Ear/Nose/Throat
The Lead
Research Shows Copper Destroys Norovirus
May 29, 2013 10:03 am | by University of Southampton | News | Comments
New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper and copper alloys will rapidly destroy norovirus - the highly-infectious sickness bug. The virus can be contracted from contaminated food or water, person-to-person contact, and contact with contaminated surfaces, meaning surfaces made from copper could effectively shut down one avenue of infection.
Researchers Design Sensitive New Microphone Modeled on Fly Ear
June 3, 2013 9:43 am | by American Institute of Physics | News | Comments
Using the sensitive ears of a parasitic fly for inspiration, a group of researchers has created...
New Study Finds Blind People Have the Potential to Use Their 'Inner Bat' to Locate Objects
May 21, 2013 11:51 am | by University of Southampton | News | Comments
New research from the University of Southampton has shown that blind and visually impaired...
Hearing the Call for Rapid Prototyping
April 26, 2013 12:22 pm | by Avi Cohen, Manager, Dental and Medical, Objet | Articles | Comments
The manufacture of hearing aids has traditionally involved a time-consuming, manual process that...
New Array Measures Vibrations Across Skin May Help Engineers Design Tactile Displays
June 14, 2013 9:16 am | by Massachusetts Institute of Technology | News | CommentsIn the near future, a buzz in your belt or a pulse from your jacket may give you instructions on how to navigate your surroundings. Think of it as tactile Morse code: vibrations from a wearable, GPS-linked device that tell you to turn right or left, or stop, depending on the pattern of pulses you feel. Such a device could free drivers from having to look at maps, and could also serve as a tactile guide for the visually and hearing impaired.
3-D Printing Goes from Sci-Fi Fantasy to Reality
June 2, 2013 9:37 am | by MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer, Associated Press | News | CommentsInvisalign, a San Jose company, uses 3-D printing to make each mouthful of customized, transparent braces. Mackenzies Chocolates, a confectioner in Santa Cruz, uses a 3-D printer to pump out chocolate molds. And earlier this year, Cornell University researchers used a 3-D printer, along with injections of a special collagen gel, to create a human-shaped ear.
Distributing Healthcare
May 31, 2013 3:20 pm | by Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief, MDT | Blogs | CommentsOne of the most interesting things about my position is seeing the changes in one of the most dynamic industries around—the medical device industry (and, in a broader sense, the healthcare industry). In my 13+ years of reporting on this industry, I’ve seen many changes and technological advances. It truly is remarkable to think about how far certain sectors of the industry have come in what is really a very short period of time.
Cochlear Americas Receives FDA Approval for the First and Only Ear Level Accessory for Waterproof Hearing with Cochlear Implants
May 31, 2013 1:07 pm | by PR Newswire | News | CommentsCochlear Americas, the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, announced today that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a one-of-a-kind Aqua Accessory compatible with the Cochlear Nucleus 5 Sound Processor. The Aqua Accessory is a custom cover with a double zip lock seal designed to hold the processor and coil inside, and can be worn behind the ear in the normal position.
Men Who Want to Stay Active, Feel Younger, and Remain Socially and Professionally Engaged Should Address Hearing Loss, BHI Advises
May 23, 2013 4:18 pm | by PR Newswire | News | CommentsWASHINGTON, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing health affects a man's lifestyle, and if he wants to stay active, feel younger, and remain socially and professionally engaged, he should address any hearing loss he may be experiencing. This is the overriding message that the...
Doctors Save Boy by 'Printing' an Airway Tube
May 23, 2013 10:12 am | by Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer | News | CommentsIn a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day. It's the latest advance from the booming field of regenerative medicine, making body parts in the lab.
Frequent Heartburn May Predict Cancers of the Throat and Vocal Cord
May 23, 2013 10:00 am | by AACR | News | CommentsFrequent heartburn was positively associated with cancers of the throat and vocal cord among nonsmokers and nondrinkers, and the use of antacids, but not prescription medications, had a protective effect, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Study Finds that Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer's Are Linked
May 20, 2013 11:25 am | by American Thoracic Society | News | CommentsA new study looking at sleep-disordered breathing and markers for Alzheimer's disease risk in cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging adds to the growing body of research linking the two. But this latest study also poses an interesting question: Could AD in its "preclinical stages" also lead to SDB and explain the increased prevalence of SDB in the elderly?
The University of Sydney and ResMed partner to accelerate research in sleep-disordered breathing and biomedical engineering
May 13, 2013 4:30 pm | by PR Newswire | News | CommentsSYDNEY, May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Sydney and ResMed Limited today announced a new partnership that includes significant and long-term funding of research at the University, ultimately benefitting the hundreds of millions of sufferers of sleep-disordered breathing worldwide.
Printable 'Bionic' Ear Melds Electronics and Biology
May 2, 2013 11:59 am | by Princeton University, Engineering School | News | CommentsScientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue.
May Is the Ideal Time to "Window Shop" for Hearing
May 1, 2013 4:40 pm | by PR Newswire | News | CommentsWASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Better Hearing and Speech Month, the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) is encouraging people with questions about their hearing to take advantage of the warm days of spring and go out and "window shop" by visiting a...
2-Year-Old Girl Gets Windpipe Made from Stem Cells
April 30, 2013 2:04 pm | by Lindsey Tanner, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsA 2-year-old girl born without a windpipe now has a new one grown from her own stem cells, the youngest patient in the world to benefit from the experimental treatment. Hannah Warren has been unable to breathe, eat, drink or swallow on her own since she was born in South Korea in 2010.
3v07 Medical Advertising Introduces Social Anthropology Product
April 23, 2013 9:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsLAGUNA BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2013--Healthcare advertising is seeing more medical device companies going direct to consumers thanks to the effectiveness of the Internet in reaching people looking for answers online to their medical conditions. This has made it important for...
KY Jury Awards $7.2M for Defective Hearing Aid
April 18, 2013 1:11 pm | by BRETT BARROUQUERE - Associated Press | News | CommentsA central Kentucky family won a $7.24 million verdict after a jury concluded that a company that makes implantable hearing aids knowingly sold a defective device that shocked a 6-year-old girl. The jury in federal court in Louisville awarded $6.25 million in punitive damages and $994,000 in...
Sophono Alpha 2 Hearing System Receives FDA Clearance for Use with MRI
April 11, 2013 2:14 pm | by PRNewswire | News | CommentsSophono, Inc., manufacturer of abutment-free, implantable, bone conduction hearing devices, has received clearance from the FDA for magnetic resonance imaging. With the clearance, individuals in the United States who have the Sophono Alpha 2 System can undergo MRI in both 1.5 and 3-tesla magnetic fields without removing the magnetic implant.
Sleep Nation, Inc. Wins All 100 Medicare Competitive Bid Areas
April 11, 2013 2:00 pm | by PR Newswire | News | CommentsNASHVILLE, Tenn., April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleep Nation, Inc., a national provider of CPAP supplies, today announced a major accomplishment as it has signed contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to be reimbursed for all competitive bid...
First Clinical Study Demonstrates Vent-Os Sinus Dilation System Effectively Establishes and Maintains Patency of Maxillary Sinus Ostia
April 11, 2013 9:00 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 11, 2013--SinuSys Corporation, an innovative sinus health company, today announced that the Vent-Os™ Sinus Dilation System met its primary safety and effectiveness endpoints in its initial clinical study. The Vent-Os System is designed to gently open the...
Henkel Hosts Loctite Medical Device Adhesive Seminar
April 10, 2013 3:54 pm | by Henkel Corporation | News | CommentsHenkel Corporation will host the first Loctite Medical Device Adhesive Seminar of 2013 on Tuesday, May 21, in Minneapolis, Minn. This comprehensive program will provide design, product and manufacturing engineers with an overall knowledge of adhesive technologies used in the design and assembly of medical devices.
Regaining Proper Hearing at Last
April 9, 2013 10:38 am | by Fraunhofer | News | CommentsAround 17 million people in Germany suffer from impaired hearing. For many of them, their hearing is so damaged that a standard hearing aid is no longer enough. A new device will improve patients’ hearing and can be implanted during outpatient surgery.
Demonstration: Adaptive Material Inspired by Tears
April 8, 2013 3:33 pm | by Kristen Kusek, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard | Videos | CommentsAs demonstrated in these videos, sitting at rest, the adaptive and multifunctional material is smooth, clear and flat; droplets of water or oil on its omniphobic surface flow freely down its surface. Stretching or bending it makes the fluid surface rougher. The rough surface is opaque, and also confers the ability to precisely control the movement of water or oil droplets.
HiRes Optima™ Sound Processing from Advanced Bionics Receives Worldwide Approval
March 20, 2013 5:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsVALENCIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 20, 2013--Advanced Bionics (AB), a global leader in cochlear implant technology and a company of the Sonova Group, announced today that it received FDA, Health Canada and TÜV approval for the global distribution of HiRes Optima™* sound processing. The world’s...
Cook Medical Launches Salivary Duct Access Products as Minimally Invasive Alternative to Open Surgery
March 18, 2013 9:03 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 18, 2013--Cook Medical has launched a suite of salivary duct access products that offer minimally invasive options for the treatment of obstructive salivary gland disease. Minimally invasive treatment of obstructive salivary gland disease can reduce the need...
SinuSys Corp. Expands Executive Team
March 18, 2013 9:00 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 18, 2013--SinuSys Corporation, an innovative sinus health company, today announced recent additions to its management team as it expands its global commercialization activities for the SinuSys Dilation System and continues its progress toward FDA 510(k)...
Lantos Technologies Receives FDA Clearance for its 3D Ear Scanning System
March 18, 2013 8:55 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsCAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 18, 2013--Lantos Technologies, Inc. today announced that it has received clearance from the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market the Lantos 3D Ear Scanning System. Initially developed in the laboratories of Massachusetts Institute of...
Satiety Inc. Escapes Stomach Stapling Lawsuit
March 13, 2013 5:02 pm | by Mass Device | News | CommentsSatiety Inc. can put a 4-year personal injury lawsuit in its rearview mirror now that the case has been dismissed by a federal judge. The plaintiff, Lucia Burgos, failed to prove that the Palo Alto, Calif.-based medical device company's stomach stapling device violated the protocols of its investigational device exemption from the FDA.
