EXPLORER, the world's first medical imaging scanner that can capture a 3D picture of the whole human body at once, has produced its first scans.

Tablets and other mobile computing devices are part of everyday life, but using them can be difficult for people with paralysis. New research from the BrainGate consortium shows that a brain-computer interface (BCI) can enable people with paralysis to directly operate an off-the-shelf tablet device just by thinking about making cursor movements and clicks.

Optical fibers make the Internet happen. They are fine threads of glass, as thin as a human hair, produced to transmit light. Optical fibers carry thousands of gigabits of data per second across the world and back. The same fibers also guide ultrasound waves, somewhat similar to those used in medical imaging.

New research finds that robotic arm rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients with aphasia, the loss of ability to understand or express speech, may promote speech and language function recovery.

Researchers studied eight gait parameters in order to come up with a very sophisticated software program that uses an avatar to predict how much energy people use when they walk depending on their walking style. The software could be used to design exoskeletons or custom prosthetics.

Think of it as mathematics with a bite: Researchers at CU Boulder have uncovered the statistical rules that govern how gigantic colonies of fire ants form bridges, ladders and floating rafts. The findings may also help researchers explore designs for new dynamic networks, including molecular machines that deliver drugs directly to cells.

A robot could become the weapon of choice for detecting and treating the most common cancer in men, improving results and reducing side effects. Scientists and mathematicians are working on a potentially game-changing way of improving the accuracy of both prostate cancer biopsies and of brachytherapy, which is used to treat some prostate cancers.

The constant movement of fish that seems random is actually precisely deployed to provide them at any moment with the best sensory feedback they need any to navigate the world, researchers found. The finding enhances our understanding of active sensing behaviors performed by all animals including humans, such as whisking, touching and sniffing, and demonstrates how robots built with better sensors could interact with their environment smarter and more effectively.

Researchers have reported that chemically coated ceramic implants successfully guided the regrowth of missing bone in lab animals while steadily dissolving. Surgeons and scientists at NYU School of Medicine and NYU College of Dentistry say their implanted scaffolds were naturally absorbed by the test animals' bodies as new bone gradually replaced the devices.

An international team of researchers have developed a low-cost sensor made from semiconducting plastic that can be used to diagnose or monitor a wide range of health conditions, such as surgical complications or neurodegenerative diseases.

An invention by a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) holds promise for a faster, cheaper way to diagnose diseases with high accuracy. Professor Zhang Yong from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the NUS Faculty of Engineering and his team have developed a tiny microfluidic chip that could effectively detect minute amounts of biomolecules without the need for complex lab equipment.

MIT engineers have introduced an element of fun into microfluidics.

The field of microfluidics involves minute devices that precisely manipulate fluids at submillimeter scales. Such devices typically take the form of flat, two-dimensional chips, etched with tiny channels and ports that are arranged to perform various operations, such as mixing, sorting, pumping, and storing fluids as they flow.

A new, low-cost wound dressing could dramatically speed up healing in a surprising way. The method leverages energy generated from a patient’s own body motions to apply gentle electrical pulses at the site of an injury.

Each month, the editors of Medical Design Briefs choose a Product of the Month that has exceptional technical merit and practical value for MDB’s design engineering readers.

To fulfill regulatory requirements, articles made from liquid silicone rubber must be post-cured, particularly if they are intended for sensitive applications. With a new liquid silicone rubber, this time-consuming step can cost-effectively be eliminated.

A new artificial joint restores important wrist-like movements to forearm amputees, something that could dramatically improve their quality of life. The new artificial joint works instead with an osseointegrated implant system developed by the Sweden-based company, Integrum AB — one of the partners in this project.

The IoMT has ushered in a new era for connected medical technology. But battery life is often mentioned as one of the impediments to the advancement of IoMT. Batteries in medical devices need a long lifespan so that users aren’t having to constantly recharge or replace them. A possible game-changing technology developed by San Diego-based Innophase may be about to change all of that. The technology uses a new way of processing wireless signals to dramatically improve battery life. For many medical devices, it might be the first time they can “cut the cord.”

Many available thermoplastics (substrates) create adhesion challenges when co-molded with silicone elastomers. This white paper will explore Momentive’s solution to this design challenge: the Silopren* LSR47x9 liquid silicone rubber series. A robust self-bonding product portfolio serving the market needs for a wide range of thermoplastics. Meeting USP Class VI & ISO10993 (parts 6,10,11), it's suitable for healthcare device applications such as: respiratory masks, gaskets & valves, soft touch grips & handles, sealing elements & membranes.

Researchers have engineered surface coatings that can repel everything, such as bacteria, viruses, and living cells, but can be modified to permit beneficial exceptions. The discovery holds significant promise for medical applications, making it possible for implants such as vascular grafts, replacement heart valves, and artificial joints to bond to the body without risk of infection or blood clotting.

By merging the ancient art of origami with 21st century technology, researchers have created a one-step approach to fabricating complex origami structures whose light weight, expandability, and strength could have many applications, including biomedical devices. Until now, making such structures has involved multiple steps, more than one material, and assembly from smaller parts.

Scientists have developed a nerve-on-a-chip platform that can stimulate and record from explanted nerve fibers, just as an implanted neuroprosthetic would. Their platform contains microchannels embedded with electrodes and explanted nerve fibers faithfully replicate the architecture, maturity and functioning of in vivo tissue.

Scientists have developed a technology to study the behavior of orthopedic implants in laboratory conditions as close as possible to the human body. The technology is notable for its ethics: the research can be carried out in vitro — that is, without involving lab animals.

Scientists have developed a new urea sorbent that could accelerate progress toward the development of a lightweight, wearable artificial kidney with the potential to make dialysis more convenient, comfortable and effective.

Bring to mind your last straight-out-of-the-box experience with a disposable medical device of any kind. Without a doubt, everyone has experienced the same frustrations: ambiguous instructions printed too small to read easily, and difficult assemblies that simply don't match up with human capabilities. As an industry and a profession, medical product developers have vast knowledge on how human beings perceive and process information and on how human hands work. Surprisingly, not much of that knowledge manages to inform the design of medical disposables, test kits, and instructions for use (IFUs). With an eye toward higher functionality and usability in disposables, test kits, and IFUs, this article reviews fundamental factors critical to successful design plus common oversights that lead to design disasters.

Globally, the use of medical consumables continues to rise due to an aging population and the increasing prevalence of day surgeries. As the use of medical consumables continues to rise, the testing required to ensure that these products meet specifications also increases. Syringes and other medical products with Luer connectors are the most common medical consumables found in the industry, as they are used to connect a wide variety of medical products. Luer connections come in two forms: either a slip or tapered connection, or a threaded locking connection. Most commonly, Luer connectors are used to connect a needle to a syringe body or to connect various types of medical tubing (such as a catheter) to an IV bag, or a needle to catheter.

Medical device manufacturers often use silicone adhesives to bond parts together when assembling products such as catheters, pacemakers, cochlear implants, aesthetic implants, and gastric balloons. In addition to evaluating the different types of adhesive formulations, device manufacturers also need to critically assess several other factors in the adhesion process, including the substrates to be bonded, their surface energy, and even the overall device manufacturing process. Without addressing these factors early in the design process, medical device manufacturers risk costly delays and potential device manufacturing issues.

Walking up the stairs to your room one evening, you stop to catch your breath and think “I haven't always felt this tired.” Week by week, you start to notice even going out to get the mail is exhausting. Eventually, you can't keep up with your kids without being completely worn out. A few months go by. One night, you wake up gasping for air, feeling like you are drowning despite being asleep just moments before. This is the normal progression of heart failure, a disease that results in over 1 million hospitalizations in the United States each year.¹

Medical Power Supply

Bear Power Supplies, Phelps, NY, has designed a CF-rated medical power supply for surgical instruments and other medical applications. The rugged 9-W AC/DC converter is sealed and encapsulated to withstand wash down and rigorous drop testing. It meets UL60601-1 and UL60601-2 standards for medical equipment. The compact medical power supply has less than 10 μA leakage current and measures less than 4 cu in. It has 120 VAC input and +9.1 VDC output. Other voltages are available on request. The power supply can be customized to meet OEM requirements for power, voltage, form factor, number of outputs, and other specifications.

A smart seat cushion uses changes in air pressure to redistribute body weight and help prevent the painful ulcers caused by sitting for long periods of time in a wheelchair.

Measurement Software

Hexagon Manufacturing Software, North Kingstown, RI, has launched the latest edition of its measurement software. PC-DMIS 2018 R1 provides continued service pack updates to ensure maximum reliability of the platform. The software allows users to easily convert AutoFeatures to points or quickly use the measured hits for new constructions and dimensions, available for plane, circle, and cylinder AutoFeatures. By converting each hit to a vector point, Optimize Path can be used to enhance the order of point measurement, reducing the number of probe tip changes and overall measurement time. New support for Q-DAS Traces enables easier analysis of PC-DMIS data. The new QuickSet control allows users to use both QuickFeature and GD&T Selection and still have the ability to modify measurement strategies.