Medical
Spermbots could help solve male infertility
Sperm that don’t swim well rank high among the main causes of infertility. To give these cells a boost, women trying to conceive can turn to artificial insemination or other assisted reproduction techniques, but success can be elusive. In an attempt to improve these odds, scientists have developed motorised 'spermbots' that can deliver poor swimmers — that are otherwise healthy — to an egg. Their report appears in ACS’ jou...
Fallopian tubes grown in lab for the first time
Researchers in Germany have been able to grow the inner-most layer of fallopian tube cells in the lab for the first time. Rather than using them to develop transplants for women, the lab-grown cells are instead intended to help scientists further their knowledge of how diseases and infection develop, and subsequently spread, from the tube into other parts of a woman’s reproductive system.
Video games will compete with drugs as a form of medicine
Last summer, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley spent two months playing video games. For five days a week, he played Meditrain - which involves meditation and was developed in collaboration with Zynga - on his iPad, and another called Rhythmicity, which he developed with Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead, and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation. "It's based on the hypothesis that our brain is a rhythmic machine," Gazzaley says.
Diabetes ‘breathalyser’ enables non invasive testing
Applied Nanodetectors is developing a simple breathalyser that will give diabetics a non invasive method for monitoring their daily glucose levels and has the potential to replace the ‘prick test’ methods used today.
Smart pill can detect gut feelings & send data to a phone
Intestinal gases have been linked to colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but their role in health is poorly understood and there is currently no easy and reliable tool for detecting them inside the gut.
Module integrates pulse oximeter & heart rate sensor
Speeding time-to-market for wearable and healthcare products, a pulse oximeter and heart rate integrated sensor module has been unveiled by Maxim Integrated Products. The MAX30102 integrated pulse oximetry and heart rate monitor module is an ultra-low power solution, operating on a single 1.8V power supply and a separate 5V power supply for the internal LEDs.
Detecting cancer through a blood test
On 10 January, Illumina of San Diego, California, announced that it has formed a venture that will use genetic-sequencing technology to detect cancer through a simple blood test. Such a ‘liquid biopsy’ would identify tumour-specific DNA or RNA in the blood before a person has begun to show symptoms. The Illumina announcement made a splash because of its backing — US$100 million in funding, with investors including Bill Gate...
Artificial pancreas trials to begin in the U.S.
In the U.S. alone, 1.25 million Americans suffer from type 1 diabetes, a potentially debilitating and life-changing condition. Every year, more and more people are diagnosed, and the only common treatment is regular insulin injections. A research team hoping to revolutionise diabetes treatment has developed an artificial pancreas that automatically detects changing blood sugar levels and administers insulin automatically, as announced by Harvard ...
Saliva test for rapid diagnosis of poisoning
Scientists at Loughborough University and the University of Cordoba have developed a new method for the rapid diagnosis of poisoning in apparently drunk patients. The saliva-based test offers the potential to screen for poisons commonly associated with the cheap or imitation manufacture of alcohol and γ-hydroxybutyric acid - the so-called ‘date rape’ drug GHB.The results are published in the Journal of Breath Research.
L'Oreal unveils super-thin smart skin patch
Beauty giant L'Oreal has unveiled a smart skin patch that can track the skin's exposure to harmful UV rays at the technology show CES in Las Vegas. The product will be launched in 16 countries including the UK this summer, and will be available for free. It contains a photosensitive blue dye, which changes colour when exposed to ultraviolet light. By Zoe Kleinman, BBC.