INSIDER

Solving Medical’s Big Data Problem

The medical field has a data problem. The issue isn’t a lack of data, but rather a lack of structure. Every year researchers publish thousands of studies describing the results of clinical trials. But...

Paper-Based TB Test Could Boost Diagnoses in Developing Countries

Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) early can allow patients to receive the medicine they need and also help prevent the disease from spreading. But in resource-limited areas,...

Miniature Microchip Technology Could Be Used to Track Smart Pills

A prototype miniature medical device could ultimately be used in “smart pills” to diagnose and treat diseases. A key to the new technology — and what makes it unique...

Better, Cheaper Bio-Ink Could Be Used to Create Artificial Organs

A new bio-ink may support a more efficient and inexpensive fabrication of human tissues and organs. Using techniques like 3D printing, scientists are creating bio-material...

Artificial ‘Skin’ Gives Robotic Hand a Sense of Touch

A team of researchers has reported a breakthrough in stretchable electronics that can serve as an artificial skin, allowing a robotic hand to sense the difference between hot and...

Skin Patch Dissolves ‘Love Handles’

Researchers have devised a medicated skin patch that could be used to burn off pockets of unwanted fat such as “love handles” and treat metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes. The patch...

Conformal Metasurface Coating Eliminates Crosstalk

A team of electrical engineers have developed a way to simultaneously control diverse optical properties of dielectric waveguides by using a two-layer coating, each layer with a near zero...

New AI Algorithm Monitors Sleep with Radio Waves

To make it easier to diagnose and study sleep problems, engineers have created a device to monitor sleep stages without sensors attached to the body. Their device instead uses an advanced...

High-Frequency Chip Offers More Bandwidth for Imaging

A novel, high-frequency electronic chip is potentially capable of transmitting tens of gigabits of data per second. The chip was designed using a phased array antenna system, which...

‘Origami’ Organs May Regenerate Tissue

Scientists and engineers have invented a range of bioactive “tissue papers” made of materials derived from organs that are thin and flexible enough to even fold into an origami bird. The new...

Muscle-like Device Lifts 165 Times its Weight

Imagine repeatedly lifting 165 times your weight without breaking a sweat — a feat normally reserved for heroes like Spider-Man. Engineers have discovered a simple, economical way to make a...

Rapid 3D Printing in Water Opens Doors for Personalized Medical Devices

A new type of photoinitiator for 3D printing in water could allow for the creation of biofriendly 3D printed structures. 3D printing in water opens exciting...

A Medical First: Micromotors Help Treat Bacterial Infection

Nanoengineers have demonstrated for the first time the use of micromotors to treat a bacterial infection in the stomach. These tiny vehicles, each about half the width of a human...

Stronger Artificial Bones Created with 3D Printing

A new artificial bone design can be customized and made with a 3D printer for stronger, safer, and more effective bone replacements.

‘Electronic Skin’ Is More than Skin Deep

An “electronic skin” microsystem tracks heart rate, respiration, muscle movement and other health data, and wirelessly transmits it to a smart phone. The electronic skin offers several...

That Luxurious Feeling of Silk for Your Wearable Sensors

Scientists are on the cusp of using silk, one of the world’s most coveted fabrics, to develop a more sensitive and flexible generation of wearable body sensors that monitor a slew...

Smart Pump: Small but Powerful

In the future, a smart phone with an inbuilt gas sensor could be used to warn of heavy exposure. To help the sensor respond quickly and provide accurate measurements, researchers have developed a powerful...

Smaller, Smarter, Softer Robotic Arm for Endoscopic Surgery

Researchers have developed a hybrid rigid-soft robotic arm for endoscopes with integrated sensing, flexibility, and multiple degrees of freedom. This arm — built using a...

Breaking the Brain’s Sound Barrier

Getting sound waves through the skull and into the brain is no easy task. To address this problem, a team of researchers has developed a ceramic skull implant through which doctors can deliver ultrasound...

Ear-Worn Sensor Monitors Body Temp in Real Time

Researchers have developed a 3D printed sensor worn on the ear that measures one of the most basic medical indicators of health in real time: core body temperature.

New Gel Coatings May Lead to Better Catheters

A new gel-like material can be coated onto standard plastic or rubber devices, providing a softer, more slippery exterior that can significantly ease a patient’s discomfort. The coating can...

This Breath Test Could Save Your Life

Researchers have developed a sensor that can diagnose certain diseases by analyzing exhaled breath. The technology, which uses protein-encapsulated nanocatalysts, enables early monitoring of various...

Screen-Printed Batteries Could Power Disposable Medical Devices

Ultra-thin, flexible screen-printed batteries for cheap portable devices and intermittent renewable energy are closer to reality. The solid-state batteries are a thin, flexible...

3D Printed Heart Valves Mimic Qualities of Real Valves

Standard medical imaging and new 3D printing technologies are being used to create patient-specific heart valve models that mimic the physiological qualities of the real valves. Their...

Tiny Embedded Electrodes Give Big Boost to Prosthetic Limbs

A new microelectrode array clearly recorded multiple nerve signals simultaneously, demonstrating the device’s success in a medium-sized animal for the first time. The electrode...

New Chemical Method Could Revolutionize Graphene

Scientists have discovered a new chemical method that enables graphene to be incorporated into a wide range of applications while maintaining its ultrafast electronics. Graphene, a...

Photoacoustic Imaging Aims to Ensure Surgeons Completely Remove Cancer

Researchers report that they have developed a technology to scan a tumor sample and produce images detailed and accurate enough to be used to check whether a tumor has...

Sensors and Smartphones — Simpler, More Affordable Detection of Diseases

When it comes to testing for cancer, traditional sensors can help. The challenges are that they often are bulky, expensive, nonintuitive, and complicated. Now, one...

Energy Harvester Uses Only Body Heat to Power Wearables

Engineers have designed a flexible thermoelectric energy harvester that has the potential to rival the effectiveness of existing power wearable electronic devices using body heat as...