University of Chicago Medicine
Revi neuromodulation: A new approach to UUI treatment
03.10.2024
UChicago Medicine recently performed the first implantation of the Revi neuromodulation device in Illinois. This minimally invasive procedure offers a novel treatment option for patients suffering from urinary urgency incontinence (UUI). The Revi device aims to improve bladder control without the side effects or limitations of existing treatments.
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.
University of Notre Dame
LED Implant: A new approach to deep-seated cancer treatment
08.08.2024
A team of engineers and scientists at the University of Notre Dame has developed a wireless LED device that can be implanted to treat deep-seated cancers. This device, when combined with a light-sensitive dye, not only destroys cancer cells but also activates the immune system to target the cancer. The research findings were published in Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy.
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.
Texas A&M Engineering
Synthetic plugs offer an alternative to total knee replacements
05.06.2024
Dr. Melissa Grunlan, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is developing synthetic plugs to treat chronic knee pain and disabilities, offering an alternative to total knee replacements. This project is funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Karin Kaiser/MHH
Advancements in Cardiac Treatment: MHH's Deployment of Self-Dissolving Stents
31.05.2024
At the forefront of cardiac care, the Department of Cardiology and Angiology at Hannover Medical School (MHH) has introduced a novel treatment method using self-dissolving stents.
IGTP
Cardiac bioimplants for heart attack treatment
13.05.2024
A recent study highlights the safety and effectiveness of PeriCord bioimplants, derived from umbilical cord stem cells, for regenerating heart tissue post-myocardial infarction.
Neurostimulation: Inceptiv™ fighting chronic neuropathic pain
19.04.2024
Neurostimulators play an important role in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. They use targeted electrical impulses to modulate pain signals. The Inceptiv™ neurostimulator from Medtronic is an example of a treatment solution for chronic neuropathic pain. It can offer sufferers a significant improvement in their quality of life.
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.
TERM/UKW
The potential of nasal cartilage in knee joint treatment
05.04.2024
At the University Hospital Wuerzburg, a promising new treatment for knee joint defects involves the use of nasal cartilage, and it's edging closer to approval with significant EU funding. The new method is using autologous cartilage from the nasal septum, an approach that may seem as enchanting as the term "ENCANTO" implies.
Northwestern University
A wireless bladder monitoring device
03.04.2024
A new medical device developed by researchers at Northwestern University might soon offer individuals with bladder dysfunctions a way to monitor their condition in real time, thanks to a groundbreaking implant and accompanying smartphone app.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
Better diagnostics for enhanced hearing with cochlear implants
23.02.2024
A research team from Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the University of Oldenburg is delving into the intricate processes of how the human brain adapts to electrical hearing through cochlear implants (CIs). The study, part of the Hearing4all Cluster of Excellence, aims to shed light on the diverse mechanisms influencing speech comprehension among CI users.
Unai82
reBEAT: mechanical heart support of the future
06.02.2024
With "reBEAT", the Munich-based start-up AdjuCor has developed a novel system for cardiac support and successfully implemented it together with the Cardiac Surgery Clinic at Hannover Medical School (MHH). It works by providing direct mechanical support without direct blood contact. This makes implantation easier and the system safer.
HDZ NRW
Piccolo: Heart umbrellas with a big impact
19.12.2023
"After the procedure, Jonah was a different child, the improvement was immediate. He turned 180 degrees in the right direction," says his mother Ania. On June 22 of this year, the boy underwent an effective procedure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW (HDZ NRW) in Bad Oeynhausen when he was just six months old.
University of Twente
Miniature marvels: wireless millirobots successfully navigate arteries
18.12.2023
For the first time ever, wireless millirobots navigated a narrow blood vessel both along and against arterial flow. Researchers from the University of Twente and Radboudumc inserted the screw-shaped robots in a detached aorta with kidneys where they controlled them using a robotically controlled rotating magnet.
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.
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.
Tomáš Belloň / IOCB Prague
Computer model of the ear may help to improve cochlear implants
01.12.2023
Professor Pavel Jungwirth and his colleagues from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the cochlear implant company MED-EL, based in Austria, have come up with a complete computer model of the ear. It can be used to simulate hearing of mammals including humans from the outer ear all the way to the auditory nerve.
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.
Desktop Health
MHH produces world’s first patient-specific implants with drug release
22.11.2023
For the first time, the ENT clinic at Hannover Medical School (MHH) has provided an adult patient with a customized implant for the external auditory canal featuring drug release benefits.
bialasiewicz
Parkinson's: New hope when treatment options seem exhausted
20.11.2023
As Parkinson's disease progresses, more invasive therapies are used that require brain surgery, for example. When these no longer deliver the desired results, physicians often conclude that treatment options are exhausted.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
New device against sudden cardiac death
10.11.2023
Hannover Heart Rhythm Center at MHH implants Germany's first innovative defibrillator with an electrode under the sternum.
David Callahan
Eye implant may be used to treat diabetes
27.10.2023
Researchers in Sweden have developed a microscale device for implantation in the eye, which presents new opportunities for cell-based treatment of diabetes and other diseases.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
The most natural form of mechanical cardiac support?
26.10.2023
On the road to gentler mechanical cardiac support, the cardiac surgery clinics of Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) have briefly implanted a novel, groundbreaking circulatory support system in the first five people with advanced heart failure in the world.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
Cardiology: novel pacemaker without electrodes
25.10.2023
The Department of Cardiology and Angiology at Hannover Medical School (MHH) is one of the first hospitals in Germany to offer implantation of the new innovative AVEIR VR pacemaker.
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.
drazenphoto
Electrotherapy without surgery is possible
28.08.2023
Researchers at Lund University and Gothenburg University have successfully developed temporary, organic electrodes that can be seamlessly integrated into biological systems.
National University of Singapore
Nature-inspired pressure sensing technology aims to transform healthcare and surgical robots
22.08.2023
NUS researchers have developed 'eAir', an innovative pressure sensor inspired by the lotus leaf effect. This sensor could revolutionize minimally invasive surgeries by providing tactile feedback to surgeons and improve patient experiences in monitoring intracranial pressure. Its unique design enhances precision and reliability, potentially transforming various medical applications.
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.
Chalmers University of Technology
Bionic hand: surgical and engineering innovations enable unprecedented control
21.07.2023
For the first time, a person with an arm amputation can manipulate each finger of a bionic hand as if it was his own. Thanks to revolutionary surgical and engineering advancements that seamlessly merge humans with machines, this breakthrough offers new hope and possibilities for people with amputations worldwide.
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.
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.
NIMBLE Diagnostics SL
Imaging: monitoring cardiovascular stents with microwaves
30.05.2023
A cardiovascular stent may fail after implantation. Patients with arteriosclerosis then must undergo angiography again. The condition of the stent is examined or a new stent is placed during this procedure. Barcelona-based company NIMBLE Diagnostics is now working on an easier method to monitor stents after implantation.
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.
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.
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.
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC)
Stent implants: Nimble Diagnostics closes financing round of one million euros
10.04.2023
NIMBLE Diagnostics, a spin-off of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), the UPC and the University of Barcelona (UB), has successfully closed a funding round led by Grow Ventures, together with Namarel Ventures and the Inveniam Group, that has secured more than one million euros.
photovs
Complex coronary artery disease: Stenting with close look inside blood vessel improves outcomes
10.03.2023
Patients with complex coronary artery disease who underwent a stenting procedure guided by intravascular imaging were nearly 40% less likely to die of heart disease, have a heart attack caused by a new blockage in the treated artery or need a repeat stenting procedure in the treated artery, compared with similar patients.
bilanol
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair reduces hospitalizations and deaths
08.03.2023
In patients with heart failure and a poorly functioning heart valve, a minimally invasive procedure using a clip to repair the valve was safe, cut the rate of hospitalizations for heart failure by 47% and reduced deaths from any cause by almost 30% after five years of follow-up.
MBExC/spförtner
Optical cochlea implant: ERC Proof of Concept Grant for Tobias Moser
02.03.2023
In the ImageTox project, the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security are pooling their expertise in the fields of drug discovery and artificial intelligence (AI).
towfiqu98
Vocal cord paresis: surgical treatment to reverse paralysis
27.02.2023
The paralysis of the vocal folds, the vocal fold paresis (also known as vocal cord paralysis) is a condition in which most patients cannot control the movement of the muscles that control the voice. This can make it hard to speak, prompting a reduction in speech volume that makes it challenging to understand the person. Some patients may even have difficulty breathing.
GabiStock
ENT surgery – Interventions for speech and hearing
27.02.2023
Speaking and hearing are the two most important abilities that connect humans to their environment. If they get limited through disease or injury, it is all the more important to restore them as broadly as possible. Depending on the cause for their limitation, there are different surgical treatment possibilities. We take a look at current methods in our Topic of the Month.
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.
WILDDESIGN GmbH, Gelsenkirchen
A new generation of microimplants
09.02.2023
Miniature assistants can act as a stimulus in cases of tinnitus or digestive tract disorders or help a person’s hand to regain the ability to grip.
Beachbumledford
Controlled manufacture, storage and freezing of artificial retinal cells
25.01.2023
Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a new method for the production and clinical application of stem-cell-based retinal implants, which could contribute towards the successful treatment of AMD.
Imperial College London
Affordable device for fixing broken bones piloted in Gaza, Sri Lanka and Ukraine
20.01.2023
Imperial researchers have developed a low-cost, easy-to-manufacture stabiliser for broken bones to help in regions where such devices are expensive or in short supply and people sometimes resort to homemade options.
Osaka Metropolitan University
Total knee arthroplasty: Faster knee for better walking
19.01.2023
Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have revealed that knee extension velocity while seated is a stronger predictor of walking performance than muscle strength in elderly patients after their total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery.
wutzkoh
Older knee replacements as good as newer models, study shows
16.01.2023
Older knee replacement designs are just as effective as newer models – according to new research from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and University of East Anglia.
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.
Universitätsklinikum Bonn (UKB)/J.F. Saba
Retina chip: Implant helps with age-related macular degeneration
01.03.2022
People who suffer from partial or total loss of vision caused by illness must use assistive technology to replace their sense of sight. In recent years, implants offered hope of restoring limited functional vision. Now an innovative microchip designed to help with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is currently undergoing international testing.
PantherMedia/benschonewille
Technology against organ shortage – Support for the successful transplant
03.02.2022
The waiting time for a donor organ is long nowadays since the need for organs vastly exceeds their availability. But we have possibilities to improve the situation and help as many people as possible to survive despite organ failure: Some organ functions can already be substituted by technology. But medicine is also researching ways to make more organs available for transplant.
PantherMedia/Richmanphoto
COPD: How long before the implantable lung is here?
03.01.2022
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often a last resort treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure. The method uses an external pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream. However, the use of ECMO for long-term support is not possible for patients with chronic respiratory failure.
PantherMedia/NikD51
Donor organs: Solving the shortage with technology
03.01.2022
Patients waiting for a donor organ must have a lot of patience and a bit of luck. Aging and a rise in chronic disease prevalence means the need for donor organs is much greater than the number that is available. To help those who need organ transplants, scientists must create new technologies.
PantherMedia/Meseritsch Herby
Implants for the senses – Hearing and seeing with technology
01.12.2021
We can replace certain functions of the body with implants nowadays, others we cannot. When it comes to the human senses, we are still quite at the beginning. The technologies and materials we can use are way to coarse compared to our nervous system. But implants can also help us to maintain senses.
PantherMedia/npudov
Implants: When technology makes sense – quite literally
01.12.2021
Disease, injury, or a condition you were born with – reasons why some people must live without one or several of their five senses. Fortunately, there are many modern sensory aids that help replace one sense with another, which is especially the case when it comes to vision and hearing. Given technology's advancements, can artificial or biological implants someday soon be a viable alternative?
UMG
Cochlear implants: Using light to improve hearing
01.12.2021
Cochlear implants are devices that partially restore hearing in wearers. Unfortunately, the signal transmission from the implant to the auditory nerve is still rather basic, thus limiting the sound quality. Future implants could be more accurate in this setting by using light versus electrical pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the ear.
Glaucoma: Microimplant monitors intraocular pressure
01.12.2021
Chronic conditions require close monitoring to ensure a successful therapeutic outcome. Unfortunately, patients aren't always able to perform their own measurements and the exam intervals between appointments are frequently too long. An innovative implant is designed to address this gap in glaucoma care and treatment and enable patients to make intraocular pressure measurements on their own.
Deep Brain Stimulation – Measuring electrodes against Parkinson's disease
23.08.2021
We cannot heal Parkinson’s disease yet, all we can do is alleviate the symptoms. One possibility to do this are implantable electrodes that stimulate part of the brain and counteract the characteristic tremor. In our video, Prof. Cordula Matthies and Prof. Jens Volkmann from the University Hospital Würzburg explain how this stimulation can be targeted better with a new electrode generation.
PantherMedia/photographee.eu
Stroke rehabilitation: regaining arm movement with nerve stimulation
09.08.2021
Stroke rehabilitation exercises are essential to regain mobility and strength in the body. Each patient recovers lost skills and function differently. A recent study has now examined how vagus nerve stimulation with electrical impulses during stroke rehab could improve arm mobility.
Vibrosonic GmbH
A contact lens for the ear
15.07.2021
Excessive noise, hearing loss, vascular constriction, old age – hearing difficulties can be caused by many factors. To help improve the quality of life of people with hearing impairment, Mannheim start-up Vibrosonic have developed a new, innovative hearing aid with an integrated loudspeaker that sits directly on the eardrum.
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.
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 / ParStud
Making biohybrid lungs implantable
25.05.2021
Diseases can affect the lungs in different ways that can be challenging. If the lungs are badly damaged and artificial ventilation (also called artificial respiration) is no longer effective, an ECMO machine comes into play. Right now, artificial lungs reside outside the body and cannot be implanted.
Hip replacement: virtual surgical training with haptic technology
01.04.2021
Surgeons have only limited options to practice surgical techniques before they enter the operating room. The implantation of an endoprosthesis requires extensive practical training since it necessitates strength and utmost precision. The "Dynamic HIPS" project develops a virtual reality hip implant simulator that provides realistic haptic feedback.
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.
Tumor therapy: drug delivery pump instead of injection
01.02.2021
Drugs always have undesired side effects. Cytostatics are powerful drugs used to treat cancer. They reach almost all cells in the body, killing healthy cells as well as cancer cells in the process. A targeted delivery to the specific cellular site would be a gentler treatment.
Autonomous medical devices: running well in your body
01.02.2021
In theory, autonomous medical technologies can be used in a diagnostic or therapeutic capacity inside the body under certain conditions. This may not sound like a new invention at first. After all, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators have monitored and fixed abnormal heart rhythm for many years.
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!
Fraunhofer IZM
Microimplants: electricity instead of pills
23.11.2020
Active implants such as pacemakers revolutionized healthcare decades ago. But they also have disadvantages: their size and relatively short life span, for example. At Fraunhofer IZM, research is therefore being conducted on durable microimplants that stimulate nerve cells electrically in a targeted manner and are even to be used to treat multiple sclerosis.
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.
APRICOT-project: implant "help(s) patients heal themselves"
01.01.2020
Today, people tend to live longer, while an increasing number of patients suffer from osteoarthritis. Even younger generations are now at a higher risk of getting osteoarthritis due to the frequent use of mobile devices. The EU research project APRICOT aims to develop a novel type of implant for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hands – helping patients heal themselves.
Endoprostheses: between possibility and reality
01.01.2020
When natural joints lose their ability to function, they can be completely or partially replaced by artificial joints, also called endoprostheses. Endoprostheses must be of a certain quality, as they should remain in the body as long as possible. In addition to some risks, endoprostheses can also contribute to a mobile and carefree life for young and old.
Endoprostheses: regaining independence and mobility
01.01.2020
Joints can suddenly or gradually deteriorate and lose their natural strength, whether it’s due to accidents, diseases or simple wear and tear. In some of these cases, implants of artificial joints – endoprostheses - can help. As a joint replacement, they are designed to stay in the body for as long as needed and as such improve the patient’s quality of life and mobility.
panthermedia.net/ monstArrr
Orthopedic implant: More comfortable thanks to full weight-bearing capacity
08.03.2019
Orthopedic implants – they are a necessity when it comes to congenital or acquired limb length discrepancies. However, full weight-bearing during the limb lengthening process is not feasible with previous implant models. For the first time, the 3D Surgery division at the Medical Center of the University of Munich has succeeded in using an implant that facilitates immediate weight-bearing.
Endoprostheses - Ultrasound to detect loosening?
27.02.2019
Many patients suffering from arthrosis or other kinds of damage in the hip joint need an endoprosthesis at some point. However, this prosthesis can loosen again after some time, so that it must be replaced. In order to delay this replacement surgery for as long as possible, the TH Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences develops a new diagnostic method.