No one ever gets anywhere by setting the bar low — so it's exciting to see that researchers are dreaming big when it comes to the next class of medical devices. Actually, they're tackling two challenges at once: devices that are not only tiny, but also self-powered. Just as Hollywood challenges its stars to...

When it comes to medical technology, what's good for the astronaut is good for the rest of us, too. Thinking a little out of this world has inspired and driven the development of a host of medical technologies that have advanced the ways in which patients are diagnosed and treated, whether in space or on Earth. Earlier...

Purdue University researchers have developed a miniature medical sensor that could be powered by music with a strong bass rhythm, such as rap. Acoustic waves from rap music were found to effectively recharge the pressure sensor. Such a device could ultimately help treat people with aneurysms or...

Mobile health apps are taking off in a big way. Juniper Research recently estimated that 44 million mobile health apps were downloaded in 2011. Smartphones already offer two top-notch qualities that designers often seek to achieve in any medical device: affordability and portability. One of...

The world's first 3D-printed, patient-specific jaw transplant surgery was successfully performed on a patient in the Netherlands, according to a BBC News story released today. The patient had a chronic bone infection and was not a suitable candidate for reconstructive surgery. This development points to a...

An advanced blood test uses a blood sample, digital microscope, and an image-processing algorithm to distinguish suspect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from healthy cells — a method that could yield information comparable to some types of surgical biopsies, according to findings from five new...

You just never know what will get the creative juices flowing. It could be a slight aberration from your morning routine. Or it could be something as basic as the entree you order at dinner. The latter is actually what inspired the invention of a crab-like miniature robot that could help surgeons remove early-stage...

Aculight is a complete laser solutions resource. Founded in 1993 and privately held, they develop and manufacture innovative lasers for the industrial, research, government and medical markets. Offering both off-the-shelf and custom-designed products, Aculight is an ideal partner for laser system development. www.aculight.com

In 1999, Boston Micromachines Corporation, a newly formed company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for space-based adaptive optical technology. The Phase I led to a Phase II SBIR with JPL and...

Barrett Technology Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, completed three Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with Johnson Space Center. In 1989, the company worked with NASA on a Phase II to create a robotic arm, and in 1991, was again awarded a Phase II to create a hand. Nearly a...

ArterioVision provides a direct measurement of atherosclerosis before it causes these “symptoms” by safely and painlessly measuring the thickness of the first two layers of the carotid artery wall using an ultrasound procedure and advanced image-analysis software. The carotid artery, located on...

Creating devices for the high-stress rigors of space travel pushes designers to their limits, and the results often far exceed the original concepts. The technologies developed for the extreme environment of space are often applicable here on Earth. Some of these NASA technologies, for example, have...

inXitu, Inc. specializes in developing technologies required to enable the next generation of scientific instruments used for materials analysis. The technology used in inXitus portable rock and mineral analyzer received a prestigious R&D 100 award and was chosen to fly on the Mars Science Laboratory...

This video focuses on the Engineering side of Functional Materials Research at the University of Exeter: Functional materials research focuses on the design and fabrication of novel materials, the understanding, via modelling and experimental characterisation, of their physical...

The UCSF 'D'Vice Squad' teams physicians, engineers, and other scientists to develop devices that will improve the health of children.

Aidexpo wrote: The Aid Innovation Challenge is a competition to find inventions that will be beneficial to supplying humanitarian aid around the globe. 2011 winners: Business entry - Leaf Supply with their LeafBed Individual entry - Claire Louise Barrie with MedAlert The challenge was open to various design agencies...

For years, researchers and patients have been dreaming of an insulin pill that could save diabetics from frequent injections. But the fact that digestive acids in the stomach destroys the insulin before it can enter the bloodstream has been a major obstacle until now. In Coimbra a team of Portuguese researchers...

Medical ultrasound or echocardiographic studies are highly operatordependent and generally require lengthy training and internship to perfect. To obtain quality echocardiographic images in remote environments, such as on-orbit, remote guidance of studies has been employed. This technique...