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.
Regenerative medicine: biofabrication for multiple tissues
01.10.2019
Organs, muscles and bones are composed of multiple types of cells and tissues that are carefully organized to carry out a specific function. For example, kidneys are able to filter waste from the blood because of how their specialized cells and tissues are arranged. Disrupting this organization dramatically affects how cells and tissues do their job effectively.
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.
Wearables: reconfigurable electronics promising innovations
11.09.2019
Medical implants of the future may feature reconfigurable electronic platforms that can morph in shape and size dynamically as bodies change or transform to relocate from one area to monitor another within our bodies.
Imaging: faster intestine endoscopy with a pill-sized camera
28.08.2019
Greater resolution, sharper images, and more efficient diagnostic processes – this is the promise of an endoscopy capsule developed by Fraunhofer IZM to allow more detailed small intestine diagnostics.
Hearing aids: algorithms for personalized sounds
27.08.2019
The Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology Division (HSA) ft he Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg is developing algorithms for hearing profiles which adjust themselves automatically and dynamically to the acoustic input signal: An easy way to personalized sound and good speech intelligibility for wearers of hearing aids, headphones and hearables.
Tissue Engeneering: bioprinting complex living tissue
26.08.2019
Tissue engineers create artificial organs and tissues that can be used to develop and test new drugs, repair damaged tissue and even replace entire organs in the human body. However, current fabrication methods limit their ability to produce free-form shapes and achieve high cell viability.
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.
Biomarker: health indication in old age
21.08.2019
Researchers on ageing from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) collaborate to link basic insights from model organisms to the causes of ageing in humans. They can determine the disease vulnerability of older people using a defined set of substances in the blood.
Sports medicine: Neuromuscular training for optimal performance
20.08.2019
Movement, strength and coordination - after injuries as well as in healthy athletes, these three components must be intact for movements to run smoothly. At the Beta Klinik in Bonn, Dr. Markus Klingenberg, a specialist in orthopaedics, trauma surgery and sports medicine, offers neuromuscular training with a playful character that can be adapted to the patient's needs.
Training partner robot – This is the rehabilitation of the future
16.08.2019
In medicine, robots are already taking over tasks that only a few years ago were exclusively in human hands. Especially in the field of rehabilitation, they will play a major role in the future. In the "RoSylerNT" project of the German Sport University Cologne, a robot arm from KUKA is being used here for training purposes. Find out why a robot is the right training partner!
Imaging: Managing pain with neurofeedback
29.07.2019
Dr. Zanca awarded a $299,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation for a novel study of neurofeedback via functional MRI for self-management of neuropathic pain. This will be the first study to examine neurofeedback mediated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for facilitating the learning of self-management strategies for neuropathic pain post-spinal cord injury.
Functional Imaging: The puls of modern oncology
17.06.2019
Medical imaging techniques have developed considerably in recent decades. In addition to morphological imaging techniques more and more functional imaging techniques are used in oncology that can continously record the functions of specific organs locally and regionally in real time. These are groundbreaking for diagnostics, therapies and preoperative preparations.
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.
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.
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?
Without any delay: drug dose adjustment at the point of care
01.08.2017
Many therapeutic drugs are very powerful, but they are also very toxic at the same time. Thus, they have to be measured regularly, again and again, so that an adjustment of the individual drug dosage can be made. Until now, the "normal" way was to take the blood sample, send it to a central laboratory and get the results after some days. A new point-of-care test can measure it in 15 minutes.
Exoskeletons, Serious Games and Co.: New Technologies in Rehabilitation
01.06.2017
A stroke, an accident or just because you are aging – there are many reasons to take advantage of physiotherapeutic or rehabilitative measures. More and more new technologies are designed to support patients in this process. They run the gamut from sensor technology and robotics to exergames and virtual reality.
SilverFit – Training and gaming for the elderly
01.06.2017
Movement is good for health, but people do it less and less as they age. The Dutch company SilverFit wants to counteract this. Their devices that combine sport and game are primarily aimed at elderly people. Their goal: to give people joy, fun and motivation to move – both in rehabilitation and in daily life.
FAQ: Some questions concerning India
02.05.2017
There are recurring questions that companies are seeking to invest or produce in India. Here are some questions and their answers.
Hospital-acquired infections: pathogens know no borders
03.04.2017
Many aspects are uniformly regulated in Europe, however, hospital hygiene and MRSA prevention, for example, are not. The Netherlands plays a pioneering role in the fight against hospital-acquired infections. The country is an often-cited role model. But can other countries simply adopt the same system? And what makes it so different? MEDICA asked expert Prof. Alexander W. Friedrich.
Collect Data? Utilize Data! – The Blessings of Big Data
01.03.2017
Genome data, MRI images, and blood test results – data collected in the medical sector is not only very heterogeneous but also extremely extensive. However, it is important to not only collect this data but to also utilize it. After all, processed, linked and analyzed data provides many opportunities in research, hospital management and ultimately also for the individual patient.
Medical Databases: One for All, All for One
01.03.2017
In the "KDI – Clinical Data Intelligence Project", researchers are trying to consolidate various types of data to make them useable and useful to both medical professionals and scientists. This is a tremendous undertaking, considering the data volumes from different sources. In this conversation with MEDICA, Dr. Martin Sedlmayr explains the project setup.
Telemedicine – Immediate and lower-cost care
12.01.2017
Long waiting times in medical practices are not a rarity. The telemedicine can provide remedy. The program of the Institute for Applied Telemedicine at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen is aimed primarily at chronically ill people. Daily, they send their body values via telecommunication to the institute.
Children's Tumor Center: consolidated treatment under one roof
02.01.2017
Treatments for children need to be different from treatment for adults – this also applies in oncology. Having said that, children do not just need new and different treatment concepts that still necessitate research. They also require the support from their families, who need to be nearby during treatment.