A steady supply of electricity is definitely something a lot of us take for granted, but in many parts of the world that’s a luxury. And while you might panic during a blackout that the mayonaise in your fridge could go bad, imagine the risk of losing thousands of dollars worth of life-saving medications and vaccines. That scenario is what prompted a company called True Energy to develop their special ‘Vaccine Refrigerator’ which is able to maintain a constant temperature of below 10˚C for up to 10 days without a drop of external power. Even if the temps outside hit 43˚C.
The refrigerator employs the company’s Sure Chill technology which is a combination of a built-in rechargeable battery powered either by the grid, a solar panel, or a combination of the two, as well as some heavy-duty insulation. And thanks to something they refer to as their “innovative phase change material” and some intelligent temperature monitoring, the fridge is able to make adjustments on the fly, keeping a constant stabilized temperature even when warmer items have been added. As an added bonus, so as not to be a load on an already taxed grid when power is available, the Vaccine Refrigerator runs on less than 5 hours of electricity when drawing it from the grid, which also serves to keep costs down.
At the moment True Energy’s Vaccine Refrigerator is already in use by the World Health Organization and Unicef, but the company is exploring more commercial uses given how energy efficient the technology is.
It seems the people of Japan are far more conscientious about their scalps and haircare than I am, because the thought of holding a webcam against my head to see what’s really going on up there has never occurred to me. Also the fact that my only webcam is embedded above the display on my laptop makes for a few logistical issues when it comes to analyzing my follicles. Not any more though, because a company called Spec Computer has created the Scaloupe, which is a USB webcam with a macro lens and a miniature white LED-illuminated ‘softbox’ that lets you get up close and personal with whatever scalp conditions you’re looking for.
It lets you examine the top of your head via a live feed displayed on your PC, and if you’re particularly proud or worried about a certain spot up there, you can snap a photo for further analysis. However, since the Scaloupe is not a medical instrument it’s advised against using it for official self-diagnosis. Available now for ~$96 (¥7,980) presumably only in Japan.
Last year we brought you the CoolSculpting system which disposed of fat cells under the skin by non-invasively freezing them. The LipoControl system is essentially used for exactly the same purpose, but uses the ‘pewpew’ power of lasers instead. To be specific, a 980nm laser diode is used to bust up fat deposits under the skin (it’s still an invasive procedure to a degree) but the system provides real-time visualization and feedback of the area being treated. It even tracks the speed of the doctor’s cannula, applying more or less power to the laser as they move it faster or slower so that it’s always at the optimal treatment level.
And since I’m no fatatician I don’t feel like I’m qualified to question how effective the procedure is, but it looks to me like after 3 months the machine has only really succeeded in adjusting that woman’s undergarments. Still though, if you’ve ever tried to adjust them yourself you know how difficult that can be and you’ll realize what an important innovation this really is.
They’re not as instantly repulsive as cockroaches, but a bed bug infestation can be far worse. Besides feeding on your blood and leaving you with nasty, itchy hives, they’re one of the hardest infestations to detect and one of the most difficult to get rid of. So if you think you’re at risk or have been exposed, finding and getting ridding of them early, before they have a chance to really get themselves entrenched, is kind of important. And thanks to a Cocker Spaniel named Nina, that might be a lot easier in the near future.
Nina belongs to an inventor and mechanical engineer named Chris Goggin, who already has a dozen patents to his name. But his latest creation, the Bed Bug Detective, will appeal to anyone at a particularly high risk for getting bed bugs, like say travelers. The detector ‘sniffs’ the air for a couple of very specific pheromones released by bed bugs, and is sensitive enough to detect concentrations as small as 200 parts per million. Dogs are good at this too, and have also been trained to detect bed bugs, but they’re not as travel friendly, and have unique demands of their own.
Chris Goggin’s Bed Bug Detective on the other hand will only cost you a one-time payment of ~$200, and can be used to detect the presence of the little buggers even if they’re hiding inside cushions, sheets or wall sockets. And besides some extremely custom software and a special sensor unit, the Bed Bug Detective is constructed from mostly off-the-shelf parts so Goggin is hoping to have it on the market in a very optimistic six weeks or so. The sooner the better.
Just because it turns out you don’t have high blood pressure doesn’t necessarily mean that everything’s A-OK with your ticker. So this home blood pressure monitor does you an extra medical solid by also checking for a heart arrhythmia while it’s taking measurements. It uses the “oscillometric method” whereby it takes three consecutive pressure readings and then averages the results, and if it detects that your heart beat is 25% slower or faster than that average, an arrhythmia warning icon lights up on the LCD display. (Personally I’d prefer something a little less subtle.)
And in addition to that large LCD display with its oversized digits, the monitor will also store up to 30 time-and-date stamped measurements for up to 4 different users so you can keep an eye out for improvements or problems developing over time. $129.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer.
Those court-ordered breathalyzers that prevent a car from starting until you blow an acceptable blood alcohol level are effective, but they’re not exactly quick. And they have to be installed as an after-market component. But a new system, being developed by the North American division of a research company called QinetiQ and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, could already be built-in to vehicles as they roll off the assembly line, invisible to the driver.
Instead of having to blow into a tube, the vehicle’s steering wheel or door handles would be equipped with new touch-based sensor technology that can read a driver’s blood alcohol level through their skin. And the results would be calculated almost instantaneously, taking less than a second. So far functioning prototypes have been demonstrated so the technology is definitely enroute, however the head of the NHTSA, David Strickland, says that it won’t be employed until it’s “seamless, unobtrusive and unfailingly accurate…” Yeah, probably a good idea.
I’m not going to pretend that sitting in a typical office chair all day long does wonders for the average spine. But at the same time I’m not ready to declare these ‘active balance’ solutions as an ideal alternative either. Like those giant rubber balls that I’m sure will one day be proven as terrible for mankind as asbestos, DDT or smoking, the Wigli stool features an unsteady platform on which to sit, forcing you to fight to keep your balance all day long.
Now at the least I’m sure it provides a good workout throughout the day. And the wood-finish, three-legged design looks about 100X more professional than sitting on a giant rubber ball, so it’s got that going for it…. which is nice. The lack of any kind of curve or indentation on the soft covered pad means you get the same, um, ‘sitting experience’ no matter how you plunk down on it, and that black flexible joint connecting it to its legs is apparently made from indestructible rubber. For ~$400(€299), it better be!
While most bright light treatments for seasonal affective disorder are designed for the eyes, the VALKEE is actually designed to be worn like a pair of earbuds, blasting the light towards your brain via your ear canals. According to their website it targets the brain’s photosensitive areas which can cause depression and mood swings when not receiving enough light, and is apparently more affective than blasting the eyes with light since the ear canal is the thinnest part of your skull. Now I hate to be skeptical about this approach, since it does seem to have a logical advantage. But ~$240(€185) is a hefty chunk of change for what are essentially in-ear LED flashlights.
The easiest way to prevent wrist strain while working at a computer is to keep your hands moving, and varying their position throughout the day. But as a blogger I can attest to the fact that the hours can easily slip away without you realizing you haven’t moved an inch. And before you know it you’re left with sore wrists, that only gets worse over time. And this is what the Engage Keyboard from Smartfish Technologies is designed to address.
The keyboard is split down the middle, and both the right and left sides are able to subtly shift up and down and left to right thanks to a set of whisper-quiet electric motors working inside. The movement is barely noticeable while you’re working away, but it’s apparently enough of a difference in position to prevent your wrists from feeling sore after working all day. By default the keyboard automagically makes its adjustments every hour, but it will also monitor your typing patterns and adjust it more frequently if you’re furiously typing away. Available now for $149.95.
Related Tags: Health, Innovation, Medical
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