Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced the launch of its new PracticePoint program that is designed to bring research, development and testing of medical devices under one roof. PracticePoint, with $17 million in initial funding, will focus on creating smart and secure medical devices that can interact with the physical world and improve patient-centric care. […]
MedTech
8 ways 3D printing is making surgery remarkable
3D printing is already making a difference in healthcare: It enables models of organs to train surgeons and educate patients –and improve surgery outcomes. Doctors previously had to examine actual organs with their hands to get a feel for what they need to do surgically. Now, MRIs and 3D printers eliminate the need to put […]
This wearable measures your emotions
Forget the mood rings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab’s spinout mPath has created a wearable device that can determine the exact moment a wearer is experiencing certain subconscious emotions. The MOXO wearable was originally developed to study the stress levels of children who have autism. That device, commercialized through MIT professor Rosalind Picard’s […]
This wearable device predicts influenza outbreaks
A wearable thermometer developed by Boston Children’s Hospital has had success in predicting seasonal influenza outbreaks in China, one month earlier than before, according to a new study. “The fact that we were able to predict influenza outbreaks faster than China’s national surveillance programs really shows the capacity for everyday, wearable digital health devices to […]
Is this the key to rapidly manufacturing heart valves?
Nanofiber fabrication may be the key to rapidly manufacturing heart valves with regenerative and growth potential, according to new research from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. A research team led by Kevin Kit Parker created a valve-shaped nanofiber network that replicates the mechanical and chemical properties of the native valve extracellular matrix (ECM). […]
MedPlast acquires Coastal Life
MedPlast announced that it has acquired Coastal Life Technologies, its second acquisition in a three-month span. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. MedPlast is working to expand its services and network of global manufacturing facilities to the world’s largest OEM. The acquisition of Coastal Life extends MedPlasts medical device assembly sites to […]
This snake-like robot could be used for colonoscopies
Ben-Gurion University researchers are working on creating an ingestible snake-like robot that can navigate through the small intestine for a robotic colonoscopy. The tiny, swallowable robot, deemed SAW (single actuator wave-like robot), moves in a wave motion and is able to move through the environment of the small intestine. “The external shape of the robot […]
7 medtech stories we missed this week: July 7, 2017
From EnvisionTEC’s FDA approval to InVivo Therapeutics adding a new clinical site, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. EnvisionTEC wins FDA nod for 3D printing E-Denture material EnvisionTEC announced in a June 30 press release that it has received FDA approval for its E-Denture material […]
Home strep tests save time and money
Parents could save time and money by testing for strep throat at home as opposed to going to the doctor, according to a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers also collaborated on the study. Streptococcus, also known as strep throat, causes a sore, red throat that is […]
7 medtech stories we missed this week: June 30, 2017
From ConforMIS touting its knee replacement study to Consulting Radiologists’s new breast cancer detection tool, here are seven medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. Study: Low-dose CT scanning improves Ankylosing Spondylitis assessment A new study has shown that low-dose computed tomography (LD-CT) is more sensitive than X-rays for monitoring […]
Could dogs be better than medical devices at detecting cancer?
Dogs in a small Japan town are being trained to detect stomach cancer through their scent to try to combat the high rates of stomach cancer in the area, according to media reports. The small 6,000-resident Japanese town of Kaneyama has high rates of stomach cancer and mayor Hiroshi Suzuki has taken to a sniffer […]