Medical

The BrailleWise concept uses strips of Braille lettering around the lavatory cubicle that provide direction signs to the various facilities in the washroom. Upon entering the lavatory, the visually-impaired passenger will be able to immediately feel the presence of the Braille wall-sections at waist level. By running his or her fingers along the beam the user will be ...

The device, developed from a collaboration between ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) researchers and orthopedic surgeons at St. Vincent’s Hospital, in Melbourne, is designed to allow surgeons to sculpt customized cartilage implants during surgery. Using a hydrogel bio-ink to carry and support living human stem cells, and a low-powered light sou...

Such extended-release pills could be used to reduce the dosage frequency of some drugs, the researchers say. For example, antibiotics that normally have to be taken two or three times a day could be given just once, making it easier for patients to stick to their dosing schedule. “This could be adapted to many drugs. Any drug that is dosed frequently could be amenable...

A pea-sized microchip implanted into the motor cortex of a 24-year-old patient from Ohio decodes the electronic signals associated with movement. The data is immediately interpreted and converted into signals that are sent to an electrode array wrapped around the forearm. The electrodes are tuned to electrically stimulate the muscles similar to how the muscles would be a...

The new film overcomes the limitations of current wearables, such as millimeter thicknesses on glass or plastic substrates with low flexibility, or micrometer devices that are too thin to survive in air. Using alternating layers of inorganic silicon oxynitrite and organic parylene materials, the scientists were able to develop a high-quality protective film less than tw...

We’ve already known for a while that 3D printing is a perfect technology for making arm and hand prostheses in all shapes and sizes. Just look at the wonderful work E-NABLE is doing for children everywhere. But who says only humans should benefit from this exciting technology? Fortunately, more and more animals who have lost limbs are also benefitting from 3D printing, l...

Scientists have developed a system for printing protein patterns onto film using a roll-to-roll process, which allows high volumes to be manufactured efficiently and cost-effectively. Cells are the smallest living components of an organism, making them a highly sought-after material for biomedical researchers. They are incorporated into biosensors for use in sever...