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Repurposed spinal stimulators to restore touch in lost limb
21/07/2020
Imagine tying your shoes or taking a sip of coffee or cracking an egg but without any feeling in your hand. That's life for users of even the most advanced prosthetic arms. Although it's possible to simulate touch by stimulating the remaining nerves in the stump after an amputation, such a surgery is highly complex and individualized.
Electrical stimulation to restore vision
16/07/2020
In a project under Horizon 2020, researchers from seven European organizations will examine how the vision of visually impaired people can be restored using electrical stimulation of the brain. The project is being coordinated by the University of Zurich and supported by the European Union.
Improved cochlear implant allows MRI in children without discomfort
15/07/2020
A study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago found that children with a MED-EL Synchrony cochlear implant device can undergo MRI safely, with no discomfort and reduced need for sedation or anesthesia. Findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Laryngoscope.
Active photonic wireless system to power medical implants
14/07/2020
Researchers in Korea have now developed a new method to power medical implants using an active photonic wireless system.
Multi-channel cochlear implants with microscale light-emitting diodes
10/07/2020
A milestone in hearing research: Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen and the University of Freiburg combine for the first time gene therapy in the cochlea with optical cochlear implants to optogenetically activate the auditory pathway in gerbils. Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine.
Active photonic wireless system to power medical implants
08/07/2020
Over the past few decades, medical technology seen various advances in terms of the scope and efficiency of implant devices. Developments in medical research have led to the emergence of electronic implants, such as pacemakers to regulate the heart rate and cerebral spinal shunts to control the flow of spinal fluid. Most of these medical devices require a constant source of energy to operate.
Special coatings to reduce complications after implant surgery
01/07/2020
New coatings on implants could help make them more compatible. Researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have developed a new method of applying anti-inflammatory substances to implants in order to inhibit undesirable inflammatory reactions in the body. Their study was recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
New heart valve could transform open heart surgery
30/06/2020
A new polymeric heart valve with a life span potentially longer than current artificial valves that would also prevent the need for the millions of patients with diseased heart valves to require life-long blood thinning tablets has been developed by scientists at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge. The team’s latest in-vitro results suggest that the PoliValve could last for up to 25 years.
Directly printing 3D tissues within the body
18/06/2020
In the TV series Westworld, human body parts are built on robotic frames using 3D printers. While still far from this scenario, 3D printers are being increasingly used in medicine. For example, 3D printing can be used to produce parts of the body such as orthopedic joints and prosthetics, as well as portions of bone, skin and blood vessels.
Self-healing bone cement
16/06/2020
Material scientists at the University of Jena have developed a bone replacement based on calcium phosphate cement and reinforced with carbon fibers. The fibers increase damage tolerance and ensure that cracks in the material repair themselves.
3D-printable material that mimics biological tissues
12/06/2020
Biological tissues have evolved over millennia to be perfectly optimized for their specific functions. Take cartilage as an example. It's a compliant, elastic tissue that's soft enough to cushion joints, but strong enough to resist compression and withstand the substantial load bearing of our bodies: key for running, jumping, and our daily wear and tear.
Implant: tiny, magnetically powered neural stimulator
09/06/2020
Rice University neuroengineers have created a tiny surgical implant that can electrically stimulate the brain and nervous system without using a battery or wired power supply. The neural stimulator draws its power from magnetic energy and is about the size of a grain of rice.
Ultra-thin fibers designed to protect nerves after brain surgery
05/06/2020
The drug nimodipine could prevent nerve cells from dying after brain surgery. Pharmacists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), in cooperation with neurosurgeons at University Hospital Halle (Saale) (UKH), have developed a new method that enables the drug to be administered directly in the brain with fewer side effects.
Bioprinting: 3D-functional bone tissues
20/05/2020
Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, associate professor, has developed a highly printable bioink as a platform to generate anatomical-scale functional tissues. This study was recently published in the American Chemical Society's Applied Materials and Interfaces.
Prosthesis: Artificial pieces of brain communicate with real neurons
20/05/2020
A prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces an injured or missing part of the body. You can easily imagine a stereotypical pirate with a wooden leg or Luke Skywalker's famous robotic hand. Less dramatically, think of old-school prosthetics like glasses and contact lenses that replace the natural lenses in our eyes. Now try to imagine a prosthesis that replaces part of a damaged brain.
Novel device to improve performance of underactive bladders
06/05/2020
Individuals with an underactive bladder, for example following a spinal cord injury, often cannot sense bladder fullness or are unable to empty the bladder completely. This distressing symptom can seriously affect one's quality of life. It may also lead to medical complications such as urinary tract infection, as well as physical discomfort and potential for personal embarrassment.
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.
Endoprotheses: 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 endoprotheses. Endoprotheses must be of a certain quality, as they should remain in the body as long as possible. In addition to some risks, endoprotheses can also contribute to a mobile and carefree life for young and old.
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.
Endoprotheses: 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.
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.
Regenerative heart valves: from simulation to replacement
23/07/2018
Every year, more than 250,000 patients worldwide receive heart valve implants. Children require repeated replacement surgery because their bodies are still growing, the prosthetic heart valves are not. Regenerative heart valves solve this problem. Until now, we have only been able to monitor how these living implants develop in the body after the fact. Computer models now make this predictable.
Early detection: Tattoo signals cancer – and more
09/07/2018
People who are not ill and do not show any symptoms typically do not visit the doctor. And while most people know that preventive medical checkups for cancer, for example, are important, they still avoid them. They tend to be very hesitant because the doctor might detect a serious illness. In the future, a new type of implant could make it easier to go to a screening test.
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.
Surgical navigation systems – with precision to the destination
06/03/2018
With the help of surgical navigation systems, prostheses or implants can be better inserted. During the procedure, surgeons can see exactly where they need to operate on a screen. Just like a navigation system in the car, navigation in the OR guides you precisely to your destination. At the Uniklinik RWTH Aachen we can find out what advantages this has for physicians and patients.
High-quality implants and orthopaedic instruments - Interview with GPC Medical Ltd.
16/11/2017
The quality of the implants and orthopaedic instruments used is a fundamental prerequisite for the success of surgical procedures. They have to meet very high international standards. Find out more about the orthopaedic implants and tools of the Indian company GPC Medical Ltd. in our interview.