rawf8
Rapid test to measure immunity to COVID-19
17/06/2022
New blood assay provides critical information for revaccination strategies in vulnerable individuals.
Klaus Nagels
Precise blood diagnostics improve treatment outcome for lung cancer
10/06/2022
Non-small cell lung carcinoma is a particularly aggressive type of lung cancer. Tumor cells and tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood of patients with the disease can be analyzed by means of liquid biopsy throughout the course of the disease.
Astrid Eckert / TUM
Multi-functional bandage helps wounds to heal
08/06/2022
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a film that not only protects wounds similar to the way a bandage does, but also helps wounds to heal faster, repels bacteria, dampens inflammation, releases active pharmaceutical ingredients in a targeted manner and ultimately dissolves by itself.
Prostock-studio
Magnetic device isolates rarest white blood cells
27/05/2022
Across the world, food allergies are on the rise. One of the most important cells in studying this ailment are basophils, which activate inflammation and other responses to allergens such as rashes, and sometimes, anaphylaxis.
Juliet Percival/MPI für Biochemie
New method revolutionizes cancer diagnosis
24/05/2022
A German-Danish team led by Prof. Matthias Mann has developed a ground-breaking technology called 'Deep Visual Proteomics'. This method provides researchers and clinicians with a protein read-out to understand cancer at single cell-type resolution. The technology was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology and demonstrates its potential in a first application to cancer cells.
AG Chumduri
Cervix: Research progress thanks to mini organs
23/05/2022
Life-like organ replicas - so-called 3D organoids - are a good way to research disease processes. A team from the University of Würzburg has now presented a kind of blueprint for such a model of the cervix.
M. Schober/E. Fuchs, Rockefeller University
New method melds data to make a 3-D map of cells’ activities
20/05/2022
HZI researchers develop molecular probes to detect pathogens in clinical samples.
HZI/Manfred Rohde
A bright spot for microbiological diagnostics
19/05/2022
HZI researchers develop molecular probes to detect pathogens in clinical samples.
Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen
Process chains for isolation and analysis: from single cells to organoids
17/05/2022
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are working on new tools for the preparation and analysis of single cells and cell assemblies. The team developed the "Liftoscope", a system for cell sorting for subsequent cultivation that can analyze and transfer biomaterials precisely and in a way that is gentle on cells.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Virtual reality to give UTSA students unique look at proteins
16/05/2022
Francis Yoshimoto, assistant professor in the UTSA College of Sciences’ Department of Chemistry, is introducing his Biochemistry II laboratory students to a new way of learning—using virtual reality headsets to observe and analyze protein structures.
Mohammad Mohammad
Regardless of distance: humans run at the most energy-efficient speed
09/05/2022
By combining data from runners monitored in a lab along with 37,000 runs recorded on wearable fitness trackers, scientists have found that humans’ natural tendency is to run at a speed that conserves caloric loss—something that racers seeking to shave time off their miles will have to overcome.
Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard/Columbia Engineering
Plug-and-play organ-on-a-chip can be customized to the patient
05/05/2022
Major advance from Columbia Engineering team demonstrates first multi-organ chip made of engineered human tissues linked by vascular flow for improved modeling of systemic diseases like cancer
The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
A sharper image for proteins
05/05/2022
To fully understand proteins and their myriad functions, researchers have developed sophisticated means to see and study them using advanced microscopy, enhanced light detection, imaging software and the integration of advanced hardware systems. A new study from Arizona State University describes a new technique that promises to revolutionize the imaging of proteins and other vital biomolecules.
SOMI medical GmbH
Production hygiene: the packaging process from warehouse to logistics
02/05/2022
Applications of telemedicine surged in popularity in efforts to reduce the COVID-19 infection risk for both medical professionals and patients. Unfortunately, the services typically lack a proper diagnostic option.
Nikita_Karchevskyi
Subgroups of glioblastoma associated with disease prognosis
02/05/2022
Researchers have detected different subgroups of the brain tumour form glioblastoma, where the cancer cells’ properties depend on which cell type they originate from. The used analysis method could also separate glioblastoma patients with significant differences in survival. The findings open up for identifying specific therapeutic targets for the new subgroups of glioblastoma.
Freya Lücke, UKSH
Leukaemia: Previously unknown risk factors in adulthood
29/04/2022
New research from the Clinical Research Unit "CATCH ALL" at Kiel University and UKSH identifies genetic causes for treatment resistance in BCP-ALL.
felipecaparros
Technology transfer award for PCR rapid test device for infection diagnostics
25/04/2022
Spindiag GmbH, together with the University of Freiburg and the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V., was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize 2020 from the German Physical Society (DPG) on April 09, 2022 for the development of the PCR-based rapid test system Rhonda.
friends_stock
World Laboratory Day 2022: Celebrate your lab!
22/04/2022
Drugs, vaccines, pathogen vulnerabilities, information about genetics and genetic material - the cornerstones of modern medicine are laid in research laboratories. And without efficient laboratory diagnostics, we would not be able to detect and treat a wide range of diseases. Two reasons to celebrate laboratories and the people who work there.
Zoltán Cseresnyés/Leibniz-HKI
How do fungal infections spread in the human lung?
22/04/2022
A chip model allows us to observe growth in the tissue.
microgen
Want to 3D print a kidney? Start by thinking small
21/04/2022
Stevens computational model aims to accelerate microfluidic bio-printing that opens up a pathway for 3D printing any kind of organ at any time.
Unimedizin Magdeburg
HFSP funding to study synaptic lipid signatures
19/04/2022
The astonishing capacity of the brain to process and store information crucially relies on properly functioning synapses. They provide the connecting entities within neural circuits and their properties define circuit function.
Sarah Needs, Cygnus smartphone testing technology
Dengue detection smartphone tech shows new hope for low-cost diagnostics
14/04/2022
Accurate home testing could be used for a wider range of illnesses, as new research shows the capability of smartphone-powered tests for Dengue Fever.
Abigail K. Grosskopf
Simple delivery method enhances promising cancer treatment
13/04/2022
One cutting-edge cancer treatment exciting researchers today involves collecting and reprogramming a patient’s T cells – a special set of immune cells – then putting them back into the body ready to detect and destroy cancerous cells. Although effective for widespread blood cancers like leukemia, this method rarely succeeds at treating solid tumors.
Nikos Hatzakis, University of Copenhagen
Revolutionary tool will meet future pandemics with accelerated response
07/04/2022
A new tool speeds up development of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products by more than one million times while minimizing costs.
Empa
In the heat of the wound
04/04/2022
A bandage that releases medication as soon as an infection starts in a wound could treat injuries more efficiently. Empa researchers are currently working on polymer fibers that soften as soon as the environment heats up due to an infection, thereby releasing antimicrobial drugs.
Kripa Patel-Hillman Lab/Columbia Engineering
New technology could make biopsies a thing of the past
04/04/2022
MediSCAPE, a high-speed 3D microscope designed by Columbia Engineers, can see real-time cellular detail in living tissues to guide surgery, speed up tissue analyses, and improve treatments
PantherMedia/Valery Vvoennyy
Medical consumables: Will the pandemic inspire more sustainable practices?
01/03/2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a global increase in healthcare commodities and medical consumables: demand for face masks, gloves, protective apparel, and other personal protective equipment has soared as a result. This also applies to rapid tests, reagents, laboratory equipment and supplies. But all this sparked a myriad of problems.
PantherMedia / Wavebreakmedia ltd
Better management of hospital resources in pandemic times through DNA measurement
15/02/2022
For nearly two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has kept a firm grip on the world and caused many intensive care units to hit full capacity. It would help medical professionals tremendously if they could make a reliable prognosis the moment patients are hospitalized. cfDNA screening could play an important role in the assessment of COVID-19 severity in patients.
PantherMedia/happysuthida
AI-driven laboratory diagnostics with medicalvalues
25/01/2022
Lab results are often complex and not easy to interpret. For many diseases, a medical diagnosis requires the analysis and combination of different values. That’s why one of the themes at the MEDICA LABMED FORUM at MEDICA 2021 highlighted "Integrative and AI-driven diagnostics" - and illustrated how AI can help interpret laboratory results and values.
Universität des Saarlandes
Coronavirus: Using odors to detect an infection
10/01/2022
Rapid COVID-19 tests can be rather uncomfortable as samples are typically collected with a deep nasal or throat swab. Scientists now explore an alternative to rapid diagnostic tests based on a patient’s breath.
Image: The KUKA robot sorts blood samples according to the color of their cap; Copyright: LT Automation
Fast, accurate, automatic: Simplifying workflows with laboratory robots
01/10/2021
Unpacking and sorting of blood samples from general practitioners is a monotonous and time-consuming task. The Aalborg University Hospital has now automated the process: Up to 3000 blood samples every day are unpacked and sorted by two lab robots provided by LT Automation. Furthermore, the samples are temperature monitored and tracked, using the Intelligent Transport Boxes.
PantherMedia / Bork
The smart lab: Between manual work and digitization
01.10.2021
In the laboratory, there is some work that is time-consuming and monotonous – making it the perfect place for digital solutions such as artificial intelligence or robotics. But what work can these systems really take on in a meaningful way, in which areas of the lab are they present today, and where do they still need to be improved?
PantherMedia / eaglesky (YAYMicro)
Diligent helpers in data analysis: How AI becomes transparent and reproducible
01/10/2021
Huge amounts of data are generated in the laboratory every day, which have to be analyzed by hand. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes into play as a perfect helper: Because it evaluates such data volumes faster than humans ever could. The only problem with AI is: when it is developed, there is hardly any guideline or standard that makes AI systems comparable with each other.
PantherMedia / angellodeco
The smart lab: The shift to more digitization is picking up speed
01/10/2021
They have probably never been in the spotlight as much as during the pandemic: laboratories. In Germany alone, around 73 million COVID-19-tests have been evaluated since the beginning of 2020. And even away from Corona, laboratory physicians have a lot to do – blood, urine and aspirates have to be evaluated every day. That results in an enormous amount of work, just in terms of organization.
Emergency medicine: point-of-care diagnostic at the deployment site
01/06/2021
The sooner diagnosis can be made during an emergency, the faster the patient receives help. While most diagnostics still take place at the hospital, emergency physicians use more and more mobile devices directly at the deployment site. This is how they can save precious time. We take a look at some point-of-care applications in our Topic of the Month.
Faster treatment thanks to point-of-care diagnostics – in emergencies and beyond
01/06/2021
Making an informed and immediate treatment decision near or at the patient’s bedside – point-of-care testing (also known as POCT) makes this possible. Unlike stationary devices, special exam rooms or other service infrastructure, POC diagnostic devices offer a multitude of benefits including more flexibility, faster results, and lower costs.
PantherMedia/HayDmitriy
Mobile and intelligent – emergency blood analysis
08/03/2021
Things need to move fast in an emergency. Making the right call in this setting can be a challenge for emergency medical services – especially when symptoms are ambiguous, which is the case if a patient has difficulty breathing or exhibits a cardiovascular or poisoning emergency. A blood analysis is paramount to deliver a fast and accurate diagnosis. This is where mobOx comes in.
Fraunhofer IPA
Alone in the lab – robot Kevin relieves the staff
08/12/2020
If Kevin was alone in the lab at night, the next morning, the workers will not find chaos, but labeled tubes and prepared samples. Kevin is a laboratory robot developed by Fraunhofer IPA to relieve the strain on laboratory workers so that they can concentrate on the essentials: research and diagnostics.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
The laboratory 4.0: networked analyses
01/09/2020
There is likely no other branch of medicine where you can find as many high-tech devices as in modern laboratories. A major part of diagnostic and biomedical research is done here. A lot of individual steps in work processes need to be followed precisely to ensure the results’ quality. Also, a lot of data is generated here.
The smart networking laboratory: when connected devices become one system
01/09/2020
Diagnostics, biomedical research, screening active ingredient candidates - laboratories perform many functions and must be flexible. Growing and evolving healthcare demands mean labs have to process an increasing number of samples. Modern laboratory information management systems can already support high-throughput, but a smart laboratory environment can make things even more efficient.
Augmented Reality for better laboratory results
01/09/2020
Accuracy is paramount in laboratory settings and ensures that lab results are valid. Errors in a lab can render series of tests unusable and waste precious time and money. In the medical realm, this might even result in clinical trial errors. Augmented reality (AR) can help laboratory technicians to prevent errors and guide their work in the future.
SmartLab: all-in-one automation, digitalization, and miniaturization
01/09/2020
Laboratories have to analyze and interpret an ever-increasing number of samples for research and diagnostic services, generating lots of data in the process. At the same time, labs are required to produce quality results and operate with speed. Processes that could once be managed using laboratory notebooks and isolated systems must become smart in the future to improve lab efficiency.
PantherMedia/everythingposs
Israeli medical devices showcase digital innovations at MEDICA
24/08/2020
For the annual MEDICA trade fair, companies from all over the world assemble in Düsseldorf. The Israel Export Institute has been a part of it for the last couple of years. They present medical devices and digital innovations from different Israeli companies at their joint booth.
Fraunhofer IBMT/Foto Bernd Müller
epiLab: Coronavirus testing in the mobile safety laboratory
08/07/2020
A key to preventing SARS-CoV-2 spread is frequent, comprehensive testing. This allows the early detection of infections and helps break the chain of infection. It always comes down to Coronavirus testing capacity. In Germany's southwest state of Saarland, the mobile epiLab (epidemiological laboratory) supports the search for infections lurking in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
PantherMedia / Viktor Cap
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.
BSL-4 laboratories: highest levels of safety and protection
01/04/2020
Laboratories are sectioned into four biosafety levels to dictate the precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents. The highest level of biological safety, BSL-4, is perhaps the most well-known when we think of containing pathogens and microbes. However, the fewest number of laboratories actually fall into the BSL-4 category.
Laboratory work: the right personal protective equipment is crucial
01/04/2020
When working with infectious materials and organisms in the laboratory, safe handling and appropriate training are of utmost importance. Another central component is personal protective equipment designed to prevent contact with tissue, liquids and aerosols and protect the wearer.
Laboratory safety: infection prevention in the work area
01/04/2020
What goes in, must not come out - and must also not cause harm to anyone working inside the lab. That's perhaps a nice way of summing up "laboratory safety" in one sentence - at least wherever pathogens are handled in biological and medical settings. The necessary laboratory safety precautions primarily depend on what is waiting "inside".
The safe laboratory – protection through technology
01/04/2020
When biomedical researchers or diagnosticians work with potentially contagious materials like cell cultures, blood or tissue, they need absolute protection from pathogens. Both safety measures in the workspace and the correct tools and materials are key here. Learn in our Topic of the Month what is important for protection in the lab and what a safe laboratory looks like.
beta web GmbH/Melanie Prüser
Single-use tests: sensitivity and easy use combined for diagnostics
12/12/2019
Diagnostic testing usually takes some time and a sterile environment to get the results. To cut down on the costs and effort spend on these tasks there are different diagnostic tests. One of them are single-use tests offered by SensDx S.A. The technology behind them not only makes the process faster and easier, but provides the opportunity to expand into home use in the future as well.
panthermedia.net/olanstock
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.
Medicine at the pulse of time: Innovations and trends at MEDICA 2019
04/11/2019
Soon, the world's largest trade fair for medical technology will open its doors again: More than 5.000 exhibitors will present their newest products and ideas at MEDICA from 18 to 21 November. You will not only meet well-known companies here, but also lots of young start-ups. Or, you can visit the MEDICA forums and conferences to experience a rich program of lectures and discussions.
MEDICA LABMED FORUM: full speed ahead for careers in laboratory medicine
04/11/2019
Laboratories are medicine’s secret weapon because they handle the lion’s share of diagnostics often without patients even realizing it. That’s why the continuing workforce shortage in both laboratory medicine and companies is especially troubling. The MEDICA LABMED FORUM 2019 plans to address and counteract this development.
Fraunhofer ISS
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.
MEDICA START-UP PARK: "For those, who want to experience the startup-spirit"
01/10/2019
When the halls of MEDICA are open to the world to showcase medical innovations, one joint exhibition booth is guaranteed to attract special attention - the MEDICA START-UP PARK. The startups that present their advances in this setting are interesting to visitors and investors, yet long-time exhibitors and big businesses can also benefit from building relationships with these young companies.
panthermedia.net/kasto
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
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.
Leibniz-IPHT/Sven Döring
Tumor excision: triple imaging for unique diagnostics
08/08/2019
After their tumor has been removed, some patients have to return to the hospital to undergo surgery again. That's because the tumor was not precisely identified and was subsequently not completely removed. That's both an ethical and financial dilemma. A new surgery-adjacent procedure is designed to rapidly and accurately detect tumors.
Antibiotic resistance: technical tricks against pathogens
01/08/2019
An untreatable infection is a nightmare for physicians and potentially life-threatening to the patient. Unfortunately, more and more pathogens emerge that are resistant to drugs, especially antibiotics. We need to use our drugs smartly and come up with technical solutions as well to prevent our weapons from blunting in the future.
Last-resort antibiotics: "We can identify carbapenemases within half an hour"
01/08/2019
Antibiotic resistance is modern medicine's greatest challenge. Some bacteria only respond to a handful of antibiotics, prompting hospitals to spend a lot of time finding an effective drug. That’s why it is critical for physicians to rapidly identify antibiotic resistance to avoid ineffective treatments.
SilverSky LifeSciences GmbH
Striking new paths in medicine - Diagnostics Partnering Conference 2019
08/07/2019
On November 18th, 2019, parallel to the first day of MEDICA, the world forum for medicine, the Diagnostics Partnering Conference (DxPx Conference) will take place in Düsseldorf, bringing together stakeholders in the diagnostics and research tool industry. The DxPx Conference focuses on discovering technologies, finding financing and investment opportunities and forming collaborative partnerships.
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.
Organ-on-a-chip systems: limited validity?
01/02/2019
Organ-on-a-chip systems are technically a great enhancement of medical research because they facilitate testing of active ingredients on cell cultures in the chambers of a plastic chip. This replaces animal testing and improves patient safety. That being said, they are not a true-to-life replication of the human body and can only simulate a few functions and activities.
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.
panthermedia.net/stasique
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")
Astrid Eckert
Pathology 4.0 – inveox automates laboratory processes
22/08/2018
Mix-ups, contamination and sample loss – most errors in pathology happen when specimen are received. Countless samples arrive daily at the laboratory, while the sample entry process is very monotonous. As a result, the work is inefficient. The start-up company inveox has now developed a system that automates the processes in the pathology laboratory, thus making them more efficient.
Dr. Markus Wehland
Cells in space – extraterrestrial approaches in cancer research
22/02/2018
Here on Earth, all experiments are bound by gravitation. Yet, freed from gravity's grip, tumor cells, for example, behave in an entirely different way. As part of the "Thyroid Cancer Cells in Space" project by the University of Magdeburg, smartphone-sized containers carrying poorly differentiated thyroid cancer cells are sent into space.
Empa
"Spray-On" muscle fibers for biomimetic surfaces
08/01/2018
Few patients with heart failure are fortunate enough to receive a donor's heart. Ventricular assist devices (or heart pumps) have been around for several years and are designed to buy time as patients wait for a transplant. Unfortunately, the body doesn't always tolerate these devices.