Collecting more data isn’t the solution to every problem. But in health care, better data often lead to better results. One of the biggest obstacles in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases is that medical professionals and researchers need more accurate, detailed, diverse, connected data to better understand threats to people’s health. Digital technology can help. The Nokia Sensing XChallenge recognizes major innovation in health technology, and showcases some of the big numbers behind health at the same time. For example, tuberculosis still kills about 1.4 million people worldwide every year, but new devices can detect epidemics early and prevent the disease’s spread.
Tag: Medical Technology
Meet the 16-Year-Old Einstein Who Found a New Way to Detect Cancer
Seems nobody told Jack Andraka that he was too young to invent a revolutionary fast, cheap and accurate early-detection test for pancreatic cancer. Oh that’s right. A whole bunch of scientists did. But that didn’t stop him from pursuing his invention, which uses a special kind of test strip paper, sort of like the kind diabetic use, to show the presence of a protein linked to cancer. He walked away with $75,000 for winning the grand prize at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and a really fun appearance on the Colbert Report. So no excuses. If you’ve got a great idea, don’t give up until the world sees it.
Experimental Heart Attack Alarm Warns of Impending Cardiac Crisis
A new system might help those in danger of heart attacks: Scientists are currently testing the AngelMed Guardian System in patients at risk for repeated heart attacks, and it’s showing early promise in warning patients when to seek medical intervention to ward off a heart attack. The device is implanted near the collarbone under the skin, and includes an internal EKG that triggers an alarm in an external beeper if heartbeat becomes irregular or if inadequate oxygen is detected. It’s especially helpful for patients who don’t experience typical heart attack systems, and also prevents needless, expensive tests by allowing doctors to determine when a heart attack hasn’t occurred. Similar devices are already in use in Germany and Brazil, and if the AngelMed Guardian System receives FDA approval, it could be available here by 2015.
How Two Smart Docs Turn “Junk” Into Stroke Prevention
Two cutting-edge physicians are using computer models to help predict and reduce stroke risk for heart surgery patients. While it takes a medical degree to understand the data, it’s not hard to see how it works. In an effort to solve heart issues with less invasive procedures, many cardiologists use catheters to clear blocked arteries, which means less recovery time than major surgery. Even when patients require more aggressive heart surgery, like valve replacements, less invasive procedures are more prevalent options. But some of those surgeries can increase stroke risk, and Drs. Robert Schwartz and Shawn Shadden found a way to use computer engineering to find out why. Schwartz and Sadden found that inserting a catheter can, simply put, “knock junk loose” into the bloodstream, and they collaborated to track the “junk,” tiny but potentially harmful particulates, and figure out how and why they can reach the brain and cause a stroke. As their research continues, they’re not just reducing stroke risk, but improving the availability of the heart procedures that let people get back to their lives much more quickly.