Implants & Prosthetics

Through a clinical collaboration between Caltech, Keck Medicine of USC, and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, a man paralyzed from the neck down can use a robotic arm to perform a fluid hand-shaking gesture, drink a beverage, and even play "rock, paper, scissors." The...

Researchers at Michigan Technological University, Houghton, recently acquired a 3D bioprinter with which they plan to “print” synthesized nerve tissue. The key, they say, is developing the right “bioink” or printable tissue. One of the team member’s research on cellulose nanocrystals as...

A new algorithm allows a person to use his or her thoughts to grasp a bottle or other object. The non-invasive brain monitoring technique, developed by University of Houston researchers, will help the team understand the neuroscience behind the action of grasping.

Implanted biomedical devices used for drug delivery, tissue engineering, or sensing can help improve disease treatment. But, often these devices are susceptible to attack by the immune system. To help reduce that immune-system rejection, a team of scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,...

University of Washington researchers have created PolySTAT, a new injectable polymer that strengthens blood clots. The polymer, administered in a single shot, addresses internal injuries and reduces blood loss.

New wireless retinal implants from Stanford University researchers convert light transmitted from special glasses into electrical current. The resulting current stimulates the retinal neurons known as bipolar cells.

Vienna University of Technology and Vienna Medical University researchers have created artificial blood vessels from a special elastomer material. To produce the vascular prostheses, polymer solutions were spun in an electrical field to form very fine threads and wound onto a spool. The prostheses can...

Manufacturing researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have identified important challenges for powder bed fusion, the chief method for "printing" metal parts. By identifying the factors that influence the manufacturing process, professionals will improve the creation of...

A team of investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California have developed an implantable micropacemaker designed for use in a fetus. The micropacemaker, designated a Humanitarian Use Device by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), will...

A team of hearing and communication experts led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC successfully implanted an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) device in four children who previously could not hear.

Inspired by nature, Saarland University researchers have equipped an artificial hand with muscles made from shape-memory wire. The new technology enables the fabrication of flexible and lightweight robot hands for industrial applications and novel prosthetic devices.

Researchers at MIT have developed a method to stimulate brain tissue using external magnetic fields and injected magnetic nanoparticles. The technique allows direct stimulation of neurons, which could be an effective treatment for a variety of neurological diseases, without the need for...

Scientists at the Texas Heart Institute are working to create a permanent artificial heart.

Mo Rastgaar, a Michigan Technological University mechanical engineer, and his team have developed a robotic ankle that "sees" where it is going.

A Seoul National University professor developed a synthetic technology that reproduces the sense of touching real human skin. The artificial skin senses pressure, temperature, strain, and humidity. The soft material is also embedded with self-heating elements.

A University of Rochester team has fabricated a material that self-stretches as it cools. The rubber-like polymer reverts back to its original shape when heated.

While the Japanese art of origami has been “a rich source of inspiration” for scientists working to construct such 3D forms, the limitation to simple shapes has held up development of new applications in areas such as biomimetic systems, soft robotics and mechanical meta-materials, especially...

Researchers from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, have developed a bionic hand that senses pressure and temperature, and transmits the information back to the brain.

Researchers from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center have developed a technique to directly measure oxygen in deep-sited tumors.

Merging custom chemistry and 3D printing, University of Washington scientists created a bone-shaped plastic tab that turns purple under stretching. The low-cost, mechanical sensor offers an easy way to record the force on an object.

An interdisciplinary team of engineers at Princeton University has embedded tiny light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into a standard contact lens, allowing the device to project beams of colored light. While the lens is not designed for actual use, especially since it requires an external power...

A team of engineers at Penn State, University Park, PA, is using squid to create an eco-friendly thermoplastic that can be used in 3D printing. Most plastics are made from fossil fuel sources or from synthetic oils. Thermoplastics can melt, be formed, and then solidify without degrading materials properties....

In April 2013, President Obama announced a highly ambitious multi-year BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, focused on expanding and revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. The BRAIN Initiative has five participating federal agencies,...