Categories
Nanoparticles Sensors

“Bubble-pen” writes with nanoparticles

Yuebing Zheng and University of Texas colleagues have developed a “bubble pen lithography” device and technique to quickly, gently and precisely handle nanoparticles.  This can support the creation of accurate and highly sensitive biomedical sensors for drug delivery or imaging, among other applications.

The method relies on micro bubbles to  inscribe nanoparticles onto a surface.  A laser is focused underneath a sheet of gold nanoislands to generate a hotspot that creates a microbubble out of vaporized water. The bubble attracts and captures a nanoparticle through gas pressure, thermal and surface tension, surface adhesion and convection. The laser steers the microbubble to move the nanoparticle on a site on the surface. When the laser is turned off, the microbubble disappears, leaving the particle on the surface.

Existing methods, used to etch materials on a substrate, cannot precisely apply nanoparticles to a specific location.  Bubble-pen lithography can also use a 3D printer-like program, depositing nanoparticles in a pre-programmed pattern in real-time.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
Brain

Handheld spectrometer identifies low-grade brain tumors

Emory and Georgia Tech researchers have developed a highly sensitive spectrometer  to identify low-grade gliomas from healthy tissue.  The hand-held device  contains a light source and detector tuned to the excitation and emission wavelengths of PpIX.

The team claims that the device is 3 times more sensitive than current surgical microscopes, and enables the detection of as few as 1000 tumor cells.

This could lead to the ability of surgeons to remove low-grade gliomas with fluorescence-guided procedures.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

 NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
Brain Wearables

Smart helmet + rate activated strap could minimize head injury severity

The Army Research Lab continues to develop technology aimed at protecting soldiers, athletes and others from impact related head injury.

Its rate-activated helmet-strap can prevent violent head motions, while permitting (necessary) voluntary head motion. The material stretches with low, elastic force at slower speeds, and resists with high force when pulled quickly upon impact.

Used in combination with sensors that quantify impact in real time, and detect and monitor biological and physiological indicators of TBI, the strap system might be able to minimize injury.

The project is being funded by the NFL, GE, and  UnderArmour. Click to view the video of project manager Eric Wetzel describing the technology.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5,2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Misson Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
Cancer

Phone chip may sense cancer in breath

Image:  The Yomiuri Shimbun

A consortium led by Yoshikawa, Genki and National Institute for Materials Science colleagues is in the early stages of developing a phone sensor that they claim is capable of detecting cancer by analyzing breath odor.

A tiny chip is said to determine whether substances linked to cancer exist in one’s breath, and calculates whether he/she is suspected to have the disease.  The result is displayed on a phone’s screen.

NIMS believes that the sensor will be able to distinguish  cancer type in the future. It also may be able to determine odors linked to respiration in diabetes, kidney & liver disease, and asthma.  The researchers are working on multiple applications for both clinical and self quantifying scenarios, and hope for it to be available by 2022.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
AI Brain Deep Learning fMRI

Brain architecture linked to consciousness, abstract thought

UMass professor Hava Siegelmann used fMRI data from tens of thousands of patients to understand how thought arises from brain structure. This resulted in a geometry-based  method meant to advance the identification and treatment of brain disease.  It can also be used to improve deep learning systems, and her lab is now creating a “massively recurrent deep learning network.”

Siegelmann found that cognitive function and abstract thought exist as an agglomeration of many cortical sources, from those close to sensory cortices to those far deeper along the brain connector. Her data-driven analyses defined a hierarchically ordered connectome, revealing a related continuum of cognitive function.

Siegelmann claims that  “with a slope (geometrical algorithm) identifier, behaviors could now be ordered by their relative depth activity with no human intervention or bias.”

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
AI Apps fitness

Wearables + app + AI for personalized fitness coaching

Under Armour has partnered with IBM Watson to create a fitness app called Record.

Exercise, sleep and food intake are recorded from wearables, apps, and one’s own entries, and analyzed by Watson, which provides personalized coaching based on the data of others with similar fitness profiles.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
Sensors Wearables

Sensor patch, app, quantify sun exposure

MC10 has partnered with L’Oreal to develop MyUV Patch, a small, flexible adhesive patch that uses MC10’s advanced sensors to determine sun exposure.  Photosensitive dyes incorporate skin tone into the equation, and change colors as UV exposure increases. Users upload photos of the changing patch to an app that determines exposure levels.

Last year ApplySci described related technology in the Spinali Bikini, which has integrated sensors that measure UV and send smartphone alerts.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

Categories
Sensors Wearables

Flexible bio-sensor wearable + cloud system + research portal

ApplySci has long followed the disruptive work of John Rogers and Roozbeh Ghaffari at MC10.  At last year’s Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC conference, Dr. Ghaffari described the company’s bio-medical sensor based wearable electronics, its focus on movement disorder and cardiac monitoring to both measure the impact of medicine and track quality of life, and its plans to develop an ecosystem meant to better inform physicians.

Today MC10 unveiled BioStamp Research Connect — a closed loop platform that combines flexible, bendable, stretchable sensors with a cloud system for researchers to share data across several sites in real time.

BioStamp Sensors can be placed simultaneously on locations across the body to monitor and understand multiple health parameters. This will reduce observation error and improve data capture, and can be used in a clinical setting, or comfortably through daily life, including through exercise and sleep.

Ghaffari will be a featured speaker at Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco on April 5th.  Click to view his interview with Unity Stoakes at the 2015 Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC conference.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

2nd annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech  NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

Categories
Wearables

App controls heat, comfort, fitness monitors in smart shoe

Digitsole is a smart shoe company that creates app controlled footwear.  A phone can be used to:  control a heating system that can raise the shoe’s temperature to 110 degrees fahrenheit; tighten or loosen laces; or activate a light.  And, of course, sole placed sensors provide data on steps taken and calories burned, as well as when a worn sole must be replaced.

A variety of shoe styles will all have the same functionality.

 

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

2nd annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

Categories
Sensors

Smart thermometer + app track temperature over time

Thermo by Withings is a connected, highly accurate, non invasive thermometer. It measures temperature from the temporal artery on the side of the head using 16 infrared sensors.

4,000 measurements are taken in 2 seconds, and a proprietary algorithm corrects for differences including skin heat loss or heat from a room’s light. Data is sent to a smartphone via bluetooth, and the accompanying app tracks temperature over time.  Custom inputs including medicine taken can be added.

 

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

2nd annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

Categories
Wearables

Smart ring controls home devices; health applications possible

Samsung has joined Apple, Microsoft, and Google in patent filings for smart rings. Patently Mobile describes features including the ability to control phones, TVs, and home automation systems.  Health and fitness applications have not yet been detailed, but are a logical extension.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

2nd annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

 

 

Categories
AI Assistive Technologies Computer Vision Eyes

“Augmented attention” wearable assists the visually impaired

OrCam is a disruptive artificial vision company that creates assistive devices for the visually impaired.  It is led by Hebrew University professor Amnon Shashua.

MyMe, its latest product, uses artificial intelligence to respond to audio and visual information in real-time.  A clip on camera and Bluetooth earpiece create what the company calls an “augmented attention” experience, meant to enrich interactions.

The device is aware of all daily actions — including people we meet, conversation topics,  visual surroundings, food we eat, and activities we participate in. Visual and audio processing functions serve as an extension to a wearers’ awareness.  A built in fitness tracker will also be included.

More details will be available after MyMe is unveiled at CES next week.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center

2nd Annual Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences

NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences