Blood tests: Tracking down cancer with circulating DNA
30.07.2024
Liquid biopsies in the form of blood tests offer the possibility of analyzing circulating free DNA in the blood and thus improving cancer therapies. The advantage of diagnostics using blood tests is that they can help to detect tumors at an early stage and efficiently monitor the progression of cancer.
lakobchuk
Mammography: Transpara supports early breast cancer detection with AI
02.07.2024
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into medical diagnostics has brought about transformative changes, particularly in the early detection of breast cancer. One innovative solution: Transpara.
Empa
Medical textiles and sensors enhance skin protection in healthcare
19.03.2024
In recent years, advancements in medical textiles and sensor technologies have brought about improvements in skin protection within the healthcare sector. From pressure-equalizing mattresses designed for newborns to intelligent sensor systems aimed at preventing pressure injuries in adults, these inventions have the potential to improve patient care and enhance overall well-being.
Determine stroke risk early with tear fluid, mitochondria and AI
08.03.2024
Over 100 million people globally suffer from strokes annually, with ischemic strokes being the most common. However, many strokes go undetected, leading to severe consequences like dementia or depression. Prof. Olga Golubnitschaja from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) has spearheaded a comprehensive approach to assess stroke risk early, focusing on predictive medicine.
J. Crowley
Imaging device for early gastrointestinal cancer detection
01.03.2024
Gastrointestinal cancers (GCs) pose a significant health challenge worldwide, with early detection being crucial for effective treatment and improved survival rates. To address this need, scientists have developed a new imaging device aimed at enhancing the accuracy and accessibility of GC screening programs.
Nasal antibody spray demonstrates potential for COVID-19 prevention
26.01.2024
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have achieved a significant breakthrough in COVID-19 prevention with the development of a nasal antibody spray. This approach offers new possibilities for enhanced protection against SARS-CoV-2 and its various variants, providing hope for high-risk individuals.
DragonImages
Exoskeletons in the operating room
16.01.2024
Exoskeletons have made their way into the workforce. With their capability to relieve muscles while still maintaining agility, they make a welcome support for employees across industries. In the medical sector, exoskeletons are mostly being used for rehabilitation. But there is a field of use that could benefit from exoskeletons in the future: the operating room.
YuriArcursPeopleimages
Eye scans provide crucial insights into kidney health
08.12.2023
3D eye scans can reveal vital clues about kidney health that could help to track the progression of disease, research suggests. The advance could revolutionise monitoring of kidney disease, which often progresses without symptoms in the early stages.
Brandon Martin/Rice University
Affordable global health technologies for early cancer detection
06.11.2023
A Rice University-led collaboration from three continents has won up to a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a premier research center in the Texas Medical Center to develop affordable, effective point-of-care (POC) technologies that improve early cancer detection in low-resource settings in the United States and other countries.
TU Dresden
Sensor and software to promote office staff’s physical activity
11.10.2023
TU Dresden researchers have analyzed the mechanics of office chairs and developed a sensor that, in combination with a dedicated software, can in the future help employees move more and more consciously during office work.
InfectoGnostics
InfectoGnostics study: Benefits of on-site tests in general practices
05.09.2023
General practitioners (GP) regularly use on-site rapid tests because they find their application useful. However, frequent utilisation fails due to costs and remuneration regulations. These are the results of a study by InfectoGnostics researchers at the University Hospital Jena in the project "POCT-ambulant", in which 292 GPs in Thuringia, Bremen and Bavaria participated.
monkeybusiness
Pandemic prevention: progress in research infrastructure
15.08.2023
The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly shown that there is still a lot of potential in research structures and funding to better manage a pandemic. Prevention plays just as important a role as dealing with the pandemic. Technological measures that can facilitate virus detection or help to analyze the course in more detail need to be developed.
Paul Scherrer Institut
Improvement of the CT: earlier detection of breast cancer
26.07.2023
A team of researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich, together with the Baden Cantonal Hospital (KSB) and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), has succeeded in refining mammography, x-ray imaging technique used to detect tumours in their early stages, to produce considerably more reliable results and be less unpleasant for the patient.
Zinkevych_D
Breast cancer: international expert recommendations on removal of lymph nodes
24.07.2023
Researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital and the University of Lucerne as well as international scientists, patient representatives and European cancer societies have pooled scientific data and their expert knowledge on the surgical management of lymph nodes in breast cancer.
olgaseleznovaphoto
FALCO project: Comprehensive glaucoma prevention thanks to low-cost screening system
20.04.2023
Glaucoma is wicked, because the disease often goes undetected until irreversible damage of the optic nerve has occurred. This makes regular eye exams even more important. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging method that facilitates an early diagnosis. However, traditional OCT machines are very expensive. That’s why the FALCO project aims to develop a more cost-effective system.
St George's, University of London
Extra pregnancy scan slashes number of breech births and risk to babies
14.04.2023
Adding a third routine scan at the end of pregnancy can slash the number of unexpected breech births by 70% and the risks of the baby being born with severe health complications, according to research led by doctors at St George’s, University of London, and published in PLOS Medicine.
beta-web
Dementia prevention with memodio – app helps fend off memory loss
03.04.2023
Globally, 55 million persons are effected by dementia. The neurodegenerative disease is a chronic condition. Once the decline in brain function has started, it is difficult to stop it, thus underscoring the importance of prevention. This is where memodio comes into play. The app is designed to help people with cognitive training and prevent dementia.
Kingston University
Medication adherence tool predicts hospital admissions of Type 2 Diabetes patients
28.03.2023
A pioneering behavioural diagnostic tool developed by Kingston University, London and healthcare technology company Observia to help patients take their medication as prescribed is the first holistic model in the world to accurately predict hospital admissions and readmissions in people living with Type 2 Diabetes, according to a new study.
Karin Kaiser/MHH.
Better care for pregnant women with precancerous cervical cancer
23.03.2023
Preliminary stages of cervical cancer occur mainly in women between 25 and 35 years of age. The main risk factor for developing cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Surgery is the treatment of choice.
AnnaStills
Pregnancy: Digital care is here
16.01.2023
The demands of pregnancy are not easy on the expectant mother’s body. Although most pregnancies occur without complications, some women may experience health conditions or problems. Modern technologies are available to provide maternity care and are great resources to prevent problems during this important time.
dasha11
SMART Start: Digitization in prenatal care
16.01.2023
Pregnancy means many prenatal visits. Regularly scheduled checkup appointments are important to help expectant mothers get ready for the healthiest pregnancy possible. The question is: Could some parameters be measured and monitored via smart devices from the comfort of one’s own home? The SMART Start project explores this issue.
Universitätsklinikum Bonn (UKB)
AI improves colorectal cancer screening in Lynch syndrome
10.01.2023
Researchers at the National Center for Hereditary Tumor Diseases (NZET) at Bonn University Hospital (UKB) have now found that artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the effectiveness of colonoscopy in the presence of Lynch syndrome.
DegrooteStock
Wound care: healing with technology
01.12.2022
Wound care by nurses is directly about cleaning, sterile covering, and documentation. Medical and surgical interventions may also be necessary. In this context, wound care also offers potential for the use of technical aids that can help prevent complications.
halfpoint
Novel sensor system with AI-driven biomarkers for patients with heart failure
07.10.2022
UNISONO aims to develop a novel system combining an ear-worn sensor with speech recognition.
PantherMedia/happysuthida
Dementia: "We want to achieve earlier diagnosis for more people"
29.03.2022
As we get older, we tend to become more forgetful, sometimes strange or even confused and overwhelmed by everyday life. But is it always just the age? With an increasing lifespan, the possibility to suffer from a cognitive disease at one point is also increasing. The majority of cognitive diseases is never diagnosed.
Duke-NUS Medical School
COVID-19 saliva Amplified Antigen Rapid Test is as sensitive as PCR test
09.12.2021
A potentially game-changing Antigen Rapid Test (ART) technology to diagnose COVID-19 has been developed by scientists in Singapore. Using a proprietary on-kit amplification technique, a person's saliva can be self-administered or tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
SZB
Back problems: AI will provide personalised diagnosis
02.11.2021
Back problems are generally regarded as a widespread disease with many sufferers struggling with pain. A team of researchers from TU Kaiserslautern, the University Medical Centre in Mainz and several companies is working on a method that will enable more efficient monitoring of malpositions and strains on the back. Artificial intelligence methods are also being used.
Karin Kaiser/MHH
Prevention of cervical cancer with HPV self-testing
28.10.2021
Cervical cancer is one of the most common diseases of the female reproductive organs. Human papilloma viruses are almost always responsible for cervical cancer and the corresponding precancerous lesions. As part of the statutory preventive medical check-up, women from the age of 20 can have a cell smear taken from the cervix once a year, the so-called Pap test, to detect cell changes.
PantherMedia/Andriy Pipov
Everyday physical activity: out of shape thanks to the Corona pandemic?
22.09.2021
Social distancing, working from home, limited social activities: the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many people to become more inactive, sedentary, and therefore more susceptible to ailments. Simple fitness programs and regular exercises can help counteract the negative effects of inertness. And paradoxical as it may sound, the pandemic also gives us the chance to get moving again.
More than trendy accessories: training optimization with the help of wearables
01.09.2021
Wearables are increasingly being used in sports medicine, for example, to prevent injuries or to provide users individually with real-time data about their fitness and health. By analyzing this data, risks for sports injuries can be identified early and training can be customized to the user's needs and goals.
PantherMedia/I_am_Daniel
Running: how to prevent injuries with sensors and AI
01.09.2021
The most common injury that affects runners stems from overuse, not falls. Early warning signs include changes in motion. Successful injury prevention could pick up on this aspect by detecting and responding to these deviations at an early stage. It is the focus of the "Smart Injury Prevention" project.
How to Successfully Advance Digital Health Applications
03.05.2021
The benefits of digital health applications are numerous and include the flexibility to self-monitor your illness from home with a mobile device. One caveat: Digital health applications must abide by technical and legal frameworks to be recognized as such.
Miama: transparent face mask uncovers facial expressions
01.03.2021
Over 50% of our communication is made up of facial expressions and gestures. Nonverbal communication is especially important to deaf or hearing-impaired people or people with dementia. A conventional mask makes this more difficult, may promote miscommunication and contribute to medical errors in extreme cases. Yet it is paramount to use a mask amid this pandemic. Miama helps solve this problem.
Hygiene and disinfection: innovations against Covid-19
01.03.2021
When urgently needed products such as masks become scarce or conventional disinfection processes reach their limits, inventiveness is called for. And there is usually plenty of it in times of crisis. What innovations has the current corona pandemic already produced? How can they supplement or even replace existing products and processes?
Necessity is the mother of invention – innovations in the corona pandemic
01.03.2021
Keeping your distance, washing your hands, wearing a mask – such protective measures have been the order of the day since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began. But appropriate products or procedures are not suitable for everyone, are often unavailable or, despite everything, carry a residual risk. The need for new, better solutions is high. But necessity is the mother of invention.
ZHAW/Hannes Heinzer
Self-disinfecting mask: germ-free at the push of a button
08.02.2021
Disinfection and masks are essential to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Swiss scientists from ZHAW and Osmotex AG have now combined the two and developed a mask that disinfects itself at the push of a button. It is to be launched on the market as early as this spring.
PantherMedia/halfpoint
Biostatistics: using data and models to fight Covid-19
27.01.2021
We are all familiar with these images from some countries: Completely full intensive care units, doctors working frantically despite being ill, being forced to decide who lives and who dies due to critical shortages of respirators. How can you forecast Covid-19 impact on healthcare systems to avoid overload? Biostatistician Professor Frank Klawonn studies this issue.
Fraunhofer IBP
Covid-19: protective canopy prevents infection
19.01.2021
The risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is particularly high indoors. This is because, in addition to smear and droplet infection, infection via aerosols that accumulate and spread in the air is also possible there. Sufficient air exchange or air purification help to prevent this. The protective canopy developed by Fraunhofer IBP also follows such an approach.
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.
Laboratory safety: infection prevention in the work area
01.04.2020
What goes in, must not come out - and must also not cause harm to anyone working inside the lab. That's perhaps a nice way of summing up "laboratory safety" in one sentence - at least wherever pathogens are handled in biological and medical settings. The necessary laboratory safety precautions primarily depend on what is waiting "inside".
Digital cardiology: analyzing data beat by beat
03.02.2020
Chronic cardiovascular diseases are a growing burden worldwide. Most of them are diseases of civilization that spread, where lifestyle is improving or where it is good already. But the healthcare systems are not growing equally to keep up with this development. We can make up for this by making cardiological care smarter with eHealth and mHealth.
Performance diagnostics: success in sports – testing the limits of performance
01.07.2019
Stationary or mobile - competitive athletes rely on regular health assessments. They must deliver peak performance and be physically fit during competitions. But when do they reach their physical limits? Are there any devices that provide information, no matter where the test subject is located?
Sports medicine - performance values in best health
01.07.2019
Those who integrate physical activities into their own lifestyle live healthier and more balanced. But where are the physical limits? Can health status measurements also be carried out on the road? Discover more about how sports medical examinations contribute to maintain performance and minimize health risks in our Topic of the Month.
panthermedia.net / Lev Dolgachov
mHealth: Atrial fibrillation detection – App supports heart health
08.05.2019
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of persistent cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm). Researchers estimate that 1.8 million Germans are presently affected by this disease. The condition is difficult to diagnose, frequently goes undetected and may result in a stroke. A new smartwatch medical app is designed to help patients detect atrial fibrillation before it’s too late.
panthermedia.net/Wavebreakmedia Ltd.
Sports medicine: preventing injuries with wearable sensors
08.02.2019
The consequences of sports injuries can be very serious and sideline athletes for a long time. Although it often seems like these injuries happen in a split second, they can also be the result of overuse and loads that usually weaken the athlete over time. This stress can be detected and reduced with wearable technology and injuries prevented before they happen.
Organ-on-a-chip – Organs in miniature format
01.02.2019
In vitro processes and animal tests are used to develop new medications and novel therapeutic approaches. However, animal testing raises important ethical concerns. Organ-on-a-chip models promise to be a feasible alternative. In a system the size of a smartphone, organs are connected using artificial circulation.