Articles By Sara Jerome

  1. Intuitive Gets Class II Recall Label For Components Of Its Robotic Surgical System 12/10/2013

    The FDA announced that certain elements of Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci line of robotic surgical systems are subject to a Class II recall. “Reports of friction within certain instrument arms can interrupt smooth instrument motion,” the FDA’s announcement stated.

  2. Scientists Grow Artificial Skin From Umbilical Cord Stem Cells 12/10/2013

    In a breakthrough discovery, scientists from the University of Granada have managed to grow artificial skin from the stem cells of the umbilical cord. This development will be useful in treating patients with burns, cutting down the amount of time needed to deliver artificial skin by several weeks.

  3. More Than A Fashion Statement: Tongue Piercing Improves Wheelchair Control 12/9/2013

    Scientists are developing a wheelchair that can be controlled with the tongue, potentially giving more freedom of movement to people with spinal cord injuries.

  4. From The Space Station To The Operating Room 12/5/2013

    Robotic arms based on International Space Station (ISS) technology may be a highly-effective tool for brain surgery, according to a new study. The research focused on an image-guided surgical tool known as the neuroArm, which was designed to work in conjunction with an MRI machine or actually inside an MRI. Surgeons operate the system remotely, via a “sensory immersive” workstation.

  5. Glowing Memories: Decoding Alzheimer's With Neuron Tagging And Optogenetics 11/26/2013

    One front in the fight against Alzheimer's disase is getting very specific about where memories live in the body. Researcher Christine Ann Denny has developed a technique to label the cells that encode individual memories in the brains of mice, causing them to glow.

  6. High-Tech Glasses Will Enable Nurses To See Through Skin 11/25/2013

    Doctors and nurses may feel like they have X-ray vision using a new pair of glasses designed to help them find patients’ veins. Evena Medical, a Silicon Valley firm devoted to imaging products, announced the launch of the Eyes-On Glasses System, which allows the wearer to see the vasculature inside a patient’s body. 

  7. J&J To Pay Up To $4 Billion To Settle Hip Replacement Suits 11/22/2013

    Johnson & Johnson announced this week that it has agreed to pay billions of dollars to patients harmed in the recall of its metal ball-in-socket artificial hips. Under the proposed settlement, the company would pay at least $2.47 billion — and up to $4 billion — to resolve around 8,000 U.S. lawsuits.

  8. Coming Soon: World's First Bioprosthetic Artificial Heart 11/22/2013

    The world's first bioprosthetic total artificial heart is getting closer to hitting the market. The French company Carmat hopes to finish human trials of its artificial heart by the end of 2014 and to obtain regulatory approval for an EU launch by early 2015, according to Marcello Conviti, the firm's chief executive.

  9. Recalled Medtronic Guidewires Get FDA's Highest-Risk Classification 11/21/2013

    The FDA has sounded the alarm bell about the safety of certain Medtronic guidewires.

  10. Making Mind-Controlled Medical Technology A Reality 11/20/2013

    New research is paving the way for thought-controlled medical technology. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati aim to enable subjects to communicate with a computer using their thoughts alone. The experiments could prove useful to scientists designing technology to help elderly patients, stroke victims, and paraplegics gain independent movement.