Sutures and stitches may one day be replaced by a new nanoparticle-based surgical adhesive solution able to repair soft-tissue organs and tissues. The adhesive solution, which can contain either silica or iron oxide nanoparticles, will be applied to both sides of the incision. The edges of the incision will then be pushed together, prompting the nanoparticles to bond with both the tissue's molecular makeup and each other. The entire process will take only seconds, and the...

Designed for use in clinics and hospitals, new door handles will feature a sanitizer built into the handles to help encourage staff members to sanitize their hands. Although most clinical environments have sanitizing stations, they are usually located in a separate area--requiring staff members to go a bit out of their way to use to them. New handles, however, would be located directly on the door, making it easy for a person to sanitize their hands as they enter the room. The...

A new electronic skin patch able to monitor muscle movement will determine when it is time to deliver its payload of medicine, and could prove particularly beneficial to patients with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. Although there are other adhesive medical patches in development already, this one will be the first that will be able to both store data and deliver drugs. The small, flexible polymer patch will be equipped with multiple layers of nanomembranes and nanoparticles....

A new blood test for Alzheimer's will be able to predict the disease three years in advance, and with 96 percent accuracy. The test will work by identifying the ten chemicals in the blood that serve as markers for the disease. These chemicals are released as the nerve cell membranes break down, and can be detected in the blood plasma. The ability to diagnose Alzheimer's early could allow for the devolvement of new treatments that could be implemented before the disease...

A new fiber capable of removing toxins from blood could provide a wearable alternative to the large, expensive machines currently used for kidney dialysis. The fiber could be developed by electrospinning a blood-compatible primary matrix polymer made from polyethylene-co-vinyl alchohol (EVOH) with different forms of zeolites. A naturally occurring aluminosilicate, zeolites feature a microporous structure that will absorb toxins from the blood. The amount of toxins absorbed by the...

A new low-cost, paper-based method of disease detection could lead to earlier diagnoses and treatments, and could be particularly beneficial to people living in undeveloped, rural areas. The test could detect cancer from a urine sample within minutes, as well as a host of other diseases. The method works in conjunction with nanoparticles coated with peptides that trigger tumor proteins to release biomarkers, which can be easily detected in the patient's urine. However, the...

The idea is to develop a microfluidic device able to function with tissue samples, which could significantly speed up the process of cancer biopsies. Previous versions of microfluidic devices have only been able to work with single-celled organisms. To overcome this limitation, I suggest creating a low-cost, credit card-sized device for pancreatic cancer diagnosis that will be able to analyze a whole tissue biopsy for 3D imaging. The silicon device will be equipped with tiny...

There is a way to reduce heart swelling after a heart attack by using injectable nanoparticles, which could help increase the patient's chance of survival. The process will involve injecting negatively charged nanoparticles made of a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer into the bloodstream within 24 hours after the heart attack has occurred. The particles will attract the positively-charged monocytes and redirect them to the spleen instead. The treatment will result in...

My idea is to develop a contact lens able to measure glucose levels in tears - offering a potentially more effective way to manage diabetes. The lens will be embedded with a miniature wireless chip and glucose sensor sandwiched between two layers of soft contact lens material. It will be able to generate glucose levels readings at the rate of once per second. It is also worth investigating ways the lens could function as an early warning system for the user exploring ways to...

A new early-detection test for malaria will not require a blood sample, and instead will detect the presence of the disease by listening for it. The method will be based on the presence of hemoozion, a nanoparticle produced inside the red blood cell by the malaria parasite. Subjecting the homozoin to a short wave laser pulse will cause it to create a short-lived, vapor nanobubble that will emit a signature sound when it pops. This sound can be picked up by a sensitive acoustic...