Researchers at MIT have developed an ingestible sensor that can measure vital signs without any external contact, reports Emily Reynolds for Wired. “The sensor works by using microphones—like ones found in mobile phones—that are able to pick up sound waves from the heart and lungs,” writes Reynolds.
Alexandra Ossola of Popular Science reports on an ingestible sensor that allows doctors to monitor vital signs by listening to the body’s gastrointestinal tract. The device could help treat “chronic illnesses, monitor soldiers in battle, or even help athletes train more effectively,” writes Ossola.
MIT researchers have developed an ingestible sensor that can monitor vital signs, reports Rae Ellen Bichell for NPR. "Trauma patients are a really clear winner here, because we can do vital sign monitoring without touching the skin," says Albert Swiston of Lincoln Laboratory.
In this BBC News segment, Prof. Robert Langer, winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, discusses his work exploring how to get the human body to respond to vital drugs. Langer explains that his approach to medicine is to “come up with engineering solutions to different medical problems.”
MIT researchers have developed a new method of delivering drugs to the gastrointestinal tract via ultrasound waves, reports Alexandra Ossola of Popular Science. The new drug-delivery method could prove effective in treating diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
Robert Preidt writes for U.S. News & World Report that MIT researchers have found that ultrasound waves can be used to deliver drugs to the digestive system. Preidt explains that the new approach, “might potentially benefit people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.”
MIT researchers have developed an ultrasound device that can deliver medication to the digestive system, reports Leah Samuel for The Boston Globe. The researchers “found that using ultrasound enhanced absorption of the drugs they tested up to tenfold,” writes Samuel.
CNBC’s Robert Ferris reports that researchers at MIT and Boston Children’s Hospital have devised a new method to create 3-D heart models. The new technique allows doctors to 3-D print replicas of a patient’s heart within 24 hours, making it practical for hospital use, Ferris explains.
Researchers at MIT and Boston Children’s Hospital are developing a new technique to convert images from MRI scans into physical models of the human heart, writes Lindsay Kalter for The Boston Herald. “This can definitely impact clinical practice in terms of helping surgeons plan more efficiently,” explains graduate student Danielle Pace.
“Researchers from MIT and Boston Children’s Hospital say they’ve come up with a better, faster way to build heart models,” writes Barb Darrow for Fortune. The team has devised a method for 3-D printing model hearts from MRI scans that takes three to four hours compared to the 10 hours typically required using current methods.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard have developed a new device that can quickly detect Ebola, reports Robert Preidt for U.S. News & World Report. “The new paper-based test takes minutes and the device does not require electricity,” writes Preidt. “The test works in a similar manner to over-the-counter pregnancy tests.”
Jamie Ducharme of Boston Magazine writes about a polymer gel being developed by researchers from MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital that could allow for swallowable medical devices. “Improving slow-release safety could open the door for devices that control hunger in obese patients, diagnose gastrointestinal issues, extend the effects of drugs, and more,” Ducharme explains.
MIT researchers have “developed a new ring-like device made of a polymer that can deliver drugs to the stomach over the course of a week,” writes Alexandra Ossola for Popular Science. The team anticipates that the technology could be used for a variety of medical applications.
In an article for Bloomberg Business about how poverty can impact brain development in children, John Tozzi highlights research by Prof. John Gabrieli examining how family income can affect academic achievement. "It’s only in the last few years that there’s been any systematic research asking about the biological side of the story," explains Gabrieli.
Scientific American reporter Cynthia Graber speaks with Prof. Sangeeta Bhatia about her new research that shows how bacteria could be used to detect cancer. “I think there's really a whole world of possibilities once you start thinking about using bacteria as a platform upon which to engineer functions,” says Bhatia.