Ohio State University researchers have figured out a way to reanimate human hearts in order to gain a better understanding of irregular heartbeats. “It’s amazing. You can see the heart start beating again, which gives us an opportunity to study it with high-speed, high-tech equipment,” said Vadim Fedorov, an OSU biologist who developed the technique, […]
Research & Development
Vetter, Microdermics ink deal to develop novel microneedle drug delivery system
Prefilled drug delivery system developer Vetter and medical device maker Microdermics said yesterday that the companies are working to develop a novel microneedle drug delivery system. Microdermics has developed a low-cost, commercially scalable, customizable microneedle platform that delivers vaccines and biologics. The company said it expects its intradermal delivery system will enter Phase I clinical trials this […]
Baxter inks R&D deal with Mayo Clinic, initial focus on kidney disease
Baxter (NYSE:BAX) said today that it inked a research & development collaborative deal with the Mayo Clinic to develop new technologies and therapies designed to improve patient therapeutic care. The pair will initially focus on kidney disease, with additional projects planned in other areas where breakthrough treatment options can be introduced and innovation can improve access […]
These sensors can detect diseases using your breath
Disease markers and toxins in a building’s air could soon be detected on portable and disposable sensor devices being created by University of Illinois researchers. The device is made from small, thin, organic plastic that is in the shape of a square. The researchers have so far been able to monitor ammonia in patients’ breath, […]
Fitness trackers versus medical devices: What’s the difference?
Recent research studies have been calling into question the accuracy of fitness trackers. So when would FDA step in and regulate them as medical devices? It all comes down to the difference between low-risk general wellness devices and medical devices – a distinction covered in an FDA guidance document last year, said Michael Drues, a Boston-based […]
Why prosthetics need tactile feedback
Tactile feedback enabled blindfolded test subjects to more than double their ability to determine the size of objects they grasped with a prosthetic hand, according to U.S. and Italian engineers. “Humans have an innate sense of how the parts of their bodies are positioned, even if they can’t see them,” said Marcia O’Malley, professor of […]
3D printing could make bionic skin possible: Here’s how
University of Minnesota researchers 3D printed tiny stretchable electronic sensory devices that could enable bionic skin for surgical robots – or a new class of wearables directly printed onto human skin. Their work appeared May 5 in the journal Advanced Materials. “This stretchable electronic fabric we developed has many practical uses,” said Michael McAlpine, a […]
This nanofiber device can hear cells moving
A new miniature nanofiber device created by engineers at the University of California at San Diego is sensitive enough that it can feel bacteria swimming and can hear heart muscle cells beating. The device is 100 times thinner than a human hair and is made of optical fiber. It is designed to be able to detect forces […]
Your fitness tracker could be misleading you
Your heart rate may be accurate on your fitness tracker, but the number of calories burned is significantly wrong, according to new research from Stanford University. The researchers suggest that although the heart rate measurements are pretty much accurate, energy expenditure measurements are probably significantly wrong. Apple Watch, Basis Peak, Fitbit Surge, Microsoft Band, Mio […]
X-Biotix to address antibiotic resistance with chemical scaffolds
X-Biotix Therapeutics launched today with technology from Harvard Medical School that the company said will aim to address the threat of antibiotic resistance. According to the multi-year collaboration and license agreement, the team plans to identify antibiotic scaffolds that target multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. X-Biotix spun out of the privately-held biotech X-Chem, which develops novel small molecule therapeutics […]
Revive Therapeutics, University of Wisconsin-Madison ink deal for cannabinoid drug delivery tech
Revive Therapeutics (OTC:RVVTF) said today that it inked a research agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop a drug delivery technology for cannibinoids. The research program, led by Jess Reed, is slated to evaluate chitosan-tannin composite biomaterial as a delivery mechanism for cannabinoids. Therapeutic biomaterials made from a composite of chitosan and tannin include […]