As science and technology stretches into new frontiers, health tech is benefiting from new discoveries. From complex brain implant-plus-eyeball-prosthetic to smart bandages to printing 3D implants, every advancement is a new possibility.
A recent CNET article reported some intriguing projects:
- Scientists at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign are experimenting with thin, pliable electronic sheets of silicone that are 10 nanometers thick, or about one-one hundredth the width of cotton fiber, to bend around organs inside the body.
- MIT researchers are working on a “living” nylon bandage that contains nanoengineered organic materials — like therapeutic drugs or essential proteins — that release over time help heal and treat wounds.
- Massachusetts General Hospital is working on a bandage that is treated with dye. It reacts with oxygen and colors the bandage green if the wound is healing well, yellow if there is cause for concern, and red if the skin isn’t getting enough oxygen.
- Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center are implanting specialized proteins onto a 3D-printed plastic meniscus to spur stem cells into rebuilding that knee cartilage on their own. The polymer part eventually disintegrates. Right now, it’s only being tested on sheep.
Watch a video of a 3D-printed plastic meniscus: