HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Nanostraws Sample Cells Without Damage
‘Nanostraws’ allow researchers to sample a single cell at a time, penetrating a cell’s outer membrane without damaging it.
Catching Blood Clots: Fiber Optics in the OR
An optical fiber linked to a heart-lung machine can continuously monitor a surgical patient’s blood and provide real-time blood coagulation status.
Glassy Carbon Electrodes for BCI
Glassy carbon corrodes less easily under electrical stimulation and lasts much longer than platinum or other metal electrodes.
Clothing for Cardiac Cartography
A vest equipped with 252 electrodes offers a non-invasive approach to mapping irregular heart rhythms.
Portable 60-Second ECG
The prototype measures both the electrical activity of the heart and the arterial pulse wave, an indicator of arterial elasticity.
Restoring Communication for Locked-In Patients
A brain-computer interface enabled four paralyzed patients suffering from complete locked-in syndrome to convey their thoughts.
Acoustofluidic Chip Sounds Out Biomarkers
An acoustic whirlpool device that uses only sound to concentrate nanoparticles may pave the way for designing compact, low-cost diagnostics for isolating biomarkers from biological fluids.
Prosthetics Produced by 3-D Printing
The digital design and manufacturing process may improve the devices' precision, fit, and function, and improve consistency from one provider to the next.
Bulletproof Origami Shield to Protect Police, School Children
The barrier can be folded when not in use. When expanded—which takes five seconds—it can provide cover for officers and stop bullets from several types of handguns.
Organo-metal Compound Kills Cancer Cells from Inside
The compound is said to be 50 times more active than the conventional cancer drug Cisplatin and more discriminating between healthy cells and cancer cells.
Solar-Powered Eye (and Ear) Exams
A low-cost, solar-powered ophthalmoscope was developed at University of St. Andrews, Scotland, to help health workers in low-income countries detect signs of blindness.
Safer Brain Surgery with Smart Needle
A brain biopsy needle houses a miniature fiber-optic camera, allowing surgeons to avoid at-risk vessels during instrument insertion and prevent potentially fatal bleeds.
Cheap Chips May Expand Access to Medical Diagnostics
An inkjet-printed lab-on-a-chip that costs about a penny to produce could revolutionize diagnostic services around the world.
Engineers Tap Stomach Acid to Power Tiny Sensors
The system can generate enough power to run sensors or drug delivery devices that can reside in the gastrointestinal tract for extended periods of time.
A 3-D Bioprinter Prints Human Skin
The final product replicates the natural structure of human skin and might be used to test consumer chemical products, as well as for medical transplants.
Arming Surgical Masks to Kill Viruses
A salt coating applied to a surgical mask filter dissolves upon exposure to virus aerosols and recrystallizes during drying, destroying the pathogens.
Temperature-Sensitive Artificial Skin
The material could be used on prosthetic devices to sense temperature change or as a bandage that would alert a nurse or doctor about a developing infection in a wound.
Retinal Vein Surgery by Robot
Researchers turned to robotics technology developed a device that enables needle insertion into the veins in a precise, stable way.
Detecting Arthritis with Aerospace Technology
The subsonic sound of cracking in people’s joints might be tracked by a skin patch based on airplane acoustic emission sensors.
OSHA Finalizes Beryllium Exposure Rule
The new rule revises previous beryllium permissible exposure limits, which were based on decades-old studies.