Monitoring

In order to see if an antidepressant works, patients have to take the drug for at least a month. New research, however, suggests that by monitoring a sleeping patient's brainwaves, the effectiveness of an antidepressant can be gauged in a week.

Many readers are likely already familiar with the oximeters that measure blood oxygen levels via the patient's finger. Well, scientists have now developed a device that works on the same principle, but it can be non-invasively used on unborn fetuses.

Helicopters regularly have to get their rotor blades inspected, so they can be replaced if they're wearing out. Using the BladeSense system, however, the aircraft would be able to monitor the condition of their blades in real time, while in flight.

In order to gauge the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, authorities typically monitor the numbers of specific mosquito types that are known to carry those illnesses. A new system makes it possible to do so remotely, and thus more effectively.

Brain-implanted electrodes have numerous uses, ranging from the controlling of prosthetic arms to the monitoring of neural activity. They could soon be more effective than ever, as scientists have now developed ones that are soft and squishy.

If someone is suffering from a chronic wound, it's important for their doctor to continuously know the status of that injury. A new bandage is designed to keep physicians in the loop, via everyone's favorite wonder material – graphene.

There is a large disparity between the survival rates of prematurely born babies in the developing world and those in the developed world, but scientists at Northwestern University have developed of new kind of wireless sensor to help bridge the gap.

For people afflicted with multiple sclerosis (MS), it can be difficult to quantify how their condition fluctuates over short periods of time. According to a new study, though, an existing device is able to detect subtle changes that might be missed.

It's vitally important to monitor the water quality of fish farms, as problems such as pollution can quickly prove disastrous. A small new floating cube was designed with this in mind, as it continuously tracks multiple factors.

We've already seen quite a number of skin-adhered sensors that track people's vital signs. That's all very well and good if you're human, but what if you're a fur-covered animal? Well, there's now a sensor that works on them, too.

Heart failure isn't necessarily something that happens all at once, but is instead an ongoing condition that has to be monitored. A new wearable is designed to help, by preemptively detecting changes that could ultimately require hospitalization.

If someone has a swallowing disorder, they typically have to pay visits to a clinic, where their throat is monitored as they perform swallowing exercises. A new sensor could change that, allowing patients to be remotely monitored in their homes.