UCSD Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Wearable ultrasound researchers report breakthrough in deep tissue monitoring

This wearable ultrasound device for monitoring tissue stiffness measures 23 mm x 20 mm x 0.8 mm. [Photo courtesy of University of California San Diego]

Wearable ultrasound researchers have developed a stretchable ultrasonic array for serial, noninvasive, 3-D tissue imaging with a penetration depth of up to 4 cm.

The latest device out of Sheng Xu’s lab at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) is able to frequently evaluate the stiffness of human tissue. It could be used to measure the progression of cancer, to monitor muscles, tendons and ligaments, and assess the effectiveness of liver and cardiovascular treatments.

Xu is commercializing the technology through a UCSD spinoff called Softsonics.

“We integrated an array of ultrasound elements into a soft elastomer matrix and used wavy serpentine stretchable electrodes to connect these elements, enabling the device to conform to human sk…

UCSD researchers develop injectable biomaterial for tissue healing

The biomaterial is based on a hydrogel that Christman’s lab developed. [Image courtesy of UCSD]

Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) developed a new biomaterial that promotes cell and tissue repair.

The injectable biomaterial reduces inflammation and promotes repair, the UCSD researchers say. Testing proved it effective in treating tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodent and large animal models. Researchers also provided proof of concept in a rodent model that the biomaterial could benefit patients with traumatic brian injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Karen Christman, professor of bioengineering at UCSD, and lead researcher on the team that developed the material, said they could begin a study on the biomaterial’s safety and efficacy in human subjects within 1-2 years. The team presented its findings in the Dec. 29 issue of Nature Biomedical Eng…

UCSD researchers develop wearable ultrasound device

The UCSD wearable cardiac sensor technology. [Image courtesy of David Baillot, Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego]

Engineers and physicians at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) developed a wearable ultrasound device for assessing heart function and structure.

The device, roughly the size of a postage stamp, features a wear time of up to 24 hours and works during strenuous exercise.

According to the university, the researchers aim to make ultrasound more accessible to a larger population. Sheng Xu, a professor of nanoengineering at UCSD, leads the project. Details of the work done so far published in the Jan. 25 issue of the journal Nature.

“The technology enables anybody to use ultrasound imaging on the go,” Xu said.

Researchers say that, thanks to custom AI algorithms, the device can measure how much blood the heart pumps.

The wearable monitoring system uses ultr…

‘UCSD researchers develop electronic hemoglobin-monitoring patch’

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A photoacoustic sensor could help clinicians diagnose tumors, organ malfunctions and more. [Image courtesy of Xiaoxiang Gao for the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego (UCSD)]

University of California San Diego (UCSD) researchers developed an electronic patch that can monitor biomolecules in deep tissues.

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The technology can monitor hemoglobin, providing medical professionals with access to crucial information for spotting life-threatening conditions. This includes malignant tumors, organ dysfunction, cerebral or gut hemorrhages and more.

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Researchers published a paper on the developments in the December 15, 2022 issue of Nature Communications.

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â€œThe amount and location of hemoglobin in the body provide critical information about blood perfusion or accumulation in specific locations. Our device shows great potential in close monitoring of high-risk groups, enabling timely intervent…

UCSD researchers develop electronic hemoglobin-monitoring patch

A photoacoustic sensor could help clinicians diagnose life-threatening tumors and organ malfunctions. [Image courtesy of Xiaoxiang Gao for the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego]

University of California San Diego (UCSD) researchers developed an electronic patch that can monitor biomolecules in deep tissues.

The technology can monitor hemoglobin, providing medical professionals with access to crucial information for spotting life-threatening conditions. This includes malignant tumors, organ dysfunction, cerebral or gut hemorrhages and more.

Researchers published a paper on the developments in the December 15, 2022 issue of Nature Communications.

“The amount and location of hemoglobin in the body provide critical information about blood perfusion or accumulation in specific locations,” said Sheng Xu, professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego and corresponding author of the study. ̶…

San Diego company aiming to target glioblastoma with nanotechnology-based approach

Intermediate magnification micrograph of a glioblastoma. HPS stain image courtesy of Wikimedia.

The emerging biopharmaceutical company Global Cancer Technology (GCT; San Diego) is developing a novel x-ray activated therapy to treat glioblastoma, which remains stubbornly difficult to treat.

GCT has a licensing agreement with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for a drug delivery platform that unites a nanocrystal to a prodrug that can be activated using radiosurgery. GCT has also acquired two patents for investigational drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier. One is an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), a type of enzyme involved in several cellular functions that facilitates rapid growth in glioblastoma. The other compound targets Vps34, a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Both compounds modulate autophagy, a regenerative cellular process. According to UCSD researchers, autophag…