Author: lisaweiner

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Cancer Heart Sensors

Wearable sensor evaluates human tissue stiffness

Sheng Xu and colleagues have developed a wearable, stretchable device that non-invasively evaluates the stiffness of human tissue, at an improved penetration depth, and for a longer period than, existing methods.

An ultrasonic array facilitates serial, non-invasive, three-dimensional imaging of tissues, four centimeters below the surface of human skin, at a spatial resolution of 0.5 millimeters.

The sensor can be used to detect cancer progression, which cases cells to stiffen; diagnose and treat sports injuries, by monitoring muscles, ligaments and tendons; and monitor the efficacy of treatments for liver, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which cause tissue to stiffen.

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Brain Pharmaceuticals

Donanemab slowed memory decline by 35%, disease progression by 39%, in Alzheimer’s trial

Patients who received Eli Lily’s monthly donanemab infusion in an 18-month study demonstrated a 35% slower decline in memory, thinking, and ability to perform activities of daily living, and were 39% less likely to progress to the next stage of the disease. Brain plaque was also reduced significantly.

The risk of the drug is brain swelling and bleeding. Three trial participants died from these complications.

Lilly CSO/CMO Daniel Skovronsky said donanemab demonstrated the highest level of efficacy of any Alzheimer’s treatment in a clinical trial.

The company plans to apply for FDA approval in the coming months.

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Pain

Pain management via implanted, bioresorbable drug delivery device

John Rogers has developed a wireless, self-powered, bioresorbable implant for programmed drug delivery, enabling precision pain management.

When exposed to an external light source, the implant’s wavelength-sensitive phototransistor opens a gate, releasing a pre-loaded reservoir of a drug into the body. It dissolves after the regimen is complete, eliminating the need for surgery to remove it.

The device has been tested on rats, and will move to human trials after further safety tests.

John Rogers discussed soft electronics for the human body at the 2018 ApplySci conference at the MIT Media Lab.

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Brain

Music improves working memory in study of seniors

A study led by Damian Marie and UNIGE, HES-SO Geneva, and EPFL colleagues showed the effect of music on working memory decline.

132 healthy retirees from 62 to 78 years of age, who had not taken any lessons for at least six months, were assigned to two groups — piano practice, and active listening.

According to author Clara James: ”After six months, we found common effects for both interventions. Neuroimaging revealed an increase in grey matter in four brain regions involved in high-level cognitive functioning in all participants, including cerebellum areas involved in working memory. Their performance increased by 6% and this result was directly correlated to the plasticity of the cerebellum.” Quality of sleep, the number of lessons, and daily training time also had a positive impact on brain performance.

In the pianists, the volume of grey matter remained stable in the right primary auditory cortex. It decreased in the active listening group. A global brain pattern of atrophy was present in all participants, showing that while music can prevent aging in specific regions, the researchers could not yet conclude that music generally rejuvenates the brain.

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Heart Sensors

Proof of concept wrist sensor could detect heart-vessel blockage in 3-5 minutes

UW’s Graham Nichol and Harborview Medical Center colleagues studying the reliability of a troponin-detecting, wrist-worn sensor in arriving cardiac arrest patients.

Identifying heart-vessel blockage quickly is crucial to ensuring rapid, appropriate intervention. Traditional EKG diagnosis can lack accuracy, and blood testing for troponin can take hours.

The novel “Tropsensor,” being commercialized by rce, is designed to detect high troponin levels within three to five minutes of application, will be tested on 30 patients during emergency care at Harborview.

In a related Robert Wood Johnson study of 238 patients led by Partho Sengupta, a wrist worn transdermal infrared spectrophotometric sensor successfully identified elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-I (hs-cTnI) levels in patients hospitalized with ACS.

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Sensors Wounds

Smart bandage based closed loop wound monitoring and treatment system

Caltech professor Wei Gao has developed a smart bandage for chronic wounds, made from a flexible and stretchy polymer containing embedded electronics and medication. The electronics allow the sensor to monitor uric acid, lactate, pH level and wound temperature, indicating inflammation or bacterial infection.

Data from the wound is transmitted wirelessly to the patient or doctor. Antibiotics (or other medication) stored within the bandage is released directly, as needed, to the wound site. A low-level electrical field can stimulate tissue growth, resulting in faster healing.

In animal models, the bandages provided real-time updates about wound conditions and metabolic states, and helped chronic infected wounds (similar to those found in humans) heal faster.

Wei Gao discussed skin-interfaced wearable biosensors at ApplySci Silicon Valley, held on Sand Hill road in 2020.

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Brain Sensors

Closed-loop sensor/stimulation system to detect, reduce neurological events

For the first time, there is an autonomous sensing and stimulating unit sitting in a specific brain region and ensuring that neuronal activity in that region is controlled. The closed-loop system is called NeuralTree and was developed by Mahsa Shoaran and EPFL colleagues, to overcome the lack of control caused by epileptic activity or tremor, and later depression, anxiety, OCD, and other disorders. In the future, the technology will be miniaturized, and could rely on internally harvested energy, such as blood flow or oxygen. It could then be possible to implant multiple units to aid the brain, when and where needed.

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Diabetes Sensors

In ear PPG used to measure blood glucose levels in proof of concept study

Danilo Mandic and Imperial College colleagues have developed a novel in-ear PPG device for continuous blood glucose level measurement, using the infrared wavelength of a pulse oximeter.

In a recent proof of concept study, non-diabetic, pre-diabetic, type I diabetic, and type II diabetic states were considered. Recordings spanned 9 days, in both fasting and post carbohydrate consumption states. Blood Glucose Levels from PPG were estimated using regression-based machine learning models. An average of 82% of the BGLs estimated from PPG were in region A of the Clarke error grid plot, and 100% of the estimated BGLs in clinically acceptable regions A and B. The researchers believe that this demonstrates the potential of the ear canal for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring.

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AI Brain

AI reconstructs viewed images

Yu Takagi, Shinji Nishimoto and Osaka University colleagues have published a  study which demonstrates that AI can read brain scans and re-create largely realistic versions of images a person has seen. Future applications could include enabling communication of people with paralysis, recording dreams, and understanding animal perception, among others.

Additional training was used on the existing text-to-image generative AI Stable Diffusion system, linking text descriptions about thousands of photos to brain patterns elicited when those photos were observed. Stable Diffusion was able to get more out of less training for each participant by incorporating photo captions into the algorithm.

The algorithm uses information gathered from regions of the brain involved in image perception, such as the occipital and temporal lobes. The system interpreted information from fMRI scans, detecting changes in blood flow to active brain regions. When people look at a photo, the temporal lobes register information about image contents (people, objects, or scenery), and the occipital lobe predominantly registers information about layout and perspective, such as the scale and position. This is recorded by the fMRI as it captures peaks in brain activity, and these patterns can then be reconverted into an imitation image using AI.

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Brain

Amyloid beta oligomer blood test could predict Alzheimer’s disease several years in advance

University of Washington’s Valerie Daggett, Dylan Shea, and colleagues, have developed a lab test that can measure levels of amyloid beta oligomers in blood samples. Known as SOBA, the test detected, in a study of 310 subjects, oligomers in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients, but not in most of the control group, which had no cognitive impairment at the time of sample.

SOBA detected oligomers in the blood of 11 individuals from the control group. 10 were diagnosed, years later, with mild cognitive impairment or brain pathology consistent with Alzheimer’s disease. The exam record of the 11th member of the control group was not available.

SOBA (soluble oligomer binding assay) exploits a unique property of the toxic oligomers. When misfolded amyloid beta proteins begin to clump into oligomers, they form a structure known as an alpha sheet. At the heart of SOBA is a synthetic alpha sheet that can bind to oligomers in samples of cerebrospinal fluid or blood. The test then uses standard methods to confirm that the oligomers attached to the test surface are made up of amyloid beta proteins.

UW spinout company AltPep is working to develop SOBA into a diagnostic test for oligomers. In the study, the team also showed that SOBA easily could be modified to detect toxic oligomers of proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

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Heart Ultrasound Wearables

Wearable cardiac ultrasound continuously monitors heart structure, function for 24 hours

UCSD professor Sheng Xu has developed a wearable ultrasound device that can continuously monitor and assess the structure and function of the human heart for 24 hours, during normal daily activity. This could eliminate the need for highly trained technicians and bulky devices. 

Signs of cardiac diseases are transient and unpredictable, and imaging can detect issues before they become problems. The new system gathers information through a small, soft, wearable patch, worn on the chest and designed for optimal adherence. It sends and receives ultrasound waves which are used to generate a constant stream of images of the structure of the heart in real time — with out radiation. As heart function issues often manifest only when the body is in motion, the wearable aspect of the device is particularly important.

Images of the four chambers of the heart are captured in different angles, and a clinically relevant subset of the images is analyzed. The model automatically segments the shape of the left ventricle from the image recording, extracting its volume frame-by-frame and yielding waveforms to measure stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction. Curves of these three indices are generated continuously and noninvasively.

Xu plans to commercialize this technology through Softsonics, a company spun off from UC San Diego.

Sheng Xu was a featured speaker at the 2020 ApplySci Deep Tech Health conference on Sand Hill Road.

Categories
Sensors

Wearable sensor glows when bacteria, toxins detected

David Baker, Fiorenzo Omenetto, and University of Washington and Tufts colleagues have developed a garment-printed biopolymer sensor which detects bacteria, toxins, and dangerous chemicals. To work, a chemical activator must be sprayed after potential exposure. If the target is present, the sensor generates light. The intensity of emitted light provides a quantitative measure of the concentration of the target. It can also be embedded in films, sponges, and filters, molded to sample and detect airborne and waterborne dangers, or used to signal infections, or possibly cancer, in our bodies.The researchers demonstrated how the sensor emits light within minutes, when it detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus, anti-hepatitis B virus antibodies, food-borne botulinum neurotoxin B, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), an indicator of the presence of breast cancer. 

The team also created viral sensing drones, with fuselage-embedded sensors.  During flight, propellers direct airflow through the porous body of the drone, reacting to airborne pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2. This could, in the future, enable monitoring environments from a remote, safe distance.

The sensors do not rely on biological components that degrade quickly and require careful storage, or on electronic components which can be difficult to integrate into flexible wearable materials. 

Applications could include personal and patient monitoring, hospital infection control, and in-home, office, military and disaster environmental sensing.