Sterilization: how bacteria defend themselves against plasmas
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Image: A transparent, flexible electronic device wrapped around a fingertip featuring visible circuits and components printed on a thin, stretchable material; Copyright: Shichao Ding

Shichao Ding

Sweat-powered finger wrap enables continuous health monitoring

19.09.2024

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a sweat-powered finger wrap that monitors vital health biomarkers such as glucose, lactate, vitamin C, and levodopa. This wearable device utilizes sweat from the wearer’s fingertip for both power and health monitoring, making it a convenient and non-invasive tool for personalized health tracking.
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Image: Picture of a water-powered, electronics-free dressing (WPED) for electrical stimulation of wounds; Copyright: Rajaram Kaveti

Rajaram Kaveti

Electric bandage promotes faster healing of chronic wounds

15.08.2024

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Columbia University have developed a cost-effective bandage that uses an electric field to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds. In animal tests, this electric bandage improved wound healing by 30 percent compared to conventional bandages.
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Image: wearable bioelectronic system displayed on a finger in green gloves; Copyright: Wei Gao, California Institute of Technology

Wei Gao, California Institute of Technology

Smart bandages: Advancing chronic wound treatment

02.07.2024

A team of researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is developing advanced electronic bandages and other tools to improve the monitoring and healing of chronic wounds. These wearable bioelectronic systems, tested in animal models, have the potential to enhance wound care through controlled drug release and electrical stimulation.
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Image: Yellow smart sensor is being put on an arm; Copyright: Jia Zhu/Penn State

Jia Zhu/Penn State

Rewritable, recyclable ‘smart skin’ monitors biological signals on demand

06.06.2024

Penn State researchers have developed an adhesive sensing device that seamlessly attaches to human skin to detect and monitor health. The writable sensors can be removed with tape, allowing new sensors to be patterned onto the device.
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Image: A researcher in a lab is carefully operating a 3D bioprinting machine that is used for creating bioengineered tissues; Copyright: Michelle Bixby/Penn State

Michelle Bixby/Penn State

3D-printed skin technique potentially enhances reconstructive surgery

15.04.2024

A breakthrough in reconstructive surgery may be on the horizon, as researchers develop a 3D-printed skin that integrates hair follicle precursors, leveraging adipose tissue for more natural results.
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Image: A close-up view of a person examining a patient's skin with a dermatoscope, a specialized device used for inspecting skin lesions that can be indicative of conditions like melanoma

Enhancing melanoma detection in primary care with AI

08.04.2024

In a study by Linköping University, an AI-based mobile app has shown high precision in diagnosing skin melanoma, offering new hope for early detection. This research marks a significant step forward in utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) for health diagnostics in primary care settings.
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Image: A woman lies on her back covered with a hairnet and is examined with a measuring device on her facial skin.

Raman sensor system: non-invasive monitoring with wide-ranging applications

04.04.2024

The Raman sensor system opens new monitoring possibilities by precisely measuring the concentration of carotenoids in the skin - a potential indicator of health. This technology offers a non-invasive insight into dietary habits and health status, with the potential to monitor the effectiveness of chemotherapies.
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Image: In the foreground, there is a transparent tiny mattress designed for newborns. The mattress is held by a man in a smock, wearing glasses; Copyright: Empa

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.
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Image: The image shows a hand with slight burn injuries

UGRSKIN: artificial skin as a game-changer in burn treatment

11.03.2024

The University of Granada (UGR) has pioneered a solution for burn treatment with its artificial skin “UGRSKIN”. Developed by the Tissue Engineering Research Group, this advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) has improved the approach to treating severe burns, offering patients new hope and enhanced outcomes.
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Image: Three colored images of skin tissue next to each other; Copyright: Nikoletta Katsouli/TUM

Nikoletta Katsouli/TUM

Diabetes: AI skin scanner detects disease progression

27.02.2024

A team from TU Munich applied the optoacoustic imaging method Raster-Scan Optoacoustic Mesoscopy (RSOM) together with AI to measure the severity of diabetes by assessing microvascular changes in the skin.
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Image: The image shows the wireless yellow patch; Copyright: Bai Lab, UNC-Chapel Hill

Bai Lab, UNC-Chapel Hill

Wireless drug patch: advancing chronic disease treatment

20.02.2024

Advancements in drug delivery technology are paving the way for innovative treatment methods for chronic diseases. A recent breakthrough at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill introduces the Spatiotemporal On-Demand Patch (SOP), a wireless drug delivery system that could revolutionize the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and neurological injuries.
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Image: Person placing a patch on another person’s arm

KAIST research team develops sweat-resistant wearable robot sensor

02.02.2024

In a significant technological breakthrough, a research team from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) has unveiled a groundbreaking electromyography (EMG) sensor that promises to revolutionize the field of wearable robots.
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Image: Plasma ignition of the plasma source used: The plasma is visible here in a so-called filamentous discharge in the form of small purple flashes; Copyright: RUB, Marquard

RUB, Marquard

Sterilization: how bacteria defend themselves against plasmas

04.12.2023

A research team headed by Professor Julia Bandow and Dr. Tim Dirks from the Chair for Applied Microbiology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, showed that bacteria that overproduce the heat shock protein Hsp33 can withstand plasma treatment more effectively than others.
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Image: Dressing material in open blue containers on a table; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf

Messe Düsseldorf

Healing chronically infected wounds with living dressings

30.11.2023

When a wound heals, ideally the new tissue fully closes a skin lesion. But with chronic wounds, seemingly harmless tissue damages can turn into permanent health problems. In some chronic wounds with infections, antibiotics or disinfectants can no longer get to the germs. To counteract this, Empa researchers have now developed a dressing containing probiotic lactobacilli.
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Image: A person wearing white disposable gloves examines a woman's back with a magnifying glass; Copyright: Medical University of Vienna

Medical University of Vienna

Skin cancer diagnoses using AI are as reliable as those made by medical experts

02.11.2023

An Austrian-Australian research team led by dermatologist Harald Kittler from MedUni Vienna investigated the extent to which diagnosis and therapy of pigmented skin lesions benefit from it in a realistic clinical scenario.
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Image: A doctor examines a patient's left shoulder for skin cancer; Copyright: Inside Creative House/Shutterstock

Inside Creative House/Shutterstock

Skin cancer diagnosis: reinforcement learning for improved performance of AI

02.08.2023

An international research team led by Harald Kittler of MedUni Vienna has now explored a learning method in which greater accuracy in AI results can be achieved by incorporating human decision-making criteria.
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Image: Close-up of a boy with a healed minor cut after surgical tape stitches; Copyright: ellinnur

ellinnur

Biomaterials: toolbox for the development of bioadhesives

28.07.2023

The team of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel, Chair of Biomaterials at the University of Bayreuth, has compiled a current overview of the state of research on protein-based bioadhesives.
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Image: An open wound on a knee is dabbed with a cotton pad; Copyright: yanadjana

yanadjana

Mobile cold plasma device: healing of chronic and acute wounds

13.07.2023

Skin diseases, chronic wounds or postoperative wounds often greatly restrict the quality of life for those affected. Improvement or healing of these conditions is usually time-consuming and costly. Terraplasma medical GmbH, a company of the Viromed Medical Group, uses cold plasma to pursue an effective approach to wound treatment.
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Image: Portrait photo of a blond woman with blue eyes in a white blouse; Copyright: University of Gothenburg

University of Gothenburg

Skin cancer: curettage and cryosurgery effective for basal cell carcinoma

30.06.2023

The number of cases of skin cancer is continuing to rise sharply, in Sweden and internationally, involving high costs for a healthcare economy that is already under severe strain in many places. Eva Backman and her team studied the efficacy of treatment options.
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Image: Renacer bioresorbable membrane against a black background; Copyright: K. Selsam, Fraunhofer ISC

K. Selsam, Fraunhofer ISC

Wound healing: Fraunhofer Institutes develop bioresorbable membrane RENACER

13.06.2023

Treating large-area and internal wounds and promoting their often protracted healing remains a challenging task for medicine. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM) have developed the bioresorbable membrane RENACER®.
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Image: The cover art illustrates ultrasound-mediated drug delivery into a biofilm-infected wound; Copyright: Ella Marushchenko

Ella Marushchenko

Breaking through bacterial barriers in chronic treatment-resistant wounds

24.05.2023

Researchers in the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the UNC-NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering have developed a new strategy to improve drug-delivery into chronic wounds infections.
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Image: The research team: three men and one woman pose next to a screen and a microscope; Copyright: NTU Singapore

NTU Singapore

Why wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds

19.05.2023

Wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds because shapes influence cell movements, a team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.
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Image: Daniel Aili, professor at the Department of Physics, man with brown hair and glasses, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Magnus Johansson

Magnus Johansson

Wound dressing reveals infection

26.04.2023

A nanocellulose wound dressing that can reveal early signs of infection without interfering with the healing process has been developed by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden.
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Image: Medical samples are treated with a plasma pen; Copyright: INP

INP

Plasma against precancerous skin lesions: EU funds international doctoral candidates network

24.04.2023

Under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), the international doctoral candidates network PlasmACT is investigating the use of medical gas plasma technology as a treatment method.
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Image: Illustration of wounds on cultured skin cells heal while stimulated with electric current; Copyright: Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini

Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini

How electricity can heal wounds three times as fast

21.04.2023

Using electric stimulation, researchers in a project at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, have developed a method that speeds up the healing process, making wounds heal three times faster.
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Image: Close up of both hands and forearms with characteristic monkeypox on a blue background; Copyright: Shutterstock.com/Marina Demidiuk

Shutterstock.com/Marina Demidiuk

App for AI-assisted detection of monkeypox skin lesions

07.04.2023

A paper produced as part of the DAKI-FWS project (data and AI-supported early warning system to stabilize the German economy) will be featured in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.
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Image: A smart bandage rests on a gloved finger.; Copyright: Caltech

Caltech

‘Smart’ bandages monitor wounds and provide targeted treatment

03.04.2023

Most of the time, when someone gets a cut, scrape, burn, or other wound, the body takes care of itself and heals on its own. But this is not always the case. Diabetes can interfere with the healing process and create wounds that will not go away and that could become infected and fester.
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Image: A closeup of a foot on red fabric pads; Copyright: CC BY-SA 2.0.

CC BY-SA 2.0.

More accurate way of checking the blood flow in the feet of patients with type 2 diabetes

15.02.2023

Aston University scientists have discovered a more accurate way of checking the blood flow in the feet of patients with type 2 diabetes.
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Image: The doctor treats the wound on the patient's leg in a clinic room; Copyright: Okrasyuk

Okrasyuk

Wound care: New spray fights infections and antibiotic resistance

07.02.2023

A group of researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden are presenting a new spray that can kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and that can be used for wound care and directly on implants and other medical devices.
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Image: A portable device with a large touchscreen and green handles at both sides – the Wound Viewer from Omnidermal; Copyright: beta-web/Roth

beta-web/Roth

Wound Viewer from Omnidermal: using AI to monitor wounds

01.12.2022

Caring for chronic wounds is a tedious task for caregivers and physicians, as these wounds take a long time to heal and may easily worsen. They also require a lot of documentation to plan and monitor treatment. With the Wound Viewer from Omnidermal Biomedics, a device is available that supports medical staff in this task.
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Image: Nurse is cleaning a surgical wound with two sutures between the fingers of a patient; Copyright: ARTFULLY79

ARTFULLY79

Technology in wound care: tools for better healing

01.12.2022

Wounds – both acute and chronic ones – can have many different causes. They all have in common that they require meticulous care because complications in wound healing can severely reduce both the patients’ health and quality of life. But there is more to modern wound care than just cleaning and bandaging them. Nursing staff and physicians can also access technical aids for this work.
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Image: Preview picture of video

Dermatologist consultation via app – The successful start-up dermanostic

23.02.2022

The start-up dermanostic, multiple-time exhibitor in the MEDICA START-UP PARK, unites telemedicine with dermatology: patients can upload images of skin diseases via app and receive specialist consultation. This not only helps to reduce direct contacts during the Corona pandemic, but also benefits areas without dermatologist offices.
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Image: lexandra Hansard, Sanjay Gokhale and George Alexandrakis; Copyright: UT Arlington

UT Arlington

Wearable device could reduce racial disparities in blood measurements

29.10.2021

Bioengineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Arlington, in collaboration with Austin’s Shani Biotechnologies, LLC, have developed a new noninvasive technology that may help real-time monitoring of key blood parameters, such as hemoglobin, especially in Black patients.
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Image: Drawing inspiration from nature, a team of international scientists have invented a smart device for personalized skin care modeled after the male diving beetle; Copyright: McGill University

McGill University

A skin crawling treatment for acne

01.09.2021

Drawing inspiration from nature, a team of international scientists have invented a smart device for personalized skin care modeled after the male diving beetle. This tool collects and monitors body fluids while sticking to the skin’s surface, paving the way for more accurate diagnostics and treatment for skin diseases and conditions like acne.
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Image: Person on a treadmill wears a smart watch which shows his or her heart rate; Copyright: PantherMedia/apid

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.
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Image: stretchy skin patch; Copyright: Wang lab/UC San Diego

Wang lab/UC San Diego

Wearables: skin patch as an all-in-one health monitor

17.02.2021

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and heart rate while measuring the wearer's levels of glucose as well as lactate, alcohol or caffeine. It is the first wearable device that monitors cardiovascular signals and multiple biochemical levels in the human body at the same time.
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Image: wound-healing gel; Copyright: RUDN University

RUDN University

Wound-healing gel with metabolic products of trichoderma

07.12.2020

Researchers from the Department of Biochemistry of RUDN University developed a wound-healing gel based on a substance that is produced by Trichoderma fungi. The results of the study were published in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy journal.
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Image: Two knees of a woman next to each other, the left knee has a surgical suture; Copyright: panthermedia.net/wujekspeed

Regenerative medicine: creating a new body?

03.02.2020

Regenerative medicine aims to repair the human body after injuries, accidents or major cancer surgery. Unfortunately, we are still not at a stage where this process can achieve optimal results for every conceivable situation. Having said that, various new methods are on the cusp of breakthrough.
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Image: The shoulder of a man with a surgical suture; Copyright: panthermedia.net/JPCPROD

Regenerative medicine: helps the body healing

03.02.2020

Severe wounds heal slowly and leave scars. This is why we have been using regenerative therapies for some time now to accelerate and improve healing. They also help to avoid permanent damage. Still, complex applications like replacing organs or limbs will rather remain vision than become reality for a long time.
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