Blog

FDA finalizes long-awaited UDI guidance

October 13, 2021 FDA said the guidance is intended to describe “the requirements for, and FDA’s recommendations regarding, the form and content of the UDI to help ensure that the UDIs developed under systems for the issuance of UDIs meet the objectives of the Unique Device Identification System Final Rule,” and is aimed at labelers … Read more

Self-powered biodegradable patch zaps broken bones to heal them

October 12, 2021 In order to electrically stimulate broken bones, externally powered electrodes would currently have to be surgically implanted at the wound site.  Once the bone had healed, they would then need to be surgically removed. Seeking a simpler, less invasive alternative, a team led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Prof. Xudong Wang created … Read more

Ultrasound to predict placental pathology

October 08, 2021 The genetics of the fetus and placenta, and not the intrauterine environment, are what control abnormal development, according to research published in the journal Placenta.  The study was conducted by Harvey Kliman, MD, PhD, a Research Scientist in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Services at the Yale School of Medicine … Read more

Student designs device to save stabbing victims’ lives

September 30, 2021 Police officers are often the first people to arrive at the scene of a stabbing.  If the knife or other implement is still inside the wound, it is typically left in place until an ambulance arrives.  This is because it acts somewhat like a cork, with the pressure that it is applying … Read more

Could people one day get pacemakers that dissolve into the body?

September 28, 2021 Flexible, dissolvable electronics could soon pave the way for temporary pacemaker wearers to avert the risks associated with surgical procedures from initial implantation to the removal of the device once its job is done.  Northwestern and George Washington Universities have developed what they say is the first-ever transient pacemaker that is not … Read more

Harvard, MIT researchers create COVID-19 diagnosing mask

September 23, 2021 The insertable biosensors detect the virus from a wearer’s breath, producing easy to read results similar to those of an at-home pregnancy test. If the coronavirus is present, the system changes the pattern of lines in the readout strip.  To activate the test, the wearer pushes a button on the mask to … Read more

Cambridge University team develops spinal implant to treat severe pain

September 21, 2021 Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have developed an inflatable spinal implant for the treatment of severe pain without invasive surgery.  The device uses soft robotic fabrication methods along with ultra-thin electronics and microfluidics.  With a width similar to that of a human hair, the device can be rolled up, placed … Read more

Monash University creates rapid test for neonatal jaundice

September 16, 2021 Monash University in Australia has created a rapid and cost-effective paper test for checking bilirubin levels to detect jaundice in newborns.  The test could potentially become a point-of-care diagnostic for at-home and hospital use. The test is co-developed by Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering, the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering and Monash … Read more

Study says cancer blood test accurate enough to screen for disease

September 14, 2021 The research was published in the Annals of Oncology at the end of June 2021.  It found that the test could detect cancers with a high level of accuracy. It’s intended for people at greater risk of cancer over the age of 50.  Scientists said the test can detect cancer before any … Read more

Canadian researchers developing blood test to detect lung cancer early and save lives: If lung cancer is detected early then treatment outcomes improve enormously

September 09, 2021 That is because researchers – led by Dr. David Wishart and funded by the Canadian Cancer Society – are developing a liquid biopsy able to detect lung cancer-specific chemicals in patients.  “Currently those with lung cancer are most often diagnosed in the later stages, usually stage 3 or 4, when treatment outcomes … Read more