Technology
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.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.