Category: Brain
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Single blood drop to detect dozens of diseases
HealthTell is another single blood drop home diagnosis device. ApplySci described Dr. Eugene Chan‘s Nokia X prize winning similar system last month. HealthTell claims to detect disease by monitoring the body’s immune response. Infection antibodies are detected with a peptide built semiconductor wafer. When a few drops of blood hit the surface, antibodies stick to the…
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Light tracking wearable to prevent seasonal depression
As the shortest day of the year approaches, we all risk the impact of a lack of sun on our personal wellness. Bright light exposure has myriad mental health benefits, including improved mood, and enhanced digestion, energy and sleep. Studies show that light therapy is as effective as antidepressant medication, with additional benefits and no…
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BCI enabled 10-D prosthetic arm control
Jennifer Collinger and University of Pittsburgh colleagues have enabled a prosthetic arm wearer to reach, grasp, and place a variety of objects with 10-D control for the first time. The trial participant had electrode grids with 96 contact points surgically implanted in her brain in 2012. This allowed 3-D control of her arm. Each electrode point picked up signals…
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Optic technology to diagnose, monitor brain damage
Coherent hemodynamics spectroscopy (CHS), developed by Tufts professor Sergio Fantini, measures blood flow, blood volume, and oxygen consumption in the brain. The goal is to pinpoint and monitor, real time and non invasively, brain damage from stroke, traumatic injury, or vascular dementia. It can also be used to study how blood flow is regulated in the healthy…
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3D holograms can be seen and felt
Benjamin Long and colleagues at the University of Bristol have developed invisible 3D object holograms that can be felt and seen in mid-air using ultrasound. Potential uses include helping surgeons “feel” the differences between materials in a CT scan to diagnose disease, or, combined with a VR headset, to rehearse surgeries. High-frequency sound waves are pulsed from miniature…
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Electrode/patch system monitors physical & mental health of soldiers
University at Buffalo professor Albert H. Titus, Sentient Science, and ONR are developing technology to monitor physical and psychological stress levels of soldiers, and send alerts when distress is detected. The wireless system includes electrodes that measure heart rate, brain activity and other vital signs, and are attached to the skin adhesively or sewn into…
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Wearable creates electric fields on scalp to treat brain tumors
Novocure, founded by Technion professor Yoram Palti, has developed a device worn on the head that creates alternating electric fields to treat brain tumors. The company announced that in a phase III clinical trial, its technology, in combination with standard chemotherapy, extended the lives of patients. Novocure claims that it “slows and reverses tumor growth by inhibiting…
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Mapping mental illness origins for targeted treatment
Stanford‘s NeuroCircuit initiative, led by Amit Etkin and Stephen Baccus, attempts to locate brain circuits responsible for mental illness and develop better, noninvasive TMS and ultrasound treatment techniques. Their stated challenge: “A major hurdle that has prevented our understanding of cause and effect in the brain is the inability to directly manipulate brain activity and connections in a precise…
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Speech app detects bipolar mood swings early
PRIORI is an android app that monitors subtle voice changes to detect bipolar mood swings. It was developed by Zahi Karam, Emily Mower Provost and Melvin McInnis at the University of Michigan. The hope is to anticipate swings before they happen, and intervene. PRIORI was inspired by the families of bipolar patients, who often were first…
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AI system mimics human short term memory
Google’s DeepMind has unveiled a prototype computer that attempts to mimic properties of the human brain’s short-term memory. It is a neural network that works with an external memory, resulting in a computer that learns as it stores memories and can later retrieve them to perform logical tasks beyond those it has been trained to…
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More realistic virtual reality — Google hopes
Little is known about MagicLeap, recently backed by Google, representing an assumed commitment to the gaming space, with potential BCI applications. Patent applications suggest that the company provides display technology that can trick the human visual system better than existing virtual reality displays. Reports discuss an improved virtual reality user interface that lets one’s eyes focus on…
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Quadriplegic walks, with support, after nose cell transplant
University College London professor Geoffrey Raisman transplanted cells from a quadriplegic man’s nose into his spinal cord, enabling him to walk (with assistance) for the first time in 4 years. The paper describing the transplant was published in Cell Transplantation this week. In 1969, Professor Raisman discovered that damaged nerve cells can form new connections. In 1985,…