Diagnostic devices

New research has used an in-ear sensor to monitor COVID-19 patients at home, transmitting vital signs in real-time to doctors who evaluated the need for hospital treatment, often admitting the patients before they even noticed their condition decline.

Researchers in the US have found changes to electrical activity in the heart can help predict which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are more likely to decline and die. The biomarker is easily measurable and may predict death several days in advance.

When someone is suffering from a skin disease, diagnostic devices are often used to determine what disease it is, and how it's progressing. A new adhesive patch could make doing so quicker and easier than ever – and it's inspired by a diving beetle.

The earlier cancer is detected, the better. MIT scientists have developed a diagnostic system that can be performed as a urine test to detect the presence of cancer, and if a positive is returned, a follow-up test can locate where it is in the body.

Presently, if a doctor suspects that a patient has a bacterial infection, that person has to provide a fluid sample that is sent off to a lab for analysis. A new device, however, could allow such samples to be analyzed on the spot, within minutes.

Scientists at Japan's Nagoya University have demonstrated how brain tumors might be detected far earlier, leading to better outcomes for patients, through a simple urine test that has shown high accuracy in early experiments.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an electronic nose that may be able to sniff out signs of cancer from blood plasma samples. In tests, the device was able to detect a range of cancer types with over 90 percent accuracy.

When someone has a problematic skin condition, the affected skin is typically either stiffer or softer than normal. A new sensor has been shown to detect such differences, potentially allowing doctors to diagnose problems more quickly and easily.

Although women in First World countries are routinely diagnosed with and treated for vaginal yeast infections, doing so isn't always possible for women in impoverished nations. New fungus-detecting hygiene products, however, could make things easier.

Because it can be hard to detect tuberculosis in young children, the disease may be quite advanced by the time it's diagnosed. A new test, however, is said to detect the presence of TB-causing bacteria up to a year before the disease itself occurs.

Scientists in the UK have developed an advanced handheld imaging device that could prove a powerful tool when it comes to tackling cancer, using a mix of gamma and optical imaging to build 3D images of cancerous growths beneath the skin.

According to Japan's Yokohama National University, jaundice occurs in 60 to 80 percent of all newborn babies, and can result in brain damage or even death if left unchecked. That's why they've developed a new wearable device to help in its treatment.