Medical

Researchers have taken a huge step closer to the engineering of nanoscale devices to aid the delivery of life-saving drug treatments. Research co-leader Professor Dayong Jin at UTS said such minute devices have the potential to be engineered to efficiently and more safely deliver drug treatments directly to the location of diseased cells while helping avoid harm to healthy cells that fall victim to toxic drugs administered by conventional means.

A new bracelet called Joule contains FDA-approved patches that deliver caffeine through the skin, taking away the discomfort after the caffeine rush, while also placing the patch in an area without much fat resistance, allowing the substance to flow faster into the body. The body absorbs each patch (the equivalent of a cup of coffee) over the course of four hours — giving wearers long-lasting alertness without the jitteriness.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has approved a research application from the Francis Crick Institute to use new 'gene editing' techniques on human embryos. The aim of the research, led by Dr Kathy Niakan, a group leader at the Crick, is to understand the genes human embryos need to develop successfully.

SMP Sintermetalle Prometheus has developed components for medical technology applications. These inductive components are used in MRI or Computed Tomography (CT), for example. Designed as filter or mains chokes they are not only compact, low-loss and energy efficient but also exceptionally quiet in operation, essential qualities for these demanding medical technology applications.

A startup is building a smartphone-connected gadget that aims to tell you if the pill you’re about to take is really what you think it is by shining light on it. A scan of a known Viagra pill with Stratio’s LinkSquare spectrometer shows that it matches a reference scan. San Jose-based Stratio’s device, called LinkSquare, is a tiny spectrometer, a device that measures the intensity of wavelengths of light. 

Paralysed from the waist down after a BMX accident, Steven Sanchez rolled into SuitX’s Berkeley, California, office in a wheelchair. A half-hour later he was standing and walking thanks to the Phoenix, a robotic exoskeleton now available for around $40,000. The suit returns movement to wearers’ hips and knees with small motors attached to standard orthotics.

Imagine wanting to take a sip of your morning coffee. To accomplish this, your brain must send a signal that will pass from neuron to neuron all the way down your arm, to your hand, to your fingers. Your fingers will then grasp the coffee and bring it to your lips and then you can enjoy the caffeine fix.

The United Nations' top nuclear watchdog group proposed the use of nuclear radiation treatment as a strategy to eliminate or reduce the mosquito population carrying the Zika virus. Yukiya Amano, Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced this plan on last Sunday, before leaving for an official visit to Central America where the virus has been rapidly spreading.

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and University of Iowa scientists have used a new gene-editing technology called CRISPR to repair a genetic mutation responsible for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited condition that causes the retina to degrade and leads to blindness in at least 1.5m cases worldwide.

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage associated with the development of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. Resulting from anatomical deformation, excessive pressure and poor blood supply, it affects over 130m individuals worldwide. It is also the leading cause of amputation, costing the United States economy alone more than $10bn annually.