NewsRoom Articles - Page 227 of 241

TuesdaySep 08, 2020 2:15 pm

Light, Finsen and the Use of UV Light to Kill Harmful Bacteria

Many are counting on researchers and scientists to find treatments that could help manage coronavirus and eventually, a cure for the virus. However, not everyone is fully aware of the ups and downs of scientific discoveries that involve various clinical trials, testing on both animal and human subjects and the failures that come with these speculations. Take for instance, just over a century ago, Niels Ryberg Finsen began his experimentation with the use of UV light to treat ailments. As there were no subjects who would’ve offered to be his test subjects, Finsen used himself to test his findings. Finsen…

TuesdaySep 08, 2020 12:00 pm

3D Microscopy Reveals How Human Sperm Swim

For more than thirty decades, researchers have had the knowledge that sperms have been swimming by moving their tails side by side. It has been so because they have been using the 2D microscopes in making that observation. However, the real movement of the sperms has been discovered by the scientist using the 3D microscopy. How Human Sperms Move Sperms spin with a wobbly amorphic twist. It is the opposite of what had been known before about the movement of the sperms. Scientists used a very high-speed camera that can record more than 56,000 frames in a second to determine…

FridaySep 04, 2020 2:00 pm

Cyberattacks: How to Up Your Cybersecurity Game for Medical Devices

In the healthcare industry, cyberattacks have become very common. This is mainly due to the increase in the networked medical devices. This is prompting device manufacturers to constantly reduce threats that would affect the devices’ security. Many medical devices have embedded computer systems that are susceptible to security breaches which can affect how they operate. The rise in cyberattacks led to the FDA issuing a warning in March 2019, concerning 2 security flaws that affected implantable cardioverter defibrillators. To better understand the risks a compromise in device security may have on an individual, we first look at how the attacks…

FridaySep 04, 2020 10:30 am

Wearable Patch Could Ease Sleep Apnea Monitoring at Home

Sleep apnea is one of the complications that you may experience, and it may bring some difficulties in your sleep. To know that you have this complication, you must spend a night at the health center where its screening can be done. You will be linked with sensors which will be measuring your blood oxygen levels, brain activity, and your eye movement. However, for effective detection of sleep apnea, a group of researchers have developed a wearable that has the capability of tracking your breath. The device uses a combination of electric signals and machine algorithms. What is sleep apnea?…

ThursdaySep 03, 2020 3:00 pm

Lessons from NYC’s Attempts to Make Medical PPE

An organization of 14 unions, hospitals and makerspaces have been organizing, distributing and creating protective equipment’s and face shields to doctors and frontline nurses. The first delivery was done on March 22 and comprised of 97 shields. The group has the capacity of producing from 600 to 1100 shields in one day. Additionally, the organization also has maker’s and engineers who are focused on putting their varying facilities and skills to use. Here are key lessons that can be picked from their initiative. Getting Input from Nurses and Doctors The group became majorly known because of getting input from nurses…

ThursdaySep 03, 2020 10:00 am

Digital Contact Tracing: Helping Flatten the COVID-19 Curve

With the coronavirus pandemic still affecting most countries globally, researchers advocate for the use of digital contact tracing as a means to reduce the spread of the virus. Private Kit: Safe Paths, is an app developed by the MIT Media Lab with Ramesh Raskar, an associate professor at the lead. This app boasts of being able to perform digital contact tracing while protecting the privacy of persons. It has been speculated that the app might be integrated with Waze for COVID-19, an official WHO app that is also new to the market. Below, we discuss the benefits and disadvantages of…

WednesdaySep 02, 2020 3:15 pm

CASMS: Testing Medical Equipment Supply Safety for COVID-19

With the increase in demand for Personal Protective Equipment as well as other medical supplies, especially for the frontline workers who risk their lives every day during this pandemic period, many well-meaning innovators around the world have taken this up as an opportunity to help out by making this equipment readily available. These include nasal swabs, 3D-printed face shields, ventilator machines as well as open-source oxygen concentrator. However, despite the many designs of protective gear out there, few meet the minimum safety standards required. To address this problem, a group was formed collectively known as CASMS (Collaborating to Address Shortages…

WednesdaySep 02, 2020 2:30 pm

Carmakers Start Making Respirators Face Masks and Ventilators

The arrival of COVID-19 caught everyone unaware, especially in the healthcare sector and it led to a shortage of respirators, face masks, and ventilators. The sudden lack of this equipment has made automobile manufacture to venture into the production of these special medical PPE and equipment. Ford’s efforts in manufacturing ventilators Since automobiles' sales have been affected by the pandemic, the vehicle manufacturing industries such as Ford are venturing into the production of respirators and ventilators. Though they are not experts in this field, they have decided to partner with the experts to produce the required ventilators, respirators, and face…

TuesdaySep 01, 2020 2:55 pm

How Stay-at-Home Orders Are Impacting the Vulnerable

Several countries have had to put in place strict measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Some of these measures include the restriction of movement and lockdowns. These measures have brought significant challenges to the less fortunate in most countries. Furthermore, several economies are crumbling, and some nations cannot comfortably feed their citizens. Effects of COVID-19 on the Vulnerable A group of experts are undertaking some surveys to determine the extremity of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders upon the vulnerable groups in society. The experts will use all the mechanisms, including artificial intelligence, to fully determine the effects of coronavirus on these…

TuesdaySep 01, 2020 10:30 am

The Numerous Benefits of Neural Implants

A neural implant or brain implants are technological devices that are connected to a person’s brain. They are placed on an individual’s brain or connected to the brain’s cortex. This device then interacts with the brain’s neurons. They can be inserted through an injection or surgery. Neurons are cells responsible for relaying information in a person’s body using electrical signals. Neural implants have many uses. These include treatment of various diseases, rehabilitation of the body after injuries, enhanced memory as well as aiding communication with prosthetic limbs, among many other uses. The devices make it possible to record neural activity,…