By David Ponce

This product has been used in battle for the last couple of years and now it appears you can get your own. It’s called the BattleView Infrared Vascular Trans-illuminator and is made specifically for situations where using visible light might get you killed. Like setting up triage on the side of a mountain at night in Afghanistan for example, where lighting your helmet light simply gives the enemy a beacon for your location. The BattleView features 4 near-infrared LEDs running off a single 3-volt CR123A lithium battery. Put it on a patient’s hand (or other body part) and the venous blood will fluoresce making it instantly visible to anyone wearing night vision goggles. You’re then free to get your IV going as if it was broad daylight.

The fact that it’s near-infrared also means that it will

“emit a faint red glow that is visible to the naked eye. The red glow can only be seen from a few feet away and is used for checking power status without NVG aid. The IR emission is very strong, allowing BattleView © to be used as an IR Beacon or area light as well. In addition, the unit also produces heat when powered on. The heat lets it be used as a thermal beacon.

We can’t think of too many civilian applications for this product, but if you can, it’s $500 to own.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ MedGadget ]

By David Ponce

There are several ways to detect colorectal cancer. The more uncomfortable of them involve a colonoscopy, which is pretty much the insertion of a camera down the wrong end of you. Another method has been to swallow a pill sized camera while doctors get a view from within you without having to you know, actually go in… And now there’s news of the Check-Cap, a pill that emits radiation outside the visible spectrum (XRays), which go through soft tissue and food.

The device, which employs low energy X-ray-based technology to safely generate high resolution 3D imagery, may help doctors detect colorectal cancer. No cleansing involved. The capsule continuously transmits information to a wrist-worn data receiver. Patients can go play a round of golf or take a walk while the tiny device does its work. At the end of the journey, the capsule leaves the body the “natural” way.

GE Healthcare and Check-Cap will also design and manufacture miniature cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) diagnostic imaging sensors placed inside each Check-Cap capsule. The sensors will give clinicians a full 360-degree view as the capsule moves through the colon. GE Healthcare has many years of experience in developing CZT-based detectors. Similar technologies have been used in the company’s nuclear medicine and bone densitometry systems.

Check-Cap plans to introduce its capsule in the European Union in late 2013, subject to regulatory approval. The company is also in discussions with the U. S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

We’re not sure how we’d feel swallowing a pill that emits X-Rays making its way down our bowels for a day, but if it’s for a good cause we suppose we don’t mind. Just as long as it doesn’t end up giving us cancer instead of screening for it…

VIA [ Medgadget ]

By David Ponce

Yeah, Japan again. We love you guys, but what’s with these things? The above image shows a poor lady being paid to demonstrate the Face Slimmer Exercise Mouthpiece. You put it in there and say vowels repeatedly, allegedly exercising the muscles in your face and getting rid of wrinkles and sag.

But why does it have to… look like that? You and I know what this looks like. The kids don’t know. But we know what’s going on here.

So, Japan… Why?

Oh and it’s $84!

[ Product Page ] VIA [ ChipChick ]

Remember how in the movie The Matrix, humans were used as energy sources by the machines? I personally thought the idea was inefficient; why not make batteries or something? But still, it appears that we are now the machines and have been able to rig a poor cockroach up with electrodes and squeeze out some measurable amount of electricity. “Maximum power density reached nearly 100 microwatts per square centimeter at 0.2 volts. Maximum current density was about 450 microamps per square centimeter.” It’s the chemical within the roach that power this particular reaction. And if you want the gritty details of how it was done, just hit the jump for a fuller description and links.

The key to converting the chemical energy is using enzymes in series at the anode.

The first enzyme breaks the sugar, trehalose, which a cockroach constantly produces from its food, into two simpler sugars, called monosaccharides. The second enzyme oxidizes the monosaccharides, releasing electrons.

The current flows as electrons are drawn to the cathode, where oxygen from air takes up the electrons and is reduced to water.

After testing the system using trehalose solutions, prototype electrodes were inserted in a blood sinus in the abdomen of a female cockroach, away from critical internal organs.

“Insects have an open circulatory system so the blood is not under much pressure,” Ritzmann explained. “So, unlike say a vertebrate, where if you pushed a probe into a vein or worse an artery (which is very high pressure) blood does not come out at any pressure. So, basically, this is really pretty benign. In fact, it is not unusual for the insect to right itself and walk or run away afterward.”

The researchers found the cockroaches suffered no long-term damage, which bodes well for long-term use.

To determine the output of the fuel cell, the group used an instrument called a potentiostat. Maximum power density reached nearly 100 microwatts per square centimeter at 0.2 volts. Maximum current density was about 450 microamps per square centimeter.

The study was five years in the making. Progress stalled for nearly a year due to difficulties with trehalase – the first enzyme used in the series.

Lee suggested they have the trehalase gene chemically synthesized to generate an expression plasmid, which is a DNA molecule separate from chromosomal DNA, to allow the production of large quantities of purified enzyme from Escherichia coli. “Michelle then began collecting enzyme that proved to have much higher specific activities than those obtained from commercial sources,” Lee said. “The new enzyme led to success.”

Case Western Reserve University ] VIA [ MedGadget ]

By David Ponce

Sadly, it’s not a jolt of electricity but rather a more gentle vibration that discreetly points out that you’re standing in a less than optimal manner. This is bad for you as it can cause aches, can damage your heart and lungs, and lead to gastrointestinal issues. So now a pair of suspenders specially modified with conductive elastics, an Arduino Pro Mini, a battery, and said vibrator all combine to create an on-the-fly posture corrector. The sensor fabric changes its electric resistance as it stretches and the software continually monitors this, encouraging you to maintain the right tension, which is associated with the right posture.

There appears to be a crude prototype at the moment, though we’re finding no signs of a price or availability.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Geeky Gadgets ]

By David Ponce

Keyboards are really some of the most disgusting items in your household. You’re constantly flaking off dead skin cells and finger oil and it all falls through the cracks where it builds this layer of bioscum, which is a wonderful nesting ground for bacteria of all kinds. The only thing dirtier is maybe paper money. Now, when you’re at home, you just learn to give your immune system a good workout, but in medical settings, a dirty keyboard can mean someone dying. That’s why it’s a good thing the Vioguard has gotten clearance from the FDA to be marketed as a self-sanitizing alternative. It features a proximity sensor that will eject the keyboard when you need it. Otherwise it’s housed inside its UV resistant receptacle where it’ll not only be away from circulating air, it’ll be exposed to strong UV rays that are known to destroy viruses and bacteria (even the scary MRSA). The Vioguard uses 80W when actively sanitizing (a process that takes 60-90 seconds), and 3W on standby. The lamp is good for 40,000 disinfection cycles while the mechanism stands up to 300,000 uses.

There’s no word on price but as this looks like a medical application, we’re thinking it ain’t cheap.

[ Product Page ] AND [ Press Release ] VIA [ MedGadget ]

By David Ponce

You may just be old enough to remember the “mood ring” fad of the 80s and 90s. Yes, this editor had one and yes, they were junk. But Affectiva’s Q-Sensor 2.0 is in another mood-sensing ballpark altogether. On the underside of the device is a pair of sensors measuring the galvanic skin response, which is an indicator of physiological or psychological arousal. The device just measures your skin’s electrical conductance, which varies with changing levels of moisture. Since the sympathetic nervous system controls sweat glands, it gives insight into whether you’re stressed/excited or not. Galvanic skin response sensors are one component of polygraph tests and have been in use for quite some time. The Q-Sensor 2.0 also measures temperature and movement, puts all the data together into its software and determines your mood. And yes, it can then Tweet about it if you want.

The thing is, the device costs $2,000. That’s a lot of cash for personal use. It is being marketed for professional use, where there might be an advantage in accurately determining a person’s mood.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ NewLaunches ]

By guest author Brian B.

It’s no secret that gadgets like computers, digital cameras and smartphones have changed our lives. Though there is some argument about whether the changes many of these devices bring are good or bad, there’s one group that is definitely changing our lives for the better, and that’s in the field of health science. Not every digital consumable can make us healthier, but here are five health science gadgets that do.

A Smartphone For Your Heart

Thanks to the Cardio Defender from Everist Genomics, your smartphone can now actually do something to keep your heart healthy. The Cardio Defender turns your smartphone into a portable ECG device that can keep a constant lookout for heart problems by detecting a variety of changes in heart rhythm that may indicate a problem. A sensor bracelet that resembles a watch collects data and beams it wirelessly to your smartphone, which analyzes and stores it. If a problem is detected, not only do you receive an alert, but the data can also be sent to your physician for instant analysis. If a problem doesn’t arrive, your doctor can still use the collected data to determine the health of your heart and approaching problems.

No word on price or availability.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ MedGadget ]

Hearing the Sunshine
You don’t have to be a medical expert to know that winter can be depressing, but researchers have identified the causes of foul winter moods and given the affliction the name Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Though cold weather may do its part to make you sad, the real culprit appears to be lower exposure to sunlight, which in turn affects brain chemistry and can cause depression. Now, there’s a health science gadget that can help alleviate SAD by directly showering the brain with artificial sunlight. The Valkee headset consists of a pair of headphones that beam a powerful ray of sunlight into the ear canal, which they claim is the most direct route for light to reach the brain. They claim (and although weird, test evidence appears to support this claim) that using the device for about ten minutes a day can reduce or even totally eliminate SAD symptoms in over 90% of people. If you’re one of those people who starts to feel down when the sun becomes scarce, health science may now have a convenient solution to the problem.

It’s about $290 and available now.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ OhGizmo ]

The Computer Can Finally Read Your Mind
Just because your computer often chooses to show it doesn’t respect you by developing problems at the most inopportune times doesn’t mean it can actually read your mind. But, thanks to a new gadget called the EPOC neuroheadset, developed by Emotiv Inc., now your computer really can read your mind. The EPOC is a headset device that contains several neurosensors that can detect brain activity. This information is sent to the computer wirelessly or via USB, where the data is analyzed. The data can be stored for later analysis by physicians and used to diagnose a variety of brain disorders, making the device an important health science tool. But, that’s not the best part about it. The amazing part is that through dedicated training, you can learn to control signals to the computer and actually control the computer mentally. The possibilities are virtually endless and it’s already being used by disabled individuals to perform tasks such as controlling a wheelchair and entering text into a computer. Let’s just hope the computer doesn’t teach itself to read all of our thoughts, which might make us the target of some terrible computer pranks.

It’s $300 and available to US customers only.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Universe Science Blog ]

No More Messy Cups
Drug testing in the workplace is something that more and more people have had to get used to. Even if you’ve never used an illegal substance in your life, there’s something about being forced to do your private business in a tiny plastic cup while a stranger monitors the happenings. Thanks to breakthroughs in health science, the plastic urine collection cup may soon be a thing of the past. Now there is a portable device that can perform drug testing with nothing more than a fingerprint scan. Developed by Interlligent Fingerprinting,the gadget collects a small sample of the sweat and oil contained in the fingers and analyzes it for traces of drugs. Not actual drugs mind you, but “metabolites”, a byproduct of the body processing the drug, making false positives much more unlikely. You wouldn’t get busted for simply putting your hand on a coke contaminated table, for example. Not only is this easier than the current lab testing, it’s also much faster, with the analysis taking only about ten minutes. If this device proves reliable, there’s a good chance you’ll soon see it used by police officers to test drivers for the presence of intoxicating substances.

There’s no mention of price, though the scanner should be available in 2012.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

It Watches What You Eat
When it comes to healthy lifestyles, it’s possible that you may think your habits are healthier than they actually are. Sure, you know that that fast food cheeseburger you ate for lunch yesterday was not the best choice, but it’s likely that you overlooked many other behaviors that aren’t healthy. What you need is a device that can keep track of your habits and let you see what you’re doing well and not doing so well. Now, thanks to a team of neurosurgery and engineering researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, such a gadget exists. The device is a disk-shaped pendant they are calling the eButton, which includes features like a camera, GPS, accelerometer and other data collectors to keep track of metrics such as the food you eat, your daily activity, how much time you spend watching television and other things that affect your well-being. The device can either be connected to a computer or connected wirelessly to a smartphone for data analysis. Though it is in the early stages of development, one day soon you could use this to keep track of your daily activities and help you develop a healthier lifestyle.

[ Press Release ] VIA [ Crave ]

By David Ponce

To borrow Greg Giraldo’s words, we live during an obesity epidemic. An epidemic! And as some astute readers might have noticed, consumer electronics manufacturers are jumping at the opportunity to help you combat the cheese cakes and fried chicken with a bevy of gadgets. We personally took a look at the FitBit, a small plastic device which tracks your every step and reports online. It was a great little device, but it was only able to tell you how much you walked and how many steps you took. Now, thinking heads at the University of Pittsburgh claim to have developed a similar gadget, but one that one-ups all the others by being able to automatically record what you eat, where you’ve been, how long you sat your bum in front of the TV or a computer, how long you were outside, which restaurants you visited and what you ordered. It’s called the eButton and represents the end of the era of self-accountability. We’re not entirely sure just how it goes about determining your calorie intake automatically, but Mingui Sun, lead investigator and Pitt professor of neurosurgery and electrical and computer engineering, says the eButton uses “cameras, GPS and an array of other sensors” for the task. We bet they’re using Mechanical Turk.

In any case, the eButton is not ready for prime-time as it’s in the middle of a study to determine if it actually, you know, works properly.

[ Press Release ] VIA [ Medgadget ]

By David Ponce

We were amazed last time we mentioned the iPhone camera’s medical abilities: there’s an app to monitor not only heart rate, but also heart rhythm, respiration rate and blood oxygen saturation. Yeah, and now it turns out your iPhone can be turned into a Geiger counter without the need of an extra accessory like the one from Scosche we talked about a while ago. See, all you have to do is block the camera with dark tape (electrician’s tape will do) and run this app, the Wikisensor. Turns out that radioactive particles can go through dark tape and be detected by the sensor on the iPhone’s camera as little flashes. Since no visible light is supposed to be coming through, the app correlates the little flashes to radioactivity. Its detection threshold is 5 MicroSieverts per hour.

Watch the video below to get an idea of what radioactivity looks like to your iPhone’s sensor. The Wikisensor application seems to cost $1 or 0,79 €.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]