Wound dressings: Thermoresponsive polymer for painless removal
08/10/2024
A team of researchers led by Prof. Rolf Mülhaupt and Prof. Thorsten Steinberg at the University of Freiburg has developed a thermoresponsive polymer that enables wound dressings to be removed painlessly and without leaving any residue.
Casey Cass/CU Boulder
3D printed custom implants for the heart
05/09/2024
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, have developed an advanced 3D printing method to create materials that support human tissue effectively. This new approach could lead to significant improvements in personalized medical implants and tissue repair.
Okos Diagnostics
From waste to sustainable wins: Rapid tests with biomaterials
27/08/2024
Over 2 billion rapid test (lateral flow assay) kits are produced every year, adding tens of thousands of tons of used materials to the growing global volume of medical waste. Every test kit contains around 12 grams of plastic and is designed for single use. The company Okos Diagnostics, founded in 2022, aims to reduce the waste with a sustainable rapid test solution.
From permanent to resorbable: self-dissolving stents as heart implants
02/08/2024
Cardiology is increasingly transitioning from traditional metal stents to self-dissolving stents for the treatment of coronary heart disease. These new magnesium stents have the potential to improve the treatment and outcomes for a large patient population.
Hamburg/TU Ilmenau
Environmentally friendly respiratory masks: sustainable and biobased
10/07/2024
In view of the global challenges posed by environmental pollution and the need to make medical protective equipment efficient and sustainable, a team at Ilmenau University of Technology, led by Prof. Florian Puch, has developed an innovative solution: bio-based respiratory masks.
Wound closure: soldering with light and nanotechnology
02/04/2024
With "iSoldering", the Particles Biology Interactions Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in St. Gallen and the Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory at ETH Zurich have developed a method that does not require surgical sutures or synthetic adhesives. Instead, nanoparticles and light enable secure wound closure.
POSTECH
Tailored medical adhesives for personalized healing
26/02/2024
POSTECH researchers led by Prof. Hyung Joon Cha, alongside colleagues, introduced groundbreaking personalized underwater bio-adhesive patches (CUBAP) derived from mussel adhesive proteins. This discovery, featured in Advanced Materials, improves biomedical adhesives, offering tailored internal healing solutions.
Mint Images
Disinfection in hospitals: textiles inhibit pathogens
14/02/2024
Antimicrobial textiles can curb the spread of pathogens in hospitals. On the one hand, they reduce the amount of disinfection required by staff and, on the other, they increase the protection of patients against infection. Empa in Switzerland has tested the coating of curtains with antimicrobial substances in a study.
University of Jyväskylä
Antiviral resin destroys COVID-19 from plastic surfaces
06/02/2024
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland are pioneering the development of antiviral surfaces to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, particularly focusing on coronaviruses.
feelSpace
Wearable for the visually impaired: Vibrations lead the way
14/12/2023
The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have developed a contacting process with which orientation aids - and e-textiles in general - can be produced more economically and conveniently.
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.
Empa
Antimicrobial hospital curtains - Bacteria, stay out!
01/12/2023
A coating process can be used to treat fabrics in such a way that bacterial and viral pathogens are killed or inhibited in their growth. In hospitals, the coated textiles could be used in future as antimicrobial curtains between patient beds, for example.
Leibniz-IPF, Ivan Minev
New era of cyborganics – Prof. Ivan Minev receives ERC Consolidator Grant
30/11/2023
Over the next five years, the ERC will provide two million euro of funding for the development of a new class of electronic components that consist almost entirely of water and could make the interface between biological tissue and machine seamless.
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.
University of Houston
3D printable prostheses to restore amputees' finger mobility
18/10/2023
A groundbreaking, easy-to-use 3D printable finger prosthesis created by a recent University of Houston graduate could offer amputees a low-cost solution to restore finger functionality.
Fraunhofer IZM / Volker Mai
ECG with a patch: APPLAUSE European collaborative project successfully completed
17/10/2023
Researchers from Fraunhofer IZM, together with 31 partners from industry and research, have developed a stretchable and wireless patch that can be used to make it possible to conduct diagnostically relevant cardiac monitoring in everyday life.
Kate Myers/Penn State
Wearable sensor for continuous analysis of sweat
06/10/2023
Continuous monitoring of sweat can reveal valuable information about human health, such as the body’s glucose levels. However, wearable sensors previously developed for this purpose have been lacking, unable to withstand the rigors or achieve the specificity needed for continuous monitoring, according to Penn State researchers.
TUD
Diagnostics: pioneering approaches for the detection of viral antigens
22/09/2023
Scientists from the Chair of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at TU Dresden (TUD) have made considerable progress in the development of highly innovative solutions for the detection of viral pathogens in two studies they presented recently.
Courtesy of Faraz Faruqi and Stefanie Mueller
AI-driven tool to personalize 3D-printable models
20/09/2023
MIT researchers developed a generative-AI-driven tool that enables the user to add custom design elements to 3D models without compromising the functionality of the fabricated objects. A designer could utilize this tool, called Style2Fab, to personalize 3D models of objects using only natural language prompts to describe their desired design.
Uni Halle / Esfahani Golbarg
Pharmacy: Using starch as a novel drug transporter?
30/08/2023
A special type of starch could soon be used as an excipient in medicine to improve the treatment of patients.
Elisha Krieg und Yu-Hsuan Peng
Programmable DNA hydrogels for advanced cell culture and personalized medicine
22/08/2023
The team of Dr. Elisha Krieg at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden has developed a dynamic DNA-crosslinked matrix (DyNAtrix) by combining classical synthetic polymers with programmable DNA crosslinkers.
UKW / Stefan Dreising
Sustainable endoscopy: Würzburg University Hospital reduces CO2 footprint
22/08/2023
In a pilot project, the University Hospital of Würzburg has succeeded in significantly reducing the CO2 footprint in endoscopy. The focus was on consumables. Prof. Alexander Meining initiated the project together with his colleague Dr. Dorothea Henniger.
Patrick Mansell/Penn State
High-speed bioprinting of bones, tracheas, organs
28/07/2023
Developing technology to quickly and efficiently bioprint human tissues at scale is the goal of a new project led by Penn State researchers. When fully developed, the technology will be the first to enable the fabrication of scalable, native tissues such as bones, tracheas and organs.
microgen
Electrodes: 4D printing for nerve stimulation
25/07/2023
Specific nerves may be stimulated artificially, for example to treat pain. The finer the nerves, the more difficult it is to attach the required electrodes. Researchers have now developed flexible electrodes produced with 4D printing technology. On contact with moisture, they automatically fold and wrap themselves around thin nerves.
StreetOncamara_From_Twenty20
NOVA project: next generation of antimicrobial coating technologies
07/07/2023
Researchers develop and test highly efficient, environmentally friendly and stable antimicrobial (antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal) coating technologies in the NOVA project.
MPI-IS
Medical robot inspired by the pangolin
26/06/2023
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have developed a magnetically controlled soft medical robot with a unique, flexible structure inspired by the body of a pangolin. The robot is freely movable despite built-in hard metal components.
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.
Empa
Sensor patch for abdominal surgery
23/06/2023
Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich have developed a plaster with a sensor function to ensure that wounds in the abdomen remain tightly closed after an operation.
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®.
Fotogenia - Renate Trummer
Tissue Engineering: TU Graz revolutionises production of biocompatible microfibres
02/06/2023
Using a newly developed method for the efficient and cost-effective production of biocompatible microfibres, the production of autologous skin and organs can be significantly accelerated. Responsible for the development are Carole Planchette and her team from TU Graz.
MPI-INF
3D-printed pills with desired drug release
29/05/2023
A group of Computer Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, Germany, and the University of California at Davis, have invented a process that relies solely on the shape of the object for a time-controlled release.
Jens Meyer/Uni Jena
Specially coated titanium reduces risk of clots on prostheses
26/05/2023
An international research team led by the german University of Jena has now developed a promising approach to significantly reducing blood clotting on the heart valve material titanium.
UBT / Chr. Wißler.
Regenerative medicine: cell-specific properties of novel spider silk materials
12/05/2023
Materials made of spider silk can be specifically modified or processed in such a way that living cells of a certain type adhere to them, grow and proliferate. This has been discovered by researchers at the University of Bayreuth under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel.
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.
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.
xalien/Shutterstock
Tiny plastic particles also find their way into the brain
28/04/2023
With the help of computer models, researchers have discovered that a specific surface structure (biomolecular corona) is crucial for the passage of plastic particles into the brain.
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.
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.
karrastock
CirculAid: funding for a circular economy in healthcare
17/04/2023
The health care system and its activities consume a lot of resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing problem due to the increased need for hygiene and protective equipment. Urgent action is needed to protect the environment and combat climate change by reducing consumption and improving resource efficiency.
Peter Winandy
Novel technology for hollow organ tumour therapy
10/04/2023
Ioana Slabu from the Institute of Applied Medical Technology and Benedict Bauer from the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University have developed a novel technology for the therapy of hollow organ tumours, which was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Award.
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.
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.
Marco Binelli / ETH Zürich
3D-printed insoles measure sole pressure directly in the shoe
24/03/2023
Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL are developing a 3D-printed insole with integrated sensors that allows the pressure of the sole to be measured in the shoe and thus during any activity.
Fraunhofer ISC
Innovative in vitro eye irritation test to replace standard animal testing
10/03/2023
Researchers at the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies TLC-RT of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC want to work with partners to replace animal testing.
Satoshi Tanikawa, et al. 2023
Healing the brain: hydrogels enable neuronal tissue growth
03/03/2023
Synthetic hydrogels were shown to provide an effective scaffold for neuronal tissue growth in areas of brain damage, providing a possible approach for brain tissue reconstruction.
Georgia Tech
New ultrafast water disinfection method is more environmentally friendly
27/02/2023
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have found a way to use small shocks of electricity to disinfect water, reducing energy consumption, cost, and environmental impact.
Kai Melde, MPI für medizinische Forschung
Creating 3D objects with sound
17/02/2023
Scientists from the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials at Heidelberg University have created a new technology to assemble matter in 3D.
NTNU
Super quick COVID test uses new technology
13/02/2023
The ability of gold particles to reflect light in different colours is used in applications from stained glass to pregnancy tests. Now researchers are set to exploit the same properties in an ultra-fast sensor for the coronavirus.
Fraunhofer ISC
Bioresorbable membrane for healing internal and external wounds
10/02/2023
Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in using the bioresorbable silica gel Renacer to produce an electrospun membrane that is neither cytotoxic to cells nor genotoxic.
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Contact lenses to treat dry eye syndrome
06/02/2023
A collaborative team from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has developed a contact lens prototype that is specifically designed to prevent contact lens-induced dry eye (CLIDE).
Tohoku University
Analyzing sweat via microelectronic fibers for non-invasive health monitoring
25/01/2023
Imagine if a t-shirt could analyze sweat, potentially alerting the wearer to any health abnormalities. Well, this is now closer to reality thanks to a research group's recent innovation.
Sustainable hospital – Cardiac catheter in the raw material cycle
03/01/2023
Particularly in hospitals, a lot of waste is generated due to the large number of disposable products. In the case of cardiac catheters, this is doubly annoying, as they contain precious metals such as platinum and copper. A pilot project has therefore been launched at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW to return used catheters to the raw materials cycle.
Photology75
Radon: Face masks reduce radiation exposure
21/12/2022
Researchers from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung now have proven in a paper published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” that face masks - both FFP2 and surgical masks - strongly reduce lung exposure and thus the dose.
Empa
Watching viruses fail
20/12/2022
Using a new analytical method, Empa researchers have tracked viruses as they pass through face masks and compared their failure on the filter layers of different types of masks.
Asociación RUVID
Biomaterial capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections
15/12/2022
Researchers from the Bioengineering and Biomaterials Laboratory of Universidad Católica de Valencia (UCV) have developed a new porous material capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections at the same time.
Freudenberg Performance Materials
ProQuIV optimizes the production of nonwoven masks
12/12/2022
Producing infection control clothing requires a lot of energy and uses lots of material resources. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a technology which helps to save materials and energy when producing nonwovens.
Lena Holm
Scientists develop gel made from spider silk proteins for biomedical applications
19/08/2022
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have discovered that spider silk proteins can be fused to biologically active proteins and be converted into a gel at body temperature.
Fibers for fibers – Textile implants repair the body
08/06/2022
We are nowadays already able to weave implants out of artificial fibers that can replace tissue or heal injuries. Different materials like polymers or nitinol are used to create flexible shapes. But the materials and their uses can still be improved.
PantherMedia/Valery Vvoennyy
Medical consumables: Will the pandemic inspire more sustainable practices?
01/03/2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a global increase in healthcare commodities and medical consumables: demand for face masks, gloves, protective apparel, and other personal protective equipment has soared as a result. This also applies to rapid tests, reagents, laboratory equipment and supplies. But all this sparked a myriad of problems.
PantherMedia/srikijt
Sustainability and medical consumables – where to put the waste?
01/03/2022
Medicine produces a lot of waste through medical consumables like protective gear or laboratory equipment. All of this gets destroyed due to hygiene reasons after use, but it is nonetheless true: Our resources are not unlimited and medical waste is a burden for the environment, too.
PantherMedia / Fotofabrika
How to reduce plastic waste: innovative process promises recycling of single-use face masks
01/03/2022
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the use of disposable face masks. Discarding them has become an environmental challenge on a global scale. This has prompted the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT to develop an innovative recycling process for used plastics.
PantherMedia/PhotoChowk
Improving strength, stretchiness and adhesion in hydrogels for wound healing
31/08/2021
Scientists use the adhesive capabilities of mussels as a model for optimizing hydrogels’ mechanical properties.
PantherMedia/Wavebreakmedia (YAYMicro)
Chronic wounds: new, inexpensive wound dressing
29/07/2021
An MSU-led team is developing an inexpensive biopolymer dressing to heal injuries like diabetic foot ulcers that affect millions of patients all over the world.
Daniel Hutchinson
Fracture setting method could replace metal plates
02/07/2021
A new biocompatible polymer-based composite material could soon replace metal plates in treating difficult and unstable fractures. Developed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the newly-developed material is as strong as dental composites yet non-toxic.
Luxinergy/kerkoc
Customized and freshly printed: 3D printing in orthopedics
01/07/2021
Creating custom-made medical devices to target individual patient needs: that is the core function and primary objective of orthopedics. Using 3D printers for this will make sense in the future. Luxinergy is an innovative Austrian technology company that specializes in the development of biocompatible resins and large-format 3D printers.
Digital orthopedic technology: scan, customize, print
01/07/2021
When auxiliary means like orthoses or prostheses do not come from the shelf, but are adapted to the wearer, this means true crafting: In the past, a plaster mold of a body part had to be made as a template to create an individual aid from it step by step. Fortunately, we have come a long way until today.
Purenum GmbH
CE Mark for medical device for effective removal of kidney stones
28/06/2021
In December 2017, Purenum GmbH started its business as a spin-off of Fraunhofer IFAM. Its mission is to develop biomimetic adhesives for use in medical technology.
Smart implant – Healing fractures autonomously with smart materials
07/06/2021
Lower leg fractures put a great strain on patients due to their long healing process. In the future, an intelligent implant could control how the bone grows together again and thus optimize the healing process. In our video, you can learn from the developers at Saarland University how this works and what role artificial intelligence plays here.
PantherMedia/sielemann
Medical devices: hygienic design combats pathogens
03/02/2021
Medical hygiene does not just play a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventing the transmission of infectious diseases and especially the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms is paramount even in non-pandemic times. While hygiene practices in hospitals and medical offices are essential, the industry can also make an important contribution with hygienic product design.
Intelligent implants: when the material is the key to the solution
01/02/2021
Today we use implants to stabilize or compensate for injuries inside the body and to aid in the healing process. Implants cannot act autonomously and treat the patient if they deem it necessary. However, it is just a matter of time before this happens because research on intelligent implant materials that respond to stimuli is on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Autonomous medical technology: independently in the body
01/02/2021
Therapies need to be carried out with high reliability by trained personal. This will not change in the future. But maybe we will be able to let systems in the patient’s body do some of the work. Some approaches are already aiming to make implants more independent so they will be able to flexibly react to changes. Read more in our Topic of the Month!
PantherMedia/Jakub Mrocek
Reviewing the evidence for cloth mask use among health care workers
13/01/2021
A rapid, evidence-based review summarizes the effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting health care clinicians from respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19. Nine studies were included in the review, and all but one were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Printed life – possibilities and limits of bioprinting
01/12/2020
Implants, prostheses and various other components made of plastic, metal or ceramics are already being produced by additive manufacturing. But skin, blood vessels or entire organs from the printer – is that possible? For years now, intensive research has been underway into the production of biologically functional tissue using printing processes. Some things are already possible with bioprinting.
Sustainable Nonwoven Solutions Improve Hygiene
02/11/2020
Whether it is hospitals or care homes - the right hygiene tools are crucial for process efficiency. These products can be composed of a wide variety of materials. NORAFIN offers a sustainable solution with products made from nonwoven fabric.
PantherMedia / ImageSupply
How Hospitals Can Foster Environmental Sustainability
01/07/2020
When it comes to their environmental impact, hospitals present a challenge, yet can boost opportunities at the same time. They are an environmental burden due to a higher energy use resulting from frequently outdated technology. However, once they are modernized and switch to a sustainable concept, they can turn into a "green hospital".