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.
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Machine Perfusion: Increasing the Safety of Marginal Organ Transplants
03.01.2022
The shortage of donor organs is a major global issue. An aging population, a reluctance towards organ donation, and logistical challenges related to organ shipping play an important role in this setting. Machine perfusion can be a way to expand and preserve the donor pool for eligible transplant recipients.
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/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.
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.
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.
Tissue Engineering and Bioprinting – From artificial heart valves and printed humans
27.01.2021
Drug research and artificial skin replacement - these are the areas in which tissue engineering and bioprinting are already used today. What else could be possible in the future? We asked Dr. Nadine Nottrodt from Fraunhofer ILT and Prof. Sabine Neuß-Stein from RWTH Aachen University Hospital!
Bioprinting: life from the printer
01.12.2020
It aims at the production of test systems for drug research and gives patients on the waiting lists for donor organs hope: bioprinting. Thereby biologically functional tissues are printed. But how does that actually work? What are the different bioprinting methods? And can entire organs be printed with it? These and other questions are examined in our Topic of the Month.
"Cells are highly sensitive" – material development for bioprinting
01.12.2020
The big hope of bioprinting is to someday be able to print whole human organs. So far, the process has been limited to testing platforms such as organs-on-a-chip. That's because the actual printing process already poses challenges. Scientists need suitable printing materials that ensure the cell's survival as it undergoes the procedure. The Fraunhofer IGB is researching and analyzing this aspect.
Multi-photon lithography: printing cells with micrometer accuracy
01.12.2020
How do cells react to certain drugs? And how exactly is new tissue created? This can be analyzed by using bioprinting to embed cells in fine frameworks. However, current methods are often imprecise or too slow to process cells before they are damaged. At the TU Vienna, a high-resolution bioprinting process has now been developed using a new bio-ink.
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/belahoche
Bionic prosthesis: easy to put on, intuitive to use
22.09.2020
Patients who receive a prosthesis after the amputation of a limb often have to train for weeks or months until they can control the technology and use it in everyday life without problems. At the Medical University of Vienna, the world's first bionic prosthesis has now been developed that has a closed control loop and enables immediate, intuitive use.
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.
rhCollagen: genetically engineered building block for regenerative medicine
03.02.2020
Collagen is the stuff that holds our bodies together and that houses our cells. In regenerative medicine, it is also the stuff that can be applied to wounds to support healing. However, collagen from animal or human sources has some drawbacks for today’s medicine. This is where rhCollagen from the Israeli company CollPlant comes into play.
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.