Technology
Smartphone microscope for parasitic worms
A new smartphone microscope has been developed that uses video to automatically detect and quantify infection by parasitic worms in a drop of blood. It could help revive efforts to eradicate debilitating filarial diseases in Africa by providing critical information to health providers in the field.New skin biopsy tool patented
Researchers have patented a new skin biopsy tool that uses fewer instruments and promises to shorten the time it takes to diagnose diseases such as skin cancer. With the new 'automated skin biopsy device', the examining doctor can take a quick skin biopsy with a simple click, without the need for anaesthesia or specialised cutting and sewing. The whole procedure takes under five minutes.Innovative use for 3D-printing
3D-printing has come to the rescue of severe cases of a childhood disease in which the windpipe is softened, leading to collapse of the airway and breathing failure.Germ-zapping robot a success
A Texas University researcher has produced a robot that can clean a hospital room better than a person. Currently, the system is being used in 40 Veterans Administration hospitals across the US and about 200 private hospitals.‘Bionic reconstruction’ first
Three men in Austria have become the first to get mind-controlled prosthetic limbs through a new technique called 'bionic reconstruction'. CNET reports that the technique combines selective nerve and muscle transfers, elective amputation and replacement with an advanced robotic prosthesis.WHO approves a rapid field test for Ebola
The first rapid test for the Ebola virus, which takes 15 minutes and doesn't require electricity, has been approved by the World Health Organisation.The ReEBOV Antigen kit can correctly identify about 92% of Ebola-infected patients and clear 85% of those not infected.Nano 'drones' to target atherosclerosis
In mouse models, Harvard Medical School scientists have developed nanomedicines that can deliver drug packets directly to lesions in diseased arteries, acting like nano-sized 'drones' to target atherosclerosis, a major risk factor for deaths caused by heart attack or stroke.Smartphone apps versus Fitbit-type devices
Although expensive, dedicated wearable devices have received significant attention for their ability to track an individual's physical activity, most smartphone applications are just as accurate, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine.iPhone's 15-minute lab test for HIV, syphilis
Columbia University researchers have created a compact, handheld device that plugs into an iPhone and turns it into a mobile laboratory that can diagnose HIV and syphilis in just 15 minutes. The diagnostic device – the engineers call it a 'dongle' – was in three community health centres in Kigali, Rwanda.Device lowers blood pressure significantly
European clinical trials on an anti-hypertension device, Rox Medical's Coupler, shown it to significantly lower blood pressure compared to those treated with the usual drug measures.Temporary tattoo to test for glucose
Nano-engineers at the University of California, San Diego have tested a temporary tattoo that both extracts and measures the level of glucose in the fluid in between skin cells, a promising step forward in non-invasive glucose testing for patients with diabetes.Dieting device is a ‘pacemaker for the stomach’
US regulators have approved a novel dieting device that acts like a pacemaker for the stomach by manipulating the nerve pathway that makes people feel hungry or full.Vein visualisation technology being tested
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is testing a vein visualisation technology that uses non-invasive infra-red technology to project an image of the donor’s veins onto the skin’s surface, potentially putting an end to missed veins.