Tiny ‘maniac’ robots could deliver drugs directly to central nervous system

November 30, 2021 Would you let a tiny MANiAC travel around your nervous system to treat you with drugs?  You may be inclined to say no, but in the future, “magnetically aligned nanorods in alginate capsules” (MANiACs) may be part of an advanced arsenal of drug delivery technologies at doctors’ disposal.  A recent study in … Read more

FDA ups premarket application user fees by 2.5% for FY 2022

November 27, 2021 MDUFA IV, which provides for an inflation adjustment to be compounded for FY22 and each subsequent fiscal year, “specifies that the base fees of $329,000 (premarket application) and $4,978 (establishment registration) are to be adjusted for fiscal year 2022 using the same methodology as that for the total revenue inflation adjustment,” according … Read more

New AI tool helps researchers predict the progress of Parkinson’s disease

November 23, 2021 New research was recently published by the group focusing on a new artificial intelligence model that groups typical symptom patterns of Parkinson’s disease.  The model can predict the progression of the disease by finding the timing and severity of known symptoms.  The model predicts timing and severity by learning from longitudinal patient … Read more

University of Waterloo researchers developing 20-minute COVID-19 spit test

November 18, 2021 A team of researchers at the University of Waterloo is developing a biodegradable COVID-19 test that can deliver results in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom.  The team is working on a paper device that can be spat on, as opposed to a swab inserted through the nose or down … Read more

Oral-odor sensor diagnoses disease by detecting hydrogen sulfide in exhalation

November 16, 2021 The gas sensor platform is a technology that can monitor specific diseases in real-time by selectively sensing a tiny amount of biomarker gas related to various illnesses contained in people’s expiration, KIST said in a press release at the end of July 2021.  “Making diagnosis without blood collection or taking images, non-invasive … Read more

Robotic Brace Measures Neck Mobility in Cancer Patients

November 11, 2021 However, current techniques to achieve this are somewhat crude and do not produce quantifiable data, or involve equipment that is not easily portable or easy to use, making routine clinical assessments challenging. Researchers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have now developed a portable robotic neck brace that can … Read more

Ultrasound screening during wellness visits spots abnormalities in 94% of patient

November 09, 2021 Standard Medicare Wellness checkups require no physical exam beyond blood pressure, and many doctors perform limited assessments in these situations, authors wrote in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.  But providers from Minneapolis-based Allina Health instituted a primary care clinic US program to determine the benefits of preventative ultrasound.  The effort proved … Read more

Joint team develops algorithm predicting heart disease risk through retina

November 06, 2021 The artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm uses coronary artery calcification index to predict heart diseases, including cardiac infarction or angina, more effectively without exposing patients to radiation.  The development was led by Professors Kim Hyun-chang at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Park Sung-ha and Kim Sung-soo at Severance Hospital, Lee Byung-kwon at Gangnam … Read more

Hydrogel brain implant may excel where others fall short

November 03, 2021 Existing implants incorporate devices such as electrodes, which are typically fairly stiff.  The brain tissue that those electrodes are inserted into, on the other hand, is very soft.  As a result, the body’s immune system tends to identify implants as foreign objects, forming a layer of scar tissue around them.  Over time, … Read more