When Sarah and Jon Morris’ twins were born nine weeks early, they embarked on a journey largely dictated by their children’s medical needs. While son Drew was thriving, daughter Emma was severely compromised and was transferred to Boston Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “We felt powerless,” remembers Jon. “Every time we thought we had […]
Vector Blog
Exploring the science behind the marathon runner
Running the Boston Marathon takes months of training, and it can take a toll on elite marathoners and novice athletes alike. Vector checked in with some of the experts in the Boston Children’s Hospital’s Sports Medicine Division to learn more about how science can aid marathon runners, prevent injury and illness and facilitate recovery. Chocolate […]
Looking to crowd-sourcing to improve our understanding of fever
What, exactly, is a fever? It’s a surprisingly simple but important question in medicine. While a body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C) is generally considered “normal,” this number doesn’t account for temperature differences between individuals — and even within individuals at various times of the day. While a common sign of infection, fever can also occur […]
A personalized approach to treating kidney stones
One in 10 people in their lifetime will have a kidney stone — a small, hard deposit of mineral and acid salts that can obstruct the drainage of urine, cause intense pain and, if not treated properly, lead to long-term kidney issues. Kidney stones are relatively uncommon in children, but the number of cases over […]
Exploring better options for ACL repairs
by Lisa Fratt An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear can be a devastating sports injury. Every year, 400,000 people, many of them teen and young adult athletes, sustain ACL injuries or tears. Martha Murray, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, worked with a team of colleagues to create a new procedure known as bridge-enhanced […]
How to win early investors: Tips for gauging startup resources
How do you get companies or investors to support your project in a startup world where “many are called, few are chosen?” Vector attended a panel last week on the subject, moderated by Ryan Dietz, Senior Licensing Manager at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Technology and Innovation Development Office (TIDO). The panelists were: Tom Luby, PhD, Senior […]
Holding onto the heart: 3D printing heart models
Jason Ayres, a family doctor in Alabama, was speechless as he held his adopted son Patrick’s heart in his hands. Well, a replica of his son’s heart — an exact replica, 3-D printed before the 3-year-old boy had lifesaving open-heart surgery. Patrick was one of the first beneficiaries of 3-D printing technology at Boston Children’s […]
Filtering Sepsis: How technology aims to cure sepsis through filtration
Sepsis is the most common cause of death in infants and children worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. Damage is caused not only by the bloodstream infection itself but by the systemic inflammatory cascade it triggers — which has been difficult to control without also causing long-lasting immune suppression. During a five-minute Ignite Talk at […]
Relieving pain … with light?
Consider this scenario: A patient is home recovering from knee surgery to repair an ACL tear. Her pain medications are wearing off, and the surgical cuts are starting to throb. Reaching over to the table she picks up what’s essentially a souped-up laser pointer, points it at the surgical wound and turns it on. Within […]
Using cloud-based computing to improve complex care
For children with complex medical needs, care coordination across medical specialties is a major pain point, as is communication across multiple provider systems. And patients aren’t the only ones feeling the burden. Consider these startling statistics: $25-$45 billion is wasted annually in the U.S. due to poor communication in health care. $45 billion has been […]
Charting 9 2016 medical innovation predictions
What does 2016 have in store in the realm of science and clinical innovation? Vector asked clinical, digital and business leaders from around Boston Children’s Hospital to offer their forecasts. Our quantified brains 2016 will see more work on brain differences from individual to individual, and even from day to day in a single person. […]