The Future Is Here Today...Robots, Genetics, AI, Longevity, Singularity

Geo-Medicine: Where You Live Matters To Your Health (Video)

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by Aaron Saenz on February 9th, 2010
bill davenhall speaks at TEDMED

Davenhall advocated including place history in electronic medical records at TEDMED.

Bill Davenhall gave a brief but enlightening presentation about the importance of geo-medicine at the most recent TEDMED conference. We know that your health can largely be predicted by looking at your genetics, lifestyle, and environment, but doctors almost completely ignore the last in favor of the first two. Davenhall is the head of ESRI, one of the leading producers of geographic information systems (GIS), and he believes that place history should be an important part of your electronic medical records. His talk was one of Alexandra Carmichael’s Top 10 for TEDMED 2009, and I was equally impressed with it. The presentation is now available to watch online. Check it out below.

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Recording the Entire Life of an Animal

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by Aaron Saenz on February 2nd, 2010
c. elegans worm

Work at Harvard University will allow scientists to observe the entire lifespan of worms. Humans could be in the far future.

The lessons of a lifetime are powerful, even if that life belongs to a worm. Harvard scientists have developed a microfluidics system so that they can observe the entire lifespan of minute water born animals . These researchers hope their observation will provide important insight into the effects of aging, and diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. According to a paper published on RSC, the microfluidics system allows the Caenorhabditis elegans worms to move as normal without leaving the field of view of cameras and microscopes. Their microfludic cells are sort of the worm equivalent of virtual reality treadmills. Food (in the form of bacteria) comes in, waste is removed, and the worm can swim around. There’s even a special suction system (developed by other teams) to temporarily secure the C. elegans and facilitate close observation or laser microsurgery. The microfluidics system has many different chambers so that a large number of worms can be observed while still tracking the individual identity of each one. In short, Harvard’s created a means to completely observe the entire life of an animal, and it may lead to some remarkable insights in biology.

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The WIN Human Recorder – A Patch To Monitor Your Health

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by Aaron Saenz on January 27th, 2010
win human recorder hrs-i

The HRS-I will monitor your health and wirelessly transmit vital signs to a mobile phone or computer.

If capturing every moment of your life on camera isn’t enough to satisfy your recording needs then you should take a long deep look inside yourself. And then record that. According to Nikkei, Japanese venture firm WIN Human Recorder Ltd is set to bring a health monitor patch to market that is capable of keeping tabs on all your vitals. The HRS-I is a small (30mm x 30mm x 5mm) lightweight (7g) device that adheres to your chest and relays the data it collects to a computer or mobile phone via wireless connection. While the HRS-I only directly monitors electrocardiograph information, body surface temperature, and movement (via accelerometers), it can connect to sensors for heart rate, brain waves, respiration and many other important health indicators. WIN is selling the HRS-I for around ¥30,000 (~$330) and providing monitoring software for around ¥10,000 (~$110). The company hopes for ¥1 billion in sales in the first year, and ¥5 billion in three years, presumably by marketing the device to the ever growing healthcare sector.

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TEDMED 2009 David Blaine Holds His Breath for 17 minutes (Video)

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by Aaron Saenz on January 26th, 2010
david blaine at tedmed 2009

David Blaine's record for holding his breath is almost as long as the talk he gave at TEDMED. Coincidence...or magic?

I’m a big TEDMED fan, so it seems like magic that the videos of the latest conference are starting to go live on their website for free. The first video available was also a little magical, it’s the presentation by David Blaine about his attempt to beat the record for holding one’s breath underwater. Now, considering the serious and groundbreaking nature of most of the TEDMED presentations, I was a little disappointed that the first video available wasn’t from a major scientific mind. Still, after watching all twenty minutes of Blaine’s talk I was really impressed with the scale of his attempt. Officially, I’m still skeptical whether or not he really did what he said or if it was an illusion. Judge for yourself by watching the full presentation after the break.

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Extraordinary TEDMED Video About Growing New Organs

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by Aaron Saenz on January 22nd, 2010
anthony atala at tedmed 2009

Humanity needs more organs. Anthony Atala is on the case.

“Every thirty seconds a patient dies from diseases that could be treated with tissue replacement.” That was one of the first things that Anthony Atala told his TEDMED audience in October 2009. It’s an alarming statistic that gives insight into the determined and passionate work that Atala pursues at his Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Atala and his team have been developing the means to restore the human body after injury and disease. Biomaterials, bio-reactors, stem cells, growing organs on collagen scaffolds…if it can provide you with a replacement organ, chances are that Wake Forest has tried it. Their results are truly impressive, and it’s no wonder that Atala’s talk was one of Alexandra Carmichael’s Top 10 Innovations at TEDMED 2009. After the break is the video of Atala’s 18 minute presentation. Don’t miss a second of it.

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3 Millimeter Camera Goes Inside Your Body

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by Aaron Saenz on January 22nd, 2010
bctech video scout 3mm camera

The new Video Scout camera from BC Tech is just 3mm in diameter. It is ready to be integrated into medical devices. Ant not included.

Typically when I talk about tiny cameras, it’s in regards to surveillance. This little spy is even more invasive, however. The newest camera from BC Tech is only 3 mm in diameter, and thank goodness, because it’s going inside your body. Called the Video Scout, the tiny camera comes with four LED lights for interior illumination, a choice of lenses capable of 100° to 140° field of view, and a depth of field from 1mm to infinity. Not a bad piece of optical hardware, but it’s incomplete. Intentionally so. The Video Scout is meant to be integrated into other endoscopic devices. So what we have here is really just part of larger, undefined machine. But that’s really cool. By focusing on just one portion of a medical tool, the camera, BC Tech has managed to shrink it down to about one fifth of the size (or less) of typical endoscope cameras. Video Scout is even smaller than many camera pills (often around 10mm or more). According to BC Tech, the Scout is even cheap enough for single use equipment. If other companies similarly specialized in specific areas of medical technology we could see great advancements in endoscopy, microsurgery, and robotic medicine.

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A Tale of Two Windpipes – Determining the Future of Organ Transplants

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by Aaron Saenz on January 21st, 2010
newly grown stem cell trachea

This transplant was grown using stem cells and a scaffold derived from a trachea.

Two very different organ transplant stories highlight the amazing skills of surgeons, and the importance of stem cells for the future of surgery. Both transplants involved the trachea, women, and operations in Europe. In the first, Claudia Castillo had a donor’s trachea covered in her own stem cells so that it could be transplanted into her chest as the left bronchus. The second transplant gave Linda de Croock a new trachea by first letting the donor organ acclimate to her body in her arm for ten months. The stem cell treatment was performed by doctors at the University of Bristol (UK) and the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Spain) in 2008. The trachea-in-arm treatment was performed at the University Hospital of Leuven (Belgium) and was recently discussed in the New England Journal of Medicine. Comparing these two operations demonstrates the phenomenal capabilities of modern medicine, and shows that stem cells enhance those capabilities in remarkable ways.

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Vitamin D Deficiency Affects Billion Plus – Are You One Of Them?

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by keith kleiner on January 21st, 2010
Vitamin D Deficiency - Are You Part Of The Epidemic?

Vitamin D Deficiency - Are You Part Of The Epidemic?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock during the last few years you know that vitamin D is a vital component of human health.  Vitamin D is crucial for proper bone growth and maintenance, and a deficiency in vitamin D results in an increased risk of osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, and several other bad things.  But ask yourself this: when is the last time you had your vitamin D level measured, and what are you doing to make sure that your body has enough of this important vitamin?

If you are like most people in the world, you have absolutely no clue if you are getting enough vitamin D.  With some estimates placing as many as 1 in 3 of the world’s 6 billion people deficient in vitamin D (and even higher for those in industrialized nations) don’t you think it is time that you stopped ignoring the issue and started taking personal responsibility for it?  After all, you do want to make it to the Singularity…don’t you?

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Invisible Bracelet Shares Emergency Medical Information and Contacts Loved Ones

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by Aaron Saenz on January 13th, 2010
The invisible bracelet is actually a membership card and a set of fobs (break-off pink tabs on card) for your key ring or backpack.

The invisible bracelet is actually a membership card and a set of fobs (break-off pink tabs on card) for your key ring or backpack.

Talking while you’re having a heart attack or stroke isn’t easy. Yet there’s important information (allergies, health conditions, current medications) that emergency medical personnel need when providing on the spot care or transporting you in an ambulance. That’s why Tulsa-based Docvia started InvisibleBracelet.org. By registering with Invisible Bracelet (IB), prospective patients can provide all the pertinent data that EMS will need during an emergency and store it in a system that is only accessible by medical professionals. When that information is accessed by EMS, IB will contact up to 10 loved ones and alert them to your hospital destination. Each IB member has their information connected to a special membership card and fobs for key rings and backpacks. The cost is about $5 per member per year. According to the AP, Invisible Bracelet has been adopted as an optional benefit for government employees in Oklahoma, and the American Ambulance Association is working with Docvia on a related database. Soon, medical professionals may be encouraging everyone to register on this or a similar web service.

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Ginkgo Biloba Fails Again

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by Aaron Saenz on January 6th, 2010
More like Ginkgo Bilo-BUST

More like Ginkgo Bilo-BUST

It’s been taken as a mental health supplement for hundreds of years, and is also said to benefit blood flow, and combat free radicals. Yet according to a paper recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, ginkgo biloba had no discernible affect on the mental acuity of people as they aged. This comes on the heels of a 2008 study by the same team that showed that ginkgo had no affect on Alzheimer’s or dementia. The JAMA report is a blow to the reputation of the plant and could prove potentially damaging to suppliers of the supplement who sell over $100 million in the US alone. For those looking to boost their mental agility, or to simply keep it strong as they age, it looks like ginkgo biloba is no longer a good option.

The study was run by Dr. Steven DeKosky of the University of Virginia. 3000 people aged 72 to 96 were tracked for an average of six years. Half took 120mg of ginkgo per day while the other half received a placebo. There was no measured difference in attention, memory, or cognitive capability. DeKosky’s research is part of the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institute for Aging. While there have been other studies suggesting the myriad efficacies of gingko, DeKosky’s study is much larger and carries the approval of JAMA. As disappointing as this news may be for gingko proponents, it’s undoubtedly beneficial to those of us trying to maintain our mental health.

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Nanotechnology Creates Artificial Artery for Clinical Trials

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by Aaron Saenz on January 5th, 2010
Prof. George Hamilton helped create this new artificial artery using nanotechnology.

George Hamilton helped create this new artificial artery using nanotechnology.

Researchers at London Royal Free Hospital are hoping to save limbs and lives with the creation of their new artificial artery. Unlike current artery replacements, this grafting substance was created using nanotechnology and can pulse with the natural movements of the body. That pulsing will allow the polymer tube to be used in very small grafts (<8mm), giving hope that damaged arteries which would normally lead to amputations or heart attacks can now be treated. According to a recent press release, the Wellcome Trust has given [L]$500,000 to begin clinical trials of the new artificial arteries by the end of 2010. We could see the new polymer arteries in grafts, stints, and other vascular surgeries in the next few years.

Heart and vascular disease is the number one killer in most industrialized nations, and costs countries billions in health care, and lost wages. Nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, and stem cells are reinvigorating the development of artificial components of the cardiovascular system. We’ve seen hearts grown from stem cells in labs, artificial mechanical hearts, companies spending millions to develop artificial blood, and now even artificial vascular tubes which act more like the real thing. Combined with upcoming advances in robotic and micro-surgery, medicine could be on the path to conquering its public enemy number one.

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One Step Closer to Suspended Animation for Wounded Soldiers in 18 Months?

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by Aaron Saenz on December 22nd, 2009
Rushing wounded soldiers in MedEvac helicopters could become more successful if a suspended animation drug could extend the time they can survive.

Rushing wounded soldiers in MedEvac helicopters could become more successful if a suspended animation drug could extend the time they can survive.

It’s known as the golden hour. After a bullet wound or other massive trauma, soldiers in the field have about one hour to get intense medical attention. After that time, the chances of survival drop drastically. The research arm of US armed forces, DARPA, has long been interested in extending that golden window of opportunity to five or six hours, enough time to medevac someone from a remote location to a hospital. Earlier in December, DARPA announced that the Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies (TIPS) would be receiving $9.9 million in funding to determine if previously successful suspended animation programs for rodents could work with pigs. According to Wired, the 15 person team lead by Dr. Matthew Miller hopes to have positive results in just 18 months. That sort of quick paced research could soon pave the way to preserve trauma victims the world over as they make their way to help.

There are many mammals that hibernate, from chipmunks to grizzly bears, and each is able to preserve its cells despite a drop in heart rate and available oxygen. DARPA has funded researchers like Matthew Andrews who investigated how certain pancreatic enzymes allow squirrels to hibernate. Mark Roth, another DARPA funds recipient, has experimented with using hydrogen sulfide on mice to restrict the cells reception of oxygen. Using this chemical treatment, Roth was able to get mice to live 6+ hours with only 60% of their blood (analogous to a bullet wound). The pig research at TIPS will focus on getting techniques such as these to work with a cardiovascular system closer to that of humans. Suspended animation is a tricky process, as cells “wake-up” there are free radicals and poor reactions in mitochondria to deal with. Despite the likely difficulties, Matthew Miller envisions a time when every soldier could go into the field armed with a syringe filled with a hibernation cocktail. By treating injured squad mates with the cocktail, a soldier could preserve their colleague for later treatment. When adapted into civilian use such a drug could serve as a vital tool for paramedics, or preserve organs for transplant. When perfected, we may see suspended animation become a vital tool in space exploration or chronic illness management. Let’s just hope that such treatments will keep our loved ones among the living…and not the living dead.

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