Wireless brain-computer link returns vowels to paralyzed man: Locked-In Syndrome, which leaves patients aware but almost entirely without the power to move, is one of the most terrifying potential results of brain lesions. Now, a collaboration of American researchers has implanted a wireless brain-machine interface, developed by Neural Signals of Duluth, Ga., into a locked-in subject who is almost completely paralyzed. The system uses brain electrodes to read signals meant for jaw and mouth muscles. An FM radio is used to transmit these brain signals to a computer, which transforms them into recognizable sounds. Although the system is only able to produce vowels, with more electrodes and more powerful algorithms it should be able to scale up to fully vocalized words.

“Bronchial GPS” lung navigation: Veran Medical of St. Louis, Mo., won FDA clearance to market the SPiN Drive System for bronchial analysis and treatment management. The system correlates CT scan data with an electromagnetic navigation system to visualize and pinpoint the location of diseased regions deep within the lungs.

A urine check for pneumonia: Somewhere, every minute, a patient with a fever is getting a chest X-ray to look for pneumonia and a urinalysis to look for urinary tract infection. New research by University of California-Davis biochemist Carolyn Slupsky and others may one day prove that there’s enough in urine to diagnose pneumonia on its own:

Off-road wheelchair: Another company, Action Manufacturing of Marshall, MInn., entered the all-terrain motorized wheelchair arena with its Action Trackchair. If you’re paralyzed below the waist but have a hankering to explore off the beaten path, this mini-tank might be just the ticket.

A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.