Medtech / devices
Loss of memory and the ability to think doesn't mean dementia patients no longer have the capacity to learn new things, a new study has revealed. The study presented at Linköping University in Sweden has debunked the widely held belief that people with dementia are just empty shells. Study author Elias Ingebrand, of the university's [...]
It's a sad indictment of modern life that the world is facing a loneliness epidemic among older adults. Whilst loneliness and social isolation aren't just confined to the elderly, this age group is especially vulnerable to finding themselves cut off from society. This is because older adults are more likely to be living alone, to [...]
Heart failure affects more than 64 million people worldwide and is the main cause of hospitalisation in those over 65. With the global prevalence of the condition predicted to increase by almost 50% by the end of this decade, Amsterdam UMC is launching a consortium to look for an AI-powered solution. The group "has the [...]
An oral robotic pill could soon provide an alternative to painful injections in treating osteoporosis and other chronic diseases. Teriparatide (PTH 1-34) has for decades been a proven and effective medication for rebuilding brittle bones characteristic of osteoporosis. But the drug, which was launched by Eli Lilly under the brand name Forteo, has to be [...]
Visually impaired iPhone users can now download two new free apps developed to give them more autonomy in their everyday lives. Created by a team based at the University of Michigan, VizLens is essentially a screen reader that employs a person's smartphone camera to allow them to understand and operate a variety of interfaces in [...]
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has awarded AI software developer Icometrix a grant to continue exploratory work into brain biomarkers for the disease. The grant from the foundation, set up by the Back to the Future actor following his early onset Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 1991 at the age of just 29, [...]
A more sensitive, less bulky, knitted circuit-embedded knee wearable for wireless sensing of joint movement in real-time has been developed which could highlight early mobility issues - potentially preventing or delaying functional decline. The stretchable knee wearable has been designed by a team from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and if commercialised could [...]
Scientists have identified five subtypes of heart failure that could potentially be used to predict future risk for individual patients. The experts at the University College of London (UCL) in the UK used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to uncover the five distinct subtypes. They have also developed an app that could be used by clinicians [...]
Engineers from the University of California San Diego have devised a cheap and simple way to check blood pressure using a smartphone. They've come up with a low-cost clip that can tap into the phone's camera and flash when used in conjunction with a special downloadable app. To measure their blood pressure, the user simply [...]
Every year more than one million people receive a pacemaker. Until now, leadless versions were only available for 20% of these patients. However, thanks to an international consortium led by Amsterdam UMC and funded by Abbott Medical, an improved version could later this year be available for all patients. Research from Amsterdam UMC published in [...]
