Imaging & Diagnostics

MIT researchers have designed a wearable ultrasound patch that can image the bladder as well as a conventional ultrasound does, without the need for cold gel or an operator. The device could also be adapted to image other internal organs.

Half of the adult population has high blood pressure, but new research suggests that several million people may have elevated readings due to poor testing procedures. Experts call for a spotlight on how and where patients sit while in the cuff.

When a respiratory patient's COPD flares up, the outcome can be highly debilitating – potentially even fatal. A new wearable known as the Sylvee is claimed to detect such exacerbations early, so they can be dealt with before it's too late.

Researchers have developed a simple blood test that improves the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a commonly misdiagnosed condition. The test could ensure that people receive the correct treatment and identify potential drug targets for mood disorders.

Not only are colonoscopies invasive and uncomfortable, they may also miss gut-problem-related biomarkers that are only present in the body for a short time. A new "smart pill" is designed to address such shortcomings, using live light-up bacteria.

Dynabeads are microscopic magnetic spheres which scientists use to isolate certain types of cells and proteins. Now, MIT researchers are developing a method of using the beads to quickly spot pathogens in drinking water or blood samples.

When Captain Kirk stepped out with a tricorder in hand in Star Trek in 1966, the data sensing, scanning and analyzing gadget seemed a rather useful but far-in-the-future piece of technology. With the Swift Ray 1, we're a step closer to its reality.

When testing for infections such as strep throat, saliva sampling is often used as a less invasive alternative to taking throat swabs. Collecting that saliva could soon be easier than ever, by using a lollipop to do the job.

The days of urinating on a stick, and then sharing those sticks online, might be numbered, with the world’s first saliva pregnancy test hitting the market. The SaliStick can be taken anytime, anywhere, and in trials it has proven to be 95% accurate.

In order to get tested for sleep apnea, patients have to spend a night sleeping at a clinic with numerous hard-wired sensors stuck to their skin. A new facial patch system however, could soon allow those people to spend the night in their own bed.

Researchers have developed a breakthrough ultrasound method that uses shear waves to, for the first time, measure tension in human tissue. The discovery has to the potential to revolutionize disease diagnosis.

Researchers have developed a platform that allows wireless ingestible devices to be tracked in 3D as they travel through the gut, which may provide a cheaper, less invasive way of investigating disorders that affect gastric motility.

A clinical trial has shown a new type of medical scan can identify specific adrenal gland nodules responsible for high blood pressure. The scan offers the first simple diagnostic tool for what is the cause of hypertension in up to 10% of people.

Although there are now a number of skin-worn sensors which identify metabolites in sweat, the technology is limited in what it can detect, plus the sensors often aren't reusable. A new one, however, utilizes a "molecularly imprinted polymer" to be much more useful.

While medical electrodes are vital to the monitoring of electrical activity in the body, they're rigid and costly, plus they don't stay on well if the wearer is moving. A new sugar-cube-derived electrode, however, addresses those shortcomings.