Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Pain relieving wearable, app
Cur is a wearable pain relief system, similar to Quell, (see ApplySci, 1/13/15) for people who respond to TENS. It uses uses electrical stimulation to stop pain at its source. The bandaid-like device sticks directly to skin, and all the modulation of electrical signals is automatically controlled by built in sensors. Users can also adjust the amount of stimulation…
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Stamp sized wearable detects falls
As part of its IoT Ubiquitousware platform, Fujitsu has developed a stamp sized sensor tag that detects falls, position, posture, and temperature changes. The tags contain accelerometers, barometers, gyroscopes and microphones. They can also include heart rate sensors and GPS modules. Data is transmitted via Bluetooth Low Energy. Algorithms analyze the data and automatically send alerts…
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Inhaler sensors track asthma severity across cities
Propeller Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, through their Air Louisville program, are using sensors on asthma inhalers to track when, where and how often inhalers are used. This helps patients manage symptoms, and city officials warn of increased chances of asthma severity in certain areas. Sensors attach to inhaled medication, and a smartphone app and…
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Wireless brain chip restores vision, bypasses eye
Monash University’s Bionic Eye will be trialed in humans next year. The study is being led by Professor Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld. Patients who have lost their sight will have tiny “ceramic tiles” implanted into their brain’s visual cortex. The device bypasses the normal visual pathway, unlike the other bionic eyes in development, which rely on…
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Heat sensitive sock detects diabetic circulation issues
Kent State University researchers have developed a fabric that can be turned into a sensor sock for diabetics. The liquid crystal in the prototype sock changes color depending on body temperature. Inflammation, swelling and infection cause an increase in temperature, and poor circulation causes a decrease in temperature. This is a simple way to detect…
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Sensor technology helps seniors age in place
Evermind, Lively (see ApplySci April, 2013 and November, 2014), and BeClose are sensor systems allowing remote caregiver monitoring — part of a growing genre of technologies helping seniors age in place. Evermind detects when appliances are switched on and off, and sends messages to caregivers through the day. It also sends alerts when changes in activity…
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Virtual Reality in neurosurgery planning
UCLA Neurosurgery, led by Neil Martin, is using VR in surgery planning, integrating the Oculus Rift with Surgical Theater’s 3D “SNAP” surgery navigation device. (See ApplySci’s April, 2014 description of Surgical Theater’s technology.) The hope is to be able improve precision and outcomes, and decrease surgical time. The VR scene is based on patient CT and MRI scans,…
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Ultra-low-field, portable MRI
Los Alamos National Laboratory‘s Michelle Espy is developing an ultra-low-field, lightweight MRI system for use on the battlefield and in poor countries. The device will be simple to transport, set up, and use in non-traditional settings. Conventional MRI machines use large magnetic fields that align protons in water molecules. Magnetic resonance signals are detected and turned into images. Highly detailed…
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3D printed airway splints restore breathing
At the University of Michigan, three children under 2 with tracheobronchomalacia had 3D printed devices implanted to open their airways and restore their breathing. Professors Glenn Green and Scott Hollister were able to create and implant customized tracheal splints for each patient. The device was created directly from CT scans of their tracheas, integrating an image-based…
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Robot sensor reads facial expressions to determine emotions
Sungkyunkwan University‘s Nae-Eung Lee has created a stretchable, transparent sensor that helps robots read facial expressions. It senses smiling, frowning, brow-furrowing and eye-rolling. The robot then detects movements, including slight changes in gaze, to determine whether people are laughing or crying, and where they are looking. The ultra-sensitive, wearable sensor layers a carbon nanotube film on two types of…
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Cheap, flexible biosensor detects HIV, E-coli, Staph aureas
Florida Atlantic, Stanford, and Harvard researchers have developed a thin, lightweight, flexible “paper microchip” biosensing platform to detect and determine treatment for HIV, E-coli, Staphylococcus aureas and other bacteria. They have also created an app that could remotely detect bacteria and disease in the blood using mobile phone images. Current paper and flexible material-based platforms…
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Built-in, contactless sensors monitor breathing
Novelda’s building-integrated “XeThru” sensor modules detect human presence and monitor respiration. Breath rate and depth are measured and tracked in real-time. The use of radio waves, rather than infrared, ultrasound or light, allows the modules to ‘see through’ a variety of objects, including building materials and blankets. The sensors are intended for hidden, tamper proof,…
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