Smart Sensor Enables Better Wound Healing

A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for healthcare monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers have addressed this issue by uncovering...

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on a thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs and can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain’s activity in real-time during surgery; one on an implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator (ImPULS) that generates an ultrasonic focal pressure of 100 kPa to modulate the activity of neurons; one on AiSee, an AI-powered ‘eye’ for visually impaired people to ‘see’ objects; and more.

Soft, Bioelectronic Sensor Implant Monitors Brain

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and New York’s Columbia University have embedded transistors in a soft, conformable material to create a biocompatible sensor implant that monitors neurological functions through successive phases of a patient’s development. Read on to learn more.

A Tabletop Robot May Revolutionize Physical Therapy Delivery

Mohammad Habibur (Habib) Rahman, Director of the BioRobotics Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his team have been developing a portable, assistive robotic arm that therapists can use to assess and treat patients whether or not they are not in the same location.

Wearable Laser Monitors Brain Blood Flow

Researchers have developed a laser-based device that can be placed on the head to noninvasively monitor changes in brain blood flow and volume. The new device could one day help save lives by offering a direct and simple way to assess stroke risk based on physiological markers rather than indirect markers like lifestyle factors. Read on to learn more.

Wearable Ultrasound Tech Monitors Muscles

A wearable ultrasound device can provide long-term, wireless monitoring of muscle activity with potential applications in healthcare and human-machine interfaces. Designed to stick to the skin with...

Microdisplay Monitors Brain Activity

A thin film that combines an electrode grid and LEDs can both track and produce a visual representation of the brain’s activity in real time. The device is designed to provide neurosurgeons visual information about a patient’s brain to monitor brain states during surgical interventions to remove brain lesions including tumors and epileptic tissue. Read on to learn more.

2024 Product of the Year

Voting for Medical Design Briefs’ 30th Annual Readers’ Choice Product of the Year Awards is now closed. Winners will be announced in the March issue of Medical Design Briefs magazine.

Wearable Lung Patch Detects COPD

Researchers have developed a deep learning (DL) model that they paired with a wearable patch equipped with a highly sensitive sensor that can automatically detect wheezing sounds. The deep learning model has...

Noninvasive Method First to Continually Measure True Blood Pressure

A team of Caltech researchers has figured out a method to noninvasively and continually measure blood pressure anywhere on the body with next to no disruption to the patient. A device based on the new technique holds the promise to enable better vital-sign monitoring. Read on to learn more.

Flexible Tentacle Electrodes Precisely Record Brain Activity

A team has developed a new type of electrode that enables more detailed and more precise recordings of brain activity over an extended period of time. These electrodes are made of bundles of extremely fine and flexible fibers of electrically conductive gold encapsulated in a polymer. Read on to learn more.

Data Precision in Wearables: The Challenge of Accuracy

Exploring how innovations in wearables are making treatments more precise, portable, and patient-friendly than ever before.

Precision Health: Developing Medical-Grade Wearables

Exploring how AI algorithms analyze and interpret the data collected, leading to more accurate diagnostics and predictive insights.

Wearable Injectors: The Future of Drug Delivery

Exploring advancements in wearable injector technology, examining how these devices are transforming the administration of medications, improving patient adherence, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of treatment plans.

Continuous Monitoring: Biosensors for Health Insights

DNA-based biosensors offer a highly sensitive and specific approach for detecting a range of target molecules.

Wearable Heart Monitor Offers More Comfort, Less Irritation

A team led by RMIT University has made a wearable ECG device that could be used to prevent heart attacks for people with cardiovascular disease, including in remote healthcare and ambulatory care settings.

A Breakthrough in Wearable Neuromodulation

An at home, non-invasive for urge urinary incontinence and urinary urgency without the need for surgery, implants, or drugs demonstrated to potential of wearable neuromodulation.

Navigating Clinical Trials with Wearables

Medical-grade wearables can increase patient engagement and gather robust data for clinical trials.

Powering Wearables: Balancing Battery Life with Power Efficiency

Wearable medical devices must balance the need for continuous monitoring with power efficiency.

Seamless Integration and Interoperability of Wearables

Achieving interoperability as medical-grade wearables integrate with diverse healthcare systems.

The Contribution of Medical Robotics to Human Wellbeing

In May 2023, a class of tiny, self-propelled robots were designed in the United States that can slip into a human body and may one day deliver prescribed drugs to hard-to-reach parts of the body. The team of developers at the University of Colorado Boulder aims to make the robot fully biodegradable one day, so that it eventually would dissolve in the body.

2024: Emerging Trends Shaping the Future of Healthcare

As industry navigates technological frontiers, the collective goal is to enhance patient experiences, streamline processes, and make healthcare more accessible and equitable. This article explores key emerging trends that are not only improving patient engagement but are also set to redefine the future of healthcare.

2023 Create the Future Design Contest: Innovative Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury Wins Grand Prize

A research team from Neuropair, Inc., won the Grand Prize at the live competition round on November 10 in New York, for an innovative...

Pioneering the Future of Healthcare: Meet the Trailblazing 2023 Medical Finalist and Honorable Mentions

The 21st annual “Create the Future” Design Contest for engineers, students, and entrepreneurs worldwide, sponsored by COMSOL, Inc., and...

Wireless Device Enables Catheter-Free Bladder Pressure Monitoring

A wireless device called the UroMonitor enables accurate, noninvasive monitoring of bladder pressure in patients with overactive bladder. It is the first device to enable catheter-free telemetric ambulatory bladder pressure monitoring in humans.

NIH Awards $3M to BioSensics to Develop First-in-Kind Wearable Sensor

BioSensics, Newton, MA, has received a $3 million, three-year award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant will support the development of a...

Dissolving Cardiac Device Monitors, Treats Heart Disease

Nearly 700k people in the U.S. die from heart disease every year. To help prevent those deaths, researchers have developed a new device to monitor and treat heart disease and dysfunction in the days, weeks, or months following such events.

Wearable Sensor Measures Sweat During Exercise

A new wearable sensor continuously monitors sweat lactate during exercise. The device incorporates a bubble-trapping region in its microfluidic system. The proposed technology can facilitate...

Brain Computer Interface Helps Immobilized Patients Control Devices

A new project at Aalto University is developing techniques that will enable immobilized patients to control devices using their brain activity.