medical
Latest
vi-RABT improves ankle rehabilitation with virtual reality and robotics
We obviously love our gadgets around here. But, as worked up as we get for things with octa-core processors and 4K displays, what really excites us about technology is its ability to improve people's lives. And while having an endless repository of information at your fingertips 24/7 certainly qualifies, we're more interested in the people working to solve real problems. In the basement of the Egan Research Center at Northeastern University, a group of students are toiling away under the watchful eye and guidance of professor Constantinos Mavroidis to build a rather unique device called the Virtually-Interfaced Robotic Ankle and Balance Trainer -- or vi-RABT. For the better part of a year the team has been working on what started life as a Capstone project. The concept began when Dr. Maureen Holden, from the school's physical therapy department, came to the laboratory with a problem: how can we improve the speed and quality of recovery for stroke patients who have lost strength in their ankles and struggle to stay balanced? %Gallery-185237%
Wireless 'under the skin' prototype implant beams instant blood test read-outs to your smartphone
A new blood-testing subdermal sensor has been developed by a team of scientists in Switzerland. While that may not sound particularly notable, this half-inch prototype can instantly beam several health metrics to smart devices over Bluetooth, monitoring cholesterol, blood sugar levels as well as the impact of medical treatments like chemotherapy using five built-in sensors. The device has already been tested on animals and while the researchers hope to begin testing soon on patients that would typically require a lot of blood tests and monitoring, the module is still several years from a commercial release. According to the EPFL's video, the sensor can even predict heart attacks several hours before they occur, sensing minute changes in the bloodstream ahead of time. We've 'implanted' the explanation after the break, but if you're looking for some more medical-minded specifics, head to the source.
Ekso Bionics' robotic suit eyes-on (video)
Since last we saw the Ekso Bionics robotic suit, which helps folks with lower-extremity paralysis or weakness to stand up and walk, the $110,000 exoskeleton has been on the market for about a year. About 30 have sold so far, and the company's director of marketing and communications, Allison Sojka, reckons that medical centers have already helped rehabilitate somewhere between 500 and 1,000 patients. By allowing them to stand up and walk, the bionic suit not only helps users overcome issues like bone density loss and neuropathic pain related to their condition, but also to gain reams of confidence -- an oft-overlooked factor in the recovery process. The production model is a polished-looking assemblage of aluminum and judiciously placed titanium and carbon fiber, along with sensors, motors, joints, off-the-shelf DSPs and custom circuitry and software. Two lithium-ion batteries power the device (four are included), each of which will go for three to six hours after charging for an hour or so, allowing continuous use of the suit by facilities. Three walk modes are available, namely FirstStep, which is actuated by a therapist with a button push; a user-controlled mode called ActiveStep; and ProStep, which senses user body cues for movement control. The suit also provides audio feedback to help users achieve ideal positioning and transmits stats and data for further review and reporting. Sojka said that the company will release new variable-assist software option in June that'll let patients contribute from zero to 100 percent of the walking power, with the exoskeleton providing the rest -- though there's no pricing yet for that update. To hear her describe how the suit works and see it in action with patient Sarah Anderson, check the video and gallery after the break. %Gallery-183025%
Researchers print biometric sensors directly on skin, make wearable health monitors more durable
MC10 might be best known for its wearable electronics aimed at athletes, but the company also makes a medical diagnostic sticker called a biostamp. Its creator (and MC10 co-founder), John Rogers has refined that design so that it's no longer an elastomer sticker -- now he can apply the biostamp's thin, stretchy electronics directly on human skin, and bond it with commercially available spray-on bandage material. By losing the elastomer backing of the original biostamp and applying the circuits directly to the skin, Rogers and his team at the University of Illinois were able to shave the device's thickness to 1/30th of the (already quite thin) biostamp. That super thin profile means it conforms even better to the contours of human hide and makes it shower- and swim-proof during the two weeks it lasts before being naturally exfoliated with your skin. For those unfamiliar with what the biostamp does, it's a mesh of circuits and sensors that can record electrophysiological data like skin temperature and hydration state of the wearer. The new biostamp won't be in your doctor's tool box any time soon, however, as Rogers and his team are still refining the wireless power and communication technologies it leverages. Of course, once those problems are solved, there's a good chance we'll see MC10 turning it into a commercial product.
Patient has 75 percent of his skull replaced with 3D-printed prosthetic
Earlier this week, an un-named man in the United States had 75 percent of his skull replaced with a 3D-printed plastic prosthetic, the first-known operation of its kind. The transplant was carried out by Oxford Performance Materials, which received approval to carry out such procedures from the US Food and Drug Administration last month. The company crafted the artificial skull based on a 3D scan of the patient's head, and the polyetherketoneketone prosthetic sports holes meant to encourage the growth of new cells and bone. According to the firm, about 500 people in the US could benefit from this technology each month. It's a fascinating implementation of a technology that's better associated with figurines and animation, but here's hoping we never witness the innovation firsthand.
The After Math: Cinder block-chucking robots, Barcelona's mobile bonanza and brain doctors
Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages. Barcelona's Mobile World Congress may have formed the backbone for this week's news but there was also notable news elsewhere -- like the fact that Boston Dynamics' upgraded quadruped robot can now throw cinder blocks. We'll be sticking closer to the (safer) events in Spain, however, so take a look for yourself after the break.
Surgeon Simulator 2013 passes through Steam's Greenlight program, shouldn't have passed med school (video)
One of ten new additions to come from Valve's Greenlight community platform, Surgeon Simulator 2013 was crafted in a mere 48 hours at Global Game Jam and puts you in the role of a clumsy surgeon, responsible for a patient who's unlikely to last the night. You should consult the video after the break to get an idea of the level of incompetence here, but let's just say your efforts are measured by Blood Level. You'll get access to scalpels, hammers and bone saws as you perform heart surgery and brain transplants -- in short, it's going to get messy. Other new additions include Anodyne, Distance, Receiver, and Huntsman: The Orphanage and all of 'em can be downloaded from Steam starting today.
Essential Anatomy is the future of touch-based anatomy learning
If you've read a lot of my articles over the years you may have picked up that I'm a bit of a human anatomy buff. Yeah, that sounds weird, I know. Some people like understanding their cars and computers better, I like understanding my body. And it's thanks to the iPad that the study of human anatomy has never been easier, or more interactive. There are several nice anatomy apps available for the iPad, but I've been testing one for the last few weeks that makes its predecessors feel as cold and dead as a cadaver. That app is Essential Anatomy by 3D4Medical. I've written about 3D4Medical's apps before. The company was groundbreaking from the start. I even predicted that it was so revolutionary that one of its apps would appear in an Apple commercial. And then it did. However, no matter how good their previous apps were, 3d4Medical's new Essential Anatomy app surpasses them in every way possible. That's because the company spent the last 18 months building a proprietary graphics engine designed specifically for the iPad. The graphics engine enables real-time rendering of the most highly detailed 3D anatomy structures ever seen on a tablet. Using the app on my fourth generation iPad, I'm able to interact with the anatomic structure with zero rendering or lag time. Fading or hiding certain muscles or other structures happens instantaneously. And the details of the structures themselves will blow you away. Besides the new graphics engine and completely new 3D structures, Essential Anatomy offers correct audio pronunciation for every structure in the model, 3D models of most major systems (including muscles, nerves, arteries and veins), an incredibly easy-to-navigate -- yet comprehensive -- UI, and a number of learning features including Latin nomenclature for each anatomic structure, quizzes, the ability to take notes and a number of sharing options. Like their previous apps, Essential Anatomy is an app every doctor, physiotherapist, OT, nurse and medical student should own. I'm also certain it's an app that will soon be required material at medical schools. Using the scalpel tool users can easily remove muscles individually or layer-by-layer and turn on or off arterial, venous and nervous systems. The touch-based navigation and zooming features allow users to see anatomical structures from any angle they want. Make no mistake about it: Essential Anatomy by 3D4Medical is the future of touch-based anatomy learning. The app itself won't be live in the App Store until tomorrow. Until then you can check out the gallery below. Essential Anatomy will cost US$29.99 and is compatible with the iPad 2 or later. It also requires iOS 6 or later. Once it goes live, you'll be able to download it here. %Gallery-178751%
UC Irvine's iMedEd Initiative is a 2012-13 Apple Distinguished Program
The University of California, Irvine has announced that its innovative medical education program based on the iPad as the sole learning tool has been chosen as a 2012-13 Apple Distinguished Program. Apple Distinguished Programs are ones that Apple feels meets the criteria of using Apple technology in an educational setting to provide "...visionary leadership, innovative learning and teaching, ongoing professional learning, compelling evidence of success and a flexible learning environment," according to UC Irvine. UC Irvine's program, known as The iMedEd Initiative, has existed since 2010 and equips new medical students with iPads that are loaded with medical textbooks, apps and podcasts of lectures. The university says that one of the benefits of the iPads is that students can interact with data from digital stethoscopes, bedside diagnostic ultrasound units and myriad other medical devices. Besides the increased learning capability the iPad offers, the university also says that iPad-based learning has increased test scores of virtually all students: "The first class participating in the iMedEd Initiative scored an average of 23 percent higher on their national exams -- taken at the end of the second year of medical school -- than previous UC Irvine medical school classes, despite having similar incoming GPAs and MCAT scores." For those of you interested in medical learning on the iPad, check back soon. I'll have a preview of a revolutionary new medical app that you'll be sure to want to get your hands on as soon as it becomes available. [Image: Steve Zylius / University Communications]
Cyberdyne's robotic HAL suit marches into Japan hospital trials
While climbing mountains and helping disabled tourists are fine pursuits, Cyberdyne's HAL robot suit has found an even nobler occupation: helping patients rehabilitate from debilitating nerve and muscle illnesses. According to The Asahi Shimbun, ten hospitals in Japan will start the first clinical trials of the lower-body suit version we saw last year, designed expressly for use by health care professionals. It works by detecting weak bio-electrical signals from patients' muscles which drive small motors and power units, and will be tested on 30 adults to see if it can help them re-learn to walk. Cyberdyne's wares will be trialed in European hospitals too -- which would be a lot of good service for a company with such an evil moniker.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering puts Watson to use to aid cancer treatment decisions
We heard almost a year ago that Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center had turned to IBM's Watson as a tool to help doctors provide the best cancer treatment recommendations, and it looks like those plans are now starting to be put into practice. IBM, along with WellPoint, Inc. and Memorial Sloan-Kettering, have today announced what they describe as the "first commercially developed Watson-based cognitive computing breakthroughs." More specifically, they've developed a system that allows Waston to draw on a wealth of medical information and quickly provide evidence-based treatment recommendations to doctors. And we do mean a wealth of information; as IBM explains, Watson has spent the last year digesting more than 600,000 pieces of medical evidence and two million pages of text from 42 medical journals, and it has the ability to parse some 1.5 million patient records covering decades of cancer treatment history. That all takes the form of two separate "Watson-based" products to start with, one of which IBM expects to be used by more 1,600 providers by the end of this year. You can find more details on those at the source links, and get a more general overview of the project in the video after the break from IBM.
Athenahealth to acquire mobile drug reference Epocrates
Athenahealth, known for its electronic health record and management solutions, will purchase Epocrates, the creators of one of the most popular medical reference apps among doctors. As GigaOM reports, Athenahealth will pay US$293 million for the software company, which was originally founded in the late '90s and created medical reference material for the Palm Pilot. With the emergence of smartphones and tablets, Epocrates now focuses on apps for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, along with online versions of its medical reference guide. With Athenahealth already offering its services to many healthcare providers, the acquisition seems like a rather perfect fit. The company hopes to use the Epocrates apps, which are reportedly used by as many as half of the doctors in the US, to widen its own footprint. Source: GigaOM
US military exploring Kinect for low-cost physical therapy routines
When Bill Gates first demoed his BASIC interpreter for the Altair, it seems a safe bet that he could've never guessed that his company would eventually be collaborating with the US military to introduce new forms of physical therapy. Thanks to Kinect, however, Microsoft and the Air Force are now hammering out the details of a system that could assist injured soldiers through the recovery process. Curiously, all of this may be accomplished with a PC, Kinect and off-the-shelf software such as ReMotion 360 -- all of which could help keep costs low -- although a proprietary system remains a possibility. In addition to reducing treatment costs, it's thought that a home-based approach could be a convenient alternative for those who don't live near care facilities. Even beyond physical therapy, Microsoft is also exploring Kinect's usefulness for the treatment of PTSD, which could allow the afflicted to anonymously take part in group sessions through the use of avatars. To learn more of how Microsoft is flexing Kinect's muscles with the military, feel free to hit up the source link.
Daily iPad App: Color Blindness Test by EnChroma
Color blindness is a common vision problem that affects up to 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women in the population. People are usually diagnosed when they visit their optometrist for a routine vision check, but you can screen yourself at home using the new Color Blindness Test from EnChroma. The Color Blindness app steps you through a series of pictures to evaluate the type and severity of your color blindness. It presents you with images of varying colors and asks you to identify the shapes (square, diamond or circle) that you see. In some images, the color differences are great and the shapes are readily visible. In other images, the color differences are subtle and the shapes are difficult to see, especially for those who are color blind. When you have completed the test, the app will tell you whether you have normal or impaired vision. If you are color blind, the app will let you know if you are a deutan or protan and whether it is mild, moderate or severe. Protan and deutan are two types of red-green color blindness. I tested the app with my 11-year-old son who has been diagnosed with severe red-green color blindness and the EnChroma test was spot on. I watched him take the test and he failed to discern several shapes and misidentified many of the squares and diamonds as circles. He was classified as a severe deutan by the EnChroma test, which is the same diagnosis he has received from two different optometrists. The Color Blindness Test is available in the iOS App Store for free. It works on the iPhone, the iPod touch and the iPad. I chose to review the iPad version because the big screen made it easier to take the test. If you download the Color Blindness Test, please remember that the app is meant to be a screening tool and shouldn't be used to diagnosis a vision problem. You should see an optometrist or ophthalmologist for detailed information about any potential color vision deficiency you might have.
SuperPop Project develops game for children with motor skills impairments, aided by Microsoft's Kinect (video)
The tools available to therapists tasked with helping children with motor skills impairments improve their range of motion are definitely helpful. But the Human-Automation Systems Lab at Georgia Tech is looking to make said tools even better (specifically for those with cerebral palsy) with the SuperPop Project. With the use of a Kinect and display -- two items that may already be in many homes -- what children will see as a game is actually helping to build upper-arm motor function. The setup is fully customizable on the back end, which allows the therapist to tailor sessions to each patient and to his or her individual progress. During the course of play, the software tracks the coordinates of the user's joints, collecting loads of data for analyzing progression / regression and the like during the course of the rehabilitation. Head on past the break for a quick look at the setup in action.
Brain pacemakers show promise in Alzheimer's trials, might open new treatment possibilities
Deep-brain electrical stimulation has been around for a while -- rousing folks from comas and helping researchers find new ways to treat OCD, depression and maybe even obesity. Now doctors are testing the so-called "brain pacemakers," on Alzheimer's patients and the results are promising, but not conclusive. After a year of treatment, six patients showed higher glucose consumption in PET scans of the learning and memory areas of the brain -- a change that is associated with increased neuron activity. Glucose metabolism typically decrease as a result of the disease. Researchers are seeking more patients for the trial, and are optimistic that the technique could one day be used to stave off some of Alzheimer's debilitating symptoms.
Scanadu's Scout tricorder and companion app detect what ails you, arrive in 2013 for $150
The quest to create a tricorder began many years ago, when such a device was but a figment of Gene Roddenberry's vivid imagination. However, his vision has crept ever closer to reality in recent years, with many researchers crafting devices capable of gathering human health data and the creation of an X Prize competition to spur further tricorder development. Scanadu is a company that's answered the X Prize bell and is aiming to bring just such a device to market by late next year for a mere $150. Called Scout, the tricorder is roughly two inches square and a half an inch thick and packs a rechargeable battery, IR , EEG and EKG scanners, plus an accelerometer, Bluetooth radio and a micro-USB port. That hardware, when combined with Scout's companion smartphone app can track a person's heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature, pulse transit (essentially systolic blood pressure) and blood oxygenation. To gather that data, users first must download the free Scout app and pair the tricorder hardware with their Android, iOS or BB7 handset via Bluetooth. Then it's simply a matter of pinching the device between their thumb and finger and holding it against their temple for ten seconds while the app takes the necessary readings. From there, the app can track your data over the long haul and provide an accurate picture of your health. We had a chance to see functional and production Scout prototypes and to speak with Scanadu CEO Walter De Brouwer and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alan Greene about Scout's development, so join us after the break for more.
AliveCor iPhone app and case promise a portable ECG
It's not available for purchase yet, but AliveCor's iPhone case and app could make a trip to a cardiac specialist for an ECG a thing of the past. The case, which is currently designed for the iPhone 4/4S, is a portable electrocardiogram (ECG). An ECG measures the electrical activity of the heart, usually with a trained cardiologist making the call on finding abnormalities that could be the sign of heart disease. The AliveCor case contains two sensors that are placed on the patients chest, after which the device takes a 30-second reading and uploads the acquired data to secure cloud storage. Once the information is available, a medical professional can access and analyze it. Since people at risk of cardiac disease could essentially self-administer an ECG at any time, AliveCor's product could provide an inexpensive way to do initial screenings and monitoring of heart conditions. Remote monitoring could be done with the device in the future, alerting a patient to take another reading or visit a doctor automatically. At this time, the AliveCor ECG is only available in a US$199 version intended for use on dogs by veterinarians. It has, though, been useful to at least one person -- Scripps cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol used a sample for-human device to examine a passenger who was complaining of chest pain on a flight. The device showed that the passenger was having a heart attack, and the plane made an unscheduled landing so that the person could receive emergency treatment. [via Wired]
Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check
Nintendo may have left its Vitality Sensor by the wayside, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are using heart rate monitoring in a video game to teach children with anger issues how to temper their emotions. Dubbed RAGE (Regulate and Gain Emotional) Control, the game tasks players with blasting hostile spaceships while keeping their heart rate from exceeding a predefined limit. If a gamer's pulse rises above the ceiling, they'll lose the ability to shoot until they can ease their pulse back down. A group of 18 kids who received standard treatments and played the game for five, 15-minute-long sessions had better control of their heart rate and lower anger levels than a group that only used traditional treatments. Currently, a controlled clinical trial of RAGE Control is underway and there are plans to take the concept a step further with toys and games suited for younger children. Look out below for the full press release or tap the second source link for the team's paper in the Journal of Adolescent Psychiatry. [Image credit: Thirteen of Clubs, Flickr]
How Apple's mobile devices are re-defining medicine
The New York Times examines how Apple's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are changing the way the health industry works. Of course, a light, powerful, and simple touchscreen computer can be handy almost anywhere, but that's especially true in the field of medicine. Much of the work involves reference materials and careful measurements, and Apple's little devices are quickly becoming many doctors' first step in helping patients. From huge reference books slimmed down into easy-to-access apps and websites, to special accessories designed to measure specific patient conditions. In fact, the Times notes, some professors of medicine are cautioning their students to remember that they have more tools at their disposal than just that iPhone in their pocket. Examining and dealing directly with the patient is always a priority, obviously, and some doctors in the piece say certain tasks just call for a good old fashioned pen and paper. But Apple's iOS devices are certainly great tools to be used in the medical field, as we've seen before. Apps and accessories both, in conjunction with Apple's great computers, are just adding more and more weapons to doctors' growing arsenal of tools to do their jobs.
