Tactile sensors expand prosthetics: Researchers at Lund University in Sweden and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Italy are continuing development of the Smart Hand prosthesis that features sensors and a feedback mechanism to bring feeling to patients equipped with the device. The prosthesis uses severed nerves as a channel for controlling motion and for sending sensory information from fingertips back to the brain.
DermaStream CST for active wound management: EnzySurge of Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel, is slated to begin the Food & Drug Administration approval process for its complete DermaStream CST system, according to Israel21C. The wound-healing device is designed to be placed over a wound to provide continuous cleaning and washing away of debris and extravasated fluid. Although the device itself already won FDA clearance, the bio-active chemical solution that it is supposed to work with it has yet to get a green light.
Turn your iPhone into a stethoscope: Dr. Blaine Warkentine, a partner at startup firm RidRx, tells MedGadget that the company is selling its patent-pending iStetho Adapter, which can convert an iPhone/iPod Touch and an old stethoscope into an electronic one, directly to consumers. Also, the adapter is designed to work in tandem with the powerful iStethoscope Pro software that does many tricks with auscultation sounds, such as displaying sound spectrograms, replaying and emailing recordings, etc.
Ultrafast lab-on-a-chip for disease biomarker detection: Researchers from IBM Research in Zurich and the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland developed a microfluidic device that uses capillary action to detect the presence of protein biomarkers for various diseases. The 5-square-centimeter, silicon-based lab-on-a-chip takes only 15 seconds to perform its analysis.
A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.