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...

The body dryer will be designed to replace germy and environmentally unfriendly bathroom towels with a more environmentally sound solution--compressed ionized air. The body dryer will be equipped with angled vents that will be adjusted according to the needs, or size, of the user. The arrangement of the vents will send a cylindrical tunnel of compressed air up from the footplate to dry the individual in about 30 seconds, with no towel required. The air temperature will be adjusted...

Cleanliness is important in clinical environments, and the clips of hair from pre-op procedures can often be difficult to contain and remove. The new device will eliminate this danger with its system, which will feature a small vacuum that will attach to the company's surgical clippers and suctions up the hair as it is shaved off. The device will remove an average of 98.5 percent of hair and other airborne contaminants at the source, which will also reduce the need for a secondary...

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....

The new headband could bring new relief to migraine sufferers by stimulating the cranial nerves to block the sensation of pain. The system will be based on the gate control theory of pain, and provide sensory input to the nerves to prevent the neural gate from receiving pain input. The battery-powered, tiara-shaped device will be worn on the head, where it will stimulate the trigeminal nerve--the nerve that has been associated with headache pain.

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...

The i-port injection port will make dealing with diabetes a bit more comfortable by allowing multiple insulin doses to be delivered through the same hole. The quarter-sized i-port will attach to the skin like an adhesive bandage and make the initial skin puncture when it is first attached. The device can remain in one spot for three days, allowing the user to inject their insulin directly into the port instead of needing to puncture the skin several times in one day. Each i-port...

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...