, disequilibrium or wobbly vision (no, really). The device -- which couples a head-mounted, matchbook-size box, and up to eight surgically implanted electrodes -- corrects problems by measuring and transmitting 3D balance information to the brain via the vestibular nerve. Researchers say they're working on downsizing and hermetically sealing the implant so that it can fit inside the head and beneath the skin. Up until now, the devices have been tested on chinchillas, whom scientists cruelly dosed with an antibiotic that creates balancing problems (we suppose there were no wobbly people around), then attached implants to the animals and discovered that they "partially regained their vision-stabilizing reflex." While we don't condone testing on adorable rodents here at Engadget, we do love a Borg-esque head attachment from time to time.

[Via The Raw Feed]

Although a number of unique diabetes treatments are already in the works, researchers at Johns Hopkins University are giving it a shot of their own with a newfangled intravascular implant. A team of undergrads have collaborated with doctors and biomedical engineers to develop a "specialized implant for a potential treatment of type I diabetes," which has been created for implantation inside the portal vein in order to dole out insulin when needed. The pouch would ideally be "impregnated with insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells," but researchers have insinuated that this same system could possibly be used to treat other ailments such as liver disease. Notably, users could actually have the pouch removed, refilled, and reinserted if additional treatment is needed, and while no firm timeframe has been settled on for release, a provisional patent has already been applied for and "animal testing" is set to start this summer.

[Via MedGadget]

The Johns Hopkins University must employ some seriously bright folks, as researchers at the school are unveiling yet another marvel to benefit mankind, and this time their creation is headed for the nooks and crannies within your body that surgeons have difficulty reaching unassisted. Sure, the diminutive locales within your guts have been explored by robotic creatures before, but these "snake-like robots" could enable surgeons, operating in the narrow throat region in particular, to make "incisions and tie sutures with greater dexterity and precision." The invention consists of two thin rods tipped with "tentaclelike tools" capable of moving with six degrees of freedom; during surgery, the doctor would utilize a 3D visualization system to watch, control, and dictate the robotic tubes. Moreover, the snakes are crafted from nonferrous metals so it can be used around magnetic imaging equipment, and considering its ability to "make up 100 adjustments per second," nimbleness is in its nature. But if you're not exactly fond of such slithering creatures, you've still got time to escape, as researchers estimate that there's still about "five more years" of lab testing before we see Snakes on a Hospital Bed.

[Via Physorg]

We've heard some very intelligent humans suggest that computerized beings just might be a bit more adept at handling complicated tasks, but some things just require a little TLC from the human hand. While even the operating room wasn't safe from robotic takeover, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University are testing new ways to bring real feelings back to human doctors using robotic helpers in order to operate. Straight from a chapter in Trauma Center, the team is developing haptic technologies to provide close-to-real feedback to surgeons while handling robotic tools. One option undergoing testing is the attachment of "force sensors" to instruments, which are capable of conveying details about force, direction, and depth that are critical when performing incisions and other precise tasks. The alternative is to "create mathematical computer models" that represent tool movements, and consequently relay the haptic data back to the person in charge. While kinks continue to be worked out in the primary methods, researchers have developed an "interim" system that uses color-based sensors to inform doctors how much pressure is being applied (i.e. red for intense pressure, green for light), and the team plans on "refining the systems" to produce a more usable result in the near future.

[Via MedGadget]