Medtech / devices
Researchers have developed a new 'organ-on-a-chip' model of the human synovium, a membrane-like tissue that lines the joints. The model, published in the journal Biomedical Materials, could help scientists to better understand the mechanisms of arthritis and to develop new treatments for the group of debilitating diseases. Across the globe, more than 350 million people [...]
The thymus, a small and relatively unknown organ, may play a bigger role in the immune system of adults than was previously believed, according to a recent study. Researchers from Linkoping University in Sweden have found that with age, the glandular tissue in the thymus is replaced by fat and the level of its degeneration [...]
An international team of researchers has created a method for better 3D modelling of complex cancers. The Canadian University of Waterloo-based team has combined modern bioprinting techniques with synthetic structures or microfluidic chips. This method will help lab researchers more accurately understand heterogeneous tumours - those with more than one kind of cancer cell, often [...]
A new app developed by a second-year medical student could hold the key to helping doctors and other health professionals communicate better with older patients. Various studies have shown that physicians often find it difficult to converse with older people, leading to many over-65s avoiding seeking medical care. Research published in the Journal of Applied [...]
The founder of an online activity club providing inspiration for a happier and more fulfilling retirement has told Agetech World she believes a link-up with the NHS could have “huge benefits” for both older people and the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system. Hannah Thomson was inspired by her late grandmother to launch The Joy Club [...]
A North American digital health company is looking to extend the commercial reach for its pioneering diagnostic platform, developed to identify patients suffering from a potentially fatal sleep disorder common among older adults. Chicago-headquartered Sibel Health received US Food and Drug Administration clearance in July 2022 for its ANNE Sleep tool created to help doctors [...]
Seven years ago, the renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking warned that the creation of artificial intelligence would be “either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity.” He was speaking at the opening of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, a multi-disciplinary institute within Cambridge University dedicated [...]
A cargo-carrying robot that follows you around could be the answer to promoting healthy ageing. Research carried out by Newcastle University in the UK has shown the gita robot (pronounced jee-ta and spelt with a lowercase ‘g’) can support the mobility and wellbeing of older people. The findings of the world-first citizen-led study have revealed [...]
Two university students have developed a mobile app that can detect within seconds if someone is suffering from a range of serious and potentially debilitating age-related eye conditions. The brainchild of Igor García Atutxa and Francisca Villanueva, the app uses artificial intelligence to analyse a selfie and issue a diagnosis, directing the taker toward the [...]
A simple blood test that can detect and screen with 96% accuracy whether a person has Alzheimer's disease up to a decade before symptoms appear, has been made available to the general public for the first time. The blood test developed by an international research team led by scientists from the Hong Kong University of [...]
