A novel neck brace, which supports the neck during its natural motion, was designed by Columbia engineers. This is the first device shown to dramatically assist patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in holding their heads and actively supporting them during range of motion. This advance would result in improved quality of life for patients, not only in improving eye contact…
A team of seasoned European healthcare entrepreneurs announced the foundation of MCG motion capture GmbH (MCG), the world’s first precision motion analysis and digital care company. The team combines decades of expertise in the medtech, digital health and biopharmaceutical industry, including big data integration, analysis for decision support, and long-standing experience in clinical trials as…
Stretchable electronics is emerging as a promising new technology for next-generation wearable devices, according to a review published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. The technology has many possible applications for healthcare, energy and the military. But there are several challenges involved in finding suitable materials and manufacturing methods. The biggest challenge for…
Atrial fibrillation can be correctly detected using commercially available smartwatches. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) at the University Medicine Greifswald and researchers from the Basel University Hospital.
A new Cedars-Sinai study shows that using Fitbit activity monitors to measure steps taken in the days after surgery can predict which patients leave the hospital sooner. The study of 100 patients, led by Timothy Daskivich, MD, director of Health Services Research for the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery, showed that each step taken towards 1,000 steps the day after surgery resulted in…
Researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) are literally breaking barriers using ultrasound waves emitted from a flexible patch to accurately measure central blood pressure and help detect cardiovascular problems earlier. For a while now, smart, wearable devices have had the ability to capture how many steps we take in a day or measure our heart…
Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineers have created a smart wristband with a wireless connection to smartphones that will enable a new wave of personal health and environmental monitoring devices. Their technology could be added to watches and other wearable devices that monitor heart rates and physical activity.
For many years, Virtual Reality (VR) has been part of the gaming sector with eye goggles for players to interact with certain scenarios. However, more recently VR has shown it can deliver specific treatments in healthcare. It is already being applied, for example, to treat phobias and as a distraction therapy for pain. Work also progresses on how it can enable better outcomes for invasive…
ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, held its second plenary session, “Digital Health—Help or Hype?,” this morning at ISPOR 2018 in Baltimore, MD, USA. As digital technologies such as smart phones, social media, and wearables have increasingly become available, the potential opportunities for tracking health metrics and enhancing participation in…
The way you walk can reveal current and future health problems. New research from Halmstad University suggests the use of wearable sensors for analysing your movement. This can potentially result in early detection of for example Parkinson’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis and other neuro-physiological disorders. Many of our body systems, such as the cardio-vascular system and the…
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the School of Engineering & Applied Science is redefining the notion of a wisdom tooth. The team is developing a smart-tooth technology that could someday be used to detect early signs of certain diseases in high-risk patients by analyzing saliva or gingival crevicular fluid.…
A pioneering study has certified that wearable technology produced better results in monitoring cardiac patients and improving their quality of life compared to conventional systems.
The power of computing grows more pervasive as it is increasingly integrated into everyday items within our immediate environment, as in smart toothbrushes, for example, or a vortex whistle for managing chronic lung function via smartphones. This September, scientists, developers and designers from around the world met in Heidelberg, Germany, for two parallel events: ACM International Joint…
Wearable monitoring devices are offering patients the chance to play a greater and more active role in their own healthcare. They are alerting physicians and carers when a patient may be unwell, or their condition needs closely monitoring, and they have potential to improve the accuracy of findings within clinical trials. Report: Mark Nicholls
Stroke and spinal cord injury patients often require gait rehabilitation to regain the ability to walk or to help strengthen their muscles. Wearable “robot-assisted training” is quickly emerging as a method that helps improve this rehab process.
Researchers at the University of Southern California will demonstrate how using wearable technology and smartphones can improve cancer treatment at a White House event.
A new world of flexible, bendable, even stretchable electronics is emerging from research labs to address a wide range of potentially game-changing uses.
High-tech textiles must fulfill a number of functions and meet many requirements. That is why the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC dedicated some major developing work to this most intriguing research area. The result can now be seen at Techtextil trade show in Frankfurt from 4 to 7 May. On display will be novel textile-integrated sensors, a unique multifunctional coating system for…
Although wearable devices have received significant attention for their ability to track an individual's physical activity, most smartphone applications are just as accurate, according to a new research letter.
Wrist-watches, wrist and arm bands, tags, finger rings, clips, smart glasses, shoes, insoles, smart patches (as thermometers), sensors woven into fabrics for T-shirts and socks and, of course, implantable devices as well as ingested pills were displayed by 23 exhibitors in the Wearable Technologies Show at Medica this year. Report: Cornelia Wels-Maug
Siemens Healthcare’s Acuson P300 ultrasound system, a compact portable device, integrates high-performance hardware and software and offers 13 multi-frequency transducers for high clinical versatility.
UT Arlington researchers have been awarded a $744,300 grant from the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program to create an adaptive interface that fits between a prosthetic and a patient’s limb so that the fit and comfort of the prosthetic are improved.
Back in 1938, the precision machinist and innovator Hans Rudolph created what is possibly the first respiratory valve specifically for human/animal pulmonary studies.
Over in Hall 16, in the Wales Pavilion, an extensive instrument range from the single-use surgical instrument manufacturer, is on show from DTR Medical Ltd. Included are precision electro surgery instruments. ‘Micro Needle Electrodes (both tungsten and stainless steel variants) offer first time sharpness with fine, precise tissue dissection,’ the firm reports. The range also includes…
We live in a connected world, a very different world than it was a decade ago, said Eric Topol MD. Mobile devices, wearable devices are driving a creative revolution, reducing costs of healthcare, increasing patient access to health information.