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GI leaks detected by implantable device in pigs and rats: After gastrointestinal surgery, patients are at risk of developing leaks that can cause infections; however, a new implantable device was able to detect these leaks in pigs and rats, researchers reported in the journal, Science. The BioSUM device contains a pH-sensitive gel that reacts to leaks from the stomach or other organs, causing the gel to expand and push metal discs in the device further apart, which can be detected by ultrasound.

As journalists, we always hope our words will resonate with readers. However, we do not always like the reason why our words strike a chord. This was the experience one writer from MD+DI, Heather R. Johnson, faced with her recent article entitled “When Will the EU MDR Burden Begin to Ease?”

The ex-CEO was recently convicted on one count of healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud.

A look at the European Union’s (EU) endorsement of the pioneering AI (Artificial Intelligence) Act, focusing on its implications for medical device manufacturers, challenges faced by notified bodies in conformity assessments, provisions to support small- and medium-sized businesses and concerns regarding conflicting definitions and potential discrepancies with existing regulations.

The app is centered around Abbott’s Freestyle Libre 2. The goal is to help people living with diabetes understand how food and activity impact their glucose levels.

The Council of the European Union (EU) recently announced new measures to help prevent medical device shortages, create greater transparency, and access to information.

At a Glance –
• The device uses vibration technology to promote bone health.
• Clinical trials validate the device’s effectiveness in reducing bone strength loss and vertebral bone density.
• The company is in discussions with payers/insurers regarding pricing and coverage.

Blood test for schizophrenia coming soon: A blood test for schizophrenia biomarkers, expected to be available later this month, may help psychologists diagnose early-stage disease and choose the best treatment, says Alexander Niculescu, a professor of psychiatry and medical neuroscience and the senior author of a study in Molecular Psychiatry. Niculescu and colleagues monitored patients for more than a decade to identify biomarkers associated with hallucinations, delusions and hospitalizations, and they identified biomarkers that existing drugs target.

13-year-old is the first to be cured of rare brain cancer: A child named Lucas was diagnosed with an incurable brain cancer at the age of 6, which gave him a life expectancy of about a year, but at the age of 13, he has become the first known person to beat the disease through a clinical trial in France. The treatment is showing promise in around 10 other children, but no others have been cured, and researchers have built organoids that are replicas of the patients’ tumors to better understand the factors contributing to Lucas’ response to the treatment.

Family raises rare disease awareness through foundation: Tess Bigelow, a young girl dealing with health issues like autism and epilepsy, found her long-elusive diagnosis of Hao-Fountain Syndrome after her parents connected with a researcher on social media. This led her family to launch the Foundation for Hao-Fountain Syndrome, USP7 Gene, to raise awareness for the disease and allow them to connect with 200 similar families around the world.