Innovative blood test based on infrared light
17/03/2021
A new study carried out by a team of laser physicists, molecular biologists and physicians based at LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics has confirmed the temporal stability of the molecular composition of blood in a population of healthy individuals.
Digital twin heart – Computer model for an optimized therapy success
15/03/2021
Heart surgery is difficult even for experienced surgeons and therapeutical success is not always certain. Physicians need to rely on their experience when choosing and planning the correct intervention. A computer model could help them in the future: The digital twin heart could be fed with patient data and then simulate whether an intervention will be successful.
'Up-sizing' mini organs used in medical research
11/02/2021
A team of engineers and scientists has developed a method of 'multiplying' organoids: miniature collections of cells that mimic the behavior of various organs and are promising tools for the study of human biology and disease.
Platform identifies cancer mutations that may be responsive to drug therapies
10/02/2021
A Cleveland Clinic-led team of researchers has developed a personalized genomic medicine platform that will help advance accelerate genomic medicine research and genome-informed drug discovery, according to new study results published in Genome Biology.
AI: individualized cancer therapy soon to be faster
29/01/2021
The treatment of cancer with new, individualized cell therapies is usually very costly and lengthy. Before treatment can take place, patients often have to wait a long time for individualized therapeutics to be produced and they lose valuable time.
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!
Asthma: Self-management thanks to apps and wearables
11/01/2021
Today, managing one's own chronic disease is hardly possible without digital helpers – not least because of the corona pandemic. People with asthma also benefit from apps and wearables. They help patients connect better with doctors and better understand their own disease. Our Topic of the Month looks at why this is so important and what the digital services can do.
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.
Sports medicine software: Monitoring at the push of a button
22/05/2020
Athletes not only have to be fit and stay in shape, but they also have to achieve peak performance, especially when they get ready for athletic events. Optimized and individualized performance training requires data from external laboratories and institutes. The [i/med] Sports platform from DORNER Health IT Solutions provides a complete workflow − from anamnesis to diagnostic report.
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.
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.
Angiogenesis: light shows blood vessels the way
03/02/2020
Regenerative medicine aims to replace damage in the body with functional tissue and restore normal function. The first defense for large defects are implants made of hydrogels, designed to promote cell growth. They need their own blood supply, which is a problem when it comes to larger implants because you cannot regulate where and how the blood vessels grow - until now.
ARDS: Testing Consequences without Consequence
14/11/2019
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening illness in which the lungs are severely damaged. The condition always requires intensive medical care through mechanical ventilation. But not all lungs are the same. To ensure a personalized treatment that is adapted to the individual patient’s lung volume and condition, Ebenbuild relies on digital twins.
Cardiac diagnostics – prompt and personalized
08/11/2019
If physicians suspect an acute myocardial infarction, they first order an ECG. This test is very established and allows cardiologists to quickly diagnose acute heart attacks – though the test does not detect less common heart attack symptoms. So far, those patients had to wait up to twelve hours before a heart attack could be accurately diagnosed or ruled out. But things are about the change.
Sports Hub project changes sports medicine with big data and AI
22/10/2019
Professor Jarek Krajewski sat down for a MEDICA interview and delivered a detailed description of the Sports Hub project. It highlights how big data and AI transform the world of sports medicine. The project delivers new insights and provides a versatile database.
AI software: "iSTIX opens your world to the possibilities of digital pathology"
08/10/2019
The healthcare market offers a multitude of microscopes that make cells visible to the human eye. The same applies to AI-based software for image analysis. After taking the microscopic images, scientist are faced with large volumes of scans with usually low resolution. Yet when all aspects merge together, they open up a the world of digital pathology.
Cardiac Tissue Engineering: a heart out of the Petri dish
23/09/2019
For patients waiting for donor organs, every day can mean the difference between life and death. Making things even more complicated is the fact that not every organ is a compatible match with the patient. It would mean enormous progress if we could grow organs from the patient's own cells in the lab. That's why patients with heart disease place big hope in tissue engineering.
German Medical Award 2019 celebrates the future of (patient) care
22/08/2019
The German Medical Award will take place on November 18, 2019, as part of the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf. The ceremony emphasizes the commitment to excellence in cutting-edge care for patients. Doctors, clinical centers and companies in the medical and healthcare industry can demonstrate their achievements in medicine and management in hopes of receiving the coveted award.
Functional imaging: what makes the brain tick?
01/04/2019
Our brain is the command center of our body. This is where all information and impressions are collected and converted into responses and movements. Modern imaging techniques offer physicians and researchers unique insights into the actions of the human central nervous system. The functional imaging technique allows them to watch our brain in action.
Brain mapping: preoperative planning with functional MRI
01/04/2019
A surgery already begins before the patient is lying on the operating table – namely with the planning. For example, if brain surgery is imminent, the brain must first be mapped. This makes the activity level of certain brain areas visible. Functional magnetic resonance imaging makes this possible.
All-round care for COPD: diagnosis, treatment, self-management
01/03/2019
COPD affects more than 200 million people in the world. Those affected by this chronic pulmonary disease are often slow to notice the symptoms and get a medical diagnosis. This results in secondary complications and high medical costs. That's why an early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and frequent monitoring are very important. Various devices and tools support this all-round care.
Comprehensive Treatment: It’s All About Breathing
01/03/2019
Coughing, airway obstruction, difficulty breathing: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive and currently incurable lung diseases. The innovative solutions of Philips Respironics help patients to manage each stage of the disease and their medication intake, train the respiratory system and provide respiratory support.
Organ-on-a-chip – Organs in miniature format
01/02/2019
In vitro processes and animal tests are used to develop new medications and novel therapeutic approaches. However, animal testing raises important ethical concerns. Organ-on-a-chip models promise to be a feasible alternative. In a system the size of a smartphone, organs are connected using artificial circulation.
Multi-Organ Chips – The Patients of Tomorrow?
01/02/2019
The liver, nervous tissue or the intestines: all are important human organs that have in the past been tested for their function and compatibility using animal or in vitro test methods. In recent years, TissUse GmbH, a spin-off of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin), has launched multi-organ chip platforms. But that’s not all.
Better living thanks to telemedicine – "TelePark"- project targets patients with Parkinson’s disease
08/01/2019
Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that primarily affects movement of patients and makes their everyday lives very challenging. It also makes regular doctor appointments and treatment sessions necessary. "TelePark" - a project that collects different movement-related parameters using sensors and apps is designed to improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients.
A digital look inside the human eye – when algorithms diagnose Diabetes
02/01/2019
Diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes has become very common and is often described as a lifestyle disease. More and more people are suffering from this chronic metabolic disorder. Next to established diagnostic procedures, digital retinal screening has shown to be successful - a promising technique that will also play an important role in the diagnosis of other diseases in the future.
Collect, process, communicate – retina measurements with Mimo
19/12/2018
Continuous monitoring is an essential process with every disease. In the case of eye disorders, frequent retina measurements can facilitate early detection of deterioration to quickly initiate intervention. This calls for comprehensive care settings, easy ways to take measurements and prompt results. However, in reality, this is rarely the case.
Back to health – when electrical pulses provide healing
03/12/2018
Strengthening and healing thanks to the power of electrical pulses - is that really possible? When mobility is restricted or muscles are no longer as strong as they used to be, electrical treatment options can lead to improvement or even cure of diseases. But why are more and more people turning to these alternatives, what are the advantages and what are their limitations and drawbacks?
MoreGrasp – being able to grasp again with paraplegia
22/11/2018
Every year between 250.000 and 500.000 people suffer a spinal cord injury, MoreGrasp is intended to make their lives easier. The project aims to restore the lost gripping function in people with high paraplegia. Researchers at Graz University of Technology have developed a neuroprosthesis that is currently undergoing a feasibility study.
A clean kidney: Break then glue
08/11/2018
Not enough exercise, an unhealthy diet: Kidney stones develop when urine contains too many insoluble compounds and are now one of the most common diseases worldwide. The ailment annually affects 1.2 million people in Germany alone. The stones are broken up and taken out via endoscopic surgery. Now it’s possible to remove even the tiniest residual fragments. The solution: a biocompatible adhesive.
Digitization: Hospitals as Popular Targets?
02/11/2018
It’s safe to say that patients and their prompt medical care take center stage at any hospital. Digitization of the healthcare sector is quickly advancing to make this a reality: data is stored in a digital medium, devices are linked together. But how safe are hospitals in the age of innovation?
Diagnostics at record speeds – POCT in high-performance sports
02/11/2018
This is what diagnostic investigation normally looks like: a patient sample is collected, sent to the laboratory and analyzed. Once that's completed, the patient is told of the lab test result. But if the patient is a high-performance athlete and has to follow and stick to a rigid training schedule, he or she needs these results immediately. What makes this possible? Point-of-care testing!
Healthy aging: further research needed on measurement methods in geriatrics
22/10/2018
Today’s society is faced with an aging population. The past has seen the development of many methods for measuring body composition in older adults. However, some of these techniques are not available to medical practices and hospital facilities or are in dire need of optimization.
Exercise Prescription for Health: sports instead of pills
08/10/2018
Did you know that we can influence up to 50 percent of our health ourselves? If we eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly, this not only ensures longer independence in old age. Diseases can also be treated with exercise. But in many cases, physicians and patients still rely more on medication than on exercise.
Lung Imaging – Keeping the Respiratory System Healthy
05/10/2018
Many people have damaged or suboptimally functioning lungs. An accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment are vital to protect this life-sustaining organ. Modern imaging solutions help physicians and patients understand what happens inside the lungs.
Back pain: The research project Ran Rücken is intended to help
10/09/2018
About eight in ten Germans suffer from back pain during their lifetime. Too much or the wrong movements can also cause problems. "Ran Rücken", the interdisciplinary research project aims to determine the right minimum dose of exercise that proves effective. (Explanatory note: "Ran Rücken" can be loosely translated as "Target the Back")
Master plan Smart Hospital: well-connected is half cared for
03/09/2018
Artificial intelligence makes the diagnosis, robots perform the surgery and physicians manage all processes via touchscreen – is that what hospitals of the future will look like? And how far away are we actually from this future? Many hospital facilities are already on their way to becoming Smart Hospitals with the latest technology and where everything and everyone is linked and connected.
Diagnosing diseases with big data
01/08/2018
All of us generate data every day without even realizing it – sometimes it happens unconsciously and unintentionally. At this point, we are made of data and not just in the eyes of tech companies but also from a healthcare system perspective. Our electronic health records are a smorgasbord of data for example.
Personalized cancer medicine – Best possible treatment with TherapySelect
30/04/2018
Medicine is getting more and more personalized. This is particularly interesting for oncology, since a cancer is as individual as the respective patient. When choosing a therapy, both the characteristics of the tumor and the personal characteristics of the patient must be considered. To see exactly what this looks like, we visited the diagnostics company TherapySelect, based in Heidelberg.
Tissue engineering: how to grow a bypass
23/04/2018
A bypass is a complicated structure. It is either made of synthetic materials that can cause blood clots and infections or created by using the patient’s veins. However, the latter often does not yield adequate material. A newly developed bioreactor could solve this problem in the future. It is designed to tissue engineer vascular grafts by using the body’s own material.
Personalized medicine: a paradigm shift is gaining momentum
01/03/2018
Personalized medicine does not follow a "one-size-fits-all" treatment approach but emphasizes a "tailor-made" paradigm, meaning a treatment is customized to each individual person's case. For patients, this increases the chances of treatment success and means fewer side effects. While the approach originates in the field of oncology, it is now also increasingly applied to other disease patterns.
On the trail of cancer: personalized cancer vaccine
01/03/2018
Conventional cancer treatment selection typically depends on the location of the tumor. However, this approach ignores the distinct gene mutations in the tumor of the individual patient. New cancer research approaches increasingly emphasize the concept of personalized therapy.
Personalized cancer medicine: customized treatment
01/03/2018
Everyone is different. This statement also applies to our health. Cancer, in particular, can look and progress differently depending on the individual person. That’s why every patient ideally also needs a customized treatment that is tailored to their individual needs. But how feasible is this idea?