R&D

Mixing Silk with Polymers Could Lead to Better Biomedical Implants

Combining silk fabric with epoxy creates laminates that can be formed into shapes for medical uses.

3D Printable Material Mimics Biological Tissues

Researchers have 3D printed a complex, porous lattice structure using liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), creating devices that can finally mimic cartilage and other biological tissues.

Hot Ring Produces Microwave-Powered Ultrasound Pulses Wirelessly

Researchers have developed a wireless ultrasound transducer that is efficiently excited by microwaves.

Researchers 3D Print Working Heart Pump with Human Cells

Researchers have 3D printed a functioning centimeter-scale human heart pump in the lab.

Wristband Tracks Human Hand in 3D

A wrist-mounted device continuously tracks the entire human hand in 3D.

Researchers Develop Portable Blood Ammonia Detector

Researchers have developed a handheld, portable ammonia detector that — like glucometers used to measure blood sugar — assesses ammonia levels from a finger or earlobe prick.

Super-Strong Surgical Tape Detaches on Demand

A double-sided adhesive can be detached from the underlying tissue without causing any damage.

Smart Fabrics Monitor Body by Changing Color

Researchers have developed biomaterial-based inks that respond to and quantify chemicals released from the body.

Stretchable Material for Wearables Operates at Low Power

A novel stretchable material, when used in light-emitting capacitor devices, enables highly visible illumination at low operating voltages.

Noninvasive Fetal Oxygen Monitor Could Enable Safer Deliveries

A device to directly measure blood oxygen saturation in a fetus during labor could both reduce the rate of cesarean sections and improve outcomes in difficult deliveries.

Paper-Based Device Analyzes Sweat

Researchers have constructed a paper-based device as a model of wearables that can collect, transport, and analyze sweat in next-generation wearable technology.

Wearable Brain Scanner for Whole Head Imaging

A new type of wearable brain scanner is revealing new possibilities for understanding and diagnosing mental illness.

New Coating Process Lights Porous Electronics and Sensors

Researchers have shown how to coat glass and plastic with porous titanium dioxide.

New Tool Helps Distinguish Cause of Blood Clots

A new tool using cutting-edge technology is able to distinguish different types of blood clots based on what caused them.

Device Improves Performance of Underactive Bladders

Researchers have developed a technology that can monitor bladder volume in real time and can effectively empty a person’s bladder.

Lung-Heart Super Sensor on a Chip

A sensor chip smaller than a ladybug records multiple lung and heart signals along with body movements and could enable a future socially distanced health monitor.

Smart Contact Lens Diagnoses, Treats Diabetes

A research team has developed wirelessly driven smart contact lens technology that can detect diabetes and further treat diabetic retinopathy just by wearing them.

Sensors Offer Early Detection of Lung Tumors

Researchers have developed a new approach to early diagnosis of lung cancer: a urine test that can detect the presence of proteins linked to the disease.

Researchers Develop New X-Ray Detector

Scientists have identified a new class of x-ray detectors based on layered perovskites

Researchers Develop First Ultrasound Biosensor

A biosensor can be used inside the body to emit signals that can be detected by common ultrasound scanners.

Drug-Loaded Microrobots Attach to Cancer Tissue

A drug-loaded microrobotic needle effectively targets cancerous tissue in lab experiments without needing continuous application of a magnetic field.

‘Smart’ Toilet Monitors for Signs of Disease

The smart toilet automatically sends data extracted from any sample to a secure, cloud-based system.

Insect Wings Hold Antimicrobial Clues for Improved Medical Implants

A study has identified new ways in which nano-pillars can damage bacteria.

E-Skin Powered by Sweat Can Monitor Health

A researcher has developed an electronic skin that is applied directly on top of real skin.

Flexible, Powerful, Fast Bioelectronic Devices

Researchers are working to use unique properties of materials to develop novel electronic devices that allow efficient interaction with biological substrates — specifically neural networks and the brain.

AI Device Helps Spot Newborns at Risk for Blinding Disease

An artificial intelligence (AI) device may help identify newborns at risk for aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity.

High-Tech Printing May Help Eliminate Painful Shots

Engineers have created tiny needles that mimic parasites that attach to skin and could replace hypodermic needles.

New Tech Takes Radiation Out of Cancer Screening

A new, inexpensive technology could save lives and money by routinely screening women for breast cancer without exposure to radiation.

Researchers Bioengineer 3D Implants for Tissue

Researchers are literally carving grooves into plastic threads used to build 3D printed tissue-engineering scaffolds with living cells.