Fraunhofer IZM
Contactless ECG via radar for clinical vital sign tracking
15/05/2025
A radar sensor under the bed monitors heart and respiratory rates —without electrodes. Ideal for clinical use and patients in rural or special care settings.
NYU Abu Dhabi
Sensor system enhances tactile feedback in MIS
10/04/2025
NYU Abu Dhabi developed a sensor handle for real-time force and tissue feedback in minimally invasive surgery, improving precision and safety.
AI-supported smart home technology
08/04/2025
The KogniHome research apartment uses AI to provide greater safety and independence in home care.
Jefferson Lab photo/Lindsay Cunningham
Proton therapy as a safer cancer treatment alternative
16/12/2024
Proton therapy, a form of cancer treatment using proton beams, could provide a safer alternative to therapies based on radioactive isotopes. A new study led by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility aims to evaluate the feasibility of replacing traditional radiotherapy with proton therapy to minimize radiological risks.
Driving safety: Automotive Health
12/11/2024
Visitors of MEDICA 2024 can experience the latest technologies for promoting driving safety and health in Hall 12.
Vital signs with the Virtual Patient Avatar
10/09/2024
The Virtual Patient Avatar from Philips uses colors, shapes and animations to simplify the display of vital signs.
Steets GmbH
STEETS: Mobile and safely on the move in the rehabilitation process
06/08/2024
In the rehabilitation process, it is important to get patients mobile again as safely and effectively as possible. Walking aids are often used to regain mobility, but these are also associated with a risk of injury from tripping or falls due to equipment issues. The STEETS support can make the use of walking aids safer.
Chalabala
Sterile supplies: AI-based recognition of surgical instruments with Cir.Log
04/04/2024
The Cir.Log project between Charité Facility Management GmbH (CFM) and Fraunhofer IPK aims to increase the efficiency of sterile processing in hospitals and improve patient safety. Essentially, the aim is to create a smooth transition from current workflows to a more efficient, technology-supported system.
Mint Images
Textiles inhibit pathogens
14/02/2024
Empa in Switzerland has tested the coating of curtains with antimicrobial substances in a study.
University of Basel
Surgery: more accuracy and safety through smart laser technology
08/02/2024
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a smart laser that could be used to cut bone in surgery. The laser simultaneously cuts and analyzes tissue and measures the cutting depth. It could open new applications for laser surgery in the future and make it much safer for the patient while causing less damage to surrounding soft tissue.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
New device against sudden cardiac death
10/11/2023
Hannover Heart Rhythm Center at MHH implants Germany's first innovative defibrillator with an electrode under the sternum.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
MEDICA 2023: Checking for counterfeit medication using a smartphone
08/11/2023
The SmartID counterfeit-proof barcode system means anyone can use a smartphone to check a product is genuine, provided the manufacturer uses SmartID.
UConn photo
EPA testing shows the power of D-I-Y air filters to trap viruses
07/11/2023
There is a low-cost way for you to protect yourself and reduce your risk of respiratory diseases such as flu, RSV, and COVID-19. Build yourself a Corsi-Rosenthal box (CR box) in 30 minutes with just $60 worth of common hardware store supplies.
Karolinska Institutet
Breast cancer: more cases detected with the help of AI
15/09/2023
One radiologist supported by AI detected more cases of breast cancer in screening mammography than two radiologists working together, reports the ScreenTrustCAD study from Karolinska Institutet in The Lancet Digital Health.
Fraunhofer AISEC
Future-proof security architecture for healthcare communications
06/09/2023
Germany’s telematics infrastructure (TI) aims to allow healthcare professionals to exchange patient data securely, rapidly and from anywhere. The platform for healthcare applications will soon see a new security architecture. The aim is to make it easier to exchange data between all parties involved as well as to facilitate access to specialist services.
YuriArcursPeopleimages
New concussion headset shows when it's safe to return to play
18/08/2023
A new digital headset designed to measure alterations in brain function could change decisions about how quickly an athlete is ready to return to play after a concussion.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Using machine learning to make ventilator support safer for children
09/08/2023
Robinder Khemani, MD, MsCI, Attending Physician in Pediatric Intensive Care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is using machine learning to improve the outcomes of children put on ventilators.
Zinkevych_D
Breast cancer: international expert recommendations on removal of lymph nodes
24/07/2023
Researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital and the University of Lucerne as well as international scientists, patient representatives and European cancer societies have pooled scientific data and their expert knowledge on the surgical management of lymph nodes in breast cancer.
Karin Kaiser / MHH
Adsorber in blood purification: widely used, no proven benefit
19/07/2023
Many hospitals use the adsorber CytoSorb to purify the blood of seriously ill patients in order to trap inflammatory substances and prevent the life-threatening cytokine storm. MHH researchers have now found in a meta-study that the treatment does not reduce mortality and may even cause harm.
Joseph Puthussery
Biosensing: air monitor can detect COVID-19 variants
13/07/2023
Scientists are looking at ways to surveil indoor environments in real time for viruses. By combining recent advances in aerosol sampling technology and an ultrasensitive biosensing technique, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a real-time monitor that can detect any of the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants in a room in about 5 minutes.
Jens Meyer/Uni Jena
Specially coated titanium reduces risk of clots on prostheses
26/05/2023
An international research team led by the german University of Jena has now developed a promising approach to significantly reducing blood clotting on the heart valve material titanium.
Pressmaster
Shining a light into the "black box" of AI
29/03/2023
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel method for evaluating the interpretability of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, opening the door to greater transparency and trust in AI-driven diagnostic and predictive tools.
Fraunhofer IZM
Providing care when it is needed – Radar system recognizes and tracks people and objects
27/03/2023
The researchers of Fraunhofer IZM have integrated a miniature radar system into an LED ceiling light that can track and recognize movement patterns and locate people or objects in a room.
mvaligursky
Incubators: method to reduce alcohol absorbed from disinfectants used
22/03/2023
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba showed the association between the concentration of evaporated alcohol from alcohol-based disinfectants used for incubators and the amount of alcohol absorbed by premature infants.
bilanol
Minimally invasive mitral valve repair reduces hospitalizations and deaths
08/03/2023
In patients with heart failure and a poorly functioning heart valve, a minimally invasive procedure using a clip to repair the valve was safe, cut the rate of hospitalizations for heart failure by 47% and reduced deaths from any cause by almost 30% after five years of follow-up.
McMaster University
Redesigned medical alarms can better alert staff, improve patient experience
24/02/2023
Changing the tune of hospital medical devices could improve public health, according to researchers at McMaster University and Vanderbilt University.
Dietze / HIPS
HIPS and CISPA join forces to make future active ingredients safer
23/02/2023
In the ImageTox project, the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security are pooling their expertise in the fields of drug discovery and artificial intelligence (AI).
Lorenz Assländer
Fall prevention with AR glasses
21/02/2023
Older people have a much higher risk of falls and serious injury arising from a fall. Researchers involved in the “Augmented Balance" project aim to develop augmented reality (AR) glasses to help improve balance and prevent falls.
Klinikum Oldenburg
Learning with the robot patient
10/02/2023
A robot patient is to help hospital staff recognize delirium. This promotes patient safety.
Amac Garbe/Fraunhofer IWS
Radioactive substances fight cancer in the mini-lab
13/01/2023
Two Dresden research institutes want to reduce the number of animal experiments in radiopharmaceutical research with a new idea.
Photology75
Radon: Face masks reduce radiation exposure
21/12/2022
Researchers from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung now have proven in a paper published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” that face masks - both FFP2 and surgical masks - strongly reduce lung exposure and thus the dose.
Helping hands redefined
16/11/2022
At MEDICA 2022, Stäubli Tec Systems showed why robots can be the helping hand in surgery.
Safety for healthcare professionals – Owen Mumford Ltd.
15/11/2022
Occupational accidents also happen in medicine. One of the most common are injuries with cannulas and needles. These are not only painful, but also carry a risk of infection. At MEDICA 2022, Owen Mumford will be showing solutions for safe drug administration and blood collection. In the video interview, we also learn more about the company's sustainability goals.
In the name of hygiene and safety: modern hospital equipment
14/11/2022
In addition to the obvious medical care of patients, infection prevention in hospitals is also a major topic. Which devices are essential in the fight against bacteria, pathogens and co. and what actually happens to potentially contaminated medical waste?
Prostock-studio
Hygiene and sterilization: Hightech for clean surfaces
02/05/2022
Due to the Corona pandemic, a lot of attention is currently focused on the protective effect of medical masks. But especially in medical work areas, the protection against aerosol transmission is not enough, because a lot of pathogens can be transmitted trough direct contact with people or surfaces. Hygienic measures against contact infections like these are very costly, though.
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.
Fraunhofer IST/Paul Kurze
Cold plasma: Contactless disinfection of surfaces
02/05/2022
One of the most time-consuming tasks in hospitals is the manual cleaning and disinfection of high touch points and surfaces such as door handles, buttons, and switches. These are areas where microorganisms are spread by direct skin contact. The “MobDi – Mobile Disinfection” research project is developing a robot that automatically cleans and disinfects these areas. It will use cold plasma.
karrastock
Disinfection: Solutions to stop pathogens from spreading
02/05/2022
Disinfection and sterilization are the most reliable and best way to ensure patient safety in healthcare settings. Whether it is at the point of care when the patient is either at the hospital or medical practice, or wherever medical devices are manufactured and packaged in a sterile environment – the transmission of pathogens and microorganisms can have severe health impacts.
PantherMedia/Andrey Popov
Telemedicine: Safe diagnostics in the pandemic - and beyond
01/04/2022
Who could have foreseen how the Corona pandemic would transform our lives? The work world has been transformed by mobile working and digital tools. Face-to-face meetings still matter, but they are not quite as important as they used to be. And telemedicine is changing how physicians interact with patients.
PantherMedia / Andriy Popov
Increasing cyber security awareness of hospital staff
08/03/2022
Medical facilities are considered a critical infrastructure sector. Staff members must receive regular cyber security training to ensure proper IT infrastructure management and prevent shortfalls in medical care.
PantherMedia/srikijt
Sustainability and medical consumables – where to put the waste?
01/03/2022
Medicine produces a lot of waste through medical consumables like protective gear or laboratory equipment. All of this gets destroyed due to hygiene reasons after use, but it is nonetheless true: Our resources are not unlimited and medical waste is a burden for the environment, too.
Single-use catheter reprocessing in electrophysiology
01/03/2022
Catheter ablation is a way to treat irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation. Although catheters are classified as single-use or disposable devices, the complex instruments can be reused multiple times thanks to extensive reprocessing.
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.
LMU University Hospital Munich
Room divider based on UV-C light inactivates SARS-CoV-2 aerosols
22/12/2021
Despite myriad precautionary measures, virus-contaminated aerosols still pose a serious problem indoors. An invisible protective wall of UV-C ligh could provide a solution and reliably curb the spread of viruses and other pathogens in rooms in the future while allowing total freedom of movement.
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 / RostyslavOleksin
Preventing patient falls using an anonymous monitoring system
01/10/2021
Falls are one of the most common causes of patient injury in both hospital and nursing home settings. Without technical assistance, falls are difficult to predict and prevent. But even if care facilities use technology, it tends to be based on outdated approaches.
Machine Vision – The new navigation for spine surgery
15/09/2021
Precise, extremely quick and accurate – a new kind of navigation device in the OR uses a highly-developed camera technology to guide the surgeon through difficult procedures – directly in the OR. Prof. Ulf Liljenqvist, Chief Medical Director of the Clinic for Spinal Surgery at the St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, talks about his experiences in using the device.
Medical imaging: obtaining an accurate view of blood vessels for surgery
02/08/2021
Surgical intervention is often inevitable when blood vessels become narrowed, blocked, or damaged. Surgeons use stents and medical balloons to open and widen the arteries, suck out the obstructing clots and use a catheter to examine the vessels. Intraoperative cardiovascular imaging is an essential tool to guide the catheters and instruments during the minimally invasive procedures.
How to Successfully Advance Digital Health Applications
03/05/2021
The benefits of digital health applications are numerous and include the flexibility to self-monitor your illness from home with a mobile device. One caveat: Digital health applications must abide by technical and legal frameworks to be recognized as such.
DiGA: Learning Self-Management Skills with Evidence-Based Information
03/05/2021
Professor Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf was involved in the development of a digital health application (DiGA) for cancer patients. The Mika app provides information and accompanies patients through treatment with a personalized support program that caters to all types of cancer. In this MEDICA-tradefair.com interview, she explains the opportunities and the limits of digital health applications.
Hip replacement: virtual surgical training with haptic technology
01/04/2021
Surgeons have only limited options to practice surgical techniques before they enter the operating room. The implantation of an endoprosthesis requires extensive practical training since it necessitates strength and utmost precision. The "Dynamic HIPS" project develops a virtual reality hip implant simulator that provides realistic haptic feedback.
Broader perspective: how Mixed and Virtual Reality transform surgery
01/04/2021
For surgeons, nothing is more important than intimate knowledge and a spatial understanding of their operating field. Yet even three-dimensional imaging methods only provide limited assistance because the data is viewed on two-dimensional screens. When it comes to surgical planning or medical education, Mixed and Virtual Reality foster a better spatial understanding of the human body.
V. D'Alessandro, M. Falone, L. Giammichele, R. Ricci
Irradiating COVID-19 cough droplets with UV-C lamps
16/03/2021
Using supercomputer numerical modeling of saliva droplets' diffusion produced by coughs, researchers in Italy explore deactivating COVID-19 virus particles via UV-C light.
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.
Disinfection: antibacterial coating on surfaces in the ICU
01/03/2021
All hospitalized patients are susceptible to contracting a nosocomial infection, with ICU patients being particularly at risk. The effects of these hospital-acquired infections are often more dangerous than the original reason for the in-patient hospitalization. The "PACMAN" project is now testing an antimicrobial coating for frequently used contact surfaces at high risk of pathogen transmission.
Fraunhofer IBP
Protective canopy against Covid-19
19/01/2021
Air purification helps against Covid-19, and the protective canopy developed by Fraunhofer IBP is one such approach.
When surgeons can work while sitting
23/11/2020
Sensitive control and haptic feedback from robotic arms make surgery much easier for the surgeon.
PantherMedia/sudok1
AI predicts a patient's risk of postoperative complications
22/10/2020
Whether it is a routine surgery or a personalized surgical intervention that perhaps has never been done before: There is always a residual risk involved. That’s why hospitals monitor and supervise patient care before, during, and after surgery to be ready for immediate intervention if needed.
PantherMedia/sudok1
Balancing high-tech with humanity – digitization in the Intensive Care Unit
03/08/2020
No other hospital area features as much high-tech equipment as the intensive care unit. Each acute care hospital bed has four to ten devices that continuously monitor all patient vital signs and can replace nearly any organ. This creates big data that is often not used effectively. Yet it also holds promise and huge potential.
PantherMedia/sudok1
In the Intensive Care Unit: smart solutions for better care
03/08/2020
In recent months, its central importance for the healthcare system has become more visible in the public eye due to the corona pandemic: the Intensive Care Unit. Patients who are in a critical condition due to illness, injury or surgery are cared for here by numerous high-tech devices. In addition, more digital solutions are being introduced.
Fraunhofer IPT
Personal protective equipment: ramping up medical mask production to 50,000 pieces per day
22/07/2020
Necessity is the mother of invention: While many companies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, some were able to find the hidden business opportunities the unique situation has created. One example of how companies can benefit from the Covid-19 crisis is the production of medical protective gear.
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/Wavebreakmedia (YAYMicro)
Hospitals go green – helping patients and Mother Nature
01/07/2020
Each day, a hospital consumes as much energy as a small city. Medical facilities work around the clock to provide excellent patient care. Environmental protection tends to play a secondary role as high safety and hygiene standards seem to be incompatible with optimized resource utilization – but is that really the case? Green Hospitals prove that environmental sustainability is possible.
PantherMedia/sellingpix
Green Hospital: on the way to more sustainability
01/07/2020
In times of climate change, interest in ecological alternatives and solutions has grown in the health sector, too. However, for the complex organism of a hospital this sometimes poses a great challenge. How can energy be saved despite continuous operation? To what extent are hygiene standards and waste reduction compatible? And what costs are associated with the Green Hospital?
mein.klinikplan.de
eMMa: medication management app improves patient care
08/05/2020
A conversation between the patient and the doctor is always at the start of the health journey. The idea is to set the stage and share important information. This process can be shortened if information is already available in digital form. In the future, patients can submit their medication plan via app thanks to "eMMa".
Robots in the Operating Room: Improving Training and Safety
04/05/2020
Surgical robots are transforming the operating room. They deliver many benefits but also present new challenges. That is why the efficient handling of robotic mechanisms must also be reflected in the respective training courses.
panthermedia.net/cristalov
In-ear sensors for monitoring vital parameters
22/04/2020
Wearables offer practical solutions for the flexible measurement of data. The sensor from cosinuss° is worn directly in the ear and offers a precise monitoring of vital parameters.
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.
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.
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.
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".
Disinfection methods of hospital drinking water - Fully automatic legionella prevention
31/03/2020
Besides hand hygiene, drinking water hygiene is also on the to-do list of every hospital. A lot of money is invested to clean water pipes and to destroy legionella germs. An alternative solution for mechanical and thermal control is water disinfection using an automatic machine.
Cardisiography: A Non-Invasive Heart Screening Test
03/02/2020
Coronary heart disease can come as a complete surprise and occur suddenly. Cardisiography was designed to lower the risk and make faster intervention possible. As a non-invasive heart screening test, cardisiography offers the possibility of early detection for heart diseases.
Cyber security for medical devices - Practical help for manufacturers and users
05/11/2019
Completely underestimated: The safety risks associated with the networking of different medical devices, particularly in hospitals, have so far been severely neglected. This may now change, because the German expert group CyberMed has developed a filling aid for the technical information sheet on the cyber security of medical devices, the MDS2 form.