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Sensory substitution device enables blind persons to actually 'read' an eye chart

A method developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for training blind persons to "see" through the use of a sensory substitution device (SSD) has enabled those using the system to actually "read" an eye chart with letter sizes smaller than those used in determining the international standard for blindness.

17 May 2012

Damage to brain white matter connections may be the cause of Phineas Gage's behavioral changes

Poor Phineas Gage. In 1848, the supervisor for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad in Vermont was using a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch rod to pack blasting powder into a rock when he triggered an explosion that drove the rod through his left cheek and out of the top of his head. As reported at the time, the rod was later found, "smeared with blood and brains."

17 May 2012

Paper-based diabetes device can be adapted for other applications

With epidemics of Type 2 diabetes looming in rural India, China and other areas of the world where poverty limits the availability of health care, scientists are reporting development of an inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test ideally suited for such areas. The report describing the paper-based device, which also could be adapted for the diagnosis and monitoring of other conditions and the environment, appears in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry.

17 May 2012

MedWorks and its partners to offer two days of free cancer screenings

On Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3, 2012, MedWorks, its partners The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and the Cleveland Clinic-Taussig Cancer Center, and volunteers will provide two days of free cancer screenings at a MedWorks clinic held at The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, 12201 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.

17 May 2012

Early skin cancer detection with digital dermoscopy

FotoFinder presents advanced devices for early skin cancer detection at the World Congress of Dermoscopy in Brisbane from May 17 to 19. The new mobile and stationary devices offer better diagnostic accuracy for doctors and more safety for patients. Latest development is the connection of a mobile dermatoscope for iPhone with an online webspace where doctors can request a second opinion on suspicious moles.

17 May 2012

CCH, BGU launch collaboration to address lack of pediatric-specific medical devices

A collaboration to address the lack of medical devices designed specifically for children is being launched by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCH) in Ohio and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer-Sheva, Israel. The goal is to improve health outcomes for children by ensuring device design that is customized to meet childrens' unique physiological differences and medical needs.

17 May 2012

High-throughput sequencing can detect early signs of leukemia relapse

A study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that a next-generation, high-speed DNA-decoding technology called high-throughput sequencing can detect the earliest signs of potential relapse in nearly twice the number of leukemia patients as compared to flow cytometry, the current gold standard for detecting minimal residual disease.

17 May 2012

Smartphones can improve QOL for people with poor vision

iPhones and other smartphones can be a huge help to the visually impaired, but few vision doctors are recommending them to patients, according to a study co-authored by a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine ophthalmologist.

17 May 2012

HHS launches Health System Measurement Project

This new online tool will enable consumers to search a variety of federal healthcare data sets to monitor how the health system is performing.

17 May 2012

Nine fine-grained patterns of Internet usage may indicate depression

In a new study analyzing Internet usage among college students, researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have found that students who show signs of depression tend to use the Internet differently than those who show no symptoms of depression.

17 May 2012

Illinois Back Institute offers non-surgical treatment for lower back pain

Chronic pain is terrifying. Sciatica and stenosis are two of the most common causes of persistent, debilitating back pain. Chicago resident Pedro Estrada suffered from extreme back pain that compromised his livelihood and soured his outlook on life. After taking time off from his job and consulting many doctors, he finally found relief with non-surgical treatment at the Illinois Back Institute.

17 May 2012

TJU researchers to investigate Cu-64 imaging agent for prostate cancer

Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University received a five-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a potentially revolutionary method that can stage prostate cancers and detect recurrent disease so accurately, it would significantly reduce the number of confirmation biopsies. Such biopsies can be invasive, costly, and often lead to false-positive readings.

17 May 2012

New method resolves cell structure and dynamics of living fish larvae

Microscopes provide valuable insights in the structure and dynamics of cells, in particular when the latter remain in their natural environment. However, this is very difficult especially for higher organisms. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, and the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) have now developed a new method to visualize cell structures of an eighth of a micrometer in size in living fish larvae.

17 May 2012

Project aims to find new diagnostic tools, drugs for triple negative breast cancer

Some types of breast cancer can be successfully treated with drugs such as tamoxifen, but treatment for a type of breast cancer more common in young and black women is still limited to radiation and general chemotherapy. Called triple negative breast cancer, this type of cancer is the focus of a 20-month, $8.6-million research project that aims to find new diagnostic tools and options for drugs.

17 May 2012

Dako, VARI partner to license, manufacture and distribute cancer diagnostics

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and Dako, the Danish-based, worldwide supplier of cancer diagnostic tools today announce an agreement to license, manufacture and distribute cancer diagnostics utilizing the MET4 Antibody.

17 May 2012

SRI Sarnoff receives Lenel factory certification for IOM N-Glance identification system

SRI Sarnoff's Iris on the Move N-Glance identification system has received Lenel factory certification for its interface to Lenel's OnGuard software system.

17 May 2012

CAP, SoftTech Health announce partnership

SoftTech Health LLC of New York announces a partnership with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) to bring state-of-the-art accreditation management tools to clinical laboratories worldwide. Laboratory test results are said to drive the majority of all patient care decision-making, meaning that rigorous quality management (QM) of laboratory services is essential to safe and timely patient care.

17 May 2012

Pfizer outlines vision for Systems-based Pharmaceutics

Leading pharmaceuticals company Pfizer outlined its vision for Systems-based Pharmaceutics, a revolutionary model-based approach linking drug process and product engineering to product quality and performance in the human body, at the recent Advanced Process Modelling Forum in London.

17 May 2012

NanoString commences second clinical study of PAM50-based breast cancer assay

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a privately held provider of life science tools for translational research and developer of molecular diagnostics, today announced the initiation of the second clinical validation study of its PAM50-based breast cancer assay.

From NanoString Technologies 17 May 2012

NeuroSigma Subsidiary sees potential for Thin-Film Nitinol in next-generation flow-diverting stents for treating intracranial aneurysms

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, NSVascular, Inc. (NSV), acquired a portfolio of patents and related trade secrets covering the fabrication of Thin-Film Nitinol (TFN) from TiNi Alloy Company, including U.S. Patent No. 6,746,890 entitled “Three Dimensional Thin Film Devices and Methods of Fabrication,” an important piece of the portfolio covering the production of three-dimensional TFN constructs.

16 May 2012