Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Top 7 doctor recommended health apps
http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/309765/doctor-recommended-7-top-health-apps/1 PCMag visited seven specialists—an allergist, a dermatologist, a pediatrician, and a nutritionist—and asked which apps they recommend to their patients.
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Medical monitoring via webcam
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/03/remote-monitoring A team of researchers at Xerox is working on technology that would allow doctors to obtain patients’ vital signs using a simple webcam. Already, the team is testing use of the technology to monitor the pulse rate of premature babies and to track irregular heartbeats in patients suffering from arrhythmia. By applying further signal-processing…
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Sensors and mobile technology for asthma management
http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/05/asthmapolis-wants-to-hack-the-inhaler-and-help-26-million-americans-better-track-and-manage-their-asthma/ Asthmapolis uses a novel combination of smartphone applications and snap-on inhaler sensors that track when and how often patients use their inhaled medications. The geomedicine platform, available in both English and Spanish, is designed to help individuals with their daily preventive medications, reveal insights about their use of rescue medications and provide personalized feedback…
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3-D printer builds synthetic tissues
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-d-printer-synthetic-tissues.html Oxford University scientists have created a custom-built programmable 3D printer that can create materials with several of the properties of living tissues. The new type of material consists of thousands of connected water droplets, encapsulated within lipid films, which can perform some of the functions of the cells inside our bodies. These printed ‘droplet…
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Sensors detect diabetic foot ulcers early
Two new sensor-based early detection tools for diabetic foot ulcers are being developed. http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/383644/The-alarm-that-can-save-limbs Orpyx Medical Technologies has developed a wristwatch and shoe insert. An insole is designed to support the foot, with three separate foam layers. Eight tiny electronic sensors are packed in the top of the insole so that they rest against thesurface of the foot once the shoe has been put on. These sensors are programmed to…
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Chip could individualize prostate cancer treatment
http://cedars-sinai.edu/About-Us/News/News-Releases-2013/New-diagnostic-technology-may-lead-to-individualized-treatments-for-prostate-cancer-.aspx A research team jointly led by scientists from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles, have enhanced a device they developed to identify and “grab” circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, that break away from cancers and enter the blood, often leading to the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. If…
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Obama launches $100M BRAIN Initiative
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/02/brain-initiative-challenges-researchers-unlock-mysteries-human-mind Thank you, President Obama. Today at the White House, President Obama unveiled the “BRAIN” Initiative—a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. The Initiative promises to accelerate the invention of…
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Self tracking for diabetes — more efficient, still complicated
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/the-diabetics-paradox/274507/ Diabetes patients have been self monitoring for years. Advances in mHealth have made the process more efficient, though still complicated. The iPhone can improve the functionality of glucometers; last month the FDA approved LifeScan’s VerioSync glucometer; the device automatically sends blood sugar levels to an iPhone via Bluetooth (fewer steps mean fewer mistakes and less anxiety).…
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Implantable microchip could be used to battle obesity
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21852062 The microchips were designed by Imperial College London professors Chris Toumazou and Sir Stephen Bloom. They will soon be tested in a series of animal trials which could determine whether or not they are a good alternative to weight loss surgery. The intelligent implantable modulators are only a few millimeters wide and will attach to the vagus nerve in…
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Bats use of sonar applied in medical ultrasound machines
http://news.discovery.com/tech/innovations-inspired-by-animals-130325.htm Bat sonar has long had an edge over man-made sonar and ultrasound devices, but scientists are working to decrease that gap. Nathan Intrator of Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik School of Computer Science, in collaboration with Brown University’s Jim Simmons, created mathematical models that improve our understanding of the ultrasound process. “Animals explore pings with…
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MIT’s Boyden wins European prize for Optogenetics research
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/31/health/boyden-brain-map/ Ed Boyden at MIT pioneered Optogenetics–using light to manipulate the brain. ApplySci described MIT’s latest Optogenetics chip in our post of 12/4/12. Today, at least 1,000 neuroscience groups worldwide are using Optogenetics to study the brain. Professor Boyden compares his work to that of a philosopher and is a recipient of the 2013 Grete Lundbeck…
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Life Science VCs cautious about digital health
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidshaywitz/2013/03/28/life-science-vcs-definitively-indefinite-about-digital-health/commentId=comment_blogAndPostId/blog/comment/1534-1894-625 While the digital health sector is booming, life science VCs have hesitated, fearing a potential bubble and onerous government regulation. Many of the earliest investors in digital health have been tech investors such as Vinod Khosla, who feels that “mobile devices, big data, and artificial intelligence will disrupt healthcare.”
Got any book recommendations?