Medical implants: new generation of antibacterial materials
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Image: Two researchers smile into the camera as they present a model of a leg bone with a long, slender metallic implant attached to it; Copyright: Oliver Dietze/Saarland University

Oliver Dietze/Saarland University

Bone fracture healing through smart implants with micro-massage

09.04.2024

Saarland University presents a breakthrough in medical technology: smart implants that not only stabilize bone fractures, but also actively promote the healing process.
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Image: The picture shows a woman from behind who has a scar on her right shoulder. The background is neutral.

Advancing surgical precision: ROSA shoulder system

18.03.2024

Zimmer Biomet, a leading medical technology company, has achieved a significant milestone with the FDA clearance of its ROSA Shoulder System for robotic-assisted shoulder replacement surgery. This innovation marks the world's first robotic surgery system specifically designed for shoulder replacement procedures.
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Image: On the left, a man is sitting while wearing an exoskeleton. There is a woman talking to the man and trying to help him get up.

Mobile patient lifts enhance ICU patient recovery

15.02.2024

Discovering new methods to enhance the recovery process for ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients is crucial in improving their overall outcomes. A recent study conducted in Tokyo, Japan, sheds light on the efficacy of early mobilization, supported by mobile patient lifts, in facilitating patient recovery.
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Inage: Ferda Canbaz and her team, one woman and four men, from the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Copyright: University of Basel

University of Basel

Surgery: more accuracy and safety through smart laser technology

08.02.2024

Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a smart laser that could be used to cut bone in surgery. The laser simultaneously cuts and analyzes tissue and measures the cutting depth. It could open new applications for laser surgery in the future and make it much safer for the patient while causing less damage to surrounding soft tissue.
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Image: Biomechanical carbon hand prosthesis for disabled people on the table in the office, another white prosthesis in the background; Copyright: ionadidishvili

ionadidishvili

Hand prostheses: Artificial intelligence makes gripping more intuitive

15.12.2023

A better understanding of muscle activity patterns in the forearm supports a more intuitive and natural control of artificial limbs. This requires a network of 128 sensors and artificial intelligence based techniques.
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Image: Close up: orthopaedic implant made from titanium-tantalum; Copyright: NTU Singapore

NTU Singapore

Singapore: advancing 3D printing in healthcare with joint R&D lab

11.12.2023

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) patients are expected to benefit from healthcare innovations, such as customised medical devices and implants, under a collaboration with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) to set up a Joint Research & Development Laboratory in additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing.
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Image: A printer applies the dopamine-based tissue adhesive to the three-dimensional titanium shaft of a hip joint; Copyright: Fraunhofer CMI

Fraunhofer CMI

Inspired by mussels: printable adhesives for tissues and bones

08.12.2023

Titanium hip implants do not last forever — they gradually loosen, sooner or later losing their hold on the bone as it recedes over time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IAP have been working alongside the Fraunhofer IGB and the Fraunhofer CMI to develop a tissue adhesive that can help avoid early replacement of prostheses in the future.
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Image: Empa researcher Federica Orellana works with a micro-computed tomography to analyze tissue samples of meniscus; Copyright: Empa

Empa

Surgery and imaging: mapping the meniscus

05.12.2023

A non-trivial player in the anatomical orchestra of the compound joint is the meniscus cartilage. Empa researchers are now creating a "3D map" of the precious cartilage.
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Image: Kim Peper (in the middle) stands on the GyroTrainer board. Elisabeth Jensen (front left) determines the individual stiffness, right: Jan Lang; Copyright: Andreas Heddergott / TUM

Andreas Heddergott / TUM

GyroTrainer with AI: Individual back training machine

29.11.2023

The GyroTrainer is an intelligent training device that resembles a balance board. It uses artificial intelligence to adjust the difficulty level to the individual patient’s current ability.
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Image: At the pilot plant, a 3D printer builds the scaffold from the composite material; Copyright: BellaSeno

BellaSeno

Bioactive composite supports healing of broken bones

09.11.2023

A broken bone failing to heal represents an enormous burden for patients. Fraunhofer researchers have worked alongside partners to develop a composite material to be used in the treatment of such non-union cases. The resulting implant is designed to significantly improve treatment success rates and speed up the healing process.
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Image: light brown bone screw Shark Screw; Copyright: DIZG

DIZG

Faster return to health with bone screws made from donated tissue

16.10.2023

During fracture treatment, screws are frequently used to join bone fragments. Traditional metal screws can necessitate additional surgeries during follow-up treatment, extending the healing process. Shark Screw® bone screw, crafted from human tissue, presents significant benefits in this context.
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Image: Bone removal with laser and visual control using OCT; Copyright: LZH

LZH

Laser and OCT to facilitate spinal canal stenosis surgery

11.10.2023

Researchers at the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) aim to simplify the surgery for spinal canal stenosis.
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Image: Immune cells in blue and vessels in pink in the bone marrow of the skull; Copyright: Cell Press | ©Kolabas et al.

Cell Press | ©Kolabas et al.

A new ally in fighting brain diseases: our very own skull

16.08.2023

Alzheimer's, stroke, multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases cause severe damage due to neuroinflammation mediated by immune cells.
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Image: Patient and doctor are looking at and discussing the x-ray of a spine; Copyright: Pressmaster

Pressmaster

AI supports rehabilitation after spinal cord injury

05.07.2023

An intelligent suit is hoped to significantly improve rehabilitation after a serious spinal cord injury. The AI-supported solution will be developed over the next three years by researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) working in collaboration with Heidelberg University and Heidelberg University Hospital.
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Image: Researcher Carles Mas and doctoral students Patricia López and Nerea García working with several samples as part of the Bio-TUNE project in a lab; Copyright: BarcelonaTech (UPC)

BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Medical implants: new generation of antibacterial materials

23.06.2023

The UPC’s Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group (BBT) leads the international project Bio-TUNE, which aims to develop multifunctional materials with high antibacterial potential and efficient tissue integration.
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Image: Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther opened the

Staatskanzlei SH

AI from the universities in Kiel and San Francisco launched

14.06.2023

A delegation from the CAU and UKSH joined Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther in opening the new infrastructure for AI in the USA in the night of 8 June 2023 (German time).
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Image: A man walks in a garden with an ankle exo suit on his lower left leg; Copyright: Biodesign Lab / Harvard SEAS

Biodesign Lab / Harvard SEAS

Ankle exosuit: more independence for post-stroke wearers

09.06.2023

Designed for independent use in community settings, the new exosuit could help stroke survivors improve their gait outside of the lab and during their daily routines.
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Image: The carrier of the ARM2U team, Kyle Briggs, competing with the prosthesis at a Cybathlon 2023 event; Copyright: BarcelonaTech (UPC)

BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses

25.05.2023

A low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses: The ARM2u biomedical engineering team, from the UPC’s Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB), is working on new functions for their low-cost 3D-printed transradial prosthesis.
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Image: UBCO and a man in a wheelchair demonstrates a mobile app can help motive people living with a spinal cord injury who can walk keep active.; Copyright: UBC Okanagan

UBC Okanagan

Health app: getting active with partial spinal cord injury

19.05.2023

A UBC Okanagan researcher has been testing the effectiveness of a mobile app that encourages people living with a spinal cord injury—but can walk—to get active.
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Image: A transparent miniaturized muscle implant lies on a black table; Copyright: Fraunhofer IBMT

Fraunhofer IBMT

Human-machine interface stops muscle tremors

10.05.2023

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT have been working with international partners to develop a technology platform to help relieve the symptoms of muscle tremors.
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Image: Three women and a man - Prof. Maria Teresa Pisabarro, Dr. Gloria Ruiz Gómez, Dr. Juliane Salbach-Hirsch and Prof. Lorenz Hofbauer; Copyright: TUD/Magdalena Gonciarz

TUD/Magdalena Gonciarz

A sweet solution to a cracking problem: new bio-inspired molecules to promote bone regeneration

08.05.2023

An interdisciplinary team of scientists in Dresden developed novel bio-inspired sugar-based molecules that show potential to improve bone regeneration.
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Image: Close-up of doctor pointing at human pelvic skeleton model in medical clinic.; Copyright: Okrasyuk

Okrasyuk

Map of spinal cord formation gives new knowledge on diseases of the nervous system

03.05.2023

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have mapped how cells in the human spinal cord are formed in the embryo and what genes control the process.
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Image: 3D render of the tibias treated with the current clinical treatment option chemotherapeutics or treated with chemotherapeutics plus gene therapy; Copyright: UCD Research and Innovation

UCD Research and Innovation

Novel combination of therapies may provide new treatment option for bone cancer

03.05.2023

New research has identified a potential therapeutic target and developed a unique delivery system to treat osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents.
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Image: Prof Giuseppe Intini in a blue sweat jacket, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Giuseppe Intini

Giuseppe Intini

New approach helps skull bones mend themselves

24.04.2023

In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a novel approach that promoted bone regeneration in mice without implantation of bone tissue or biomaterials.
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Image: ARC trial participant in active therapy: ARC Therapy is designed to deliver targeted, programmed spinal cord stimulation; Copyright: ONWARD Medical NV

ONWARD Medical NV

Kick-off: new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network "ReWIRE"

05.04.2023

Through ReWIRE, next-generation scientists will be trained to develop translational breakthrough therapeutic solutions for patients with paralysis caused by traumatic spinal cord injuries.
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Image: Close up x-ray film of a broken finger; Copyright: Rawpixel

Rawpixel

Packaged DNA: new method to promote bone growth

17.02.2023

DNA can help to stimulate bone healing in a localised and targeted manner, for example after a complicated fracture or after severe tissue loss following surgery.
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Image: A man in a white coat and with safety goggles, Hongji Yan, holds a test tube in his hand and is looking at the camera; Copyright: Vaibhav Srivastava

Vaibhav Srivastava

Mucus-based gel improves bone graft results, promotes healing

14.02.2023

Molecules from mucus can be used to produce synthetic bone graft material and help with the healing of larger bone loss, a new study found.
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Image: Professional portrait photo by Emilia Möller Rydberg; Copyright: Wingborg/University of Gothenburg

Wingborg/University of Gothenburg

Fewer surgically treated ankle fractures with clear-cut treatment routine

30.01.2023

It has been shown that the percentage of ankle fractures that undergo surgery could be substantially reduced, from more than 30 per cent to 10 in the most common type of fracture. The key is a clear-cut treatment routine that benefits both patients and caregivers, according to a doctoral dissertation at the University of Gothenburg.
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Image: A physiotherapist is doing a leg exercise with a woman who is wearing an orthosis; Copyright: Wavebreakmedia

Wavebreakmedia

Muscles and nervous system: Space research helps combat degeneration

30.01.2023

Injuries do not just happen to athletes: along with surgeries, they are often the reason for prolonged bed rest. Meanwhile, extended physical inactivity can trigger changes in muscles and the nervous system. Sports medicine wants to counteract these negative effects and use insights from space research in the future.
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