Browse Topic: Diseases
Surgical face masks help prevent the spread of airborne pathogens and therefore were ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a modified mask could also protect a wearer by detecting health conditions, including chronic kidney disease. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors incorporated a specialized breath sensor within the fabric of a face mask to detect metabolites associated with the disease. In initial tests, the sensor correctly identified people with the condition most of the time.
Using an inexpensive electrode coated with DNA, MIT researchers have designed disposable diagnostics that could be adapted to detect a variety of diseases, including cancer or infectious diseases such as influenza and HIV.
Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have reshaped diabetes management by delivering real-time glucose readings, freeing patients from frequent finger-stick testing. These compact, wearable devices not only enhance quality of life but also allow clinicians to adjust therapy based on accurate, continuous data streams.
A noninvasive method for measuring blood glucose uses Raman spectroscopy — a light-based technique that identifies molecular composition by analyzing how near-infrared light scatters within tissue. The shoebox-sized prototype eliminates the need for finger sticks or implanted sensors, offering a potential alternative for people with diabetes who require frequent glucose monitoring.
Detecting cancer in the earliest stages could dramatically reduce cancer deaths because cancers are usually easier to treat when caught early. To help achieve that goal, MIT and Microsoft researchers are using artificial intelligence to design molecular sensors for early detection.
In an effort to provide endoscopists with a robotic “second hand” to assist in performing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal cancer, Hamid Marvi and his team at Arizona State University are developing a robotic endoscopic surgery platform.
The global medical tubing market is enjoying strong growth, with analysts forecasting compound annual growth rates (CAGR) ranging from 6 to 9 percent over the next several years. Demand is being propelled by more-frequent or extended treatments for cancers and chronic diseases; increases in minimally or noninvasive surgery, home-based care, and patient wearables; and innovations such as sensor-enabled smart catheters and other advanced tubing applications.
Every year brings new targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and genomic tests, yet far too many patients still cycle through multiple lines of treatment that don’t work, or work only briefly. Behind those statistics is a simple reality: most therapy decisions are still driven by generalized protocols and population-level evidence, not by the unique biology of each patient’s tumor. 1
Researchers have demonstrated that seizures can be tracked in the home environment, giving clinicians access to data that could have a dramatic impact on the way in which epilepsy is treated in the future.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment. By harnessing the body’s immune system, CAR T therapy provides a powerful, personalized treatment option that can be particularly effective for treating blood cancers like leukemia — potentially offering patients a second chance at life when other treatments have failed.
A noninvasive imaging system combines two advanced techniques to examine both the structure and chemical composition of skin cancers. This approach could improve how doctors diagnose and classify skin cancer and how they monitor treatment responses.
Devices made with cheap strips of paper have outperformed two other testing methods in detecting malaria infection in asymptomatic people in Ghana — a diagnostic advance that could accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease, researchers say.
Researchers have developed a prototype imaging system that could significantly improve doctors’ ability to detect cancerous tissue during endoscopic procedures. This approach combines light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with hyperspectral imaging technology to create detailed maps of tissue properties that are invisible to conventional endoscopic cameras.
Researchers have developed a portable device capable of detecting rare genetic mutations from a single drop of blood. The instrument was shown in lab experiments to quickly and accurately test for a genetic condition called hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, which can cause heart problems. The disease is caused by a genetic mutation in the transthyretin gene. This mutation can lead to heart failure, especially in people of West African ancestry. The device, which amplifies nucleic acid segments and detects mutations using a microchip aims to bring a device equal to the performance and accuracy of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, typically confined to laboratories, into doctors’ offices, homes, and community centers.
“Big iron” instruments, aka diagnostic radiology equipment such as x-ray, ultrasound, and CT scanners, are indispensable for diagnosing and guiding treatment for an array of conditions from tumors to arthritis to fractures. While a tremendous asset for hospitals, these instruments are traditionally large, heavy, power hungry, and expensive. They are also difficult to acquire, install, and use.
Melanoma testing could one day be done at home with a skin patch and test strip with two lines, similar to COVID-19 home tests, according to University of Michigan researchers. Developed with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the new silicone patch with star-shaped microneedles, called the ExoPatch, distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice.
Researchers have developed a handheld device that could potentially replace stethoscopes as a tool for detecting certain types of heart disease.
MIT researchers have used 3D printing to produce self-heating microfluidic devices, demonstrating a technique which could someday be used to rapidly create cheap, yet accurate, tools to detect a host of diseases.
Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses. But light scatters when it shines into biological tissue, limiting how deeply it can penetrate and hampering the resolution of captured images.
Researchers have created a groundbreaking prototype for a new kind of leadless pacemaker designed for both children and adults. The innovative micropacemaker would be the first fully leadless system to be placed in the pericardial space surrounding the heart. That would allow the device to be implanted in a minimally invasive way in children and those with congenital heart disease, while also providing a lower-risk leadless pacemaker option for adults.
A toothbrush-shaped ultrasound transducer can provide a less invasive screening for gum disease. In proof-of-concept demonstrations on animal tissues, the device produced measurements similar to those of a manual probe.
A wearable wristband could significantly improve diabetes management by continuously tracking not only glucose but also other chemical and cardiovascular signals that influence disease progression and overall health.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading — and growing — cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with the economic burden of care projected to skyrocket over the coming decades.
Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) has dominated the medical device news in recent years, yet it is only one modality among many in the world of ablation therapies, and while groundbreaking, it is limited to a few diseases. It’s time to broaden the conversation and highlight the myriad innovations in ablation technology transforming medical practice.
Chronic stress can lead to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, decreased immune function, depression, and anxiety. Unfortunately, the tools we use to monitor stress are often imprecise or expensive, relying on self-reporting questionnaires and psychiatric evaluations.
A paper-based diagnostic device can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel.
An invention that uses microchip technology in implantable devices and other wearable products such as smart watches can be used to improve biomedical devices including those used to monitor people with glaucoma and heart disease.
Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses. But light scatters when it shines into biological tissue, limiting how deeply it can penetrate and hampering the resolution of captured images.
Every year, more than 5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with heart valve disease, but this condition has no effective long-term treatment. When a person’s heart valve is severely damaged by a birth defect, lifestyle, or aging, blood flow is disrupted. If left untreated, there can be fatal complications.
A conductive ink can be printed directly on the surface of a patient’s head and measure their brainwaves. These e-tattoos serve as the sensors for electroencephalography (EEG), a medical test that measures the brain’s electrical activity. EEG can help diagnose and monitor brain tumors, sleep disorders and other brain issues.
A new device aims to detect acute exacerbations of chronic conditions. The wearable monitoring device contains multiple types of sensors, enabling faster and more accurate detection of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. Eventually, the technology may help everyday people monitor their overall health and attune to early warning signs of illness.
Researchers have developed an optical biosensor that can rapidly detect monkeypox, the virus that causes mpox. The technology could allow clinicians to diagnose the disease at the point of care rather than wait for lab results.
Bladder cancer has a cure rate of over 90 percent when detected early, but it has a high recurrence rate of 70 percent, necessitating continuous monitoring. Late detection often requires major surgeries such as bladder removal followed by artificial bladder implantation or the use of a urine pouch, significantly lowering the patient’s quality of life. However, existing urine test kits have low sensitivity, and cystoscopy, which involves inserting a catheter into the urethra for internal bladder examination, is both painful and burdensome. This highlights the urgent need for a simple yet accurate diagnostic technology for patients.
In a world grappling with a multitude of health threats — ranging from fast-spreading viruses to chronic diseases and drug-resistant bacteria — the need for quick, reliable, and easy-to-use home diagnostic tests has never been greater. Imagine a future where these tests can be done anywhere, by anyone, using a device as small and portable as your smartwatch. To do that, you need microchips capable of detecting minuscule concentrations of viruses or bacteria in the air.
Sterilization plays a vital role in the use of medical devices. Prior to the 1980s, most medical products were reusable and required sterilization or disinfection between uses. The advance of contagious diseases has raised some concerns over the risks of reusable medical devices, spurring the medical device manufacturing industry to develop disposable, single-use versions of many medical instruments.
Researchers have developed a patch for easier and more effective treatment of psoriasis. The method may also be used in treatment of other inflammatory skin diseases. The dry patch contains active ingredients for treatment of psoriasis reduces the frequency of use to once a day.
Researchers have created a portable device that can detect colorectal and prostate cancer more cheaply and quickly than prevailing methods. The team believes the device may be especially helpful in developing countries, which experience higher cancer mortality rates due in part to barriers to medical diagnosis.
A study at Mayo Clinic suggests that an hourglass-shaped stent could improve blood flow and ease severe and reoccurring chest pain in people with microvascular disease. Of 30 participants in a phase 2 clinical trial, 76 percent saw improvement in their day-to-day life. For example, some participants who reported not being able to walk around the block or up a flight of stairs without chest pain were able to do these ordinary physical activities at the end of a 120-day period.
Hamdi Torun Arda Deniz Yalcinkaya Gunhan Dundar Ozgue Kaya Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Sam Currier Priyan Weerrappuli Extrinsic Immunity, West Bloomfield, MI
The Hospital for Sick Children/University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
The 22nd annual Create the Future Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and Mouser Electronics, drew innovative product ideas from engineers and students more than 55 countries from around the world. The Medical category itself received many innovative entries from 17 countries. Analog Devices and Intel were supporting sponsors, and Zeus sponsored the Medical category. The contest, which was established in 2002, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy.
A thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain’s activity in real time. The device is designed to provide neurosurgeons visual information about a patient’s brain to monitor brain states during surgical interventions to remove brain lesions including tumors and epileptic tissue.
Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
Sam Currier and Priyan Weerrappuli University of Michigan West Bloomfield, MI
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