New to 3D-bioprinting: Blood vessels. http://voc.tv/14JQHoo
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Category: biotech/medical – Page 2785
Welcome to the CRISPR zoo
Posted in biotech/medical, food
Wearables and other connected devices have been available to help treat chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease for a while now. But thus far, the nation’s 30 million diabetics haven’t seen much to help them improve their health or reduce the daily grind of finger pricks and needle pokes.
The $2.5 billion connected-care industry may be off to a late start in diabetes, but it’s making up for lost time. A new breed of connected glucometers, insulin pumps and smartphone apps is hitting the market. They promise to make it easier for diabetics to manage the slow-progressing disease and keep them motivated with feedback and support. In as little as two years, the industry plans to take charge of the entire uncomfortable, time-consuming routine of checking and regulating blood-sugar levels with something called an artificial pancreas. Such systems mimic the functions of a healthy pancreas by blending continuous glucose monitoring, remote-controlled insulin pumps and artificial intelligence to maintain healthy blood-sugar levels automatically.
For Jeroen Tas, CEO of Philips’ Connected Care and Health Informatics unit, diabetes management is also personal: his daughter Kim is diabetic.
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New funding awarded by DARPA on new spinal implants; this should make some commercial pilots that I know happy.
Carmel, IN-based startup Nanovis is no stranger to nabbing research grants. It’s just nabbed one from the National Institutes of Health for preclinical research on the use of its porous Forticore interbody fusion devices in combination with nanotube technology. The combination is expected to result in a surface that mimics nature and encourages regeneration around an implant.
Nanovis has previously gotten 8 competitive peer-reviewed grants from the NIH and other research organizations; this is its second NIH grant. In September 2014, it got FDA clearance for its FortiCore interbody fusion devices and then last October it launched an expanded FortiCore line.
“Gaining the attention and support of the NIH for Nanovis’ technology platforms and research is gratifying,” said Nanovis CEO Matt Hedrick in a statement. “Our deeply porous FortiCore interbody fusion device are increasingly being adopted by leading surgeons and hospital networks driving accelerated company growth. As we progress forward, we continue to invest in the fundamental science at the core of our uniquely differentiated technologies. Grants from the NIH help us continue to discover potential applications to improve the future of healthcare.”
Cool beans.
Using a bionic fingertip, an amputee for the first time has been able to feel rough and smooth textures in real-time, as though the fingertip were naturally connected to his hand.
After Luke Skywalker got his hand cut off during a duel with Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” the young Jedi received an artificial hand that helped him both grip and feel again. Scientists worldwide are seeking to make this vision from science fiction a reality with prosthetic limbs that are wired directly into the nervous systems of their recipients.
Researchers experimented with amputee Dennis Aabo Sørensen from Denmark, who damaged his left hand more than a decade ago while playing with fireworks. Doctors immediately amputated the appendage after Sørensen was brought to a hospital. [Bionic Humans: Top 10 Technologies].
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Jeff Goodell is a braver person than me. Goodell reports that the driverless car “still drives like a teenager” Personally, I would worry more about the ability to hack these cars in the middle of a major US highway going 60 to 70 mph and hackers abruptly shutting off the engine.
Self-driving cars, war outsourced to robots, surgery by autonomous machines – this is only the beginning.
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It wasn’t all that long ago that the first human genome was sequenced – a massive, globally orchestrated scientific undertaking that took years and some US$3 billion to achieve.
Since then, rapid advancements in genetic technology and techniques have seen the cost and time required for genome sequencing drop dramatically, leading to this week’s remarkable announcement: the first whole genome sequencing service for consumers that costs less than $1,000.
At just $999, myGenome, from US-based genetics startup Veritas Genetics, is being billed by its makers as the first practical and affordable way for people to access unparalleled personal data on their individual genetic code. The company claims its personalised service offers an accessible way to keep tabs on your current health, keep you abreast of any potential future issues, and even know what inherited genetics you might pass onto your children.
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