Category: Sensors

  • Sensors detect flu in feverless patients

    http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201306010011 Professor Takemi Matsui of Tokyo Metropolitan University has developed a sensor based system to determine if a person is infected with the flu.  It combines thermography to monitor facial temperature, an optical sensor to count pulse rates, and microwave radar to measure respiratory rates. Test subjects must place the palms of their hands on a…

  • Mobile phone microphones as health sensors

    http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21578518-sensor-technology-microphones-are-designed-capture-sound-they-turn-out The Economist’s Technology Quarterly describes how mobile phone microphones are being used as versatile sensors with myriad health applications.  Examples follow: 1. Professor Tanzeem Choudhury of Cornell has created StressSense to capture and analyze voice characteristics such as amplitude and frequency. Her team concluded that “it is feasible to implement a computationally demanding stress-classification system…

  • Wearable sensors, data analytics track fertility

    https://www.glowing.com http://www.ovuline.com http://www.duofertility.com Several recently launched companies are trying to assist couples conceive by using wearable sensors and big data analytics to pinpoint a woman’s most fertile days.

  • Smartphone as handheld biosensor

    http://news.illinois.edu/news/13/0523iphone_biosensor_BrianCunningham.html University of Illinois researchers have developed an iPhone cradle and app that uses its camera and processing power as a biosensor to detect toxins, proteins, bacteria, viruses and other molecules.    Professor Brian Cunningham, the team’s leader, discussed healthcare applications:  “A lot of medical conditions might be monitored very inexpensively and non-invasively using mobile platforms…

  • Another crowdfunded vital sign monitor

    http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/scanadu-scout-the-first-medical-tricorder As the crowdfunding of remote health devices increases, another vital sign monitor has launched on Indiegogo. Scanadu Scout analyzes and tracks temperature, respiratory rate, blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure and stress trends.  The company states that it accomplishes this in 10 seconds. The device is still pre-FDA approval but quite promising. They claim…

  • Eldercare robots perform essential tasks

    http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/disruptions-helper-robots-are-steered-tentatively-to-elder-care/ Already popular in Japan, today’s New York Times reports on the developing trend of robotic companions for the elderly. A typical Japanese example is the Tsukuba University created Hybrid Assistive Limb. The battery-powered suit senses and amplifies the wearer’s muscle action when carrying or lifting heavy objects.  Caregivers can also use the suit to…

  • Crowdfunding an autonomic nervous system monitor

    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/723246920/finally-a-wearable-device-that-can-improve-your-li?ref=category The W/Me sensor has the ability to capture electrical impulses relayed from the sinoatrial (SA) node, a group of specialized cells in the right atrium. It uses a proprietary algorithm to measure heart rate variability, map the autonomic nervous system, and indicate mental state.

  • Microrobots sense retinal oxygen levels

    http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/130506_SauerstoffMikroroboter_aj/index_EN Professor Bradley Nelson and researchers at ETH Zurich have created a miniature robot that can be injected into the eye to precisely measure the retina’s oxygen supply.  Many diseases, including Glaucoma, can interfere with oxygen delivery to the retina.  Rapid diagnosis and treatment is essential in the attempt to preserve vision.

  • Wireless detection of brain trauma

    http://health.universityofcalifornia.edu/2013/05/14/wireless-signals-could-transform-brain-trauma-diagnostics/ New technology developed at UC Berkeley uses wireless signals to provide real-time, noninvasive diagnoses of brain swelling or bleeding. The device analyzes data from low-energy electromagnetic waves, similar to the kind used to transmit radio and mobile signals.  It is sensitive enough to distinguish between a normal brain and a diseased brain with one single noncontact…

  • Nanotube sensor detects glucose in saliva

    http://www.technologyreview.com/view/514456/carbon-nanotube-sensor-detects-glucose-in-saliva/ A team led by Mitchell Lerner at the University of Pennsylvania has developed a carbon nanotube based transistor that can detect glucose levels in body fluids, including saliva. The nanotubes are coated with molecules of pyrene-1-boronic acid, which makes them highly sensitive for glucose detection. When exposed to glucose, the nanotube transistor’s current-voltage curve changes,…

  • Flexible “skin” heart monitor

    Stanford professor Zhenan Bao has developed a flexible, skin-like heart monitor, worn under an adhesive bandage on the wrist.  This non-invasive method could replace intravascular catheters, which create a high risk of infection, making them impractical for newborns and high-risk patients.  An external monitor could give doctors a safer way to gather information about the heart, especially…

  • Haptic hand monitors joint mobility

    http://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/item/30530-a-helping-hand-for-med-tech/ Ireland’s Tyndall National Institute’s “haptic hand” sensorized glove collects hand movement data to assist doctors’ understanding of arthritis patient mobility. Sensors built into the glove will provide 3-D simulations of joint movement and information on hand stiffness. The glove could potentially also be used to track hand movements in other applications, such as stroke rehab…