Heather Thompson, Senior Editor Accelerating innovation is an easy-to-say, hard-to-do concept. In many ways, product development has sped up to a breakneck pace in the last 20 years due to CAD advances, automation, 3D printing, rapid protoyping, to name only a few technologies. Toolkits and methodologies have also expanded to include lean and agile principles, […]
Research & Development
ICU Medical touts dosing errors study
ICU Medical (NSDQ:ICUI) said today that a multi-hospital study showed improvements in potentially catastrophic dosing errors and drug library compliance when its Plum infusion pumps and Hospira (NYSE:HSP) MedNet safety software were integrated with the hospitals’ electronic medical records. The rate of potentially catastrophic dosing errors fell by 52% after smart-pump EMR integration, the study found, […]
Abbott touts association between monitoring and improved glucose control
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) touted results today from real-world use data for its FreeStyle Libre blood glucose monitoring system. The data showed that people using its FreeStyle Libre system to monitor their glucose levels spend less time in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia and have improved average glucose levels. More than 50,000 diabetes patients using the FreeStyle Libre system checked […]
Tiny magnetic implant delivers drug locally
Researchers from the University of British Columbia have developed a magnetic drug implant that measures just 6 millimeters in diameter and can deliver a drug locally to a targeted tissue. The team’s work was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The device is a silicone sponge with magnetic carbonyl iron particles, wrapped in a round […]
This brain-sensing headband gives scientists an idea of how brains age
A wireless brain-sensing headband is benefiting more than just the consumer. The valuable data that the headband creates and collects is shedding new light for neuroscience researchers on what happens to our brains as we age. Muse is a wearable device that helps users meditate. It guides the user through meditation by changing the sounds it […]
Researchers develop luminesent carbon nanodots to track drug delivery
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed photo-luminescent carbon nanodots that exhibit reversible switching of their optical properties in cancer cells. The team’s work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The carbon nanoparticles could be applied to intracellular imaging and drug delivery, the authors said. Get the full […]
New technique rapidly tests nanoparticles for safety
Researchers from the University of Geneva and the University of Fribourg have developed a screening method that rapidly assesses and selects nanoparticles for their biocompatibility. The team’s work was published in the journal Nanoscale. The researchers touted that they can determine if a nanoparticle will be compatible with the human body in less than a week […]
Researchers develop bioink for 3D-printed pills
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have developed a viable bioink made out of hyaluronic acid for 3D-printed pills. In this study, researchers used an inket technique to 3D print the pills, citing the method’s speed and ability to print at room temperature. Its speed is important for scalability and mass production, while […]
Helius Medical touts data from multiple sclerosis pilot study of PONS system
Helius Medical Technologies said today that clinical data from a multiple sclerosis pilot study of its portable neuromodulation stimulator was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal: Experimental, Translational and Clinical. The company’s PONS system is designed to treat neurological symptoms, caused by trauma or disease, non-invasively through the tongue. Helius’ pilot study evaluated its PONS device combined […]
Propeller Health, Novartis ink collaboration for connected inhaler
Propeller Health said today that it landed a collaborative agreement with Novartis (NYSE:NVS) to develop a custom add-on sensor for the Breezhaler inhaler. The partnership is focused on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Europe. The Breezhaler is a capsule-based, dry powder inhaler and is a part of Novartis’ portfolio of COPD therapies. The custom […]
Researchers develop nanoparticle delivery system for gene editing tool
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have designed a nanoparticle delivery system to assist the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas9 across the cell membrane and into the cell nucleus, effectively avoiding the cell’s natural defense mechanisms. The team’s work was published in ACS Nano. “CRISPR has two components: a scissor-like protein called Cas9, and an […]