Engineers Create Hydrogels to Monitor Activity in the Body

Wearable or implantable devices to monitor biological activities, such as heart rate, are useful, but they are typically made of metals, silicon, plastic, and glass and must be surgically implanted. A research team in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is developing bioelectronic hydrogels that could one day replace existing devices and have much more flexibility. Read on to learn more.

Printable Nanoparticles Enable Mass Produced Biosensors

Engineers have developed a technique for inkjet printing arrays of special nanoparticles that enables the mass production of long-lasting wearable sweat sensors. These sensors could be...

Under-the-Skin Electrode for Epilepsy Tracking

Researchers have demonstrated that seizures can be tracked in the home environment, giving clinicians access to data that could have a dramatic impact on the way in which epilepsy is treated in...

Wearable Monitors Heart Rate Recovery to Predict Risk

Scientists used a “smart” shirt equipped with an electrocardiogram to track participants’ heart-rate recovery after exercise and developed a tool for analyzing the data to predict...

Mitigating Biocompatibility Risks from Material and Supplier Changes in Medical Devices

In this Q&A, Audrey Turley, director of lab operations – biosafety at Nelson Laboratories, spoke with Medical Design Briefs about the critical importance of monitoring and managing material changes in medical devices. Read on!

How Much Do You Know About Glucose Monitors?

Your blood sugar levels can tell you a lot about your health: How well your diabetes is under control; how well your diet and exercise regimens are going; and much more. How much do you know about glucose monitors? Find out with this quiz.

Smart Wound Monitor Poised to Improve Chronic Infection Care

Researchers have developed a wearable wound monitoring device with integrated sensors that could reduce infection risks by minimizing the need for frequent physical contact. The proof-of-concept device is designed for reuse, making it more cost-effective and practical than disposable smart bandages and other emerging wound monitoring technologies. Read on to learn more.

How Digital Twins Could Lead to Better GI Function

Kennesaw State University’s Lei Shi is leading a research project that could alter how GI disorders are diagnosed and treated using virtual replicas of a human stomach.

AI Model Can Predict Cardiac Arrest Better than Doctors

A new AI model is much better than doctors at identifying patients likely to experience cardiac arrest. The linchpin is the system's ability to analyze long-underused heart imaging, alongside a full spectrum of medical records, to reveal previously hidden information about a patient's heart health.

Leadless Pacemaker Prevents Invasive Surgeries

Researchers have created a groundbreaking prototype for a new kind of leadless pacemaker designed for both children and adults. The innovative micropacemaker would be the first fully leadless system to be placed in the pericardial space surrounding the heart. Read on to learn more.

Wristband All-in-One Monitor for Diabetes, Cardio Care

A wearable wristband could significantly improve diabetes management by continuously tracking not only glucose but also other chemical and cardiovascular signals that influence disease progression and overall health. Read on to learn more.

Toothbrush-Shaped Ultrasound Allows for Gum Monitoring

A toothbrush-shaped ultrasound transducer can provide a less invasive screening for gum disease. In proof-of-concept demonstrations on animal tissues, the device produced measurements similar to those of a manual probe. Read on to learn more.

Optoelectronic Patch Could Transform Blood Pressure Monitoring

A flexible optoelectronic patch, or ePatch, that is worn on a patient’s skin can continuously monitor blood pressure without the need for compressible cuffs or wired devices....

Self-Powered Patch Monitors Biomarkers Without Drawing Blood

Researchers have developed a self-powered microneedle patch to monitor a range of health biomarkers without drawing blood or relying on batteries or external devices. In...

How Much Do You Know About Choosing a Camera for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)?

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) offers surgical options that are much more convenient than traditional methods and just as effective. Choosing a camera for MIS is tricky, though. How much do you know about choosing a camera for MIS? Find out with this quiz.

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.

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.