Category: Future of MedTech

New App Developed to Assist in Medication Management

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How it works:

Patients can simply go to the myMedPac website or download myMedPac from the app store to register.

Once a profile is setup, myMedPac works with partnered pharmacies and communicates between doctors and patients for medical history and any prescriptions required.

Ask the expert:

Joe Zhou Founder and CEO

“The service greatly improves medication compliance and makes life so much easier for both patients and carers.”

“So often patients are getting hospitalised not because they aren’t prescribed the right medication, but they miss doses and get medications mixed up.”

The details:

To find out more go to the myMedPac website at www.mymedpac.com.au 

First Human Drug To Be Completely Designed by Artificial Intelligence

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Why it matters:

Although computers have been used in the past to help in drug design, this vaccine technology was independently designed by an AI program called SAM (Search Algorithm for Ligands), created by the Flinders University team.

How it works:

The algorithm generates trillions of theoretical drugs before creating a shortlist that can then be tested in a laboratory.

Ask the expert:

Nikolai Petrovsky Professor at Flinder Univerisity

“This represents the start of a new era where artificial intelligence is going to play an increasingly dominant role in drug discovery and design.”

Australian World First Surgical Robot

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How it works:

The project aims to design snake-like robots as miniaturised and highly dexterous surgical tools.

The robotic bodies will be fitted with computer vision capabilities and have the ability to navigate around obstacles in confined spaces such as the anatomy of the human body.

Ask the expert:

Ross Crawford, Medical and Healthcare Robotics Group Project Leader

“At the moment surgeons use what is best described as rigid ‘one-size-fits-all’ tools for surgical procedures, even though patients and their anatomy can vary significantly.”

“The surgical system being explored has the potential to vastly surpass capabilities of current state-of-the-art surgical tools.”

The details:

More information can be found in the latest annual report at https://www.roboticvision.org/wp-content/uploads/Australian-Centre-for-Robotic-Vision_2018-Annual-Report_Spreads.pdf

Prosthesis Program Bringing New Hope to Amputees

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How it works:

The TMR Program, allows the patient’s brain to directly control a specially engineered prosthetic limb through a process of surgery, rehabilitation, and brain training.

Patients must commit to an extensive virtual training program helping them achieve strong and consistent control of their new prosthetic, along with a home exercise program that takes for up to 30 minutes, four times a day.

Ask the patient:

Daniel Campbell, who lost his arm in a farming accident:

“After I lost my arm, I realised I couldn’t even do simple things like cooking a meal or picking up a clothes basket.

“It took a lot away from my capacity to work, but now I have my arm I’m keen to get back to it and have a go. Now I’ve been able to pick up boxes and carry things, it’s given me a lot of my independence back.

“Everyone is really intrigued by how the arm works and what it can do. I just think normal movements and I can move my hand – it’s a bizarre sensation.”

Ask the expert:

Dr Frank Bruscino-Raiola, The Alfred Hospital Director of Plastic Surgery:

“TMR and osseointegration is a new exciting frontier in the surgical and rehabilitation management of upper limb amputees.

“All of our patients who have completed the program are really excited about the potential for their new limbs. Where previously their movements were quite limited, this new technology opens up a new realm of what they’re able to achieve.”

ZIMMER BIOMET AND APPLE COLLABORATION

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This collaboration has yielded Zimmer Biomet mymobility™, an app that uses Apple Watch to facilitate a new level of connection between patients and their surgical care teams, which can immediately impact the journey patients experience when they undergo these procedures.

In addition to the app, Zimmer Biomet commenced the mymobility Clinical Study in October last year, designed to study the app’s impact on patient outcomes and overall costs for joint replacement patients.

During this research study, patients are using Zimmer Biomet mymobility with Apple Watch as they progress through their hip or knee replacement journey. Researchers combine patient-reported feedback with continuous health and activity data from Apple Watch to provide new insights into the power of the Zimmer Biomet mymobility app to impact the standard of care for these common surgeries. The study launched in October 2018 for patients based in the US.

“We are incredibly excited to work with Apple to transform the knee and hip replacement experience for patients and surgeons,” said Bryan Hanson, President and CEO, Zimmer Biomet. “At Zimmer Biomet, we are committed to improving care decisions through digital health and we are thrilled to launch one of the largest evidence-gathering clinical studies in orthopaedic history.”

“We believe one of the best ways to empower consumers is by giving them the ability to use their health and activity information to improve their own care,” said Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Apple. “We are proud to enable knee and hip replacement patients to use their own data and share it with their doctors seamlessly, so that they can participate in their care and recovery in a way not previously possible through traditional in-person visits. This solution will connect consumers with their doctors continuously, before and after surgery.”

More than one million knee and hip replacements occur annually in the U.S. This number is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2035, yet standardization of care and recovery for the procedures is still lacking and costs to the U.S. healthcare system continue to rise. Zimmer Biomet mymobility and Apple Watch will act as a virtual and continuous care team on a patient’s wrist. Patients will be provided with support and guidance as they prepare for and recover from these surgeries, while surgeons will be delivered continuous data to optimize care.

The new Zimmer Biomet mymobility app has several features that use both Apple Watch and iPhone through the joint replacement journey, including the ability for surgeons to send education and therapy reminders directly to the patient’s Apple Watch.

The app also allows surgeons to monitor patient activity levels throughout the days and weeks while they are preparing for and recovering from surgery.

First-Ever Successfully Mind Controlled Robotic Arm Without Brain Implants

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What it matters:

A brain-computer interface (BCI) has already been successful in controlling a robotic arm. However, researchers have previously used invasive brain implants to do so.

Traditionally BCIs that use noninvasive external sensing, rather than brain implants, received “dirtier” signals, leading to a lower resolution and less precise control.

However, these implants require a substantial amount of medical and surgical expertise to correctly install and operate, not to mention the cost and potential risks to subjects. As such, their use has been limited to just a few clinical cases.

Being able to noninvasively control robotic devices using only thoughts will have a wide range of applications, in particular benefiting the lives of the paralyzed. But the real world possibilities are much broader.

How it works:

Using novel sensing and machine learning techniques the research team has been able to access signals deep within the brain, achieving a high resolution of control than previously possible.

This enhanced framework has overcome the ‘noisy’ electroencephalogram (EEG) signals leading to significantly improve EEG-based sensory information and facilitate real-time continuous robotic device control.

Ask the expert:

Bin He, Trustee Professor and Department Head of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University

“There have been major advances in mind-controlled robotic devices using brain implants. It’s excellent science. But noninvasive is the ultimate goal.”

“Using a noninvasive BCI to control a robotic arm that’s tracking a cursor on a computer screen, for the first time ever, has shown human subjects that a robotic arm can now follow the cursor continuously.”

“Whereas robotic arms controlled by humans noninvasively had previously followed a moving cursor in a jerky, discrete motion, as though the robotic arm was trying to “catch up” to the brain’s commands. Now the arm follows the cursor in a smooth, continuous path.”

The details:

This project was supported in part by the American National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and National Institute of Mental Health.

Carnegie Mellon University (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business to public policy, the humanities and the arts.

Ground Breaking Project Aims For World First Bionic Vision

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Why it matters:

The primary goal of the project is to restore vision. However, it has become clear that there are many other applications for this technology.

The project aims to explore these potential new applications:

  • Moderation of epilepsy and depression
  • Brain-controlled prosthetics
  • Restoration of vital senses beyond vision

How it works:

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a direct communication pathway between an enhanced or wired brain and an external device.

BCI’s are directed at researching, mapping, assisting, augmenting, or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions.

Ask the expert:

Professor Arthur Lowery, Director of the Monash Vision Group

“My team and I have developed wireless-connected electronic implants that sit on the surfaces of the brain, creating long-term brain-machine interfaces.”

The details:

Federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has pledged almost $1 million to the University led project under the new Frontier Health and Medical Research Program.

The research program will invest $240 million over four years to support innovative ideas and discoveries with great potential for transformative impact on health care.

To find out more or how to apply for the program go to www.business.gov.au/assistance/frontier-health-and-medical-research

‘Tumour-Tracking’ to Allow for More Accurate Radiotherapy With Less Side-Effects

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How it works:

The study is aiming to develop a more accurate way to track tumours, so treatments can be delivered directly to cancer cells. Currently, radiotherapy treats a single area that is larger than it needs to be, to try and account for any movement.

But if the cancer moves and the beam is static (hitting the same area for each dose), the cancer cells at some point, might not receive the intended radiation. If normal tissues come into the beam line as the cancer moves out of the way, they will be hit by a large radiation dose that was not intended for them.

By tracking tumours at all times and directing the beam at the cancer, the study could offer better outcomes for people with cancer.

Ask the expert:

Dr Doan Trang Nguyen

“High precision therapy uses the multi-modal adaptive tumour tracking (MATT) system to track the cancer at all times during the treatment,”

“The position of the cancer will be sent to a motor control unit that will direct the treatment beam at the current position of the cancer.”

The details:

Dr Nguyen is also supported by an early career fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council to study low-cost, high-precision radiotherapy.

Find out more about Dr Doan Trang Nguyen and her work with the University of Sydney at www.sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/profiles/d.nguyen.php

Wearable MedTech to Assist in Vertigo Diagnose

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Facts and figures:

For the first time, patients can use the miniature video goggles to capture episodes of vertigo in their home, by recording their own eye-movements through a small camera attached to the outside of a pair of rubber goggles.

Researchers are now able to use these recorded videos to identify eye-movements associated with different conditions.

Around 30% of people experience vertigo, a form of severe dizziness that can result in a loss of balance, a feeling of falling, trouble walking or standing, or nausea.

It is a common reason for visits to the GP or Emergency, particularly in older people, but is treatable in most cases.

Ask the expert:

Associate Professor Miriam Welgampola of Sydney University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health

“Vertigo can be a disabling condition, so an accurate diagnosis is important to effectively treat the underlying disorder,”

“Observing a person’s eye movements during an episode can help make the diagnosis, but people don’t always have an episode when they are at the doctor’s office.”