Argo Medical’s exoskeleton coming to America: The Daily Mail reported that Argo Medical Technologies Ltd. will soon be making its ReWalk exoskeleton available in the United States for people paralyzed in the legs. The device provides power and walking motion, but balance has to be maintained by using forearm crutches. The system was originally developed by Amit Goffer, an entrepreneur was was left paralyzed after a car accident in 1997.
Device enables tonsil cancer patients to swallow by hand: Surgeons at UC Davis developed an implantable device that allows a tonsil cancer survivor with a severe swallowing disorder to manually open the esophagus.
Philips combines MR and PET into one scanner: This year we’re finally seeing companies combining magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning into unified systems. At RSNA 2010, Philips unveiled its own solution which involves a 3T MR and a high resolution PET scanner with an integrated rotating table that passes the patient from one machine immediately into the other. MedGadget asked the folks at Philips to explain the new system and the advantages of keeping the two scanning modalities separate:
IntimateRider helps physically disabled carry on normal sex lives: Paralysis of the lower body can, literally, be a drag on one’s sex life. However, makers of the IntimateRider claim that their device will allow people with certain disabilities to bring real action into the bedroom. The chair provides users with improved mobility during sex through the use of low-friction bearings and a spring-less design. No electricity or outside power source is required; use of the chair simply requires that the user be able to move their upper torso.
A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.