Tag: Medical

Laser light can soothe burned skin. Wounds need to be closed as quickly as possible to avoid becoming infected, a particular challenge for diabetes patients. Damaged nerves often prevent the timely detection of wounds and slower blood circulation negatively impacts the speed at which they heal. Now, to accelerate the process, a US research team has developed an electronic,...

Salvia can speak volumes on oral cancer. Brain tumours, however, are harder to spot, and are usually only discovered at an advanced stage, when patients’ speech or movement becomes affected. Enter a research team from Japan and their non-invasive test to detect brain tumours through our urine. The team discovered particles with special characteristics. The so-called extracellular vesicles are...

A smartphone can help detect the Zika virus. But research into how mosquitoes spread diseases is disagreeable for living test objects and both expensive and time-consuming. Cue a research team from Rice University, which has developed a cost-effective method using a synthetic, 3D-printed hydrogel skin. The gel is placed in a closed chamber with mosquitoes, and its tiny passageways...

A US medical centre is encouraging Hispanic patients to attend colorectal cancer screenings, while new software could help detect Parkinson’s in its infancy. Now, an 18-year-old woman from India has developed a system for detecting oral cancer that can be used at home. The system comprises a small heating device and a test kit that costs approximately 50 cents....

In Nigeria, mothers can obtain no-strings support to help them prepare for birth, while a special lab in Canada is looking after the health of older women. Now, another Canadian startup is helping women counter pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence by manufacturing customised pessaries from medical-grade silicone. First, a patient’s pelvic floor is digitally measured. Using this data,...

Encounters in the virtual world can have a major impact in reality. Now, a Hamburg startup is using mixed reality to improve provision in the medical industry. Their software converts CT scans or X-rays into 3D models, which can then be viewed with the help of augmented reality glasses. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the holograms can be split into...

Playing games promotes muscle development after a stroke, and time management can help patients with brain injuries re-integrate into society. Now, a startup from Montenegro has developed a smart solution to ensure patients with long-term illnesses take their medication on time. Their air-conditioned pill box has 4-8 compartments with different coloured lamps. An app helps users allocate box parts...

Infrared light helps wounds to heal, and a damaged retina can be restored. Meanwhile, a US research team has gained new insights into how rheumatoid arthritis might be treated in future. The chronic disease sees the immune system attack the body’s own joint tissues. Inflammatory molecules cause cells to grow rapidly, while at the same time activating proteins that...