Researchers at Columbia University are working on substantially improving the abilities of brain-computer interfaces by creating a high density electrode array that can stimulate and read the brain at high precision. The research is part of DARPA’s Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) project that is working on all the different pieces necessary to build a truly advanced brain-computer systems.

The Columbia team is developing an electrode array with more than one million points that will interact with brain tissue. The construction would be on top of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor that will be in the form of a slab that can be relatively easily manufactured. To that effect, the Columbia researchers are working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to prepare the process.

Here’s a quick video from Columbia University about the project:

Via: Columbia…

A team of Brazilian scientists may have come up with a practical way of killing off resistant bacteria by targeting them with toxic silver-silica nanoparticles coated with an antibiotic. Since antibiotics don’t have the full punch to eliminate bacteria resistant to them, the researchers instead used the antibiotic ampicillin as a mechanism to deliver the killer nanoparticles to the pathogens.

Normally, silver-silica nanoparticles would be toxic to the body, but because they’re coated with ampicillin they seem to be inert to the body’s cells and don’t affect how they divide and multiply.

Bacterial cells, on the other hand, receive a large dose of the antibiotic coupled with a silver-silica nanoparticle attack. In the laboratory study, the combined effect was powerful enough to overcome bacterial drug resistance of a strain of E. coli, an impressive feat. The bacterial killing properties of these functionalized nanoparticles were also enhanced by positioning the antibiotic molecules on the surface of silver-silica nanoparticle cores so that the sides that most affect bacterial membranes end up on the outside.

“There are commercial drugs that contain nanoparticles, which typically serve to coat the active ingredient and extend its lifetime inside the organism. Our strategy is different. We decorate the surface of the nanoparticles with certain chemical groups that direct them to the site where they’re designed to act, so they’re highly selective,” said Mateus Borba Cardoso, lead study author and a researcher at Brazil’s National Energy & Materials Research Center (CNPEM).

Testing the toxicity of the so called “nanoantibiotic,” the researchers exposed human liver cells to the nanoparticles and showed that they don’t seem to be toxic to the cells.

Study in Scientific Reports: Defeating Bacterial Resistance and Preventing Mammalian Cells Toxicity Through Rational Design of Antibiotic-Functionalized Nanoparticles…

Via: FAPESP…

Researchers in Germany have developed a fluorine-based tracer compound that can bind with high affinity to small clots, allowing doctors to image them using positron emission tomography (PET).

Blood clots can cause heart attacks and strokes. Doctors often need to find clots using imaging techniques, so that they can treat them or identify where thrombi are causing problems. At the moment, imaging techniques frequently rely on spotting changes in blood flow, rather than imaging the clots themselves. Depending on the suspected location of a clot, different imaging techniques are needed, and it can be difficult to spot smaller clots, or damaged areas in blood vessels where there is a risk of clots forming.

“Currently available diagnostic techniques for blood clot imaging rely on different modalities depending on the vascular territory,” says Andrew Stephens of Piramal Imaging, a researcher who was involved in the study, which was recently published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. “A single imaging modality that could visualize clots from various sources in different anatomic regions would be very valuable.”

The team developed a fluorine-18 (¹⁸F) labeled tracer that can bind with high affinity to GPIIb/IIIa receptors on platelets. Platelets are cell fragments in blood that help to form blood clots, and GPIIb/IIIa receptors are involved in platelet clumping at the site of a clot. The tracer can be injected into the blood stream and will bind to clots, which can then be imaged using PET. When testing their system in monkeys, the researchers could visualize small clots in arteries and veins in the brain, and even see damage to the blood vessel lining where clots might form in the future.

“Although the current studies are preliminary, the tracer may provide not only more accurate anatomic localization, but also information of the risk of the clot growth or embolization,” says Stephens.

Image: PET scans of three Cynomolgus monkeys. Strong signals are detected at the sites where inserted catheters had roughened surfaces of blood vessels. Credit: Piramal Imaging GmbH, Berlin Germany.

Study in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine: ¹⁸F-GP1, a Novel PET Tracer Designed for High-Sensitivity, Low-Background Detection of Thrombi…

Via: Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging…

Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have overcome an important challenge to using endothelial cells sourced from induced pluripotent stem cells to generate bioengineered blood vessels. Specifically, the investigators were able to watch and guide the formation of tiny blood vessels within specially built molds that promote cellular ingrowth. This development should help eventually lead to lab-grown organ replacements suffused with a complex network of vessels, just as within our natural organs.

The team used both fibrin and gelatin methacrylate, a synthetic material, to create the molds. Gelatin methacrylate is 3D printable, which means it may be suitable for creating customized molds for generation of patient specific replacement vessels.

Rice University has some details:

[Gisele Calderon, the lead author of the study], said the first step in the experiments was to develop a third-generation lentivirus reporter to genetically modify the cells to produce two types of fluorescent protein, one located only in the nucleus and another throughout the cell. This permanent genetic modification allowed the team to noninvasively observe the cell morphology and also identify the action of each individual cell for later quantitative measurements. Next, the cells were mixed with fibrin and incubated for a week. Several times per day, Calderon and Thai used microscopes to photograph the growing samples. Thanks to the two fluorescent markers, time-lapse images revealed how the cells were progressing on their tubulogenic odyssey.

Calderon conducted advanced confocal microscopy at the Optical Imaging and Vital Microscopy Core facility at Baylor College of Medicine. Calderon and [undergrad student Patricia Thai] then used an open-source software called FARSIGHT to quantitatively analyze the 3-D growth patterns and development character of the tubulogenenic networks in each sample. In fibrin, the team found robust tubule formation, as expected. They also found that endothelial cells had a more difficult time forming viable tubules in GelMA, a mix of denatured collagen that was chemically modified with methacrylates to allow rapid photopolymerization.

Over several months and dozens of experiments the team developed a workflow to produce robust tubulogenesis in GelMA, Calderon said. This involved adding mesenchymal stem cells, another type of adult human stem cell that had previously been shown to stabilize the formation of tubules.

Here’s Gisele Calderon giving an excellent 90 second summary presentation of her work:

Study in Biomaterials Science: Tubulogenesis of co-cultured human iPS-derived endothelial cells and human mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin and gelatin methacrylate gels…

Via: Rice…

Medtronic has announced that its CoreValve Evolut transcatheter aortic valve replacement platform, consisting of CoreValve, CoreValve Evolut R, CoreValve Evolut PRO, is now FDA approved for patients with “symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who are at an intermediate risk for open-heart surgery.” Previously, the products were only approved for high and extremely risky patients that are not good candidates for an open-heart surgery. The company touts data pointing to its transcatheter valves as having better hemodynamic characteristics compared to surgically implanted devices, and the new approval signals a direction whereby more and more patients will benefit from avoiding heart surgeries.

Here’s some details from a study evaluating CoreValve Evolut in intermediate-risk patients, according to Medtronic:

Recently unveiled at the 2017 American College of Cardiology meeting, the global SURTAVI trial evaluated intermediate-risk patients and compared 863 TAVR patients treated with the CoreValve and Evolut R Systems (STS: 4.4 percent) to 794 surgical patients (STS: 4.5 percent). Against the strongest surgical performance (compared to predicted surgical risk of mortality) seen to date in a randomized trial, the CoreValve Evolut platform met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority compared to surgery in all-cause mortality or disabling stroke (12.6 percent for TAVR versus 14.0 percent for SAVR; posterior probability of non-inferiority >0.999). The CoreValve Evolut platform also demonstrated significantly better mean aortic valve gradients (7.8 mm Hg vs. 11.8 mm Hg; p<0.001) at two years. SAVR was associated with less aortic regurgitation, major vascular complications and need for permanent pacemaker implantation.

Product page: Evolut…

Via: Medtronic…

Sepsis is common and often deadly. Early detection of sepsis can be incredibly useful in preventing its full onset by allowing in-time administration of antibiotics.

A couple of biomarkers of oncoming sepsis is leukocyte count and neutrophil 64 (CD64), a neutrophil surface antigen. Researchers at the University of Illinois have now reported in journal Nature Communications about a new point-of-care microfluidic biochip that only requires 10 μl of whole blood to count leukocytes and determine the concentration of CD64. They confirmed their readings against a traditional flow cytometer on overnight hospital patients and those coming through an emergency room, showing a close correlation between the counts.

The device does not require any preparation, and so can be used by just about anyone able to prick a finger, like diabetics do, to get a drop of blood. If made cheap enough it may be used to regularly assess patients inside intensive care units and monitor the body’s immune response following administration of drugs.

Study in Nature Communications: A point-of-care microfluidic biochip for quantification of CD64 expression from whole blood for sepsis stratification…

Via: University of Illinois…

Researchers from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Lecce, Italy and Harvard Medical School created a probe designed for optogenetic applications. Optogenetics is a recently developed technique that allows scientists to selectively activate neurons within the brain, and this technology may one day be used as a therapeutic tool to treat a variety of neurological conditions. One current limitation of optogenetics is that illuminating different regions of the brain in a controlled fashion requires moving the fiber optic light source, but in practice this is nearly impossible.

The new probe uses a tapered design of an optical fiber that allows it to be used to selectively illuminate both large and small areas of the brain. This is done by controlling the nature of the light that’s sent down the fiber, compensating for what the tapered tip will do to the light.

From the study in journal Nature Neuroscience:

We use this mode to activate dorsal versus ventral striatum of individual mice and reveal different effects of each manipulation on motor behavior. Conversely, injecting light over the full numerical aperture of the fiber results in light emission from the entire taper surface, achieving broader and more efficient optogenetic activation of neurons, compared to standard flat-faced fiber stimulation. Thus, tapered fibers permit focal or broad illumination that can be precisely and dynamically matched to experimental needs.

Study in Nature Neuroscience: Dynamic illumination of spatially restricted or large brain volumes via a single tapered optical fiber…

Image and source: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia…

Masimo just announced receiving European approval for its new rainbow Super DCI-mini sensor, a pulse oximeter that can simultaneously monitor arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), hemoglobin (SpHb), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO), methemoglobin (SpMet), pleth variability index (PVi), index of perfusion (Pi), and pulse rate (PR).

This is the first non-invasive fingertip sensor capable of monitoring all these parameters, indicated for all patients over 3 kilograms in weight. For infants, the device can be clipped onto a big toe or thumb if the finger is too small.

Thanks to Masimo’s motion-tolerance technology, the device maintains accurate readings even if it is moved around.

When used with the company’s  Rad-67 Pulse CO-Oximeter, the sensor can provide readings even at low hemoglobin concentrations and displays SpHb results in about thirty seconds.

So far the sensor is not cleared for use in the U.S.

Via: Masimo…

Stanford researchers claim to have developed an algorithm that “exceeds the performance of board certified cardiologists in detecting a wide range of heart arrhythmias from electrocardiograms [ECG] recorded with a single-lead wearable monitor,” according to a study published in arXiv.

The team used the Zio patch from iRhythm Technologies, a San Francisco, CA startup, which allowed them to gather ECG recordings over a period of up to two weeks. These recordings were run against a computer running a deep learning algorithm that was trained by analyzing almost 30,000 previously gathered and diagnostically assessed ECG recordings. The result is that the system is now able to spot 14 different types of cardiac arrhythmias purportedly better than the six Stanford cardiologists that were pitted against it.

Here’s a Stanford video with the researchers that developed the algorithm:

Related flashbacks: Medgadget Exclusive Interview with iRhythm’s CEO Kevin King…; ZIO Wireless Patch May Be Better Option Than Holter Monitors for Cardiac Arrhythmia Diagnosis…;

Study in arXiv: Cardiologist-Level Arrhythmia Detection with Convolutional Neural Networks…

Using computer mice more than 20 hours per week is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Classic computer mice force users into a pronated forearm position, placing stress on the nerves of the carpal tunnel (a sheath in the wrist through which tendons and nerves pass through). The PenClic R2 is an unconventional mouse that aims to relieve users from such strain by putting their hands into a more neutral position. They gave us a copy to review. Our verdict? Comfortable to hold, but a little awkward to use.

The Penclic R2 looks like a regular mouse with a pen attached to it. The soft rubberized grip and the high-gloss plastic handle felt comfortable and well-made (for right-handed people). It comes with a rechargeable battery that lasts three months on a single charge, and saves energy by going to sleep after ten minutes of inactivity. A simple click brings it back to life quickly.

Because the pen is mounted on top of a platform, the Penclic R2 intuitively invites you to gyrate the pen around the pivot point. But alas, this doesn’t move the mouse cursor because the swivel is simply a free joint that gives flexibility as you move it. To move the cursor, you have slide the platform as you would a normal mouse. Once I got over that initial confusion, holding and moving the pen was quite a joy, actually. Gripping it like a pen gave the mouse cursor gentle fluidity with fingertip precision.

However, the Penclic R2 came with a few caveats. I found the scroll wheel extremely awkward to use, either having to release my pen grip to maneuver my middle finger to it, or stretching my index finger to reach it. Five other co-workers unanimously cited a similar frustration when I gave it to them to try. I can’t understand why the wheel wasn’t put directly on the pen itself, which seems like a much more natural position. Furthermore, the right click was higher up on the grip, designed for use with the index finger. So I had to stretch my index finger back and forth along the pen for left and right clicks. The middle click, which I often use for opening/closing tabs, was even further up than the right button click. Not exactly conducive to productivity. The two thumb buttons are for going forward and back, but are completely useless on a Mac, which don’t register these extra buttons.

When I gave it to a user who had mild carpal tunnel syndrome from mouse-induced repetitive strain injury (RSI), they told me that they found it very comfortable and easy to use (once past an initial learning curve). They often accidentally knocked the Penclic R2 over because it was so light, but they were okay with this, given that the unit’s low weight made it easier to handle. Regardless, by the end of the day, they felt the typical symptoms of numbness throughout their hands. So while this may be a good alternative to the typical mouse to reduce the chance of RSI, it certainly won’t be the cure.

All in all, we’re conflicted. The mouse is easy and comfortable to use, especially for those at risk of RSI. Unfortunately, the button layout is confusing and awkward. A more intuitive design would simplify into one left-clicking index finger and one right-clicking thumb, plus a center scrolling wheel. Oh wait, that looks like the ambidextrous Penclic R3. We haven’t reviewed that one yet, but it looks like a much more natural and easier to use peripheral than the R2.

Penclic R2 Product Page…

Penclic company homepage…

Engineers at the University of Twente in The Netherlands have unveiled a new pneumatically powered robot, called Stormram 4, able to take biopsy samples while inside an MRI machine. In tests conducted by the researchers on phantom models of the breast the investigators were able to achieve sub-millimeter precision in reaching their targets.

Currently, scans are taken prior to a biopsy and are used to guide the needle. Soft tissue, particularly in the breast, moves around and can displace the target lesion significantly compared to when a scan was taken. Performing a biopsy under MRI guidance may significantly improve the effectiveness, safety, and value of biopsies.

The Stormram 4 is made out of 3D printed plastic and instead of electric motors and wires, it relies on carefully controlled bursts of pressurized air to pan, tilt, and deploy the needle. The air lines run about five yards (meters) to a computer controlled pumping mechanism. This allows the robot itself to be around a powerful magnet, operated by a computer, and allowing for live visualization of the target while moving towards it.

Here’s video from the University of Twente showing off the new robot:

Via: University of Twente…