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Dispute as to whether device improves CPR results in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
An “indispensable” device that raises the head during CPR to improve blood circulation significantly boosted the likelihood that patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)...
Portable MRIs almost as effective as standard MRIs in detecting strokes
Portable MRI machines, an emerging technology that makes medical imaging accessible even in remote locations, accurately detected ischaemic strokes, or strokes caused by clotting,...
SA teaching hospital cuts CRE superbug transmission with novel UV intervention
South Africa’s only private teaching hospital has published research showing that ultraviolet (UV) room decontamination technology, paired with manual cleaning protocols, can decrease the...
Swiss researchers develop novel, painless and reliable allergy test
Researchers at the University of Bern and Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, have now developed a novel test that massively simplifies the diagnosis of allergies...
Video game-based telehealth delivers in-person therapist outcomes
A motion-sensor video game, Recovery Rapids, that allows patients recovering from a stroke to improve their motor skills and affected arm movements at home...
Hugging a ‘breathing’ cushion to ease anxiety disorder – Bristol study
A mechanical huggable and “breathing” cushion was found to be as effective as guided meditation in easing anxiety among students preparing to write tests,...
Stimulation helps 3 paralysed patients stand and walk within hours of surgery
In what Swiss scientists has described as a breakthrough, personalised epidural electrical stimulation (EES) restored independent motor movements in three patients with complete sensorimotor...
Machine learning significantly outperforms clinical experts in classifying hip fractures
A novel machine learning process developed at the University of Bath to identify and classify hip fractures outperforms human clinicians by 19%, found a...
Switzerland gives legal approval to suicide pod
Switzerland has given legal approval of a coffin-shaped capsule that allows occupants to kill themselves. The process takes less than a minute, and death...
Wearable sensor measures airborne nicotine exposure from e-cigarettes
Researchers at RMIT University in Australia and the University of Arizona in the United States have developed a battery-free, wearable device that monitors people’s...
Wristwatch monitoring device accurately predicts epileptic seizures
A study in Nature by Mayo Clinic researchers and international collaborators found patterns could be identified in patients who wear a special wristwatch monitoring...
Salt grain-sized camera overcomes previous limitations to endoscopy
An ultra-compact camera — the size of a coarse grain of salt — for use in the human body, has been developed at the...
Urine biomarker to determine prognosis in prostate cancer – East Anglia study
A urine test can assess intermediate prostate cancer risk without biopsy through the amount of Gleason pattern-4 biomarker, to potentially minimise over-diagnosis and over-treatment,...
Vaccine App a global solution for South African travellers
A vaccine record app, which extends beyond the COVI-19 shots to include the multitude of vaccinations that children and travellers are obligated to have,...
New device can diagnose COVID-19 from saliva samples
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University have designed a small tabletop device that can detect SARS-CoV-2 from a saliva sample...
Saliva test for COVID outperforms FDA-authorised nasal and oral swab tests
The DRUL saliva test with home collection, developed at Rockefeller University, outperforms US Food and Drug Administration authorised nasal and oral swab tests, found...
Vitanova tissue bank opens global biomedical possibilities for SA
The recent opening of the Vitanova connective tissue bank - a partnership between Bone SA and the Industrial Development Corporation - opens the door...
Snorkel masks a viable alternative to traditional PPE — Tuks/UCT study
Simulations at the universities of Pretoria and Cape Town found wide approval of full-face snorkel masks among the 52 doctors who tried them, according...
New device accurately diagnoses COVID-19 from saliva samples
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University have designed a small tabletop device that can detect SARS-CoV-2 from a saliva sample...
Exoskeletons to help disabled people to walk
Companies around the world are designing and manufacturing exoskeletons, competing to make them as light and usable as possible, reports Yiming Woo for Reuters....
Implanted sensor restores sense of touch in damaged nerves
A tiny sensor implanted in the nerve of the injured limb connects directly to a healthy nerve can restore the sense of touch, following...
Your ears give off alcohol and a test can reveal how much you've drunk
Forget blowing into a breathalyser – a new drink-driving test invented by researchers in Japan could involve putting on a pair of ear defenders,...
Doctors in a dilemma as FDA’’s calls a halt to popular LVAD device
Following a finding by the US Food & Drug Administration, Medtronic is halting the global distribution of Medtronic’s HeartWare system following observational evidence associating...
Singapore's breathalyser COVID-19 test gets authorisation
A COVID-19 breath test that returns accurate results within a minute has received provisional authorisation from Singapore health regulators, reports MedicalBrief. The test achieved...
Glowing probe to test for cardiovascular disease
Following a study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), researchers have patented a probe that glows when it detects an enzyme associated with...
Ankle exoskeleton enables significantly faster walking
A prototype ankle exoskeleton developed at Stanford increases the self-selected walking speed, to the potential benefit of older adults and others with a reduced...
Plasma device designed for consumers can quickly disinfect surfaces
Scientists at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have demonstrated the first...
AI and machine learning to detect early autism through retina scans
A Hong Kong scientist has developed a method to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to scan retinas of children as young as six...
Clinical trial: Tapping the brain to boost stroke rehabilitation
A US clinical trial found that stroke survivors who ceased to benefit from conventional rehabilitation, gained clinically significant arm movement and control by using...
SA doctors and engineers invent revolutionary oxygen delivery device
A group of South African doctors, engineers and designers based in East London has invented a medical device that revolutionises oxygen delivery to COVID-19...
Microneedle patch for rapid blood-free malaria testing
Testing for malaria and other infectious diseases could become as simple as putting on a microneedle patch that does not require extracting blood, using...
First human trial: Tiny device translates thought into action
The Stentrode, a tiny device the size of a small paperclip, has been shown to help patients with severe upper limb paralysis to text,...
FDA approves use of Masimo's oxygen saturation reading device
Masimo has won US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its Rad-G pulse oximeter, a rugged device developed with the help of The...
An new ultra-low-cost hearing aid for age-related hearing loss
A new ultra-affordable and accessible hearing aid made from open-source electronics and meeting WHO standards has been developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Hearing...
Enthusiasm for South Africa's COVID-19 tracing app
More than half a million South Africans have already downloaded the country’s COVID-19 tracing app, the Health Department says. The goal is to...
Limitations of face shields and masks with exhalation valves
A US simulation study highlights the limitations of face shields and masks with exhalation valves — a popular alternative to face masks because of...
Africa offers 'transformational' opportunities for online medicine
In Africa, where access to medical care is often restricted, the opportunities for online medicine are transformational and offer exceptional opportunities for patients and...
Tygerberg Hospital dives into a novel PPE solution
With the ongoing personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage in hospitals, doctors at Tygerberg Hospital, the Western Cape's largest hospital, found an unusual yet innovative...
Electric cooker an easy, efficient way to sanitise N95 masks
Owners of electric multicookers may be able to add another use to its list of functions, a new study suggests: sanitisation of N95 respirator...
Putting the spring-cam back into stroke patients' steps
A research group has developed a new, lightweight and motor-less device that can be easily attached to an ankle support device – otherwise known...