World’s Most Miniature Medical Video Camera
Medigus, the developer of medical devices, together with Tower Semiconductor, specialty chip foundry, came up with their latest invention in medical field. They reported about the successful sampling of the latest CMOS imager for disposable mini-cameras developed by Medigus. Their latest invention was created to be used in disposable endoscopes or to be applied for diagnostic and surgical purposes. The device is used in gastroenterology, natural orifice transluminal endoscopy surgery, bronchoscopy and orthopedics.The tiny camera is just 1.2mm x 5mm long, it’s completely disposable and there will be no need to pass the sterilization process which is often used in endoscopic procedures.
New Device for Fertility Treatment
Scientists from University of Michigan developed a device that helps embryos feel more at home during IVF procedure by rocking them, which imitates embryo movements as they travel through fallopian tube to the uterus.
The study showed that embryos grown in a dynamic environment with the help of the new device not only resulted in more pregnancies, but also healthier embryos, than those placed in a static environment, and also use fewer embryos and reduce the risk of multiple births.
The early-stage embryos are placed inside the device that looks like a small thimble-like funnel, having tiny channels at the bottom that filter waste products and help the embryo move in nutrient-rich fluid. The Braille pins that support the funnel pulsate and generate current that imitates body flows during muscle contractions and the movements of the cilia, tiny hair-like projections inside fallopian tubes that move the egg through the tube to the uterus.
Mini Ultrasound for Pain Relief
The miniature ultrasound device can soon be available to everyone suffering from arthritis or other pain.
The device was created by George K. Lewis, the Cornell biomedical engineering graduate student, came up with the smallest possible and most effective ultrasound pain relief, the device sends low-intensity ultrasound to the skin, which relives pain and may also be used to deliver various drugs.
The innovative ultrasound device, which can be easily fit in one’s pocket, may soon be used to relieve pain, cure injures or arthritis just at the comfort of your home. The miniature device has a coin-sized transducer that delivers low-intensity ultrasound to the skin. The ultrasound waves are quite mild so that they can be applied to the skin up to 10 hours.
The mini ultrasound can well be used at home to relieve muscle or joint pain without the necessity to visit doctor’s office. This will be especially useful for older people, because pain relief drugs are not always suitable for them because of the increased risk of negative outcomes.
Device that Heals Burn Wound by Spraying Skin Cells Onto It
A laser inside the bioprinter, which was developed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, first measures the size and shape of the wound and then precisely applied where they are needed. The skin cell spray is produced by dissolving cells from pieces of skin and then separating cell types such as keratinocytes and fibroblasts. The purified cells are then incubated in a nutrient solution where they multiply. They are then placed into sterilized cartridges and sprayed onto the wound by a similar process to a multi-color inkjet printer, with the fibroblasts sprayed on first followed by a layer of keratinocytes. The sprayed-on cells form a protective shield for the wound.
Victims of severe burns can die of infection within a couple of weeks if they do not receive skin grafts, but the grafts can leave serious scarring. In the bioprinter the skin cells became integrated in the surrounding skin, which was probably because the sprayed cells included immature stem cells. The device can serve as an alternative to skin transplants.
Biogel that Heals Brain Injuries
The biogel can cure brain injuries of car crash victims or falls as well as wounded soldiers. Biogel represents a mix of synthetic and natural chemicals. It stimulates neural stem cells which afterwards fix damaged nerves. Researchers decided to test the biogel on humans shortly after the studies on rats showed promising results.
The biogel is injected into the patient’s wound site in order to direct the reaction of neural stem cells. Chemicals contained in the biogel make it possible for neural stem cells to restore normal brain tissue in the head wound.