Medical Devices and Gadgets

Micro medical robot

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:16:00 +0000

Japan's micro medical robot claims to cure cancer without surgery

Robots are not just meant for household jobs only. Now, a prototype model of the micro medical robot has been developed that can reside and travel inside a human body to eliminate or treat the affected part of disease especially cancer.

The task was initiated by Japan’s Ritsumeikan University researchers who gave their best shots to develop this micro medical robot after undergoing three years of detailed research. The beetle-shaped robot is 1cm in diameter, 2cm in length and weighs around 5-grams.

To minimize the need for surgery, this surgical micro robot can affix diverse kind of medical devices such as micro camera, micro manipulators, various sensors and drug delivery injector.

Though many other robots were designed and developed to send inside the human body or can be swallowed to take pictures but the technology applied to this beetle-shaped robot is only one of its kind.

Sleep Inducer

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Sleep Inducer

If you’re one of those people that suffers from unusual sleep patterns and you want to get your body back in to check you might be able to do it with this acupuncture sleeping gadget, the Dreamate Sleep Inducer.

Dreamate uses accupressure techniques to gently massage the “sleeping golden triangle” on your left wrist. Used 30 minutes before bedtime, you can retune and reset your biological clock and train your body to relax and sleep. See results in as little as a week’s worth of use, with best results after eight weeks. These precise pressure points, when gently massaged, calm the body, lower stress levels, and induce sleep. Unlike addictive sleeping pills that knock you senseless, but offer little improvement in your sleep quality.

Anti Aging Skin Patches

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:57:00 +0000

Anti Aging Skin Batteries

Face Wrinkle RemovalWrinkles, like the Tax Man, will catch us all eventually. However, before resorting to a surgeon’s scalpel, why not try PowerCosmetics Anti-Aging Skincare Patches. The product is basically a low voltage battery which is printed onto flexible, paper-like patches (Power Paper). The Power Paper battery is composed of zinc anode and manganese dioxide-based cathode layers and the cells are made of propriety inks. This means the batteries can be printed onto paper or other such materials to make a flexible and thin battery. Power Paper cells are environment-friendly and safe, containing no mercury or other heavy metals. I love science me!

The PowerCosmetic Anti-Aging Skincare Patches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are particularly good at attacking fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area.Power Cosmetic Anti-Aging Skincare Patches
Choose which patches you want to use and you simply stick them to the offending areas and wait 20 minutes
Your skin should now be firmer, smoother and younger looking. The patches can also be used to help reduce the appearance of age spots too.

Powerball

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Powerball Original Main Features

* A revolutionary fitness product to either tone or help build substantial power and strength in the wrists, forearms and shoulders
* The perfect instrument to gently rehabilitate lower forearm and wrist joints affected by carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury RSI, arthritis or a previous breakage
* It spins faster and faster until you reach an unbelievable 15,000rpm at which point it's exerting almost 40lbs of pressure on your limbs and is travelling at nearly 250 revolutions per second - no batteries, no motor, just pure gyroscopic power
* The definitive sports instrument for athletes and enthusiasts of many different kinds of sports and hobbies
* One of the coolest and most addictive gadgets around

Get Back to Basics

Do you want to tone, build or rehabilitate your wrists, shoulders, and upper and lower arms with the daddy of sports fitness accessories? Because many high performance athletes and sports champions are doing just that. Powerball is just the chap to get you started.

Powerball is the revolutionary gyroscope which exploded onto the fitness circuit a while back and has been a firm favourite ever since. Just take it in your hand and activate the rotor - Powerball then releases its trademark torque and inertia which is transferred to your wrist and arm, providing highly effective non-impact rehabilitation.

Electronic Nose

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:54:00 +0000

Researchers at The University of Warwick and Leicester University have used an artificial snot (nasal mucus) to significantly enhance the performance of electronic noses.

The researchers have coated the sensors used by odour sensing "electronic noses” with a mix of polymers that mimics the action of the mucus in the natural nose. This greatly improves the performance of the electronic devices allowing them to pick out a more diverse range of smells.

A natural nose uses over 100 million specialised receptors or sensors which act together in complex ways to identify and tell apart the molecules they encounter. Electronic noses, used in a number of commercial settings including quality control in the food industry, use the same method but often have less than 50 sensors. This means that electronic noses can discern a much smaller range of smells than the natural nose.

In the natural nose the thin layer of mucus dissolves scents and separates out different odour molecules in a way they arrive at the noses receptors at different speeds/times. Humans are then able to use this information on the differences in time taken to reach different nose receptors to pick apart a diverse range of smells.

The Warwick and Leicester team have employed an artificial mucus layer to mimic this process. They placed a 10-micron-thick layer of a polymer normally used to separate gases on the sensors within their electronic nose. They then tested it on a range of compounds and found that their artificial snot substantially improved the performance of their electronic nose allowing it to tell apart smells such as milk and banana which had previously been challenging smells for the device.

The final device including the sensors and the artificial mucus is contained in a relatively thin piece of plastic just a few centimeters square and costing less than five UK pounds (10 US Dollars) to produce.

Bio Pen

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:58:00 +0000

The BioPen has been designed to help soldiers on the battlefield determine whether they have been exposed to dangerous biological agents in under 20 minutes. The novel diagnostic device – equipped with a small LCD screen - is user-friendly, does not require the user to have any preliminary training, and is self-sufficient. In addition, it can be used to check whether water is drinkable, to detect environmental toxins, and to diagnose various common infections such as Hepatitis B and C, and even several types of cancer, more accurately and efficiently than tests currently in use. This amazing feat is achieved by a special method devised by the Ben Gurion University team for antigen detection, which is an adaptation of the widely employed Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

The ELISA at Work

When the body's immune system encounters a particular antigen (for example, a characteristic protein on the surface of a virus or bacterium), antibodies that are specific for that antigen intercept it, physically binding to it in a "lock and key"-like fashion, thereby neutralizing the organism. The ELISA is a fundamental immunological and biochemical technique, utilized to detect a putative antigen or antibody in a sample, based on antigen-antibody interactions. If a putative antigen (or likewise, an antibody) is detected, a signal is produced in the form of a measurable change.

Bio- Reactors

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 13:57:00 +0000

Johns Hopkins students have finally created a new advanced device that offers new techniques to cure diabetes and fulminant liver failure.

This new device is built in a small housing to enable bio-reactors to operate efficiently and is covered with a band of nylon mesh.Its outer stent is made of stainless steel, inner one with nitinol and to produce insulin and other proteins that body requires a small bio-reactor is also created inside the vein.By affixing transplanted insulin-producing cells in a major blood vessel to enhance cell therapy a cell therapy pouch is also formed on the gap between the two stent.

Wireless Tablets PC

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Claiming to be the world’s first machine in the new mobile clinical assistant PC class, Philips in conjunction with Intel has introduced its new wireless tablet PC. This $2,200 C5 mobile clinical assistant will aid doctors during the diagnostics.

The prime idea to launch this machine is to enhance superior accuracy, efficiency with online work flow for healthcare professionals. Other organizations with mobile workforces like factory supervisors, field service engineers and retail sales employees are also equally benefited.

This cordless device has a 10.4-inches 1,024 � 768 resolution touch-screen display, a digital camera, display emulated keyboard, and integrated WiFi to simplify data entry, accuracy of clinical decisions, and advanced patient care with no medication errors.

t is a perfect doctor’s gadget. The CliniScape medical table PC provides medical practitioners an easy way to access patient’s condition instantly under any circumstances.

The device has a number of sophisticated technologies such as Bar Code, RFID, and Bluetooth to help doctors to get real-time verification of patients, medication, blood containers and other clinical specimens.

Designed by Intel’s Digital Health Group, the medical gadget has following key components.

1.10.4-inch touch screen

2.A custom installation of Vista

3.Core Solo processor with 1GB of RAM

4.60GB disk

5.802.11n and Ethernet jack

6.RFID and Bluetooth radios

7.Barcode scanner

8.2 megapixel camera

9.3.5-hour battery and a single USB port

Laser Combs

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:10:00 +0000

Androgenetic Alopecia is a condition that affects an estimated 50 million men in the United States alone. The HairMax LaserComb is a low level laser medical device designed to treat this condition via the science of photobio stimulation. The HairMax LaserComb is a proven solution and is the first and only device cleared by the FDA for the promotion of Hair Growth.*

Thousands of men and women worldwide have discovered the power of laser therapy treatments for the improvement to the appearance of their hair. Men and Women of all ages have already achieved exciting and impressive results. User satisfaction is extremely high, in the 90% range.

10 Reasons Why You Will Love the HairMax LaserComb:

1. User satisfaction is extremely high! Over 90% of all users are satisfied with the results achieved within the first 3-5 months of use!
2. Easy to use. Only 10 - 15 minutes, three times a week for optimum results.
3. Thicker, fuller, healthier looking hair. Unlike the majority of products in the hair regrowth industry which promise results but rarely deliver you'll see real and tangible results in a short period with the Laser comb.
4. Improve hair condition. Increase hair shine, bounce and manageability.
5. Convenient home treatment. No more traveling to hair care clinics. The LaserComb is designed to be used in the privacy of your own home.
6. Certified and completely safe. Complies with USA laser product safety standards, without risk of negative side effects.
7. Attractive, ergonomic design with a high-tech feel. Designed to fit the hand like a brush, the LaserComb is lightweight and easy to hold.
8. Easy purchase plan. No more high, ongoing costs. Don't spend thousands at high-end hair treatment clinics for the exact same quality low level laser treatment that the Hair Max laser comb can provide you with in the comfort of your own home.
9. Worldwide delivery available. Comes with a universal power transformer.
10. Unlimited Customer Support Friendly .

What is Laser Light Therapy?

(LLLT) has been widely used in Europe for over thirty years in addition to being the subject of numerous studies with over 3,500 scientific papers published worldwide. There have been no reported side effects to LLLT treatments, which are painless and non-toxic.
LaserComb is non-invasive and without any known side effects

The History of Laser Photo therapy

The use of photo-therapy (light therapy) in medicine has a long history. The Egyptians filtered sunlight through precious gems to obtain desired colors of light. Archeologists have found ancient records on Egyptian papyri dating back to 1550 BC detailing photo therapy"cures.”
The Greeks built solarium cities in high mountains to harness the additional ultra-violet light available there for healing tuberculosis and red light was used to quell the effects of the smallpox virus.

Inhalers

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Cambridge Consultants reveals details of a revolutionary new inhaler developed for mass vaccination against chronic diseases and global pandemics, such as avian flu. The new inhaler, called 'Conix One' delivers the performance expected of high-end inhalers at a lower cost than a syringe. In addition to these key performance and price achievements, the inhaler is extremely simple to use and is safe for front-line health workers.

This breakthrough product is expected to bring the ease and convenience of inhaled drug delivery to global scale initiatives where the key is to treat as many people as effectively, quickly and as economically as possible.

Today, large-scale vaccinations are typically delivered via syringe, but for many chronic diseases inhalation offers the optimum delivery mechanism. The inhaler is comfortable for the patient to administer and easy to use - the patient simply folds the device shut, inhales and then discards. This also eliminates the significant risk of needle stick injuries and infection, which in countries where diseases such as HIV are prevalent, poses a real threat to the lives and wellbeing of health workers.
This inhaler will fundamentally change the way we treat many diseases on a global scale.

The new inhaler is based around a novel 'reverse flow cyclone' and contains no moving parts or propellants - in fact the inhaler is made from a single piece of plastic and costs just four cents to manufacture in high volume (5M per annum). Although manufacturing the new inhaler is similar in cost to that of the syringe, there are significant savings to be made as syringes are more expensive to distribute (drug in liquid form typically requires refrigeration) and they require skill and training to use. The Conix One inhaler uses a simple foil seal to protect the formulation from moisture and many patients can use their devices at the same time, making rollout far faster.

The unique swirling action within the patented cyclone provides an extremely effective deagglomeration process, enabling a large percentage of drug to be delivered efficiently into the lung. This action also overcomes the problem that many inhalers have, where the drug is released within just a fraction of a second - before the patient has had time to reach their optimal inhalation rate. The cyclone chamber releases a steady flow of drug over two seconds, enabling better use of a patient's lung power

Eye Massagers

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:01:00 +0000

Breeze Warm Air Eye Massager

Air Pressure
To rub and press the eyes in all directions, rapidly release eyestrain, completely subdue eye fatigue, stimulate the muscles around the eye to relax and rest.

Warm Compression
To improve and temporarily enhance the microcirculation of the eye tissues, awaken the senses in the area of most strain and tension around the eyes, soothe jumpy or irritated eyes.

Multi-frequency Vibration Waves
To cause the eyeballs to move rhythmically at a steady frequency so as to exercise the flexibility of muscle tissues, releasing eyestrain.

Combined effects

Using a digital controller to achieve multiple interactive effects with the principal functions of air pressure, warmth induction and vibration, to massage in slow or rapid rhythms, to stimulate, to relieve eye tension completely, to wake up tired nerves, and refresh the whole mind of the wearer.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

* Increases blood circulation around user's eyes and helps to relax tired eyes
* Improve luster and elasticity of the skin around the eyes
* Alleviates eye fatigue caused by extensive use of computers, driving, and reading
* Reduces wrinkles by improving tone and elasticity
*
* Reduces bags, swollen or puffy eyes along with the dark rings caused by poor blood circulation
* Alleviates Insomnia by inducing a state of deep relaxation that allows for a restful night's sleep
* Helps get rid of bags underneath the eyes

Facial Tanner

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Facial Tanner

Get the perfect tan in the comfort of your home - rain or shine! This home tanning system, from Bion, allows you to tan conveniently any time, year round. Get tan while watching TV, listening to music, or talking on the phone. It is the easiest way to get the tan you have always wanted!
Product Features:

Convenient timer
Eye protection included
Timer shutoff prevents overexposure
Works from any 110/120V outlet
Uses four 15 watt lamps (included)
Emits optimal UV light (UVA at 365 nm with minimum UVB)
Size: 11" W x 8" D x 14" H

To Use:

1. Place the Bion Facial Tanner on a level surface and plug it in.
2. Consult the table included in your instruction manual to determine the appropriate duration of your tanning session.
3. Put on the protective eye goggles.
4. Turn the timer to the desired time. The timer will automatically shut off after the appropriate time has elapsed.
5. Position yourself in front of the appliance, approximately 4 inches from the bulbs.
6. Turn your face or other parts of your body (hand, feet etc) from time to time to get an even and gorgeous tan!

Automatic Pill Dispenser

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Automatic Pill Dispenser

Product Features

* Automatic Pill Dispenser - Dispense up to 28 times/day
* Never Forget or Double Dose again!
* Simple to Use - great for Early Alzheimer's patients
* Tamper resistant - 2 keys included

Important Information

Directions
When the alam goes off. Walk over to your e-pill Automatic Pill Dispenser. Turn ot upside down with one hand. The right medications, in the right dosage at the right time will pour into your other hand. The motion of turning your e-pill dispenser "upside down" will trun off the alarm sound.

Product Description

Every day, the e-pill Automatic Pill Dispenser (Med-Time XL) will help you or a loved one manage all medications. It automatically dispenses all your pills up to 28 times per day just like the doctor prescribed! Avoid medication errors. Will prevent double dosing. Reminds you with a loud 60 minute alarm. Dispense all your pills (Large Capacity). Movable between kitchen, bedroom etc. Portable. When the loud alarm sounds, simply turn the dispenser up-side down and let the pills drop into your other open hand. Alarm shuts off automatically. Once the dispenser is locked there are NO confusing buttons or displays to worry about. Battery life 6-12 months with low battery indicator. Complete system for the patient includes everything you need; Automatic dispenser, 2 medication trays, 1 dust cover for extra tray, 2 keys, batteries (4xAA) and Manual. Size: 17 1/2 x 2 1/4. Weight: 17 oz. Improve medication compliance.

UAVs medical planes

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:34:00 +0000

UAVs medical planes

Technology developed for war has been turned to the saving of lives. Engineers have converted uncrewed military aircraft into robotic carrier pigeons that could ferry medical samples from remote regions to labs for testing, or deliver snake antivenom to stricken victims.

Clinics in remote areas of South Africa can only be reached on unpaved roads that are impassable in rain. Even in good weather, the trip to the nearest lab is a long one for the couriers, taxis, or ambulances transporting samples, producing long delays in diagnosing and treating diseases like tuberculosis.

"The implications of these delays are huge for the individual and for the community," says project leader Barry Mendelow of the South African National Health Laboratory Service. "The patient is waiting for treatment, and in the meantime they could be passing on a very contagious disease."

Electric pigeon

Inspired by carrier pigeons, the UAVs (uncrewed aerial vehicles) are designed to be launched from clinics and pilot themselves along a pre-programmed route to the nearest lab, using GPS and microelectronic gyroscopes to guide them.

They drop their cargo at a predetermined spot, or on directions from the ground, and return along their flight path. The UAV can land automatically, or under remote control by staff.

The pilot project has successfully test-flown two different UAVs originally designed for military surveillance. Both could launch, fly and drop dummy samples in wind speeds of up to 45 kilometres per hour.

The larger of the two UAVs has been dubbed "e-Juba", from the Zulu word for pigeon. It was developed with military firm Denel Dynamics, and can carry an 500-gram payload.

That's enough to carry many blood or sputum samples, or two units of blood for transfusion.
Paper weight

The team worked with South African entrepreneur Jaco Davel to modify a smaller, cheaper UAV, which can be launched by hand and land almost anywhere. Its small size poses little danger to people on landing or takeoff.

The plane can carry over 20 small, dry and light sputum samples stored on blotting paper that are used by newer DNA-based tests. These dry samples are also sterilised, so there is no risk of live bacteria or viruses escaping in the event of a crash landing.

Lab results are already sent to remote clinics with unreliable wired telephone connections by cellphone text message, so patients need not wait for a UAV to return. The aircraft should allow patients to get results within a day of providing a sample, says Mendelow.

Alzheimer's helmet

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:41:00 +0000

Alzheimer's helmet

The helmet that could turn back the symptoms of Alzheimer's

An experimental helmet which scientists say could reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease within weeks of being used is to be tried out on patients.The strange-looking headgear - which has to be worn for ten minutes every day - bathes the brain with infra-red light and stimulates the growth of brain cells.

Its creators believe it could reverse the symptoms of dementia - such as memory loss and anxiety - after only four weeks.Around 700,000 Britons have dementia, with around 500,000 suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
The helmet is the creation of Dr Gordon Dougal, a director of Virulite, a medical research company based in County Durham.

It follows a study at the University of Sunderland which found infra-red light can reverse memory loss in mice
Dr Dougal claims that only ten minutes under the hat a day is enough to have an effect."Currently all you can do with dementia is to slow down the rate of decay - this new process will not only stop that rate of decay but partially reverse it," he said.

Low level infra-red red is thought to stimulate the growth of cells of all types of tissue and encourage their repair. It is able to penetrate the skin and even get through the skull."The implications of this research at Sunderland are enormous - so much so that in the future we could be able to affect and change the rate at which our bodies age," he said."We age because our cells lose the desire to regenerate and repair themselves. This ultimately results in cell death and decline of the organ functions - for the brain resulting in memory decay and deterioration in general intellectual performance."But what if there was a technology that told the cells to repair themselves and that technology was something as simple as a specific wavelength of light?"

The study at Sunderland found that exposing middle-aged mice to infrared light for six minutes a day for ten days improved their performance in a three-dimensional maze. In the human trials, due to start this summer, the scientists will use levels of infra-red that occur naturally in sunlight.Neuroscientist Paul Chazot, who helped carry out the research, said: "The results are completely new - this has never been looked at before."
An Alzheimer's Society spokesman said: "A treatment that reverses the effects of dementia rather than just temporarily halting its symptoms could change the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people. We look forward to further research to determine whether this technique could help improve cognition in humans.

Camera-in-a-pill

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:40:00 +0000

Search Amazon.com for endoscopic capsule- endoscopic capsule-Video capsule puts bowel lesions on view. (Ages 10-18 Years).: An article from: Family Practice News

Camera-in-a-pill

Your doctor needs to examine the middle portion of your digestive tract. Conventional technology using long flexible tubes won't quite do the trick.Instead, your doctor hands you a pill the size of a multivitamin. The pill has a tiny camera inside. You swallow the pill with water and put a recorder belt on your waist. Eight hours later, you return the recorder belt to your doctor, who gives it to specialists who look for abnormalities by reviewing a video created from the camera's images.

Sound too good to be true? Not any more. This year, digestive disorders specialists at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics expect to use the endoscopic capsule- -a 'camera in a pill'--to help more than 150 patients.The endoscopic capsule comes at a time when physicians typically insert flexible tubes that contain cameras to examine portions of a patient's digestive tract. However, endoscopes can only examine the upper portions of the digestive system, while colonoscopes study the lower portion, or colon.

That leaves about 20 feet of the small intestine that cannot be effectively viewed with standard tests.
"The endoscopic capsule helps fill that gap," said David Ramkumar, M.D., a gastroenterologist at UI Hospitals and Clinics. "It provides a view of that middle portion of the digestive tract that we have not had previously."The camera pill provides a non-invasive diagnostic option for patients with disorders such as unexplained bleeding, Crohn's disease, Celiac disease and intestinal tumors.

Specialists review video created from these high-quality images for any abnormalities. The device detects abnormalities appropriately in 60 to 70 percent of cases, a diagnostic yield that is superior to all other conventional tests combined.The FDA approved the camera pill in 2001 for patients with unexplained bleeding that cannot be pinpointed by other means. UI Hospitals and Clinics specialists charge $1,200 to conduct an imaging study using the technology for patients referred by a physician.The camera-in-a-pill is a not a replacement for colonoscopy.

Breast Biopsy

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Breast Biopsy in a Flash

Flash is the only breast biopsy device of its kind, which allows the physician to easily take and view multiple samples with a single insertion and one-touch operation. Guided by ultrasound, Flash utilizes real-time visualization and automated sampling to obtain solid, contiguous biopsy cores. Other biopsy devices and techniques require several individual insertions into the patient’s breast to retrieve adequate samples for pathology analysis.

Single-insertion, multi-sample biopsy Take and view up to 15 samples with one incision No assembly required Flash is ready to go, out of the package No capital equipment necessary Single-use device. Requires no additional investment.One-touch operation and automated sampling Easy to use, single button operation. Reduces the number of steps necessary for sample acquisition.Solid, contiguous core samples Improved pathological specimens

Bionic foot

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:00:00 +0000

Bionic foot

A Newark company is one of the first in the nation to offer a new, motorized prosthetic foot designed to give amputees greater mobility than ever before.The Proprio Foot, a new prosthesis designed by the global orthopedic company, Ossur, is revolutionizing the capabilities of amputees.Beverly Milson, spokeswoman for Ossur, said the Proprio Foot is the first motorized and artificially intelligent prosthetic foot ever to be made.

"All prosthetics before have been passive," Milson said. "The Proprio Foot helps the amputee by lifting and lowering the foot."He said this new prosthetic limb will help mobilize amputees, and has a natural appearance compared to past prosthetics."Nothing has ever actually mimicked a human ankle like this," he said. "Also, appearance-wise it looks more natural."

Milson said not only is the Proprio Foot smart enough to change the angle of the foot to help amputees navigate through differences in terrain, but the foot also gives the amputee back a sense of "proprioception," the namesake of the prosthesis."Proprioception is the ability to know where your limb is in space," she said.
Previously, amputees have had to watch their foot when using stairs, or even walking, but the Proprio foot has sensors in the prosthesis allowing the user to actually feel where the foot is without looking, Milson said.

The product also has other physical benefits to amputees,"It helps reduce the energy expenditure of the patient," he said.When moving from a sitting to standing position, an amputee without the new foot has to use his or her entire body to stand, Milson said. With the Proprio Foot, sitting and standing are much easier.
Proprio Foot is currently being sold throughout the world, however, approximately 500 feet have been purchased, "When the prosthetist decides the amputee is a good candidate, someone from Ossur actually flies out and helps the amputee," she said.
..

Smart contact lens

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:58:00 +0000

‘Smart’ contact lens to monitor diseases

Scientists have imprinted circuits on the polymer used to make contact lenses, thus making it possible to monitor ocular diseases such as glaucoma London: US researchers have developed a contact lens with a built-in pressure sensor that could help monitor conditions such as glaucoma.Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and impairs vision, sometimes progressing to blindness.

The device is based on a new technique, which can embed conducting circuits in the organic polymer traditionally used to make contact lenses.Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an elastic, transparent and gas-permeable organic polymer that can be cast-moulded into a range of simple shapes.
It is used in everything from contact lenses to breast implants, but the process of cast-moulding severely limits the kinds of structures that can be made with the material.

Now, Hailin Cong and Tingrui Pan from the University of California, Davis, have come up with a simple method to produce PDMS components without the need for casting moulds – and their process can also make the material conduct electricity.

HOW IT WORKS

The researchers added a chemical to a liquid PDMS solution that causes the mixture to set, or polymerise, when zapped with UV light.Then, they exposed the mixture to UV light through a mask containing a circuit pattern.Only the areas hit by the light polymerise and any remaining liquid can be washed away, leaving an imprint of the circuit.“The technique can be used to create features just 10 micrometres in size,” the researchers said.The scientists also developed a technique to give the polymer another property - electrical conductivity - by adding a solution of silver to the mix. The silver then becomes trapped in the material when it polymerises, creating a path along which electrons can pass.
Since the resistance of the path changes as the material is stretched, the modified PDMS is suitable for a range of micro-sized electromechanical systems.

KEEPING AN EYE ON DISEASES

One of the first devices that the researchers have produced is a tiny pressure sensor, which they bent into the shape of a contact lens.Pan said that such a device could measure the stress on the cornea surface and the fluid pressure within the eye to monitor glaucoma and ocular hypertension.“The eye always has a certain pressure, which is why the eyeball is a sphere,” New Scientist quoted Pan as saying. In glaucoma patients, that pressure rises and changes the eye’s shape, which would deform the contact lens sensor.

“The change in configuration will alter the resistance and give a different electrical reading,” Pan said.
The prototype has an opaque sensor that would impair vision and so would be worn only briefly, but researchers are designing transparent equivalents that could be worn for long periods to give a continuous pressure read-out.The device also contains a small RFID tag to read the data wirelessly.“The new way of manufacturing PDMS can be significantly useful for biological sensing systems,” Pan said.

Medical Devices and Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (bujju) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:35:00 +0000

Medical Devices and Gadgets

Medical equipment is designed to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of medical conditions. These devices are usually designed with rigorous safety standards.

See also the main articles: implant, artificial limbs, corrective lenses, cochlear implants, dental implants, prosthetics (ocular, facial)

There are several basic types:

* Diagnostic equipment includes medical imaging machines, used to aid in diagnosis. Examples are ultrasound and MRI machines, PET and CT scanners, and x-ray machines.
* Therapeutic equipment includes infusion pumps, medical lasers and LASIK surgical machines.
* Life support equipment is used maintain a patient's bodily function. These include medical ventilators, heart-lung machines, ECMO, and dialysis machines.
* Medical monitors allow medical staff to measure a patient's medical state. Monitors may measure patient vital signs and other parameters including ECG, EEG, blood pressure, and dissolved gases in the blood.
* Medical laboratory equipment automates or help analyze blood, urine and genes.
* Diagnostic Medical Equipment may also be used in the home for certain purposes, e.g. for the control of diabetes mellitus

A biomedical equipment technician (BMET) is a vital component of the healthcare delivery system. Employed primarily by hospitals, BMETs are the people responsible for maintaining a facility's medical equipment.

* Durable medical equipment
* Eucomed
* Home medical equipment
* Medical devices
* Surgical instruments
* Medical test

Notable medical equipment companies

* Boston Scientific
* Beckman Coulter
* Johnson & Johnson
* Medtronic
* Mindray
* Spacelabs Healthcare
* St.Jude Medical
* Philips
* GE Healthcare
* Siemens AG