As if treating a mannequin that can bleed and even flat line on you wasn't stressful enough, researchers at Gifu University's Graduate School of Medicine are hoping to make your residency even harder to manage. A newfangled robotic dummy packs a potent artificial brain, as it can reportedly "respond verbally to questions about how it feels and move its body in ways that exhibit the symptoms of its ailment." The current prototype is modeled after a female who honestly looks to have had one incredibly rough day week, and while it wasn't clear if instructors could program the android to act out only a certain number of understood illnesses, we're sure the library of problems will grow with time. Currently, the bot is being trailed to see if it will indeed prove to be a valuable learning tool to eager med students, and if all goes well, it should "become part of the curriculum next year."

[Via PinkTentacle]

We've seen sensor-laden, iPod-friendly, and electroluminescent garb in years past, but a crafty design student over at Cornell University wasn't satisfied with stopping there. Olivia Ong is hoping to get her career in fashion off to a very safe start, as her functional clothing lines include "a garment that can prevent colds and flu and never needs washing," and if that wasn't fresh enough, she's also conjured up another that "destroys harmful gases and protects the wearer from smog and air pollution." The prototype Glitterati garb was showcased at the school's Design League fashion show, and both articles contained "cotton fabrics coated with nanoparticles" that give them the unique qualities. No word on whether or not we can expect such protective (albeit stylish) threads to hit the strip anytime soon, but considering that "one square yard of nano-treated cotton would run you about $10,000," we doubt us common folk would be selling off assets to take it home anyway.

[Via MedLaunches]

Sure, there's quite a few way to circumvent the effects of asthma, but a new development coming out of McMaster University in Canada suggests that radiofrequency treatment can actually curb the amount of asthma attacks suffered by asthmatics. The device, which "uses radio waves to heat the muscle lining of patients' airways," is used to administer a trio of sessions, and while the actual root cause is still unknown, it seems to cause a reduction in the smooth muscle lining the airways, subsequently making breathing less of a chore. The probe isn't the most comfortable, however, as it must first make its way through your nose or mouth in order to reach the lung airways, after which the tip is "heated using radio waves." The procedure is known as bronchial thermoplasty, and while the funding company (Asthmatx) has yet to elicit a thumbs-up from the FDA, it could certainly become a viable alternative for asthma sufferers. It's about time these free-flying transmissions made up for the harm they've caused, eh?

Sure, we've heard of cellphones causing all sorts of medical troubles when not conjuring cancer in your ear, but the latest report of everyday consumer electronics wreaking havoc on humans comes from where else but the UK. Curiously, this isn't the first time England has been the site of allergic reactions to electromagnetic fields (EMF), and Manchester's Debbie Bird has been forced to make outlandish alterations to her home (and way of life) in order to avoid intense headaches, painful skin rashes, and bizarre eyelid swelling. Among the items she can't use are microwaves, BMWs (saywha?), and cellphones, and she has also coated her walls in pricey black carbon paint, covered her windows in "protective film," and weirdest of all, sleeps under a "silver-plated mosquito net" in order to curb her reactions. Now, what type of hidden superpowers are in her arsenal to counter such strange deficiencies?

There's already a bevy of devices out there designed to keep track and manage one's diabetes and glucose levels, but Eli Lilly's innocuous pen-like injector looks to make the process of taking insulin a bit less invasive. The Huma-Pen Memoir resembles your average ink pen and shouldn't look too out of place holding it down in your tee's front pocket, but whenever you need a shot of insulin, it conveniently turns into an injector thanks to the hidden hypodermic needle encased within. The device also "allows the user to dial the amount of insulin they need to take," and keeps the dosage, date, and time of the previous 16 shots in order to keep diabetics from overdosing. Users should be able to utilize the same pen for "around three years," and after a needle is used, another is inserted and ready to go at the owners request. A few lucky participants have already received their pen here in the US, and while this nifty invention has been available across Europe for some time now, it will officially hit American retail shelves next week for around $45.

[Via MedGadget]

Alright Europe, things were dubious enough when you erased children's rights to wireless access after believing that the radiation a good chunk of internet users have been subjecting themselves to for years is suddenly cause for concern, but this is a bit much. Undoubtedly crossing the line between caution and hypochondria, a British author now claims that "electromagnetic waves" emitted by the WiFi setup in her crib "left her feeling exhausted, nauseous and sleepless." Moreover, she even states that she is so sensitive to 802.11 radiation that "she can instantly tell whether it is installed in a particular room." Aside from the above symptoms, Kate Figes (pictured) described a feeling of being "prodded by 1,000 fingers" when entering a room laced in WiFi, which presumably garnered all sorts of (understandable) skepticism. Sure, we could understand the backlash associated with cellphone signals causing all sorts of turmoil in your noggin, but if WiFi is the true brain cell killer, we're all pretty much on death row.

[Via TechDirt]