"Sweat stickers" may streamline diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in children
02/04/2021
New "sweat stickers" may streamline the early diagnosis of cystic fibrosis by enabling scientists to easily gather and analyze sweat from the skin of infants and children. The stickers matched the performance of previous, more cumbersome devices, suggesting the stickers could address design obstacles that have held back the diagnosis and treatment of cystic fibrosis in pediatric patients.
New technique provides detailed map of lung pathology in COVID-19
31/03/2021
A team led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian has used advanced technology and analytics to map, at single-cell resolution, the cellular landscape of diseased lung tissue in severe COVID-19 and other infectious lung diseases.
AI used in battle against asbestos-linked cancer
29/03/2021
International genomics research led by the University of Leicester has used artificial intelligence (AI) to study an aggressive form of cancer, which could improve patient outcomes.
Measuring the human being in micrometer steps
22/02/2021
Researchers from Hanover Medical School (MHH), Mainz University Hospital and HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal at Witten/Herdecke University are leading an international, multidisciplinary consortium that makes high-resolution, three-dimensional X-ray images of the human body possible.
Bernese researchers create sophisticated lung-on-chip
12/02/2021
A specialized laboratory of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, headed by Olivier Guenat has developed a new generation of in-vitro models called organs-on-chip for over 10 years, focusing on modeling the lung and its diseases.
Engineers share model for ventilating two patients with one ventilator
03/02/2021
As Covid-19 continues to put pressure on healthcare providers around the world, engineers at the University of Bath have published a mathematical model that could help clinicians to safely allow two people to share a single ventilator.
Fighting respiratory virus outbreaks through sensor-based rapid detection
25/01/2021
Viral respiratory diseases are easily transmissible and can spread rapidly across the globe, causing significant damage. The ongoing covid-19 pandemic is a testament to this. In the past too, other viruses have caused massive respiratory disease outbreaks: for example, a subtype of the influenza virus, the type A H1N1 virus, was responsible for the Spanish flu and the Swine flu outbreaks.
Asthma: Self-management thanks to apps and wearables
11/01/2021
Today, managing one's own chronic disease is hardly possible without digital helpers – not least because of the corona pandemic. People with asthma also benefit from apps and wearables. They help patients connect better with doctors and better understand their own disease. Our Topic of the Month looks at why this is so important and what the digital services can do.
mHealth for asthma: Help me manage it myself!
11/01/2021
According to the WHO, around 600 million people worldwide suffer from chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma. Key in the fight against these diseases is therapy adherence, but many sufferers often find this difficult. The result is increased hospitalization, which ultimately comes at the expense of the healthcare system. Smart and mobile technologies could change that.
Vivatmo me: monitor your asthma treatment at home
01/01/2021
Allergic asthma is a chronic disease that makes regular monitoring essential to keep it under control. This is the only way to determine whether the prescribed medication is effective or whether the patient needs a treatment adjustment. Vivatmo me is a breath analyzer device for home use and helps keep asthma patients safe and confident between visits to the doctor.
ARDS: Testing Consequences without Consequence
14/11/2019
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening illness in which the lungs are severely damaged. The condition always requires intensive medical care through mechanical ventilation. But not all lungs are the same. To ensure a personalized treatment that is adapted to the individual patient’s lung volume and condition, Ebenbuild relies on digital twins.
Deep Learning Image Reconstruction – what AI looks like in clinical routine
02/09/2019
Artificial intelligence is no longer a dream of the future in medicine. Many studies and initial application examples show that it sometimes achieves better results than human physicians. At Jena University Hospital, the work with AI is already lived practice. It is the first institution in the world to use algorithms in radiological routine to reconstruct CT images.
Photonics: "We want a rapid and easy method to identify pathogens and antibiotic resistance"
01/08/2019
The medical devices value chain has gaps between academic research and industrial practice that slow down innovation processes. This also applies to time-sensitive and urgently needed products such as rapid diagnostic tests to identify resistant pathogens. At the InfectoGnostics Research Campus in Jena, partners from research and medicine team up to close these gaps.
React early, breathe free – comprehensive COPD management
01/03/2019
COPD is considered the third most common cause of death worldwide and mainly affects smokers. It is not curable, but with the right combination of early diagnosis, therapy and self-management, a significant part of the quality of life can be regained. The comprehensive care is supported by various devices and technical tools. Learn more about the all-round care of COPD in our Topic of the Month.
Comprehensive Treatment: It’s All About Breathing
01/03/2019
Coughing, airway obstruction, difficulty breathing: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive and currently incurable lung diseases. The innovative solutions of Philips Respironics help patients to manage each stage of the disease and their medication intake, train the respiratory system and provide respiratory support.
Restoring Pulmonary Function
01/03/2019
People suffering from lung disease temporarily need ventilator support because they are unable to breathe naturally. Mechanical ventilation is designed to ensure the survival of these patients. The goal is to adapt the ventilator settings and tailor them the patient's specific needs and prevent lung tissue damage.
All-round care for COPD: diagnosis, treatment, self-management
01/03/2019
COPD affects more than 200 million people in the world. Those affected by this chronic pulmonary disease are often slow to notice the symptoms and get a medical diagnosis. This results in secondary complications and high medical costs. That's why an early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and frequent monitoring are very important. Various devices and tools support this all-round care.
Gentle medication for the little ones – with every breath
22/02/2019
According to the WHO, ten percent of babies worldwide are born prematurely. Since most organs of these tiny babies have not fully developed yet, it can quickly lead to complications and disorders and most notably affect the lungs of the premature infants. What's more, infections require gentle treatment, as the preemies themselves are fragile and susceptible – making this a challenging situation.
Hybrid Imaging – Two Views of the Lungs
25/01/2019
CT scan, MRI or X-ray: All these methods allow doctors to see inside the body - including inside the lungs - and make a diagnosis. The clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the RWTH Aachen University Hospital uses a state-of-the-art gamma camera that combines SPECT and CT.
See, experience, learn: what's new at MEDICA 2018
02/11/2018
It's time: the world's largest medical trade fair opens its doors from 12 to 15 November. More than 5,000 international exhibitors will present their new innovative products and applications. Frums, conferences and special shows will feature exciting specialist lectures and discussions that will give you an insight into electromedicine, laboratory medicine, medical technology and diagnostics.
Lung Imaging – Keeping the Respiratory System Healthy
05/10/2018
Many people have damaged or suboptimally functioning lungs. An accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment are vital to protect this life-sustaining organ. Modern imaging solutions help physicians and patients understand what happens inside the lungs.
Lung segmentation: easier and faster thanks to new algorithms
01/10/2018
A look inside the lungs is a time-consuming process. To identify the boundaries of the respiratory organ from surrounding other organs, tissues, and structures requires between 200 and 500 computed tomographic images and subsequent manual markings – an elaborate process that can take up to six hours. An optimized computer program is now able to do this in only a few seconds.
With modern imaging supplies: A look into the lung
01.10.2018
Thanks to various imaging supplies, it is possible to make the inside of the body accessible for diagnostics, research and treatment. The lung, one of the most important human organs for survival, is also examined in this way. In our Topic of the Month, we looked at how doctors are getting a closer look at the lung, how the procedures differ, and which ones will be available in the near future.
Lung cancer: Screening with low-Dose CT scans
01/10/2018
Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest cancers. The symptoms tend to be non-specific, often causing its detection to be too late. Currently, there is no comprehensive screening. This could change with the use of low-dose CT scans. It should be noted that this is not just an issue of technical feasibility. A screening test must also make sense from a health policy perspective.
Air Next: sharing spirometry data for better treatment
24/09/2018
Some diseases require close, permanent control of the patient, especially if they are chronic and, if unchecked, potentially dangerous, like some lung diseases. Monitoring them is quite cumbersome, because patients regularly need to visit their physician or a hospital. Wireless devices for home measurements offer at least some comfort and relieve to patients.
Organ Care System: treatment under extreme conditions
08/05/2018
Multidrug-resistant organisms that are treated with a dosage that exceeds the regular dose a hundred times and at temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius – the human organism is unable to handle it. Yet if the diseased organ is treated outside of the body, extreme conditions are an option. For the first time, physicians have succeeded in treating a severe case of pneumonia by using the OCS.
Personalized cancer medicine: customized treatment
01/03/2018
Everyone is different. This statement also applies to our health. Cancer, in particular, can look and progress differently depending on the individual person. That’s why every patient ideally also needs a customized treatment that is tailored to their individual needs. But how feasible is this idea?
Patient science: patients research cystic fibrosis
22/01/2018
Research does not always occur in laboratory settings. As part of citizen science, citizens collect data and make it available for research projects. Now, this approach is also adopted in medicine by way of patient science: in a new project, patients take part in cystic fibrosis research. The goal is to improve the lives of those who are affected by this chronic disease.