Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Continuously correcting BCI technique improves precision
Stanford‘s Krishna Shenoy has developed a more precise brain-controlled cursor for a virtual keyboard using a technique that continuously corrects brain readings. An algorithm analyzes the measured electrical signals that a prosthetic device obtained from sampled neurons. It adjusts the signals so that the sample’s dynamics were more like baseline brain dynamics. The thought-controlled keypad would allow…
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Biochemical sensor helps refine cancer treatment
MIT professor Michael Cima is developing a tiny biochemical sensor that can be implanted in cancerous tissue during a biopsy. It wirelessly sends biomarker data to an external device, allowing doctors to monitor progress, and adjust dosages or switch therapies accordingly. The sensor fits into the tip of a biopsy needle. It contains 10 microliters…
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Video messaging app for the hearing impaired
Glide combines the concepts of WhatsApp with Skype, enabling users to send short videos of themselves. It has become a popular communication tool for the hearing impaired, who use it for sign language messaging. The app has 20 million registered users. The company hopes to soon offer instant subtitles for sign language, and the ability to convert…
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Gesture controlled driver’s seat improves ergonomics
The Fraunhofer driver’s seat is adjusted with hand gestures to optimize ergonomics and prevent spinal strain. Pressure responding piezoensors are integrated into the side of the seat to activate the motion controlled system. Seat positions can be stored. Proximity sensors detect changes in electrical fields, as triggered by hand motions. Software interprets the data and determines the hand’s…
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Paralyzed patients move legs with non-surgical stimulation
UCLA and Pavlov Institute‘s transcutaneous stimulation technique helped paralyzed patients regain voluntary movement without surgery. In a recent study, 5 men, who had been paralyzed for 2-6 years, moved their own legs (with out stimulation) after several weeks of electrical stimulation, physical therapy, and an experimental drug. Transcutaneous stimulation delivers electrical current to the spinal cord,…
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Jack Young interview at Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015
Startup Health‘s Unity Stoakes did a series of interviews at ApplySci’s recent Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 conference. Here is his discussion with Jack Young, General Partner at dRx Capital and Head of the Qualcomm Life Fund. Click to hear Jack’s thoughts about the future of wearables, venture capital strategy in healthcare, and the…
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Sensor pill for 3D colon imaging
Check Cap, developed by Yoav Kimchy, is a colon imaging sensor pill. A patient takes small amounts of a contrast agent with meals. The pill is swallowed, and after reaching the colon, a signal is emitted in every direction, providing 3D imaging. The data is sent to a wireless patch worn by the patient, and his/her doctor receives…
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Street View cars map health-impacting pollutants
Google has partnered with Aclima to map urban air quality through Street View cars. Mobile sensors on the cars will measure nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants that can affect health. A experiment was conductedin Denver. The cars drove for 750 hours, over 30 days, and gathered 150 million…
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Deep neural networks for face recognition in darkness
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology researchers have used the heat from one’s face to enable facial recognition in darkness. Thermal imaging creates an infrared picture, which can then be matched to a photograph taken in the light. In a recent study, a “deep neural network” accurately identified faces in the dark 80 percent of the time when shown a…
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Device scores daily sleep quality
Nintendo has filed a patent for a device that scores one’s sleep quality each day. A user’s weight, pulse and movement information, as well as room temperature and humidity, are gathered. A microphone, camera, thermometer and other sensors calculate a sleep score that will be projected onto the ceiling. The abstract describes sensors that assess emotions,…
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“Smart” drug targets site-specific inflammation
Ben-Gurion University‘s Peleg Rider has developed a drug that targets inflammation in a site-specific manner. This could improve the body’s ability to fight infection and reduce side effects. When injected, it is a non-active drug. A localized site with excessive inflammation will activate it. Other anti-inflammatory agents inhibit inflammatory processes throughout the body, including sites of…
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Simple sensor to prevent car-heat related deaths
All too often we hear about a baby, or person who is unable to speak for him/herself, being left in a hot car, and dying. ApplySci applauds Evenflo for creating a car seat with a very simple notification sensor that could prevent this. The Embrace DLX seat, with SensorSafe technology, generates a series of tones when a…
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