Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Contactless sleep and fatigue sensor
Entering the digital health market, Nintendo is developing a contactless device to track a user’s sleep and monitor fatigue. It is based on a non-contact radio frequency sensor which measures breathing, heartbeat and body movement. The company describes the system as five “Non” Sensing elements: 1. “Non-wearable.” Nothing is attached to the body. 2. “Non-contact.” The product…
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Microsoft aims to “unify & democratize” health data
Microsoft Band tracks heart rate, steps, calorie burn, and sleep quality. The company’s ambitious goal, according to Yusuf Mehdi, is “to unify all that (collected health) data and democratize it, and then add some real value on top.” The cross-platform cloud service, by Microsoft’s Health Group, stores and accesses all the data a device or…
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Nanoparticle sensor to detect illness early
Andrew Conrad, head of Google Lifesciences, has confirmed that the company is working on nanoparticle technology that would be swallowed, and used in combination with an external device to continuously monitor the blood to detect cancer, heart disease, and other health issues. It is known as the “Nanoparticle Platform.” While the technology is in an…
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Low cost digital sensor detects Ebola in 1 hour
Conventional fluorescent label based virus detection methods require expensive lab equipment, significant sample preparation, transport and processing times, and extensive training to use. Boston University professors Selim Unlu and John Connor are working on a rapid, label-free, chip-scale photonic device to provide affordable, simple, and accurate on-site detection. Current methods can require an hour for sample preparation,…
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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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Sweat sensor patch tracks health
University of Cincinnati professor Jason Heikenfeld and US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Joshua Hagen are developing a perspiration sensor patch to monitor electrolytes, metabolites and other biomarkers. The patch currently includes a sodium sensor, a voltage meter, a communications antenna, microfluidics, and a controller chip that’s externally powered by a smartphone. It is printed onto…
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Bio-paper discs for rapid Ebola detection
Paper discs that detect Ebola are being developed for use as a rapid, cheap, simple method to identify infected people. According to Harvard‘s Wyss Institute‘s Jim Collins, the technology prints sequences of DNA on paper, and then the paper is freeze-dried and stored at room temperature. The DNA is reactivated by adding water. Once active,…
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Google expands AI research
Following its DeepMind acquisition 9 months ago, Google continues to build its artificial intelligence initiative, and has bought two University of Oxford spinoffs in the field. Dark Blue Labs, led by Professor Nando de Freitas, Professor Phil Blunsom, Dr Edward Grefenstette and Dr Karl Moritz Hermann, will focus on research to enable machines, (computers or…
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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,…
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Transparent brain implant could improve neuromodulation
University of Wisconsin professor Justin Williams and colleagues have developed a graphene based, transparent sensor implant to help researchers better view the brain. Unlike existing devices, the sensor’s micro electrode arrays work in tandem with imaging technologies. This could improve neuromodulation therapies used to control symptoms, restore function, and relieve pain in patients with hypertension,…
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“Smart bandage” changes color as wounds heal
Harvard Medical School professor Conor L. Evans has developed a transparent liquid bandage that does not need to be removed to check oxygen levels. Its phosphors glow red when a wound isn’t getting enough oxygen, and green when it is. The glowing effect is triggered by a light source that can be captured with a smartphone camera.…
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2014 Nobel Prize for discovery of brain’s “inner GPS” system
The 2014 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to professors John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser, and Edvard Moser for “a paradigm shift in our understanding of how ensembles of specialized cells work together to execute higher cognitive functions” — specifically their discovery of the brain’s “inner GPS” system. Place cells and grid cells — neurons…
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