Tag: #151

In future, milli-spinners could help treat blood clots. Now, a Canadian research team has turned its attention to kidney stones. The research team’s soft robot, made from gelatine, contains magnetic particles and the enzyme urease. Once the 1mm thin, 12mm long robot strip has entered the urinary tract via a catheter, it can be moved into place in the...

A simple system could protect cars from unauthorised entry. Log-ins, passwords and, most recently, passkeys, do the same job for email or other online accounts. Service provider logs record access, also recognising devices and IP-addresses. But experienced hackers with knowledge of this private information can use this to mask their own details during login to falsify records. Staying undetected...

Faulty heart valves can regenerate. Tooth enamel, on the other hand, cannot. Until now. Using the knowledge that hair (from humans or sheep) contains keratin, a London-based research team has tried embedding it in dental creams and gels. The keratin combines with minerals in the saliva to form crystals. These, in turn, are fused into a scaffold, which resembles...

A special camera captures objects near and far. Imaging is just as important in the early detection of breast cancer. But a mammogram is painful and, where breast tissue is thick, potentially unreliable. Reason enough for a US-based research team to develop a pain-free method, allowing patients to press their breasts gently against a vertical pane from a standing...

Braille characters can be translated using a pen. Now, a science team on America’s west coast is using writing to help diagnose Parkinson’s without breaking the bank. The team’s 3D-printed diagnostic pen is filled with magnetic fluid, while a coil of conductive yarn is wrapped around its barrel. The tip is made from magnetic silicon. When tracing letters directly...

Batteries made from paper can be an environmentally-friendly source of electricity. Now, a Swiss startup is aiming to replace batteries used in small devices entirely (a process that’s already begun in Sweden). Energy will come through perovskite solar cells previously developed in a research lab. Their properties and size can be tailored to customer requirements and device design. Manufacture...