Markets

The same piezoelectric effect that ignites a gas grill could one day power sensors in the body via human respiration. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a piezoelectric polymer, to develop a host of biomedical devices that could monitor blood...

The list of potential applications for ultrasound is impressive, ranging from non-invasive surgery, to pain therapy, to Alzheimer's treatment. Most recently, doctors in Glasgow, Scotland — the city in which ultrasound was pioneered as a diagnostic tool in the 1950s — started using the technology to...

Researchers at Tel Aviv University were recently able to implant a robotic cerebellum into the skull of a brain-damaged rodent — and effectively restore its capacity for movement. Could robotic cerebellums benefit humans with motor control disorders, too? That's the plan, researchers say.

Tufts University chemists have announced the development of the world's first single-molecule electric motor — a mind-boggling concept in and of itself, but even more so when you take a look at the hard numbers. The new motor measures a mere 1 nanometer across — 200X smaller than the current world record...

Just like any other device that relies on a wireless connection, medical devices like insulin pumps and implants may be vulnerable to attack. In cases like these, a breach in security is not just an annoyance or financial liability — it may be a matter of life or death. Recently, at the Black Hat Technical Security...

Advances in prosthetics technology are usually more applicable to the developed world than a country like Afghanistan, even though it has one of the highest amputation rates. With this in mind, U.S. Army Task Force Spartan soldiers have produced a simple and easily reproduced prototype prosthetic leg...

Morgan Technical Ceramics (Cleveland, OH) has launched a new tube contact sensor for accurate detection of occlusions in medical infusion lines. The sensor gives non-invasive detection of pressure changes in a flexible tube without the requirement for disposable cassettes. It is suitable for soft thin-walled tubing and can be clipped...