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

University of Newcastle, Australia creates saliva test for diabetics

October 28, 2021 Commonly, diabetics need daily finger pricks with a lancet to check their blood sugar levels, with a drop of blood needing to be placed on the testing strip, Reuters reported.  Some diabetic patients avoid this painful process by reducing the number of tests they take.  The new test consists of an enzyme … Read more

Self-powered implant could restore sense of touch to injured fingers

October 26, 2021 Created by a team at Israel’s Tel Aviv University, the experimental device is intended to be surgically implanted under the skin in a compromised body part such as the fingertip, in which tactile sensation is lacking.  That said, it could also be used in other regions.  It incorporates what is known as … Read more

Long Covid diagnostic test could be available in UK within six months, scientists suggest

October 21, 2021 A Long COVID diagnostic test could be available within six months, UK scientists have suggested.  The simple blood test works by detecting rogue antibodies in people with long-term symptoms.  Researchers at Imperial College London found “autoantibodies” present in people with Long Covid symptoms but not in people who recovered from the virus … Read more

How bioengineers tackled the leaky mask problem

October 19, 2021 Less obvious is the leakage from the mask’s sides and bottom, which a sneeze or cough can increase many times over.  While three-ply disposable masks provide some protection for the wearer and those around them, they could be much safer for all. That’s the conclusion of a team of researchers from the … Read more

Microchip Nanosensor Detects Stress Hormone from Drop of Blood

October 17, 2021 Life has been stressful for many people during the pandemic, where illness, lockdowns and general societal turmoil have contributed to mental health issues and chronic stress.  Aside from being an unpleasant experience, chronic stress is bad news for our health.  Stress can be a big factor in sleep impairment, cardiac issues, and … Read more

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