Markets

Migraine pain sits at the upper end of the typical pain scale – an angry-red section often labeled “severe.” At this intensity, pain is debilitating. Yet many sufferers do not get relief from – or cannot tolerate – over-the-counter and commonly prescribed pain medications. Recently, a team...

A team of Rice University students has developed a transcutaneous energy-transfer (TET) unit to power a minimally invasive ventricular assist device (VAD) being created by a Houston compay. The VAD is a tiny pump inserted into the aorta via a catheter that helps increase blood flow and...

Access to patient-specific information is key to delivering more personalized treatment. A team of biomedical engineers and hematologists at the University of Pennsylvania has conducted large-scale, patient-specific simulations of blood function under the flow conditions found in blood vessels,...

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are developing an implantable system for a third-generation artificial retina as part of a U.S. Department of Energy project to produce an "retinal prosthesis" that could restore vision to millions of people suffering from eye diseases.

In a conventional cochlear implant, there are three main parts that are worn externally on the head behind the ear: a microphone to pick up sound, a speech processor and a radio transmitter coil. These external components may be undesirable because they raise reliability issues, prevent patients from swimming, and...

A main limitation in deployment of prosthetic technology is the integration of the prosthetic device into the body. Using current procedures, effective prosthetic integration often requires 18 months and multiple surgeries. A new technique involves merging tissue...

Interest in the design of new drug delivery systems focuses on releasing the drug at a controlled rate and desired time. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown great potential for use in biomedicine due to their ability to get close to biological entities such as cells, viruses, proteins, and...

Technology from NASA has benefited various commercial healthcare applications on earth, ranging from reducing chemotherapy's side effects to improving diagnostic imaging. In the latest achievement to join the list, it may also enhance an up-and-coming area of cancer treatment called...

When the brain is injured by blunt force, explosion, or other trauma, the cells at the impact site are irreversibly damaged and die. In the area surrounding the sound, injured cells release toxic substances that cause the brain to swell and restrict blood flow and oxygen...

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new configuration for neutron generators by turning from conventional cylindrical tubes to flat geometry of computer chips. The most practical and near-term application would be a tiny medical neutron source implanted close to...

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 231,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. However, in about 17 percent of patients who receive a total join replacement, the implant eventually loosens and needs to be replaced. As people are living...

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new method for the fabrication of artificial bone scaffolds that can assess important pore design factors such as porosity and their role in new bone formation. Their method's capablities for in vivo control of different scale...

Cervical collars were first developed during the Vietnam War to stabilize the heads and necks of accident victims, but research has shown that this device may be overdue for an update. Students at Rice University tested a currently used cervical collar and found that when a patient's neck is...

Neurofeedback — a type of biofeedback in which a person becomes aware of the physiological state of their body, and can manipulate and control this at will — has been proven to be an effective form of therapy for a variety of conditions, such as migraine, epileptic seizures, and ADHD. For...

The key to creative design isn't necessarily coming up with something entirely new, but rather, being aware of what problems exist, and conceiving of solutions to those problems. And, according to technology design and development firm Cambridge Consultants, a focus on "Px" development — the art and science of designing...

Crewmembers returning from long-duration space flight face significant challenges due to the microgravity-induced inappropriate adaptations in balance/sensorimotor function. The Neuroscience Laboratory at JSC is developing a method based on stochastic...

Gems Medical Sciences (Plainville, CT) offers ISO 13485 certified products for the specialized fluid control and handling requirements of the medical device, diagnostic, life science, and biotechnology market segments. The company recently announced the opening of a 4,000 sq. ft. Medical Processing Area in its headquarters...

Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating matter on a molecular scale, offers obvious advantages for the medical market. However, the question of nanotoxicology — the study of the toxicity of nanomaterials — may also play a role in the future of this technology. In 2006, the FDA formed the...