The pandemic has accelerated innovation in many ways but the physical pressures on entrepreneurs, innovators and engineers is very real. In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, a panel representing early-stage and tech transfer efforts explain how they’re helping individuals and young companies work through the unique challenges of the time, including finding capital, […]
University of Pittsburgh
How is coronavirus vaccine development going in the U.S.?
Researchers in Pittsburgh and Boston are moving forward with research into two separate vaccine programs against SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers is detailed in a paper published recently in EBioMedicine, which is published by the Lancet. Delivery of the vaccine involved a microneedle array to […]
Study: Nearly $1 trillion wasted in U.S. healthcare annually
About 25% of U.S. healthcare spending — between $760 billion and $935 billion annually — is wasted, according to a new report published today. Researchers from Humana (NYSE:HUM) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine searched medical literature from January 2012 to May 2019, looking for waste and savings opportunities in six domains of […]
Renerva lands $2.4 million to develop ‘Neosporin of nerve repair’
Nerve-repair startup Renerva said today it has received $2.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Pittsburgh company is developing a periheral nerve matrix (PNM), an injectable gel derived from porcine tissue to help repair and regenerate injured peripheral nerves. The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) Award award will enable Renerva to complete its preclinical […]
$3.8 million federal grant targets suicide research
Researchers using brain imaging to identify people with suicidal thoughts just landed a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute for Mental Health. Marcel Just of Carnegie Mellon University and David Brent of the University of Pittsburgh will use the money to advance their research analyzing the alterations in how brains represent certain concepts, such […]
How smartphones can remotely monitor chemotherapy patients
University of Pittsburgh research has recently shown that smartphone sensors coupled with a specifically-developed algorithm could detect worsening symptoms in chemotherapy patients. The sensors offer a way for cancer patients to be remotely monitored. The sensors and algorithm can detect objective changes in patient behavior to determine if symptoms are getting worse. Indications of worsening […]
6 brain-controlled devices helping people regain movement
People who have lost feeling in their limbs or have lost the ability to move them may soon have those sensations restored thanks to a slew of recent brain-controlled device innovations. While we are moving toward less invasive methods like electrode-filled caps on the head, there are still more invasive implants that are benefiting those […]
Implanted brain chip allows paralyzed man to feel
An array of microelectrodes implanted into a paralyzed man’s brain has restored sensation to his hands, according to a study published today in Science Translational Medicine by a team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.
Varian settles patent beef with Pitt for $35M

Varian Medical (NYSE:VAR) said it settled its patent infringement beef with the University of Pittsburgh for $35 million, after a federal appeals court overturned a portion of the $100 million award Pitt won in 2012.
“Diabetes breathalyzer” could make blood glucose management cheaper, less invasive

Patients with diabetes may be familiar with the "fruity breath" phenomenon, an odor resulting from a build-up of acetone that indicates a deficiency in blood glucose. Researchers are hoping to target acetone breath as a means of non-invasively detecting and monitoring diabetes.
University of Pittsburgh scientists say that their "diabetes breathalyzer" technology could be a cheaper, less invasive way of keeping track of diabetes through breath alone.