Medical Engineering

The development of medical equipment, products and technical procedures is characterized by high research and development costs in a variety of fields related to the study of human medicine.

innovations-report provides informative and stimulating reports and articles on topics ranging from imaging processes, cell and tissue techniques, optical techniques, implants, orthopedic aids, clinical and medical office equipment, dialysis systems and x-ray/radiation monitoring devices to endoscopy, ultrasound, surgical techniques, and dental materials.

Improved speech without vocal cords

Dutch otolaryngologist Marein van der Torn hoped to develop a prosthesis that would improve the voice of people who had lost their vocal cords. He investigated the possibilities of a new type of voice prosthesis that produces vocal sound. The concept could be useful for female patients with a very weak voice: it would strengthen their voice and enable it to achieve a female pitch again. However, various practical problems need to be solved before the voice prosthesis can be used.

Sometim

New microchip technology for medical imaging biomarkers of disease

A collaboration between scientists at UCLA, Caltech, Stanford, Siemens and Fluidigm have developed a new technology using integrated microfluidics chips for simplifying, lowering the cost and diversifying the types of molecules used to image the biology of disease with the medical imaging technology, Positron Emission Tomography (PET). These molecules are used with PET to diagnostically search throughout the body to look for (image) the molecular errors of disease and to guide the development of

4D ecography for the diagnosis of prenatal cardiopathy

“4D ecography may well be a significant advance in the prenatal diagnosis of congenital cardiopathy”, explained Dr. Juan Luis Alcázar, specialist at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the University Hospital (University of Navarre).

One of the most recent novelties in ecographic studies has been the application of a fourth dimension, i.e. movement added to three-dimensional reconstruction. According to Dr. Alcázar, “the development of the STIC system, carrying out the

Penn researchers discover the powerful tool of simultaneous fMRI and PET imaging

By comparing these two functional images, physicians may be able to better diagnose and treat patients with brain disorders

Philadelphia, PA) – Clinical researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) are the first to combine fMRI and PET scanning in radiology, creating a way to compare different measurements of the brain’s function concurrently. This analysis could lead to better diagnosis and treatment in patients suffering from brain disorders, like Alzhe

From aircraft aerodynamics to improved heart implants

At first glance airplane wings and human hearts have little in common, but, say a team of European researchers, a technology used to measure airflow over wings can now be used to help keep hearts in working order.

The researchers optimised a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system traditionally used to improve the aerodynamics of aircraft wings to make it capable of accurately measuring the effects of medical implants on blood flow. Their work will allow medical device manufactu

CAD helps detect smaller potentially more aggressive breast cancers in younger women

A computer-aided detection system not only helps radiologists detect more breast cancers, but also helps detect smaller tumors in younger women, a new study shows.

The study included 27,274 screening mammograms done over a three year period—19,402 were done using a computer-aided mammography detection system (CAD); 7,872 were mammography studies done before the CAD system was installed, said Tommy E. Cupples, MD of ImageCare, LLC in Columbia, SC, and the lead author of the study.

Page
1 286 287 288 289 290 291