Type 1 diabetes patients have to go through painful procedure of injecting themselves with insulin because their beta cells in pancreas no longer produces insulin. But for the 200,000 youths living with Type 1 diabetes in the United States, these insulin shots, along with insulin pens and pumps fail to perfectly manage blood sugar, which may lead to long-term complications.

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“The absence of this natural ability — minute-to-minute regulation of glucose levels — can result in long-term complications, such as blindness, amputation and kidney failure,” says Klearchos Papas, PhD, a professor in the Departments of Surgery and Medical Imaging at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Dr. Papas and his colleagues at the University of Arizona, in collaboration with researchers at Novo Nordisk and University of Alberta, are in the process of developing a new device that can generate insulin from within the body, reports University of Arizona College of Medicine.

In a process known as islet transplantation, islets from donors are placed in the pancreas of patients with type 1 diabetes. But the patient must take lifelong immunosuppressive drugs in order for their body to accept the transplanted cells, and therefore this procedure isn’t recommended in children.

In this new method donor islets are placed inside of the implantable, tea bag-like device, which has a special exterior that shields the islets from any attacks from the immune system.

“It’s like a tea bag,” Dr. Papas says. “The tea leaves stay inside but tea, or insulin, comes out. And the tea bag keeps out the immune cells that would normally attack the islets.”

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Dr. Papas also has developed a technology to feed oxygen to the islet cells in the tea bag for optimal health and insulin production.

Working closely with Tech Launch Arizona, the UA commercialization arm, Dr. Papas wants to protect the intellectual property and strategize pathways to turn his innovation into reality. As part of the two-year study, Novo Nordisk has donated human stem cell-derived islets to test in the tea bags. If successful, stem cell-derived islets would make it easier to help treat the millions of people with diabetes.

For the manufacturing industry, technology such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) can bring huge opportunities for cutting cost and delays in product development and manufacturing. Virtual Prototyping pioneer ESI and Digital-Field software solutions provider Diota have joined forces to showcase their immersive technologies at the 21^st Laval Virtual in Laval, France on March 20-24.

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The two companies will address challenges related to factory assembly and in-service maintenance through an end-to-end solution that efficiently leverages digital data to achieve improved productivity, quality and traceability while decreasing operational risk, said a press release.

Virtual Reality now helps engineers identify design risks very early in the product or process lifecycles. ESI IC.IDO is the leading VR solution for industrial applications and is being used by Boeing, Bombardier, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford and Safran amongst other leading OEMs. At Laval Virtual, ESI will showcase several use cases with specific focus on human-centric assembly process validation ─ a critical aspect of Industry 4.0 where ergonomics and workflows need to be completely rethought for operators to deliver optimum efficiency whilst interacting with layers of new technologies.

Augmented Reality also hugely benefits the manufacturing industry. Diota’s solutions help factory operators to better understand and carry out complex operations through step by step digital work instructions and contextualized contents visualized in their workspace.

The combined AR/VR utilization can help companies with validation and distribution of manufacturing and maintenance procedures.

ESI and Diota will demonstrate how their joint solutions can help factory operators access optimized and up-to-date product design information and work instructions whenever they need it, on-the-job or during training.

Read more How Wearable Technology Could Revolutionize Manufacturing Industry

Based in France, ESI Group is a leading innovator in Virtual Prototyping software and services. ESI solutions help manufacturers replace physical prototypes by virtual prototypes, allowing them to virtually manufacture, assemble, test and pre-certify their future products. With 1200 employees, ESI operates in more than 40 countries worldwide.

In case of injuries, doctors sometimes put orthopedic implants and native bone grafts in place where natural bone is. Now, bioengineers at Rice University have developed a technique which grows live bone to repair injuries to the bones of the skull and face by attaching a 3D-printed bioreactor – basically, a mold – to a rib. Once implanted, it can support stem cells and the formation of blood vasculature. Keeping in mind the varied needs of different patients, the mold can be custom-made to the patient’s own needs. When the bone grows for few months, the bioreactor can be explanted and the bone is transplanted to another part of the body.

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The study was led by researchers at Rice, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Baylor College of Medicine. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The technique is being developed to replace current reconstruction techniques that use bone graft tissues harvested from different areas in a patient, such as the lower leg, hip and shoulder, reports Rice University.

“A major innovation of this work is leveraging a 3D-printed bioreactor to form bone grown in another part of the body while we prime the defect to accept the newly generated tissue,” said lead researcher Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine.

The researchers already tried their innovation in sheep and the bones transferred successfully to treat a large injury in the mandible of the animals. The therapy successfully worked in five of the six animals studied and points the way for similar attempts in humans.

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“Earlier studies established a technique for creating bone grafts with or without their own blood supply from real bone implanted into the chest cavity,” said co-author Mark Wong, a professor, chair and program director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with the School of Dentistry at UTHealth. “This study demonstrated that we could create viable bone grafts from artificial bone substitute materials.”

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a very popular fitness tracker due to its ease of use and low price. Now, Xiaomi is planning to introduce its next Mi Band – the Mi Band 4 – later this year.

Read more Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Sales Reaches 1 Million Units

During its quarterly earning call, the company announced the latest upgrade to its Mi Band series of fitness trackers. Huami’s Chief Financial Officer David Cui didn’t give any specific date for the Mi Band 4 release, but he did affirm that a successor to the Mi Band 3 will be coming this year itself, reports xda developers.

“For Mi Band 4, it’s going to be in this year. It will be in 2019. But I’m not sure, [if] it’s going to be in March and April. But it is going to be in this year. Each generation we learn something, we always do better. And [for] Mi Band 3 — you can take a look at 2018’s volume, right. So it’s really much better as compared to previous version. So we expect Mi Band 4 will have similar trend. So once we launch Mi Band 4, we expect that product will sell well,” Mr. Cui said.

The quarter earning call also revealed that the Xiaomi Mi Band line and Amazfit products (both made by Huami) are doing exceptionally well. According to the call, Huami grew revenues by 78% in 2018, which was primarily achieved by sales of Amazfit’s smartwatches and the Mi Band 3.

Read more The Amazfit Verge by Xiaomi is Especially Designed for Fitness Geeks

“Right now, Mi Band 3 is still hot sale — is still [selling] really, really well. The margin is not shrinking, the shipments are not shrinking. So we will work with Xiaomi to pick the right time to launch Mi Band 4 in the year,” Mr. Cui said.

When we feel agitated, fearful, or calm, our state of mind can significantly affect our ability to make decisions, judgments, and actions. For example, when walking across a beam, your odds of making across the beam without falling off is dramatically better if the beam is only six inches off the ground. But at 60 feet off the ground you are terror stricken and you’re not sure whether you can make it to the other end.

Read more CTRL Labs’ Wearable Armband Lets You Control Your Computer with Your Mind

For the first time, researcher at Columbia Engineering have shown that by using online neurofeedback it is possible to modify a person’s arousal state to improve performance in a demanding sensory motor task, such as flying a plane or driving in suboptimal conditions. The researchers monitored the arousal states of the participants by using a brain computer interface (BCI) through EEG in real time, when they were engaged in a virtual reality aerial navigation task, reports Columbia Engineering.

The system generated a neurofeedback signal that helped participants to decrease their arousal in particularly difficult flight situations, which in turn improved participants’ performance. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The 20 participants in the study were wearing VR headsets and were given a task to navigate a simulated airplane through rectangular boundaries. This task created cognitive stresses when the boxes were made narrower every 30 seconds. This escalated arousal and quickly resulted in failure like, missing or crashing into the boundary. But when the researchers used neurofeedback, the participants performed better, and were able to fly longer while performing the difficult tasks that required high levels of visual and motor coordination. The researchers found a 20% improvement in performance among the participants.

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“Our work shows that we can use feedback generated from our own brain activity to shift our arousal state in ways that significantly improve our performance in difficult tasks—so we can hit that home run or land on a carrier deck without crashing,” says study leader Paul Sajda, professor of biomedical engineering (BME), electrical engineering, and radiology.

Qualcomm’s new wireless VR headset, called ‘Boundless XR’, will be one of the first to work as a standalone mobile headset and also connect to PCs wirelessly. The company showcase the new VR headsets at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2019 in San Francisco, according to the latest rumors.

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The new headset uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor combined with a wireless 802.11ad chip that will allow high-bandwidth 60GHz connections to a PC or console that’s ready to communicate with it.

As of now, portable VR headsets don’t let users connect their headset to a PC, but Qualcomm plans to change all that.

The basis for this new VR reference design is to eliminate VR headsets’ dependence on cables and make the desktop VR headsets less bulky.

You will, however, need an 802.11ad-compliant Wi-Fi router to use headsets made with this design. The games should be able to support the new headset without any changes, according to CNET.

The headset is also designed to process VR technology while connected to a PC.

The six degrees of freedom enables you to enjoy complete, all-round movement and accessibility in VR content without needing additional tethering.

Latency is kept at a low 16ms, according to Qualcomm. So, in theory, it could help free up some processing power in your PC, although it isn’t clear how much.

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This isn’t the first time Qualcomm has worked on a VR reference design. Others adopting Qualcomm’s design are HTC, Lenovo, and Facebook. The headsets with the new reference design will be called Pico Neo2 VR headset, and they will be made by a Chinese company called Pico VR.

FundamentalVR, pioneers of immersive training technology for the medical community, has integrated groundbreaking HaptX Gloves on its Fundamental Surgery platform.

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Named as one of the best inventions of 2018 by Time magazine, the Fundamental Surgery platform gives us a glimpse of the near future where surgeons can use their entire hand and fingers as part of a virtual simulation educational experience.

It combines virtual reality (VR) with state-of-the-art haptics to create a scalable ‘flight simulator’ experience for trainee and qualified surgeons, allowing them to experience and navigate the same visuals, sounds and feelings they would during a real surgical procedure, reports Fundamental Surgery.

Fundamental surgery is designed to be compatible with any laptop, VR headset or haptic device. At the heart of the platform is the unique Surgical Haptic Intelligence Engine (SHIE), which is calibrated to mimic real life sensations of numerous medical tools and tissues with great accuracy. Thus, the HaptX Gloves make each finger and the entire hand into a virtual reality, haptic controller.

“When it comes to surgical training simulations, a sense of touch is a game changer, but has traditionally only been possible with immobile equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Richard Vincent, CEO, FundamentalVR. “The Fundamental Surgery platform delivers highly sophisticated tactile feedback at a fraction of the cost through a software approach that can work with a range of haptic devices. Our platform currently works with haptic arms, but is designed to evolve as hardware innovations allow new products such as HaptX Gloves to come to market. We are proud to work with industry leaders such as HaptX and are excited to demonstrate how HaptX Gloves integrated into our Surgical Haptics Intelligence Engine takes the sensation of surgery to an exciting new and natural level.”

Read more Cardiologists Use Augmented Reality to Plan and Perform Complex Procedures

Today, numerous medical institutions including Mayo Clinic and UCLA in the US, UCLH in the UK and Sana in Germany deploy Fundamental Surgery with initial training packages focused on the orthopedic surgery. The procedures it currently supports include Spinal Pedicle Screw, Total Hip Arthroplasty (Posterior), Total Hip Arthroplasty (Anterior) and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Metal implants can cause unwanted removal surgeries, associated complications and an unnatural healing environment for patients. OSSIOfiber, developed by an orthopedic fixation company called OSSIO, is a proprietary material technology that leaves no permanent implant, and removes the need for subsequent hardware removal surgery. The technology fosters natural bone growth and is reabsorbed over time.

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OSSIO recently announced a $22 million Series A venture investment round led by Los Angeles-based OCV Partners. This brings the company’s total venture funding to $35 million. This technology received FDA 510(k) clearance in January 2019. The company said it will use the money to speed up strategic growth initiatives, including talent acquisition, commercialization, new product development and operational expansion.

In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave OSSIO 510(k) market clearance for its OSSIOfiber. The OSSIOfiber is a first-of-its kind implant system that uses a proprietary bio-integrative material to provide stability and maintain the alignment of bone fractures, osteotomies, arthrodesis and bone grafts.

The platform offers physicians and their patients a new category in fixation implants and provides an unprecedented combination of mechanical strength and natural bone healing in a non-permanent implant.

While OSSIOfiber will have broad application across the spectrum of orthopedic fixation, its first commercial use is focused in the foot and ankle segment for the treatment of forefoot conditions where hardware removal surgeries are prevalent.

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“Following receipt of FDA clearance in January, we are moving forward with the commercial launch of OSSIOfiber™in the United States. This financing provides us with the necessary capital to accelerate our core strategic growth initiatives to ensure we have the inventory and support to meet the anticipated demand for the OSSIOfiber™ technology,” said Brian Verrier, CEO, OSSIO. “We are honored that OCV, Ortho Vision and Secocha Ventures, together with the rest of our strong group of investors stand behind our breakthrough fixation technology and our overall vision to transform the orthopedic experience for patients, physicians and payors.”

It is very hard to master the skills of a baseball swing, as there are numerous mechanical aspects involved. For players, it could take months, years or even decades to master this skill. Players and coaches need to understand the art of proper swing mechanics and practice it over and over to become an accomplished hitter. East Carolina University is using wearable sensors to understand this skill and help players become better hitters.

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Using motion-capture and eye-tracking technology, ECU wants to help players and coaches know what hitters see, how and why they react to it, and, ultimately, turn them into better players. Specifically, they are focusing on what a hitter’s eyes see as a pitch is hurling toward them at upward of 100 miles per hour and how the brain processes that visual information and then instructs the body to swing. It’s the science of hitting.

The study is led by ECU kinesiology faculty members Nick Murray and Patrick Rider. The researchers, along with a group of students tested hitters last fall at Next Level Training Center in Greenville. Test batters from high school to semi-pro levels were fitted with dozens of sensors as well as special goggles to track their eye movements as they watched and then swung at pitches, said a press release.

“Baseball batting is a cognitively demanding interceptive timing task that requires precision and power,” said Murray, an associate professor and director of the Visual Motor Lab in the College of Health and Human Performance.

Although previous research showed that expert hitters can sport a moving object very well, not many researches connected that ability with head position and movement control.

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“And the fact we’re studying eye-tracking during a realistic at-bat – that is, using a pitcher instead of a machine – makes this study unique,” Murray added.

Next Level owner Trent Britt said:

“We don’t really get an opportunity to see things from a scientific perspective and what the body is doing. This is one more set of data points. This is the way sports and baseball are headed. Hitting and anything involving movement is very much an evolving science. It gives us a chance to question are we seeing what we think we’re seeing and help kids get better.”

BACtrack, a leading alcohol testing platform provider, launched its next generation alcohol monitoring platform BACtrack View. The remote platform allows a person to monitor someone’s blood alcohol content (BAC) directly from an iOS device. Using the front-facing camera of an iPhone, subjects provide photo-verified BAC results by blowing into a BACtrack. Monitors and accountability partners can set BAC test schedules, review results, and take immediate action in the case of a positive result.

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Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and an estimated 88,000 die from alcohol-related causes annually.

BACtrack View is discreet, easy to use, and consists of the BACtrack View 2 app for iOS and a BACtrack Mobile, BACtrack C8 or BACtrack C6 device, all of which are small enough to fit in a pocket or purse.

The BACtrack Mobile offers highly accurate fuel cell sensor technology that detects even trace amounts of alcohol. A recent study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported BACtrack Mobile’s accuracy closely matched results from a device used by law enforcement agencies, says a press release.

“Just as we’ve expanded the market for breathalyzers by making them accurate, low-cost, and widely available, we aim to do same for alcohol monitoring with BACtrack View,” said Keith Nothacker, President and Founder of BACtrack.

“By developing a powerful smartphone-based platform, we believe that millions of people who struggle with Alcohol Use Disorder can benefit,” added Nothacker.

How the Platform Works

To begin using BACtrack View, both the Monitor and the Tester need to install the BACtrack View 2 app on their smartphones.

A Monitor sets a custom or random alcohol testing schedule for the person they are monitoring; on-demand testing is also available.

Automated smartphone text messages will inform a user when it’s time to take a BAC test. To take a test, a Tester blows into their BACtrack device; the smartphone’s front-facing camera captures a photo that is used to confirm the Tester’s identity.

A Tester’s verified BAC result is available to the Monitor via the app. A Monitor can take immediate action in the case of a positive result and will receive a notification if a test is missed.

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Pricing and Availability

BACtrack View subscription plans range from $79 to $129 per month. The use of a BACtrack Mobile device is included in all monthly plans, and there are no contracts, initiation fees nor cancellation fees.

Hybrid smartwatches are meant for the people who do not want watch dial displaying various information all the time. Hybrid smartwatches look and act like traditional wristwatches except they have few smartwatch functionalities. Here are the latest and popular hybrid smartwatches of this year so far.

Withings Steel HR

Withings Steel HR, also known as Nokia Steel HR, is a hybrid smartwatch that can track your heart. This fashionable watch has a small second dial so you can see your daily step count (your target can be set in the app), and there’s a small screen above it. It also has other features like calls, messages and events. No need to take it off when you’re in the pool; Withings Steel HR is waterproof.

Misfit Phase

With a stunning design and impressive battery life, Misfit Phase offers some really useful functionalities. The smartwatch is thick with a classic design. The impressive battery life will give you six months of run time with a single battery inside. However, it has limited functionalities which lacks heart-rate tracker and GPS, according to Tech Radar.

Garmin Vivomove HR

This is perhaps the best-looking Garmin smartwatch out there. If you’re a fitness buff, this watch is for you. With a decent battery life, Garmin Vivomove HR gives you solid gym tracking feature. It also offers a heart rate monitor and step tracking, along with gym tracking features. You can take Vivomove HR to the pool as it’s waterproof, but it’s not particularly great at tracking your swimming. There are stress-monitoring features in this watch is something you won’t get on any other hybrid watch.

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Fossil Q Commuter

Fossil Q Commuter is one of the best-looking hybrid smartwatches in the market. With a rustic and stylish design this smartwatch will really attract inquiring eyes. However, it lacks many smartwatch functionalities. Fossil Q Commuter tracks your step when paired to your phone. Other features include notifications about calls, email and text messages. There’s a button that lets you turn up or down the volume while you’re listening to music and you can use it to take pictures with your phone. The best thing about this watch is its battery. You don’t need to recharge the battery but you’ll have to replace it when it dies after one year of run time.

Bellabeat Time

Bellabeat Time is a hybrid smartwatch based on a quartz movement. Besides showing the time, it connects wirelessly to the accompanying app to offer insights into your wellness. Unlike many other smartwatches, Bellabeat Time doesn’t monitor heart rate but it does offer activity and sleep tracking, which includes steps, distance, calories, active time, sleep duration, sleep quality and wake-up time.

Time also helps monitor meditation and menstrual cycles to improve overall well-being and prepare wearers to tackle stressful situations. Easily controlled vibration reminders also allow users to schedule updates to address periods of prolonged inactivity, says a press release. Taking all accumulated data into, Time uses smart algorithms to determine how resistant to stress you are.

Smart Tracking Technologies, a Jacksonville, FL-based IoT company, acquired Wearable Pet Technology Company Link AKC. Link AKC, a GPS enabled dog collar, won the CES 2017 “Best of Innovation” award in the Wearable Technologies category.

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Smart Tracking Technologies will now start working on a host of improvements and updates to the Link AKC™ product line, including eventually opening up the Link AKC platform for 3rd party developers through the creation of an SDK. The first update can be expected within 30 days, says a press release.

“We are excited about implementing an aggressive timeline of improvements and new features. The tracking technology industry is ripe with opportunity, and this new partnership will allow us to improve the user experience over the coming months and ultimately create a stronger bond between pet owners and their pets,” Said Donny Lamey, CEO of Smart Tracking Technologies, LLC.

The Link AKC will move its headquarters to Jacksonville, FL, but will maintain a presence in Stamford, CT. Chief Growth Officer Herbie Calves will retain his position and the company’s CFO will be Gabriele Beyer.

The state-of-the-art technology used in GPS-enabled dog collar and smartphone app combines cutting-edge smart home, wearable and mobile technology. The team behind the Link AKC smart collar is made up of passionate dog lovers, tech experts and designers who have combined the best of design and technology to elevate dog wearables to a lifestyle product category.

The Link AKC dog collars keep track of your dog’s activity, location, health, and so much more. The collars come in two styles: Classic and Sport. Link AKC smart collar is available to purchase through the company’s website.

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Smart Tracking Technologies, LLC is a technology company with a focus on IoT in the wearables and tracking industry. Smart Tracking Technologies is composed of a team experienced in designing and managing tracking technology brands and products.

Casio has announced its new EDIFICE collection of timepieces – the ECB900DB – with enhanced features like Tough Solar and Bluetooth Connected technology. The new smartwatch is stylish and comfortable and is designed for both professional and personal lifestyles.

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“The new ECB900DB demonstrates Casio’s aptitude for progressive design and innovation,” said David Johnson, Vice President of Casio’s Timepiece Division. “It is a great addition to the EDIFICE collection providing all of the features consumers know and crave with a fresh design.”

When paired to a smartphone, the watch can be connected via Bluetooth to access the correct time in its current location and for up to 300 cities worldwide, even updating with the latest time zone and Daylight Saving Time information, says a press release.

The ECB900DB has a bold 3D dial and stainless-steel case and band. The new watch also boasts a Tough Solar chronograph with enhanced charging technology that can efficiently store energy for power as well as maintain a charge. Casio’s Tough Solar technology consists of a solar panel system that converts light to electricity and eliminates the need for battery changes. It can even be charged in low or fluorescent light. After a full-charge and without further exposure to light, the timepiece has a battery life of approximately five months.

Additional features include water resistance up to 100 meters, high-brightness double LED light, stopwatch with speed indicator and more.

Casio’s EDIFICE collection reflects a distinct sense of style by providing men with features that are ideal for professional and weekend lifestyles. The collection speaks to upwardly, mobile men whose goals lie anywhere from the boardroom to the ballpark.

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The new EDIFICE will be available this spring in two styles: black watch face with blue accents or black watch face with red accents. Both models will be priced at $200, and will be available at select jewelry and watch retailers nationwide, as well as the company’s website.

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a childhood condition that occurs when blood supply to the femoral head of the hip joint is temporarily interrupted and the bone begins to die. Byteflies, a Belgian-American wearable health company, who was exhibiting at the WT | Wearable Technologies Show at MEDICA 2018, developed a wearable device that can effectively monitor movement in children suffering from Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

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Jules, a 6-year-old energetic boy living with his parents in Belgium, was diagnosed with Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease in 2018. Jules has a blog, where he shares his journey, and his family’s determination to find the best possible way to help him. The blog also aims to shed a spotlight onto such disorders, and how continuous and extensive monitoring with Byteflies Sensor Dots can make a difference for disease progress tracking, reports Byteflies.

Although Legg–Calvé–Perthes Disease can be healed over time, it can still weaken and deform the bone. When the affected child reaches adult age, these issues can increase the risk of developing arthritis. Therefore, most of the treatment focuses on preventing permanent deformation and stiffness by reducing hip movement.

In order to objectively measure the impact of Jules’s activities on his leg and hip, Byteflies has set up a 24/7 home monitoring system with Sensor Dot technology. The Sensor Dot continuously records movement and impact via the IMU sensor. Since December 2018, Jules has been wearing a Sensor Dot to monitor his left leg while he goes on with his play dates.

The device is very small and discreet, so it does not make the child uncomfortable while wearing it at school. The user-friendliness of the Sensor Dot greatly helps in keeping Jules’ life and routine, as well as his family’s, as normal as possible. The device has two parts: A patch that you that you stick to your leg and a magnet that you put on the patch. The patch adheres to the strong very strongly, even for a little kid.

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By continuously tracking how Jules uses his legs with accurate signals and data analysis, Byteflies provides feedback to minimize hip damage, assist in a better recovery, and help to avoid adult bone atrophy. Byteflies will send daily reports to his family so they can directly act on the data from the Sensor Dot.

Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor has developed a Digital Key, which allows users to unlock and start their Hyundai car via their smartphone. The new Digital Key, which may soon replace traditional keys, can be downloaded via an app and used by up to four authorized people.

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“The Digital Key will benefit a very wide range of future Hyundai customers, as well as enabling innovative new schemes for vehicle sharing,” said Ho Yoo, Group Leader of Hyundai Motor Group’s Electronics Development Group. “We are studying other ways to harness this type of connected-car technology to greatly enhance the driving and ownership experience.”

When the user places the authorized Digital Key-enabled smartphone near the car door to open it, its presence is detected by NFC technology, which then opens the door.

The NFC antenna for entry identification is located in the handles of the driver and front passenger’s doors, while the one for starting the engine is located within the wireless charging pad, according to a press release.

The system automatically stores the user’s preferred vehicle settings including the position of mirrors, seats and the steering wheel, as well as controls for the audio, video and navigation (AVN) systems and head-up display, removing the need for the driver to change settings every time they enter the car.

Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, users can lock and unlock the vehicle, activate the alarm and start the engine. In addition, once the vehicles with autonomous parking features are commercialized, such features are also expected to be remotely controlled.

The vehicle owner can preset the duration of vehicle use or limit the use to only certain features when renting the vehicle. For instance, it can even be used to enable a courier to open the trunk to deliver a parcel.

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In the future, the company wishes to further enhance the Digital Key to alarm a trigger when the vehicle exceeds a defined speed or travels outside a designated area.

For cases such as using a valet service or visiting a repair shop, where handing over a digital key is not feasible, conventional smart key and card type key are also provided.

Hyundai Motor Group aims to gradually implement the technology in its new production cars, starting with next generation Sonata which is to make its U.S. debut in the New York Motor Show.

iVascular, a Barcelona, Spain-based catheter maker, won CE Mark for its new microcatheter called Navitian. The microcatheter can be used to facilitate, guide and support a guidewire while accessing the coronary system, the exchange of guidewire and injection of radiopaque contrast media or saline solutions.

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Navitian was specifically designed to achieve a desirable navigation in cases of CTO (chronical total occlusions).

It stands out for its superior crossability and exceptional penetration capacity due to the internal and external conical transition. Other key features of Navitian include:

• Complete braided pattern that provides exceptional flexibility, pushability and resistance to kinking
• Hydrophilic coating HYDRAX PLUS having high trackability for small and tortuous arteries
• Internal PTFE layer facilitating the movement of the guidewire during exchange
• Sizes 135 and 150 cm, guidewire compatibility 0.014”

“At iVascular we work continuously for the improvement of today’s therapies, to achieve the best benefit for the patient,” said Lluis Duocastella, CEO of iVascular S.L.U.

The device was developed to help address chronic total occlusions, which are especially difficult to treat. With the braided design, the catheter maintains strength while being pushed through tortuous anatomy and during penetration of occlusions, reports MedGadget.

Founded in 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, iVascular is a fast-growing company with an aim of developing advanced medical devices and therapies for the treatment of disorders of the cardiovascular system. The team that started iVascular owns more than 20 years of experience in the field of cardiovascular devices, being responsible of achieving one of the first CE marks for a drug eluting stent more than 12 years ago.

iVascular is an international project, founded by 5 industrial companies based in Spain and Canada with focus in chemical engineering, pharmacy, metallurgy and medical devices. All together they support iVascular with more than 2.100 employees, 1.150 million euros of revenue and potential presence in more than 100 countries.

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The company is commercially active in more than 66 countries including Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and others.

Researchers at the University of Kansas, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and KU Medical Center, developed a device that could allow doctors to detect cancer quickly from a droplet of blood or plasma, leading to timelier interventions and better outcomes for patients.

The device, reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering, detects exosomes – tiny vesicles that may can carry biomarkers pointing to the existence of the tumors. Because of their extremely small size, it’s hard to filter out exosomes from blood. This new microfluidic device with nanoscale patterning, separate exosomes from blood and identify whether they carry a cancer biomarker.

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“Historically, people thought exosomes were like ‘trash bags’ that cells could use to dump unwanted cellular contents,” said lead author Yong Zeng, Docking Family Scholar and associate professor of chemistry at KU. “But in the past decade, scientists realized they were quite useful for sending messages to recipient cells and communicating molecular information important in many biological functions. Basically, tumors send out exosomes packaging active molecules that mirror the biological features of the parental cells. While all cells produce exosomes, tumor cells are really active compared to normal cells.”

The key innovation on this lab-on-a-chip device is a 3D nanoengineering method that combines and senses biological elements based on a herringbone pattern commonly found in nature, pushing exosomes into contact with the chip’s sensing surface much more efficiently in a process called ‘mass transfer,’ reports KU.

To develop and test their pioneering microfluidic device, Zeng teamed with a tumor-biomarker expert and KU Cancer Center Deputy Director Andrew Godwin at the KU Medical Center’s Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, as well as graduate student Ashley Tetlow in Godwin’s Biomarker Discovery Lab. The collaborators tested the chip’s design using clinical samples from ovarian cancer patients, finding the chip could detect the presence of cancer in a minuscule amount of plasma.

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According to Zeng, with the microfluidic chip’s design now proven using ovarian cancer as a model, the chip could be useful in detecting a host of other diseases.

Trimble, a California-based developer of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and software processing tools, announced a new wearable hard hat compatible device to improve worker safety. The Trimble® XR10 with HoloLens 2 will enable workers in safety-controlled environments to access holographic information on the worksite. Trimble made the announcement with Microsoft at MWC Barcelona.

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The Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 integrates the latest spatial computing technology into a certified solution for use with a hard hat for worker safety. With a wider field-of-view, improved usability and a unique, flip-up viewscreen, the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 combines state-of-the-art mixed reality and safe operation in restricted access work areas, said a press release.

Front-line workers will be able to have greater accessibility to 3D models with the full solution. Field-oriented workflows enable broad adoption of mixed-reality for jobsite activities to improve efficiency, productivity and quality of work. Trimble Connect™ for HoloLens is a cloud-based collaboration platform, which the companies are continuously developing to enable field workers to get more value from constructible 3D models and transform daily work such as assembly and inspections.

“Microsoft has provided both the vision and execution needed to stay at the forefront of the mixed-reality evolution,” said Aviad Almagor, director of Trimble’s Mixed-Reality Program. “We’re excited to extend our collaboration with Microsoft in producing a safety-first mixed-reality solution that can be used in production environments such as construction, where workers are building, monitoring and inspecting products and services that deliver tangible value every day.”

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Alex Kipman, technical fellow, AI and Mixed Reality at Microsoft, believes interactions with holographic content has inspired visualization, collaboration, and production workflows in enterprise markets. “For people that spend their days on the work site, the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 and Trimble’s portfolio of software unlocks the power of mixed-reality to help them get more work done,” Kipman said.

Vocera Communications, a recognized leader in clinical communication and workflow solutions, delivered its first shipment of Vocera Smartbadges to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia. The Smartbadge, which combines smartphone usability and hands-free operation, is intended to improve clinician agility and accelerate patient care.

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The Vocera Badge is used in nearly 1,600 healthcare facilities around the world. Comfortable to wear, the Smartbadge is ideal wherever caregivers need to use their hands for patient care while still being able to communicate, reports Business Wire.

“We have been using Vocera technology for more than 10 years and are thrilled to be the first hospital to receive the Smartbadge,” said Evelyn M. Olenick, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “Our clinicians are looking forward to having more contextual patient information at their fingertips with the new, larger touchscreen while still being able to communicate hands-free.”

Phoebe Putney Memorial is one of the busiest and most advanced hospitals in the Southeast. The 691-bed teaching hospital is nationally recognized for clinical excellence and innovative community health programs focused on providing the best possible patient care for more than 107 years. In conjunction with hands-free communication, the hospital uses Vocera technology for secure text messaging and clinical alert and alarm management. Phoebe will start by piloting the Smartbadge across clinical areas and with nurse managers in nursing units, and then will evaluate alerts and alarms on the new device over time.

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“It is an honor to celebrate this milestone with a long-time, innovative customer like Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital,” said Brent Lang, president and CEO of Vocera. “We look forward to hearing how the Smartbadge enhances clinical communication, workflows and patient care.”

Visa and Planeta Informatica launched a new technology that enables public transit operators worldwide to implement contactless payments faster and easier than ever, and for a much lower cost. Transit operators using the new Visa Secure Access Module (SAM) will find it easier to start offering riders the ability to tap to pay with a contactless card, phone or wearable device, without the need to replace current turnstiles or terminal hardware.

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In major cities around the world, contactless payments are shaping the future of mass transit, helping riders save valuable time by eliminating the need to stand in line to buy or re-load a ticket. Transit operators who have invested in turnstiles and terminal readers recently, won’t need to install new turnstiles or hardware. Instead, the Visa SAM, which is based on secure EVM contactless technology, can be installed directly into the existing system, says a press release.

“This is a transformational development for public transit operators that want to improve their customers’ journeys and reduce their operational costs by removing the need for tickets or topping up fare cards,” said Nick Mackie, Global Head of Urban Mobility, for Visa. “Through our work with Planeta Informatica, we have pioneered a way to accelerate the shift to contactless transit that is scalable and highly secure, while generating time and cost savings for transit operators by removing the hurdles of replacing potentially thousands of transit readers across the transport system.”

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Artur Costa, CEO of Planeta Informática commented:

“The new Visa SAM technology combines 15 years of our experience in public transportation with the Mass Transit Transaction (MTT) framework, a state-of-the-art payment framework released by Visa in 2017. We worked diligently with Visa to build the best technological solution for adding EMV contactless acceptance on top of any existing closed-loop payment system without necessarily replacing the entire electronic ticketing infrastructure.”