Browse Topic: Medical equipment and supplies
A team of researchers has developed self-powered, wearable, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based contact layers for monitoring cardiovascular health. TENGs help conserve mechanical energy and turn it into power.
Researchers from Skoltech and the University of Texas at Austin have presented a proof-of-concept for a wearable sensor that can track healing in sores, ulcers, and other kinds of chronic skin wounds, even without the need to remove the bandages. The paper was published in the journal ACS Sensors.
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and sensor fusion drive robotics functionality across many applications, including healthcare. Ongoing innovations in high-speed connectivity, edge computing, network redundancy, and fail-safe procedures crucial to optimizing robotics opportunities. The emergence of natural language processing and emotional AI functionality are poised to propel more intuitive, responsive, and adaptive human-machine interaction.
Researchers are developing soft sensor materials based on ceramics. Such sensors can feel temperature, strain, pressure, or humidity, for instance, which makes them interesting for use in medicine, but also in the field of soft robotics.
Researchers at University of Galway have developed a way of bioprinting tissues that change shape as a result of cell-generated forces, in the same way that it happens in biological tissues during organ development.
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a widely recognized additive manufacturing method that is highly regarded for its ability to create complex structures using thermoplastic materials. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is a highly versatile material known for its flexibility and durability. TPU has several applications, including automobile instrument panels, caster wheels, power tools, sports goods, medical equipment, drive belts, footwear, inflatable rafts, fire hoses, buffer weight tips, and a wide range of extruded film, sheet, and profile applications.. The primary objective of this study is to enhance the FDM parameters for TPU material and construct regression models that can accurately forecast printing performance. The study involved conducting experimental trials to examine the impact of key FDM parameters, such as layer thickness, infill density, printing speed, and nozzle temperature, on critical responses, including dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and mechanical
Researchers have helped create a new 3D printing approach for shape-changing materials that are likened to muscles, opening the door for improved applications in robotics as well as biomedical and energy devices.
In recent years, metal additive manufacturing has emerged as a transformative technology, impacting traditional manufacturing processes across industries. Its ability to create complex geometries and customized parts with unprecedented precision has propelled it to the forefront of innovation in engineering and design. However, when compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, materials produced through 3D printing often exhibit inferior fatigue properties under cyclic loading conditions. This discrepancy significantly limits their widespread application as structural load-bearing components. The challenge lies in addressing the poor fatigue properties commonly attributed to the presence of micro voids induced during the current printing process procedures. Improving the fatigue performance of 3D printed materials and components has thus become a crucial research focus.
Two years ago, a medical professional approached scientists at the University of Tabriz in Iran with an interesting problem: Patients were having headaches after pacemaker implants. Working together to investigate, they began to wonder if the underlying issue is the materials used in the pacemakers.
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 new handheld, sound-based diagnostic system can deliver precise results in an hour with a mere finger prick of blood. The researchers used tiny particles they call functional negative acoustic contrast particles (fNACPs) and a custom-built, handheld instrument or acoustic pipette that delivers sound waves to the blood samples inside.
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.
Wearable devices that use sensors to monitor biological signals can play an important role in health care. These devices provide valuable information that allows providers to predict, diagnose, and treat a variety of conditions while improving access to care and reducing costs.
Duke University Durham, NC
University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
Researchers have successfully demonstrated the four-dimensional (4D) printing of shape memory polymers in submicron dimensions that are comparable to the wavelength of visible light. 4D printing enables 3D-printed structures to change their configurations over time and is used in a variety of fields such as soft robotics, flexible electronics, and medical devices.
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
The global medical device market is projected to reach a value of $656 billion USD by 2032 with a CAGR of 3 percent over the coming decade.1 The preceding decades of globalization and increased prosperity has provided advancement in both medical technology and access to advanced medical care for a greater proportion of the world’s population. Further, an aging population in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia will increase the need for healthcare-related services and medical devices in the coming decades. At present, the North America market continues to dominate the industry, accounting for approximately 43 percent of the market’s revenue share; however, markets in the Asia-Pacific region have the highest expected growth rates in the coming decades.1 Growth and innovation in the medical device market will be critical in the years to come.
Whether for vascular catheters or implantable devices, medical tubing must meet tough standards for flexibility, strength, and biocompatibility. That’s why more manufacturers are turning to thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) that strike the ideal balance between these key properties, making them an excellent choice for high-performance medical tubing. Unlocking the best that TPUs have to offer means optimizing the extrusion process. This article looks at why TPUs are a top pick, the common obstacles in extrusion, and the ways manufacturers can fine-tune their process to get the most out of different grades.
When a physician injects a patient with medication from a glass vial, they want to know that the drug inside that vial is sterile and stable. That’s where Genesis Packaging Technologies comes in. Genesis Packaging Technologies, formally a division of the West Company, was founded in 1946. Today, Genesis is a one of the leaders in the science and technology of parenteral vial sealing and residual seal force testing.
This specification covers insecticides for use in disinsection of aircraft as required on international passenger flights.
Electrosurgery has revolutionized the field of medicine, offering precise and efficient methods for tissue cutting, coagulation and ablation. With advancements in technology, new trends are emerging and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in surgical interventions. Among these trends, pulsed field ablation (PFA) stands out as a promising technique with the potential to redefine electrosurgical procedures. In this blog, we’ll delve into the current trends in electrosurgery, with a special focus on pulsed field ablation.
Did you know that pythons initially hold onto their prey with their sharp, backward-curving teeth? Medical researchers have long been aware that these teeth are perfect for grasping soft tissue rather than cutting through it, but no one has yet been able to put this concept into surgical practice.
Scientists have developed an innovative wearable fabric that is flexible but can stiffen on demand. Developed through a combination of geometric design, 3D printing, and robotic control, the new technology, RoboFabric, can quickly be made into medical devices or soft robotics.
Researchers have shown that twisted carbon nanotubes can store three times more energy per unit mass than advanced lithium-ion batteries. The finding may advance carbon nanotubes as a promising solution for storing energy in devices that need to be lightweight, compact, and safe, such as medical implants and sensors.
A new bioink has been designed for engineering human skin constructs using norbornene-pullulan-based hydrogels. The researchers introduced a novel photocrosslinkable bioink designed for engineering human skin constructs, based on thiol-norbornene-pullulan (N-PLN) formulations combined with various crosslinkers.
Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
When wounds happen, we want them to heal quickly and without complications, but sometimes infections and other complications prevent it. Chronic wounds are a significant health concern affecting tens of millions of Americans.
In the quest to develop lifelike materials to replace and repair human body parts, scientists face a formidable challenge: Real tissues are often both strong and stretchable and vary in shape and size.
Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have emerged as a promising solution for restoring communication and control to individuals with severe motor impairments. Traditionally, these systems have been bulky, power-intensive, and limited in their practical applications. Researchers at EPFL have developed the first high-performance, miniaturized brain-machine interface (MiBMI), offering an extremely small, low-power, highly accurate, and versatile solution.
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in our brains, not only regulates our emotions but also serves as a biomarker for the screening of certain cancers and other neurological conditions.
Researchers have now developed the first hydrogel implant designed for use in fallopian tubes. This innovation performs two functions: one is to act as a contraceptive, the other is to prevent the recipient from developing endometriosis in the first place or to halt the spread if they do.
Advances in IoT and electronic technology are enabling more personalized, continuous medical care. People with medical conditions that require a high degree of monitoring and continuous medication infusion can now take advantage of wearable medicine injection devices to treat their problems. Wireless communication allows medical personnel to monitor and adjust the amount and flow rate of an individual’s medication. The small size of the injectors enables the individual to be active and not be burdened or limited by a line-powered instrument (see Figure 1).
Researchers have succeeded in adding finger straightening or extension to soft rehabilitation gloves through a novel foldable pouch actuator (FPA) without compromising the already existing functionality of finger bending or flexion.
November 20–21, 2024 Santa Clara Convention Center
Asha Parekh CEO and Cofounder Front Line Medical Technologies Ontario, Canada
Small wearable or implantable electronics could help monitor our health, diagnose diseases, and provide opportunities for improved, autonomous treatments. But to do this without aggravating or damaging the cells around them, these electronics will need to not only bend and stretch with our tissues as they move, but also be soft enough that they will not scratch and damage tissues.
A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a new implant that conveys electrical signals and may have the potential to encourage nerve cell (neuron) repair after spinal cord injury.
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