Blog

BD to offer finger stick antibody blood test for COVID-19

April 16, 2020 A separate method, known as a serological test, would search for relevant antibodies in a person’s bloodstream, for evidence that the body produced an immune response to the disease.  This could be able to determine who has had and overcome an infection in the past — and could allow people to exit … Read more

How lifesaving organs for transplant go missing in transit

“It got to us on time, so that was the most important thing,” said Doug Wilson, an executive vice president for LifeNet Health, which runs the Seattle-area operation that processed the tissue.  That high-profile event was dismissed as an anomaly; however, a new analysis of transplant data finds that a startling number of lifesaving organs … Read more

FDA clears Eko’s digital stethoscope AI for spotting cases of afib, heart murmur

April 07, 2020 “Our vision since day one has been to build seamless technology that helps providers more accurately detect heart disease, the leading killer in the world, by putting the ears of a cardiologist in any clinician’s stethoscope,” Eko co-founder and CEO Connor Landgraf said in a statement. The afib and heart murmur offerings … Read more

MIT researchers develop beating ‘biorobotic hybrid’ for testing heart valves

April 02, 2020 The device starts with a real, biological heart, which is chemically preserved and wrapped in a flexible, robotic matrix of artificial muscles that simulate its contractions.  Using a series of inflating and deflating air pockets, which look a little like bubble wrap, the robotic heart muscle can flex and beat the same … Read more

Apple, J&J to study if Apple Watch app leads to lower stroke risk

March 31, 2020 Last year, Apple’s Heart Study found that the watch could accurately detect atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, according to a study that explored the role of wearable devices in identifying potential heart problems.  Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke more than fivefold, according to the American Heart … Read more

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma to ship 500K COVID-19 test kits to U.S.

March 26, 2020 The co-founder of the Alibaba Group — which encompasses the international online retail giant Alibaba as well as cloud computing subsidiaries and other tech offerings — made the announcement on Twitter, saying it was currently preparing the shipment.  “Drawing from my own country’s experience, speedy and accurate testing and adequate personal protective … Read more

Blood drives – and donors – fall off as coronavirus worries grow

March 24, 2020 Dozens of blood drives have been canceled, and regular donors are no-shows, industry officials said, especially in states like Washington and California where the virus is spreading more broadly within communities and health officials are urging residents to avoid public gatherings to reduce risk. As of the beginning of March, the crisis … Read more

FDA grants emergency nationwide use to CDC’s coronavirus test

March 19, 2020 Until now, the test — a real-time RT-PCR panel that searches for traces of viral RNA in nasal or oral swab — could only be used to evaluate samples shipped to the CDC’s own labs, slowing the (FDA) Agency’s turnaround time in responding to the spread of the disease.  FDA Commissioner Stephen … Read more

FDA approves hydrogel injection for stress urinary incontinence

March 17, 2020 Developed by the London-based Contura, the Bulkamid hydrogel also acts as a scaffold for growing cells, to provide longer-lasting treatment.  The injection was first granted a CE mark in 2003, and the company says that over 70,000 women have been treated to date in more than 25 countries.”We are extremely proud to … Read more

Blood testing nears a turning point as the evidence becomes undeniable

March 10, 2020 Blood testing is ubiquitous; however, it is clear its possibilities are unfulfilled.  Through different methods and modalities, these diagnostics promise to be a more accessible, less invasive, smarter, cheaper and a comprehensive way to gather knowledge about what’s going on under the skin — whether in a doctor’s office, at home or … Read more