Wyss InstituteMedical Devices – Wyss Institute

Injectable Hydrogel Adhesive for Improved Muscle Regeneration

Jessica Leff — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:30:59 +0000

Although it was only given a clinical definition in 2010, volumetric muscle loss (VML) has been a persistent problem in medicine for centuries. VML can be caused by injuries, diseases, and some surgical procedures like removing a tumor, and results in so much damage to a muscle that its function is permanently compromised, leading to long-term disability. There is currently no effective treatment…

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Instrument-Free Molecular Diagnostics

Mariel Schoen — Wed, 01 May 2024 17:25:23 +0000

Molecular diagnostics is the fastest-growing segment of the global in vitro diagnostics market, but the vast majority of these tests require expensive equipment and supplies, limiting their use to medical facilities. There is a large unmet need for cheap, readily accessible, accurate diagnostic tests that can be deployed in non-clinical settings to address threats to public health…

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MyoExo: Wearable Muscle-Centric Sensors for Improved Assessment of Neurological Disorders

Jessica Leff — Wed, 01 May 2024 14:00:27 +0000

Abnormal changes in muscle function are hallmarks of a collection of neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s Disease (PD), essential tremor, epilepsy, certain sleep disorders, and others. For example, patients with PD can have slowed movements (bradykinesia), tremors, and muscle stiffness (rigidity) – doctors need to detect at least two of the three signs for a positive diagnosis.

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ReConstruct: Vascularized tissue for breast reconstruction and augmentation

Seth Kroll — Wed, 01 May 2024 10:23:28 +0000

Breast cancer, the most common cancer worldwide, affects nearly 15% of all women. Most of these women undergo some kind of mastectomy to treat their cancer, and 40% choose to have breast reconstruction surgery. However, all currently available reconstruction options come with significant health risks. Artificial implants, whether filled with silicone or saline, require frequent safety monitor and…

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Crisscross Nanoseed Detection: Nanotechnology-Powered Infectious Disease Diagnostics

Jessica Leff — Wed, 01 May 2024 09:34:25 +0000

Speed, accuracy, and affordability are of the essence in the detection of established and newly emerging pathogens to provide timely care, mitigate transmission, and help lower the financial burden on healthcare systems. Among them, those causing sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, cause a major global burden on health care systems. In the U.S. alone…

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Paper-Based Diagnostics

admin — Wed, 01 May 2024 00:34:41 +0000

With the imminent threat of new pandemics and frequent disease outbreaks exemplified by the recent Ebola and Zika epidemics, there is a growing need for low-cost, easily deployable and simple-to-use diagnostic tools. The Wyss Institute has developed paper-based synthetic gene networks as a next generation diagnostic technology for use in global healthcare crises and patient care. This new type of…

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eRapid: Multiplexed Electrochemical Sensors for Fast, Accurate, Portable Diagnostics

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:58:09 +0000

Handheld electrochemical sensors have revolutionized at-home medical testing for diabetics, but they have not yet been successfully applied to diagnosing other conditions. These sensors are based on the activity of an enzyme, and there are only a limited number of enzymes that can be used to detect biomarkers of human disease. An alternative, much more broadly applicable sensing strategy based on…

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Repairing patients’ dura more durably

Jessica Leff — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:55:14 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — The dural membrane (dura) is the outermost of three meningeal layers that line the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. Together, the meninges function as a shock-absorber to protect the CNS against trauma, circulate nutrients throughout the CNS, as well as remove waste. The dura also is a critical biological barrier that…

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Reimagine the World – Volume 4 – ReConstruct Edition

Jessica Leff — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 13:41:49 +0000

Denise Skok, a two-time breast cancer survivor, Luba Perry, a scientist at the Wyss Institute, and Samuel Lin, a plastic surgeon collaborating with the Wyss Institute, are all working to reimagine a world where breast cancer patients have better reconstruction options. The ReConstruct project at the Wyss Institute uses adipose tissue assembled from a patient’s own cells and integrated into their…

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A new glue, potentially also for you

Jessica Leff — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:50:09 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interface within the body and on its outer surfaces without causing any damage to even the most delicate parts of the…

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