Biomedical technology

One reason why our livers excel at clearing waste from our blood system is that the organ functions according to three key “zones” that perform specific major tasks. So, if scientists hope to create self-growing patches of liver organoid tissue that could help repair damaged organs, it’s important that the lab-grown tissue faithfully reproduce such zones.

Earlier this year, a five-year-old boy was killed at an “alternative medicine clinic” in the United States, when the hyperbaric chamber he was inside caught fire and exploded. Four people have since been charged over his death.

Wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, or data glasses have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They record health data, monitor your sleep, or calculate your calorie consumption.

Over the past decade, 3D printing has gone from being a futuristic idea to a revolutionary tool. In medicine, its ability to produce custom-made, complex structures is changing the way doctors treat injuries and diseases—especially when it comes to rebuilding bones and other body tissues.

A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), belonging to the Research Institute for Molecular Imaging Technologies (I3M), has developed, together with the NITIUV Group of the La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) in Valencia and the Biomechanics Institute of Valencia, a new device—in the prototype phase—to break up kidney stones.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a system that helps patients learn to move their paralyzed arms and hands quickly after a stroke. This requires targeted stimulation of the muscles in the forearm and the support of an exoskeleton. Twenty-four stroke patients have already tested the system at the Schön Klinik Bad Aibling.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a system that helps patients learn to move their paralyzed arms and hands quickly after a stroke. This requires targeted stimulation of the muscles in the forearm and the support of an exoskeleton. Twenty-four stroke patients have already tested the system at the Schön Klinik Bad Aibling.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have unveiled an innovative diagnostic tool that significantly improves the speed and accuracy of detecting bacterial infections. This technology is designed to enhance the sensitivity to identify harmful bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause severe illnesses.

Two artificial intelligence platforms are nearly on par with—or sometimes surpass—mental health professionals in evaluating appropriate responses to people who exhibit suicidal thoughts, according to a new RAND study.

A DGIST research team, led by Professor Kyung-In Jang, has developed a smart patch capable of real-time biometric signal monitoring and drug delivery. This patch integrates various sensors and a drug delivery system into a single unit using a foldable structure, enabling real-time cardiovascular health monitoring and immediate drug administration when necessary. The research team expects this technology to be widely applicable across multiple medical fields, including glucose management, pain relief, and chronic disease treatment.