A new technique of using ultrasound to monitor blood pressure will allow doctors to monitor blood flow in areas besides the arm, which will aid in the diagnosis of vascular diseases. Ultrasound method can non-invasively measure the blood pressure at any point in the body. The ultrasound system uses complex signal processing techniques and a mathematical model to visualize the flow of blood and motion of the vessel walls and determine the blood pressure at a precise location. ...

The new bandages will do more than cover a wound; they will also make it easier to potentially save a life by becoming a bone marrow donor. The packets of bandages will include a registry kit, sterile swabs, and a postage paid envelope. Before bandaging, users will swab some blood from their wound and mail it to the DKMS bone marrow donation center to register for bone marrow donation.

Broken bones can be a real disaster. For example, a broken hip usually requires a surgery. It will be great to develop a nanomaterial that quickly solidifies at body temperature into a bone-like substance and speeds the recovery. By the way, the material can be made to match the mechanical properties of the tissue it is injected into so as to be used while wounds, burns, etc. treating.

I have a new idea which will help combat the spread of malaria. Why not spray mosquitoes with a modified fungus that delivers compounds targeted to the parasite. The fungus will attack mosquitoes, so they modify the fungi using a human antibody and a scorpion toxin, both of which specifically target the malaria causing parasite and block its development. The fungus can also be used to treat other insect carried diseases, such as Lyme disease or dengue fever, by targeting the fungus...

An 'insomnia cap' is supposed to help insomniacs sleep by lowering the temperature of the brain. Increased metabolism in the frontal cortex of the brain is associated with insomnia; by cooling that area of the brain the metabolism is reduced. The idea is to create a special cap that will cool the cortex with tubes of circulating water. The insomniacs will not only fall asleep faster than the non-insomniac people, they also will stay asleep for 89 percent of the time.

A new method of wirelessly monitoring peoples' breathing while they sleep could provide a less expensive and more comfortable method of keeping watch over patients. The system uses a network of store-bought wireless transceivers set up along the patient's bed. The transceivers all send signals across the patient's body, which are broken with the rising and falling of the chest and abdomen. A computer algorithm detects when there has been too much time between breaths.

A new insulin substitute could replace injections with a simple, and less painful, pill. The pill will be based off a 3D molecular map of the insulin's activity. The pill will not be broken down in the stomach, so it will be taken orally. It will also be cheaper and easier to produce and store than conventional insulin, making it well suited for use in developing countries.

A gel will be able to speed the healing and regeneration of bones. The gel will be created by using the adult stem cells that will create a protein to promote bone healing. The stem cells will be incorporated into a gel which is supposed to be inserted into bone fractures in rats, which will help them heal completely in less than two weeks.

Doctor visits may soon get a bit less scary with a new needle-free injector able to deliver precise doses of medicine with different levels of force. The injector will use a Lorentz-force actuator to deliver a high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin without the need for a needle. The actuator will work through a powerful magnet surrounded by a coil of wire attached to a piston inside the drug ampoule. An applied current will interact with the magnetic field to push the...

The idea is to create a device that will provide a new level of night-time relief to asthma sufferers by provided cleaner air while they sleep. The device will work by directing a gentle column of cool, filtered air down onto the sleeping person. This cooler air will push away the particle-laden air that will rise out of the slightly warmer bed sheets.