NHS England to offer free medical devices and apps in 2017

In its latest digital health push, England’s National Health Service (NHS) is offering remote monitoring medical devices and apps to help millions of people manage chronic conditions–for free.

IBM signs up to support genomic research into pediatric conditions

IBM has entered into a five-year collaboration with the University of Calgary.  The alliance will see IBM install computing and storage infrastructure at the university to support its research into the genetics of conditions including autism.

FDA approves novel stomach-emptying device to treat obesity

The FDA has added a fourth kind of obesity treatment device to its roster of approved interventions.  The Agency has approved the AspireAssist System from Pennsylvania-based startup Aspire Bariatrics. The device works to drain part of the stomach contents after each meal via a surgically place tube.

Early trial shows wearable artificial kidney could be viable alternative to hemodialysis

While hemodialysis has improved since its introduction in the 1960s, there are still some drawbacks, most notably being tethered to a machine for several hours, multiple times a week.  The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle has tested a wearable artificial kidney (WAK) that could give patients more freedom while dialyzing.

DOE, University of Rochester back novel endoscope for early bladder cancer detection

Adding blue-light imaging to white-light endoscopy can give a more complete picture of the body’s internal tissues, but can also be more costly, impractical and time-consuming.  Vancouver, Canada-based Imagin is teaming up with the University of Rochester and the U.S. Department of Energy on a device that could eliminate these disadvantages and facilitate the early detection of bladder cancer.