Scientist-led conferences at Harvard, Stanford and MIT
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Smart foam measures football helmet impact
http://news.byu.edu/archive13-nov-helmetsmartfoam.aspx Brigham Young University researchers have developed a “smart foam” helmet lining for immediate, real-time measurements of each hit that a football player endures. The measurements are communicated immediately to a hand-held device, telling coaches if a collision is capable of inducing a concussion, even if the player denies a problem. “ExoNanoFoam” is a nano-enabled…
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Monkeys in Nicolelis lab control both arms using brain activity
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/5/210/210ra154.short?rss=1 Duke’s Miguel Nicolelis continues to advance brain machine interface, and in his latest experiment, monkeys have learned to control the movement of both arms on an avatar using their brain activity. The findings advance efforts to develop bilateral movement in brain-controlled prosthetic devices for severely paralyzed patients. Until now brain-machine interfaces could only control…
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Implanted nanotube sensor monitors health for up to one year
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/new-implantable-sensor-1103.html MIT scientists are developing injectable and embeddable carbon nanotube sensors that can monitor blood sugar levels, inflammation, and other health issues. The continuous monitor can stay in a person’s body for up to a year. Researcher Nicole Iverson wrapped carbon nanotubes in DNA sensitive to nitric oxide and made two types of sensors. One is injectable…
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“Bionic” arm exoskeleton concept for rehabilitation and strength augmentation
http://titanarm.com/about Titan Arm is an untethered, powered, upper body exoskeleton concept for use in rehabilitation and therapeutic applications, which can also augment strength. It is under development and not yet ready to be brought to market, but is being designed by students at The University of Pennsylvania. It straps directly to a user’s right arm to help…
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Breath sensor identifies lung cancer
Journal of Thoracic Oncology Metabolic processes are different in those with and without lung cancer. Cleveland Clinic researchers have developed a colorimetric sensor that analyzes breath to identify lung cancer and characterize cancer histology. The sensor evaluates the activity of antioxidant pathways, the handling of energy stress, and the metabolism of specific volatile organic compounds. The…
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Light guiding hydrogel for cell based sensing
http://hms.harvard.edu/news/talking-light-10-22-13http://www.nature.com/nphoton//journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nphoton.2013.278.html Harvard Medical School researchers have developed a way to deliver a light signal to specific tissues deep within the body. Called a light-guiding hydrogel, the implant is constructed from a polymer-based scaffolding capable of supporting living cells. The hydrogel contains cells genetically engineered either to carry out a specific activity in response to light…
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NIH funds robots for the vision impaired, stroke patients, doctors performing catheter ablation
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2013/nibib-23.htm Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health. All involve robots that cooperate with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures. A co-robotic navigation device for the blind: Cang Ye at University of Arkansas is incorporating 3D imaging sensor technology into the white cane. This…
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IBM unveils prototype of “brain-inspired” computer
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24571219 The human brain is 10,000 times more dense and efficient than any computer today. IBM is using the brain as a design template, including using fluids to cool the machine and distribute electrical power. This could enable processing power that is densely packed into 3D volumes rather than spread out across flat 2D circuit boards…
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Gait sensor for Parkinson’s patients could prevent falls
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=could-a-simple-ankle-sensor-help-with-parkinsons-symptoms University of Alabama professor Emil Jovanov is developing a sensory cue device to detect freezing of gait episodes that lead to falls and serious injuries. It uses sensors embedded in a shoe or attached to the ankle. As soon as the system senses a gait freeze, it transmits an auditory cue (such as the…
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MD Anderson uses IBM’s Watson supercomputer to accelerate cancer fighting knowledge
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/42214.wss Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center is feeding IBM’s Watson “cognitive computer” case histories on more than 1 million leukemia patients, along with information about the disease, research and treatment options. Hospital staff and doctors hope it will help guide care and reduce the death rate. They also hope the supercomputer will be able to…
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Noninvasive nanoparticle diagnostic detects blood clots early
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nn403550c Current blood clot tests are very indirect. MIT’s Sangeeta Bhatia has developed a diagnostic based on technology first reported to detect colorectal cancer. The system consists of iron oxide nanoparticles, FDA approved for human use, coated with specialized peptides that interact with thrombin. After being injected into mice, the nanoparticles travel throughout the body. When the particles…
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Brain stimulation and touch sensitivity in prosthetic limbs
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/10/08/1221113110.abstract?sid=35f0c072-fa67-4ec8-9e83-17a292a83982 University of Chicago scientists have completed a study on stimulating a prosthetic limb wearer’s brain with electrical signals to replicate feelings of touch. The researchers used monkeys with electrodes connected to touch-associated areas of the brain. They completed touch exercises with their normal hand and an unstimulated brain. The same exercises were conducted with a prosthetic…
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