How a 3D Printed Cornea Could Save Sight for Millions
Blindness due to retinal scarring or disease affects over 15 million people across the globe. Sadly, there are too few cornea donors to meet the demand and scientists have been struggling for years to develop alternative treatment options for those in need. The long wait may be drawing to a close, as researchers at Newcastle University...
Taking Strides Toward Healing Spinal Cord Injuries
Patients with severe spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience chronically low blood pressure that negatively affects their health, their quality of life, and their ability to engage in rehabilitative therapy. “People with severe spinal cord injury – especially when it occurs in a higher level in the spine – have problems with...
“Screen Eye” & “Selfie Elbow,” Old Ailments, New Names
During the past few years, our vocabulary has added several interesting ailments that point directly to the technology in our lives. We’ve seen “Nature Deficit Disorder,” a byproduct of screens and video games; “Fractured Attention Syndrome,” a byproduct of our fixation on screens and inability to handle the bombardment of...
Tech-Savvy Moms Need Fewer Doctor Visits
Being an expectant mother is often thankless, expensive, and hectic. The journey from conception to birth can feel like it consists of little more than uncomfortable mornings, swollen ankles, and endless doctor visits. Or at least that’s how it may have felt before the advent of OB Nest, a thoughtful new approach to prenatal care for...
How THC Can Actually Improve Brain Health
Have you ever wished you could give your brain a facelift? Researchers are discovering the antidote for “senior moments” may be as simple as a daily dose of dope. A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Bonn and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem linked intake of THC (the active component of cannabis) to a more...
The Science of Sleeping In
Alarms, snooze buttons, weak coffee, traffic… there are so many reasons to loathe the morning routine. If you find yourself in a perpetual battle with your alarm clock, you might have type B chronobiology. Type B chronotypes are biologically inclined to hit the sheets later and wake up later than type As. This cycle is seldom...
Where Blockchain and Healthcare Intersect
Most people immediately associate blockchain technology with Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Justifiably so, as that is how the blockchain was first introduced. However, since its inception, blockchain has made its way into a number of industries. At the recent North American Bitcoin Conference, I was pleased to discover that blockchain...
Jedi Bed?! Check Out This Mind-Controlled Bed By Reverie
It’s easy to forget how important our beds are. With how busy we can get during the day before finally coming home and crashing into bed (before spending the next hour scrolling through Instagram when we should be sleeping), we often take the essential piece of furniture for granted. Well, Reverie is here to change that with a bed that...
Real-Time Sports Analysis with Dr. Antonia Zaferiou
Not all biomedical researchers spend their days moving fungal samples into test tubes with pipettes and Petri dishes. Some are out in the field, strapping sensors onto sweaty baseball players or pasting instruments onto pirouetting ballerinas. That’s where you can find Dr. Antonia Zaferiou, director of a growing research lab at Rush...
Beyond Step Counting - What Your Wearable Knows About Your Health
Personal healthcare is one of the hottest trends in tech. It’s so attractive that tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Samsung have all invested. But, to this end, just how useful are Apple Watches, Fitbits, and Android Wear? The technology driving wearable health trackers has advanced significantly since their debut. While many...
SmartPhone MD: How a Mobile Device Can Save Your Life
This year marks the 11th anniversary of the iPhone, a product that arguably transformed the way we communicate, create, and consume media. But the iPhone, and mobile technology as a whole has evolved to be far more than the combination iPod, smartphone, and Internet communicator Steve Jobs introduced in 2007. Even Jobs probably...
Drug Overdoses Contribute to a Dropping U.S. Life Expectancy
For the first time in 22 years, U.S. life expectancy fell last year. At the time, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that U.S. citizens could expect to live an average of 78.8 years, a 0.1 decrease from 2015. The last time a decrease of any size was seen was back in 1993. Now, the trend is continuing with another drop to an...
Strange Discoveries in Med Tech: A Timeline
Many cutting-edge medical technologies come about as a result of smart people, lots of money, and years of research and testing. But if the history of innovation is any indication, serendipity should take a lot of credit too. Here are a few notable and amusing highlights from the surprisingly long history of medical technology. ~950...
When Big Sound Leads to Tinnitus
Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” was a major hit of the early 2000s. Despite not being released in the U.S., it was still able to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. It also helped Lopez earn her second consecutive Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. It makes sense that the song was so popular, since...
How the Medical Revolution Starts with the Military
Many of us see images of a Special Forces soldier or a tank when we think of the Army, while failing to realize the host of scientific developments taking place within the ranks. As West Point graduate and highly regarded Army physician Dr. Kevin K. Chung told us during an interview, advances in medicine are often sparked by the...
What the Genomic Revolution Means for Your Health
News on genomics is common these days: from gene editing that can, for example, create so-called “designer babies,” to precision treatments for cancer and personal genetic testing, which can provide valuable insights on our disease carrier status (for family planning). Genetic testing can also tell us about traits related to athletic...
How to Use Hypothermia to Treat a Stroke
Justin Salerian knows a thing or two about thermodynamics, lab animals, and the urban legends surrounding icy rivers. That sounds like a random assortment of knowledge, but, as the current Vascular Neurology Fellow at Tulane University, Dr. Salerian – in partnership with Drs. Aimee Aysenne and Robert Schock – is combining all three...
I&Tech Today Interviews Neurovalens CEO Jason McKeown
Neurovalens is looking to revolutionize the world of weight loss tech with their new Modius technology. We spoke to the company’s CEO about the new tech, crowdfunding, and the future of the Modius. Innovation & Tech Today: Tell me a bit about the Modius technology. Jason McKeown: We’ve discovered a non-invasive way to...
Biomotion Lab Provides a Closer Look at the Healing Process
“State-of-the-art” is a phrase likely found on the “auto-correct” function of every cell phone at The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI). And the phrase gets plenty of use now with the recent unveiling of the new BioMotion Laboratory at the Steadman headquarters in Vail, Colorado. “In keeping...
How Sipping Java Could Increase You Life Span
I make no bones about the fact that I’m an avid coffee drinker. In fact, I make no bones about anything because that’s a strange phrase that makes no sense. I’m going somewhere with this, trust me. I have been a daily coffee drinker since having my first cup at the age of 13, a moment which would transform me into a lifelong...
Dr. Mark Rosenfeld on the Medical Value of Cannabis
Whether you believe cannabis to be an illegal drug or a medical marvel, there’s no doubt that it’s a controversial topic of conversation. Ever since 1913, when California passed a law prohibiting marijuana usage, there has been a consistent debate on whether it should be legally available. And, when it comes to this complicated...
How to Get to Sleep Easily Without Medication
Getting to sleep easily is a struggle for millions of Americans. Many turn to medications or supplements to help them fall asleep or stay asleep all night. Whether someone is using a prescription like Ambien or Lunesta, or using something from the local pharmacy like Benadryl or NyQuil, medications don’t allow for the best quality...
Let’s Get Physical: How the Digital Age is Improving Health and Removing Costs
In 2015—the most recent year for which data is available— the total amount spent on healthcare in the United States was $3.2 trillion, which represents 17.8% of gross domestic product (GDP). This amount far exceeds that of other industrialized countries, most of which have publicly-funded universal health systems. While the federal...
These Real-Life Superhumans Have Powers We Can Only Imagine
Warner Bros. Pictures' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hit theaters November 18th of last year. After witnessing the magical world of Harry Potter dazzle us on the big screen, we’re geeking out over some superhumans and their own superpowers. Sure, these no-majes can’t scare a Dementor away with a corporal Patronus, but...
Iron-Brain: 5 Habits to Keep Your Brain Healthy
Grab a Raw Snack The more raw fruits and vegetables you eat, the better. They’re packed full of the vitamins, minerals, and omega-3’s needed to keep your brain feeling pumped. Make your next snack raw and you’ll be doing your brain a favor. See this article by Brain Facts to learn more about how different habits of diet can...
Children can pick up THC from secondhand marijuana smoke
The dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke are well documented, and have led to several laws restricting where people can smoke publicly. The dangers of secondhand marijuana smoke, though, have not yet been researched. A recent study led by Karen Wilson from the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai attempts to fill that research...
Increase Your Happiness: Eat, Sleep, and Check-in with Yourself
2016 hasn’t been too kind and many people are trying to find ways to escape their misery. The Google Play Store is full of apps that claim to increase happiness, while nutritionists are offering all sorts of colorful foods to boost serotonin and dopamine levels (the chemicals in our brains responsible for happiness), and fitness...
WHO cancer agency asked experts to withhold documents
LONDON (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's cancer agency - which is facing criticism over how it classifies carcinogens - advised academic experts on one of its review panels not to disclose documents they were asked to release under United States freedom of information laws. In a letter and an email seen by Reuters,...
The Heart of the City
It’s clear that Cleveland has transformed in the last decade, in ways that have fundamentally changed the city. Before reading this section, you may have thought of the city as another in a long line of rust belt cities, whose better days are behind them. However, once you abandon some of these preconceived notions you begin to see...
From Transplant to Print Job
An IV slowly drips out the passage of time as a patient lies nearby, sick of waiting. Like others in need of a transplant, she can do nothing but wait, her spot just one of thousands on a waitlist that, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, grows every 10 minutes. But instead of being put on a waitlist, what if she could...