Browse Topic: Digestive system

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Inside Story: Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology GroupTBMG-3975808/24/2021
For surgical procedures requiring irrigation, pumps are one of the more significant medical device components, and pump selection is paramount to operational success. Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) specializes in fluid management, offering over 60 years’ experience in high-quality components for medical devices. MDB spoke to Rodd Turnquist, National Sales Manager US, OEM Division, WMFTG, to find out more about selecting the best pumps for medical devices and accelerating time to market.
Platform Monitors Gut MicrobiomeTBMG-3855302/01/2021
Scientists are developing a platform that can monitor and model the real-time processing of gut microbiome serotonin activity. Their goal is to one day package the platform into an ingestible capsule capable of detecting, treating, and monitoring GBA diseases. The platform provides access to the specific site of serotonin production, important because serotonin is secreted from the bottoms of cells. An innovative porous membrane with an integrated serotonin sensor on which a model of the gut lining can be grown allowed researchers to access both top and bottom sides of the cell culture.
Sensor Can Detect Scarred or Fatty Liver TissueTBMG-3831701/01/2021
About 25 percent of the U.S. population suffers from fatty liver disease, a condition that can lead to fibrosis of the liver and, eventually, liver failure. Currently there is no easy way to diagnose either fatty liver disease or liver fibrosis. However, MIT engineers have now developed a diagnostic tool, based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), that could be used to detect both of those conditions.
Tracking Lab-Grown Tissue with LightTBMG-3747308/01/2020
Someday, doctors would like to grow limbs and other body tissue for soldiers who have lost arms in battle, children who need a new heart or liver, and many other people with critical needs. Today, medical professionals can graft cells from a patient, deposit them onto a tissue scaffold, and insert the scaffold into the body to encourage the growth of bone, cartilage, and other specialized tissue. But researchers are still working toward building complex organs that can be implanted into patients.
Device Improves Performance of Underactive BladdersTBMG-3722907/01/2020
Researchers have developed a technology that can monitor bladder volume in real time and can effectively empty a person’s bladder. The breakthrough may open up a new treatment option for patients with underactive bladders in the near future.
Device Simulates Filtering and Ion Transport Functions of Human KidneyTBMG-3723507/01/2020
Chemical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a device that simulates the blood filtering and ion transport functions of the human kidney. The technology could transform treatment options for people in the final stage of renal disease.
Smartphone Lab Delivers Test Results in ‘Spit’ SecondTBMG-3641304/01/2020
Using your phone to diagnose disease or track your medical condition is the holy grail for remote health monitoring. So far it’s been impractical to combine the two in a single device. Tech companies don’t want the regulatory headaches that would come from labeling phones as medical devices.
Machine Keeps Human Livers Alive for One Week Outside of the BodyTBMG-3625703/01/2020
Until now, livers could be stored safely outside the body for only a few hours. With the novel perfusion technology, livers — and even injured livers — can now be kept alive outside of the body for an entire week. This is a major breakthrough in transplantation medicine, which may increase the number of available organs for transplantation and save many lives of patients suffering from severe liver disease or a variety of cancers.
Blood Test Detects Multiple Types of CancerTBMG-3617603/01/2020
A new blood test uses next-generation sequencing technology to probe DNA for tiny chemical tags (methylation) that influence whether genes are active or inactive. When applied to nearly 3,600 blood samples — some from patients with cancer and some from people who had not been diagnosed with cancer at the time of the blood draw — the test successfully picked up a cancer signal from the cancer patient samples and correctly identified the tissue from where the cancer began (the tissue of origin). The test’s specificity — its ability to return a positive result only when cancer is actually present — was high, as was its ability to pinpoint the organ or tissue of origin.
Wirelessly Controlled Ingestible CapsuleTBMG-3578901/01/2020
Researchers have developed an ingestible capsule that can be controlled using Bluetooth wireless technology. The capsule — which can be customized to deliver drugs, sense environmental conditions, or both — can reside in the stomach for at least a month, transmitting information and responding to instructions from a user's smartphone.
Implantable Bioartificial Kidney Achieves Preclinical MilestoneTBMG-3577601/01/2020
Scientists successfully implanted a prototype kidney bioreactor containing functional human kidney cells in large animals without significant safety concerns. The device, which is about the size of a deck of cards, did not trigger an immune reaction or cause blood clots, an important milestone on the road to future human trials.
2019 'Create the Future' Medical Category Winner: Cervical Stabilization DeviceTBMG-3551511/01/2019
Hydration Sensor Could Improve DialysisTBMG-3534410/01/2019
A new portable sensor can accurately measure patients’ hydration levels using a technique known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Such a device could be useful for not only dialysis patients but also people with congestive heart failure, as well as athletes and elderly people who may be in danger of becoming dehydrated.
3D Printed Pill Samples Gut Microbiome to Aid Diagnosis and TreatmentTBMG-3508809/01/2019
A research team led by Tufts University engineers has developed a 3D printed pill that samples bacteria found in the gut — known as the microbiome — as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The ability to profile bacterial species inhabiting the gut could have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are affected by the microbiome, according to the researchers.
Microrobots Activated by Laser Pulses for Treating TumorsTBMG-3515309/01/2019
Microrobots that can deliver drugs to specific spots inside the body while being monitored and controlled from outside the body have been developed that also can treat tumors in the digestive tract.
Probe Detects Kidney Failure EarlyTBMG-3508609/01/2019
Researchers have developed a type of imaging probe that allows for earlier detection of acute kidney failure, a rapidly developing condition that can be fatal. The new renal probes, which have been tested in mice, are injected into the bloodstream. They light up when they detect molecular changes caused by the onset of acute kidney failure.
Technique for 3D-Printing of Replacement OrgansTBMG-3489608/01/2019
Bioengineers have cleared a major hurdle on the path to 3D-printing replacement organs with a new technique for bioprinting tissues. It allows scientists to create entangled vascular networks that mimic the body's natural passageways for blood, air, lymph, and other vital fluids.
Miniature Robot Could Check Colons for Early Signs of DiseaseTBMG-3497608/01/2019
Engineers have shown it is technically possible to guide a tiny robotic capsule inside the colon to take micro-ultrasound images. Known as a Sonopill, the device could one day replace the need for patients to undergo an endoscopic examination, where a semi-rigid scope is passed into the bowel — an invasive procedure that can be painful.
Chemists Develop Nanoscale Bioabsorbable Wound DressingTBMG-3480207/01/2019
Scientists at Texas A&M University are harnessing the combined power of organic nanomaterials-based chemistry and a natural product found in crustacean exoskeletons to help bring emergency medicine one step closer to a viable solution for mitigating blood loss, from the hospital to the battlefield.
Noninvasive Device Tests Sweat Continuously for HoursTBMG-3473507/01/2019
A continuous-testing device was developed that samples sweat as effectively as blood but in a noninvasive way and over many hours. After examining the use of saliva, tears, and interstitial fluid, researchers concluded that sweat holds the most promise for noninvasive testing because it provides similar information as blood and its secretion rate can be controlled and measured.
Spotting Minute Amounts of Disease in the BloodstreamTBMG-3458606/01/2019
The difficulty in spotting minute amounts of disease circulating in the bloodstream has proven a stumbling block in the detection and treatment of cancers that advance stealthily with few symptoms. With a novel electrochemical biosensing device that identifies the tiniest signals these biomarkers emit, a pair of NJIT inventors are hoping to bridge this gap. There could therefore be a simple, inexpensive test performed at a regular patient visit in the absence of specific symptoms to screen for some of the more silent, deadly cancers — to have a nanotechnology-enhanced biochip to detect cancers, malaria, and viral diseases such as pneumonia early in their progression, with a pin prick blood test.
Ingestible, Expanding Pill Monitors the Stomach for Up to a MonthTBMG-3462406/01/2019
An ingestible pill was developed that, upon reaching the stomach, quickly swells to the size of a soft, squishy ping-pong ball big enough to stay in the stomach for an extended period of time. The inflatable pill is embedded with a sensor that continuously tracks the stomach's temperature for up to 30 days. If the pill needs to be removed from the stomach, a patient can drink a solution of calcium that triggers the pill to quickly shrink to its original size and pass safely out of the body.
Swallowable Self-Inflating Capsule Tackles ObesityTBMG-3456106/01/2019
Researchers have developed a self-inflating weight management capsule that could be used to treat obese patients. The prototype capsule, called the EndoPil, contains a balloon that can be self-inflated with a handheld magnet once it is in the stomach, thus inducing a sense of fullness. Its magnetically activated inflation mechanism causes a reaction between a harmless acid and a salt stored in the capsule, which produces carbon dioxide to fill up the balloon. The concept behind the capsule is for it to be ingested orally.
5 Ws of the Insulin-Delivery PillTBMG-3461606/01/2019
Millions of people worldwide with type 1 diabetes.
Nano-Optic Endoscope Sees Deep into Tissue at High ResolutionTBMG-3389503/01/2019
The diagnosis of diseases based in internal organs often relies on biopsy samples collected from affected regions. But collecting such samples is highly error-prone due to the inability of current endoscopic imaging techniques to accurately visualize sites of disease. The conventional optical elements in catheters used to access hard-to-reach areas of the body, such as the gastrointestinal tract and pulmonary airways, are prone to aberrations that obstruct the full capabilities of optical imaging.
The Ergonomics of Wearable Designs: Part 1TBMG-3373402/01/2019
The wearable device product category is exploding in healthcare design. Wearing these sensory devices that continuously collect, measure and report the user's physiology, exercise behavior, lifestyle activity, and health status requires three key human factors in the design. In this two-part series on robotics and wearable devices, part 1 dives into wearable designs by taking a look at the research being done now that eliminates the device altogether.
Acoustic Waves Offer Treatment for Kidney StonesTBMG-3324511/01/2018
Researchers are investigating the use of time reversal (TR) signal processing to focus waves sound with high amplitudes in a room. In biomedical applications, focused ultrasound can be used in lithotripsy procedures for treating kidney stones or to target brain tumors.
Electronic Capsule Measures Gases in the GutTBMG-3324311/01/2018
An electronic capsule that measures gases in the gut to revolutionize the diagnosis of gut disorders could be available within four years, following an agreement between RMIT and Atmo Biosciences.
Cell-Sized Robots Sense Their EnvironmentTBMG-3323011/01/2018
Colloids — insoluble particles or molecules anywhere from a billionth to a millionth of a meter across — are so small they can stay suspended indefinitely in a liquid or even in air. Robots about the size of a human egg cell were created that can sense their environment, store data, and carry out computational tasks. They consist of tiny electronic circuits made of two-dimensional materials, piggybacking on colloids. By coupling these tiny objects to complex circuitry, the researchers hope to lay the groundwork for devices that could be dispersed to carry out diagnostic journeys through anything from the human digestive system to oil and gas pipelines, or perhaps to waft through air to measure compounds inside a chemical processor or refinery.
Miniature Connections Drive Advances in Emerging Neuro TechnologiesTBMG-3306110/01/2018
The value of neuromodulation devices is that they offer a “third option” in the treatment of neurological disorders — one that can provide drug-free relief from symptoms while doctors work to assess the underlying cause. According to the International Modulation Society (IMS), “conventional medicine often uses the biomedical model of disease management whereby the underlying cause is searched for and treated to relieve symptoms. Neuromodulation involves directly treating the nervous system itself, often through small implanted devices that target a specific area, to rebalance the activity of neural circuits and manage symptoms as varied as severe unremitting neuropathic pain to severe movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, or urinary or fecal incontinence due to overactive bladder or pelvic floor injury.” IMS notes that another area of interest — and a goal of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — is the development of totally implantable systems for
Soft, Pliable, 3D Stretchable ElectronicsTBMG-3312010/01/2018
By stacking and connecting layers of stretchable circuits on top of one another, soft, pliable 3D stretchable electronics were fabricated that can pack a lot of functions while staying thin and small in size.
Multifunctional, Integrated, Photonic Lab-on-a-Chip for Astronaut Health MonitoringTBMG-3284609/01/2018
Ingestible Sensors Powered by Stomach AcidTBMG-3250708/01/2018
A small voltaic cell was developed that is sustained by the acidic fluids in the stomach. The system can generate enough power to run small sensors or drug delivery devices that can reside in the gastrointestinal tract for extended periods of time. This type of power could offer a safer and lower-cost alternative to the traditional batteries now used to power such devices. This work could lead to a new generation of electronic ingestible pills that could someday enable novel ways of monitoring patient health and/or treating disease.
Ingestible ‘Bacteria on a Chip’ Diagnoses DiseaseTBMG-3238507/01/2018
Researchers have built an ingestible sensor equipped with genetically engineered bacteria that can diagnose bleeding in the stomach or other gastrointestinal problems.
Wearable System Monitors Stomach ActivityTBMG-2904906/01/2018
A wearable, non-invasive system was developed to monitor electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours — essentially an electrocardiogram for the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Monitoring for longer periods of time also increases the likelihood of capturing abnormal events.
Noninvasive Wearable System Monitors Stomach ActivityTBMG-2894205/01/2018
A team of engineers and physicians has developed a wearable, noninvasive system to monitor electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours — essentially an electrocardiogram but for the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Self-Powered, Paper-Based Devices for Medical DiagnosticsTBMG-2857203/01/2018
A new medical diagnostic device made of paper detects biomarkers and identifies diseases by performing electrochemical analyses — powered only by the user’s touch — and reads out the color-coded test results, making it easy for nonexperts to understand.
Ultra-Sensitive Temperature SensorTBMG-2852803/01/2018
A temperature sensor with practically no effect at all on the temperature of the object measured has been created in the laboratory by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and is awaiting a patent for commercial production.
Synthetic Hydrogels Deliver Cells to Repair Intestinal InjuriesTBMG-2797512/01/2017
By combining engineered polymeric materials known as hydrogels with complex intestinal tissue known as organoids— made from human pluripotent stem cells — researchers have taken an important step toward creating a new technology for controlling the growth of these organoids and using them for treating wounds in the gut that can be caused by disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Effects of Acute Altitude Exposure in Humans: Requirements for Physiological ProtectionAIR825/2 (Current)11/07/2017
The intent of this SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) is to describe the effects of the environmental changes on human physiology and the protection required to avoid negative consequences resulting from altitude exposure. A brief presentation of basic terms and considerations required to discuss the topic of human physiology at altitude are followed by an overview of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Issues specifically related to human exposure to altitude are then discussed. Hypoxia, hyperventilation, barotrauma, and decompression sickness (DCS) are each addressed: hypoxia is defined as an insufficient supply of oxygen to the tissues, hyperventilation is an excessive rate of ventilation with ultimate consequences on acido-basic equilibrium, barotrauma is injury caused by pressure: most commonly referencing injury to the walls of the Eustachian tube and the ear drum due to the difference between atmospheric and intratympanic pressures, and DCS is related to an excess of
A-10 Aircraft Oxygen Equipment Committee
New, More Accurate Tool Helps Surgeons Find Liver TumorsTBMG-2733909/01/2017
Surgeons can swab a patient’s exposed liver lightly on the surface with a special stylus, capturing the shape of the organ during surgery, and a computer can match that image with the CT scan on a screen. This GPS-like ability is far better than guessing where the tumor and vessels are by feeling for them, but even this road map can be off by centimeters and leaves surgeons guessing.
Hydrogel Material Improves Success of Transplanting Islet CellsTBMG-2731608/01/2017
Combining a new hydrogel material with a protein that boosts blood vessel growth could improve the success rate for transplanting insulin-producing islet cells into persons with type 1 diabetes. In an animal model, the technique enhanced the survival rate of transplanted insulin-producing cells, restoring insulin production in response to blood glucose levels and curing these diabetic animals.
Microhole Chip Allows Analysis of Single CellsTBMG-2712106/26/2017
A microhole chip allows single cells to be picked out of the blood sample, placed on separate holes in the substrate for analysis, and removed individually afterwards. A slight underpressure is applied to the cells that holds each one in its allotted place by suction.
Device Combines Ultrasound and Photoacoustics to Improve ImagingTBMG-2648603/01/2017
In collaboration with various companies, scientists at the University of Twente's MIRA biomedical research institute have recently developed a prototype for a handheld device that combines ultrasound technology with photoacoustics.
Electronic Device Monitors the Heart and Recognizes SpeechTBMG-2633502/01/2017
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Northwestern University have developed a tiny, soft, and wearable acoustic sensor that measures vibrations in the human body, allowing them to monitor human heart health and recognize spoken words. The stretchable device captures physiological sound signals from the body, has physical properties matched with human skin, and can be mounted on nearly any surface of the body. The sensor resembles a small Band-Aid®, weighs less than one-hundredth of an ounce, and can gather continuous physiological data.
Fluorescent Sensor Provides Low-Cost Diagnosis of Cystic FibrosisTBMG-2622701/01/2017
Scientists have developed a new diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder currently affecting around 30,000 Americans. The new device provides a cheaper, easier way to detect levels of chloride in sweat, which are elevated in cystic fibrosis patients. A similar strategy could be applied to other diseases that present with elevated levels of different ions, such as bromide and iodide, and the simplicity of the approach could make diagnostic tests more accessible around the world.
Device Can Diagnose Helicobacter from Exhaled AirTBMG-2540809/01/2016
Soft Tissue Robotic Surgery Outperforms Standard SurgeryTBMG-2499207/01/2016
Developing Mini Artificial LungsTBMG-2499407/01/2016
Researchers Transmit Real-Time Video Through Animal TissueTBMG-2450406/01/2016
Using samples of store-bought meat, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated the possibility of real-time video-rate data transmission through tissue. The development supports in-body ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices.
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