This handheld surgical robot could automate catheter placement

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory have developed an artificial intelligence-guided ultrasound device to help physicians quickly deploy a catheter at a point of injury.

Following traumatic accidents, medical professionals often have to apply life-saving treatment to patients with severe internal bleeding. Delivering catheters into a central blood vessel to administer fluid or medication can be complex, the researchers said, and first responders like EMTs are not really trained to perform those types of procedures. Oftentimes, treatment can only be administered at the hospital.

The team of researchers, led by Laura Brattain and Brian Telfer from the Human Health and Performance Systems group, along with physicians from the Center for Ultrasound Research and Translation at Massachusetts General Hospital, developed a solution to the problem. Its AI-guided ultrasound interventions device (AI-GUIDE) is a handheld platform t…

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Engineered yeast could be a key for more affordable COVID-19 vaccines

A new protein subunit vaccine developed at MIT and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center may offer an inexpensive, easy-to-store, and effective alternative to RNA vaccines for Covid-19. Pictured is a schematic of the vaccine.

Researchers at MIT and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are exploring a yeast-based alternative to RNA vaccines.

A new paper highlights a vaccine, which comprises fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein arrayed on a virus-like particle, that reportedly elicited a strong immune response and protected animals against viral challenge, according to a post on MIT’s website.

Get the full story at our sister site, Pharmaceutical Processing World.

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MIT researchers come up with new strategy to create a potential antibiotic

[Image courtesy of the researchers]

Researchers at MIT are touting a novel method to synthesize a natural compound that has shown potential as an antibiotic.

The chemists produced himastatin using the synthesis method and also managed to generate variants of the molecule, some of which showed antimicrobial activity, according to a news story from the university’s website. The compound appears to kill bacteria by disrupting cell membranes and it gives the researchers hope that they may design other molecules with even stronger antibiotic activity.

In 2016, details were released from the 2014 Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), commissioned by the UK government to address the concern that superbugs, resistant to current antibiotics, could eventually evolve to the point that the drugs are no longer effective. New Atlas reported at the time that, if such issues aren’t addressed, the AMR foun…

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MIT researchers study the best size for nanoparticles to stop internal bleeding

[Image from Christine Daniloff, MIT]MIT researchers are examining how different-sized polymer nanoparticles circulate in the body to aid in treating traumatic injuries.

Researchers are developing injectable nanoparticles that can attract cells to help stop the bleeding at the site of an internal injury until a patient can reach a hospital for further treatment. In an effort to highlight the mechanism of action and safety of the particles, chemical engineers at MIT have studied how they circulate in the body and interact with the platelets that promote blood clotting.

Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News.

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New AI out of MIT predicts how proteins will attach

[Image courtesy of the MIT researchers]

MIT researchers are touting a machine learning model that can predict the complex that will form when proteins bind together.

The technique represents an improvement on speed by somewhere between 80 and 500 times faster than state-of-the-art software methods and often predicts protein structures that are closer to actual structures that have been observed experimentally when two proteins bind together.

MIT researchers say their method could help scientists gain an understanding into biological processes that involve protein interactions, such as DNA replication and repair, according to the university’s website. It could also potentially increase the pace of new medicine development.

Octavian-Eugen Ganea and Xinyuan Huang are co-lead authors of the paper. MIT co-authors include Regina Barzilay and Tommi Jaakkola.

“Deep learning is very good at cap…

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MIT engineers claim they’ve created the world’s longest flexible fiber battery

This submarine drone is powered by a 20-meter-long fiber battery that is wrapped on its surface. [Courtesy of the researchers]Researchers at MIT say they developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of a fiber that could be woven into fabrics.

The researchers say the battery, developed in the form of an ultra-long fiber, could enable a variety of wearable electronic devices and may even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in a multitude of shapes, according to a news release.

According to the researchers, they see possibilities for self-powered communications, sensing and computational devices that could be worn like ordinary clothing. Additionally, the researchers see the possibility for use in devices whose batteries could also double as structural parts.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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MIT engineers claim they’ve created the world’s longest flexible fiber battery

This submarine drone is powered by a 20-meter-long fiber battery that is wrapped on its surface. [Courtesy of the researchers]

Researchers at MIT say they developed a rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the form of a fiber that could be woven into fabrics.

The researchers say the battery, developed in the form of an ultra-long fiber, could enable a variety of wearable electronic devices and may even be used to make 3D-printed batteries in a multitude of shapes, according to a news release.

According to the researchers, they see possibilities for self-powered communications, sensing and computational devices that could be worn like ordinary clothing. Additionally, the researchers see the possibility for use in devices whose batteries could also double as structural parts.

Published in the journal Materials Today, results from a proof of concept showed that the world’s longest flexible fiber b…

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This touchy-feely glove could help stroke patients recover

An MIT team of engineers has designed a new touch-sensing glove that can “feel” pressure and other tactile stimuli. The glove’s inside lining is studded with small, kernel-sized electrodes that can sense and map subtle changes in pressure.[Image courtesy of the researchers]Engineers at MIT are touting a new, touch-sensing glove that can “feel” pressure and other tactile stimuli.

The researchers developed a way to precisely measure and map subtleties of tactile dexterity through the glove. The inside of the glove is threaded with sensors that detect, measure and map small changes in pressure across the glove. The individual sensors are highly attuned and can pick up weak vibrations across the skin, like from a person’s pulse.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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This touchy-feely glove could help stroke patients recover

An MIT team of engineers has designed a new touch-sensing glove that can “feel” pressure and other tactile stimuli. The glove’s inside lining is studded with small, kernel-sized electrodes that can sense and map subtle changes in pressure.[Image courtesy of the researchers]

Engineers at MIT are touting a new, touch-sensing glove that can “feel” pressure and other tactile stimuli.

The researchers developed a way to precisely measure and map subtleties of tactile dexterity through the glove. The inside of the glove is threaded with sensors that detect, measure and map small changes in pressure across the glove. The individual sensors are highly attuned and can pick up weak vibrations across the skin, like from a person’s pulse.

According to a news story posted on MIT’s website, the researchers believe the tactile glove could help to retrain motor function and coordination in people …

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How bioengineers tackled the leaky mask problem

Researchers from Harvard and MIT have formed a company to mass-produce a more effective three-ply mask for everyday use.

The Ultra Fit mask’s design improvements include extending the nose wire all around the mask and making the ear loops adjustable. [Image courtesy of Katharos Labs]Anyone who wears glasses knows that the ubiquitous blue pleated mask leaks vapor upward, despite the wire designed to conform to the shape of the nose.

Less obvious is the leakage from the mask’s sides and bottom, which a sneeze or cough can increase many times over. While three-ply disposable masks provide some protection for the wearer and those around them, they could be much safer for all.

That’s the conclusion of a team of researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital. They set out to develop a more practical everyday mask that could be mass-produced and…

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MIT researchers tout origami-inspired medical patch for internal injuries

Engineers at MIT are touting a medical patch capable of being delivered through narrow spaces to patch up internal injuries.

With inspiration from the art of origami, the engineers designed the patch to be folded around minimally invasive surgical tools and delivered through airways, intestines and other narrow spaces to patch up internal injuries, according to a news release.

Get the full story at our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

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MIT researchers tout origami-inspired medical patch for internal injuries

Image from Felice Frankel/MIT

Engineers at MIT are touting a medical patch capable of being delivered through narrow spaces to patch up internal injuries.

With inspiration from the art of origami, the engineers designed the patch to be folded around minimally invasive surgical tools and delivered through airways, intestines and other narrow spaces to patch up internal injuries, according to a news release.

The patch resembles a foldable, paper-like film when dry, the researchers said, and it transforms into a stretchy gel, like a contact lens, when it makes contact with wet tissues or organs, becoming capable of sticking to an injured site. The new tape is designed to resist contamination when exposed to bacteria and bodily fluids and it can safely biodegrade away, according to data published in Advanced Materials.

MIT researchers said they are working with clinicians and surgeons to optimize …

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