Navigation Links
Star Trek-like technology offers noninvasive monitor for patients and athletes
Date:4/29/2009

HOUSTON (April 29, 2009) How long will it take to develop Star Trek-like medical technologies? The gap between science fiction and reality is closing faster than many people may think.

A noninvasive, needle-free system that uses light to measure tissue oxygen and pH will soon be an alternative to the painful use of needles to draw blood and cumbersome equipment to determine metabolic rate. The futuristic system, dubbed the Venus prototype, is being developed by Dr. Babs Soller and her colleagues. It has the capability to measure blood and tissue chemistry, metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) and other parameters.

The sensor and portable monitor are funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) for use in space. Soller said the technology's multiple, real-time applications will be beneficial to astronauts in their day-to-day activities and to critically ill patients on Earth.

"Tissue and blood chemistry measurements can be used in medical care to assess patients with traumatic injuries and those at risk for cardiovascular collapse," said Soller, who leads NSBRI's Smart Medical Systems and Technology team. "The measurement of metabolic rate will let astronauts know how quickly they are using up the oxygen in their life-support backpacks. If spacewalking astronauts run low on oxygen, the situation can become fatal."

Placed directly on the skin, the four-inch by two-inch sensor uses near infrared light (that is just beyond the visible spectrum) to take the measurements. Blood in tiny blood vessels absorbs some of the light, but the rest is reflected back to the sensor. The monitor analyzes the reflected light to determine metabolic rate, along with tissue oxygen and pH. One unique advantage of Dr. Soller's near infrared device is that its measurements are not impacted by skin color or body fat.

A noninvasive system also means a reduced risk of infection due to the lack of needle pricks. Most of
'/>"/>

Contact: Brad Thomas
rbthomas@bcm.edu
713-798-7595
National Space Biomedical Research Institute
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Yale scientists use nanotechnology to fight E. coli
2. Voice Biometrics Gains Traction as Most Accurate and Convenient Technology to Secure Customer Privacy
3. M2SYS Partners with SecuGen Corporation to Support Market Leading Hamster Plus Fingerprint Reader with Auto-On Technology
4. Silicon Valley Technology Leaders LaserCard Corporation and Tesla Motors Sign LaserPass Secure Access Deal
5. Nanotechnology: Whats that?
6. UCs NIH grant brings technology from outer space to playgrounds
7. BIO-key(R) International to Showcase Deployed Biometric Security Applications at 2007 Biometric Technology Expo
8. Cogent Systems and Northrop Grumman Reach Agreement to Settle Automated Fingerprint Identification Technology Suit and Create Strategic Alliance
9. UCLA/VA partners with ASU to advance biosensor technology for urinary tract infections
10. Herr receives Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment
11. Singapore National Science and Technology Awards

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/24/2009)... Stents that keep weakened and flabby arteries fro... six months, those stents are no longer needed -- ...necessary. Previously, doctors had no choice but t...of Tel Aviv University,s Department of Biomedical ...er platform that carries drugs where they,re neede...
(Date:11/24/2009)..., NEW YORK (November 24, 2009) -- T...oday a report revealing that the last remaining po...gnificantly due to the rising tide of poaching and... will help inform Russian officials of what needs ... world,s biggest cat. , The report ...
(Date:11/24/2009)... Cambridge, Md. (November 24, 2009) New research ...ic river ecosystems reveals predictable temporal p...e communities as markers for monitoring climate ch...is week in the Proceedings of the National Academ... communities in the six rivers shifted synchronous...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):A coating for life 2Report shows dramatic decline in Siberian tigers 2Researchers establish common seasonal pattern among bacterial communities in Arctic rivers 2Geneticists coordinate action to fight against traffic in human beings 10675 1Geneticists coordinate action to fight against traffic in human beings 10675 2Geneticists coordinate action to fight against traffic in human beings 10675 3Noted entomologist to receive science excellence award 10672 1Noted entomologist to receive science excellence award 10672 2Noted entomologist to receive science excellence award 10672 3Common Infections May Contribute to Strokes 61075 1Common Infections May Contribute to Strokes 61075 2Common Infections May Contribute to Strokes 61075 3
...ing blocks of life--is exploding as scientists wor...th, disease and the development of organisms. The ...need for researchers to develop a shared vocabular...ing their findings. , An international team of RNA... has now been formed to do just that. , "The cons...
...gy (IBN) has developed a novel method to simultane...cles, which can be used in pharmaceutical synthesi...dbreaking research was recently featured in the le...United States patent has been filed on the inventi...ive Director Prof. Jackie Y. Ying have developed a...
...ed an automated literature search tool for the mul...ol is available as a free plug-in to Cytoscape 2.1...les researchers to form a visual map of complex bi...of molecular pathways and the biological causes of...omatically searches for and extracts information f...
Other Biology News:RNA project to create language for scientists worldwide 2RNA project to create language for scientists worldwide 3Breakthrough method in nanoparticle synthesis paves the way for new pharmaceutical and biomedical applications 2Agilent Technologies releases automated literature search tool for biology researchers 2Agilent Technologies releases automated literature search tool for biology researchers 3
(Date:11/24/2009)... Ambassador to also Visit Detroit , ...,Who: David Appia, French Ambassador for Internati...t in France Agency, , , , ,What: Ambassador Appia... pro-business initiatives adopted by France to fur...ndscape for innovation and development., , ,When: ...
(Date:11/24/2009)...alif.,Nov.24/PRNewswire/--Twomoreprestigiousuniver...onlinejobboardandcareerssiteforlifescienceprofessi...owmembersofthejobboard,joining28othermajorlifescie...ocareercenter.com ,isonlyforpost-graduatesinthelif...sitesontheInternet,BioCareerCenteristheonlyonethat...
(Date:11/24/2009)...celand,November24/PRNewswire-FirstCall/--deCODE,ge...eceivednoticefrom,theNasdaqStockMarketthattradingi...er30,2009andaForm25-NSEwillbefiledwiththe,Securiti...monstock,fromlistingonNasdaq,unlessthecompanyfiles...companyhasfiledsuchanappeal,which,willstaythesuspe...
(Date:11/24/2009)... Health care employment grew by 29,000 job...o show consistent growth during the U.S. recession...in trouble, and health systems are coming closer t...d of just administrators. , ...ment continued growing in October despite the shed...
Breaking Biology Technology:Two Major Universities Join Nation's Leading Postgrad Bio Job Board 2deCODE Receives Delisting Notice From Nasdaq, Plans to Appeal 2deCODE Receives Delisting Notice From Nasdaq, Plans to Appeal 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 2The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 4
...,s Structure-Based Drug Discovery Capabilities, I...Company (NYSE: LLY ) and SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc...ies have signed a definitive merger agreement,prov...ansaction. SGX, based,in San Diego, California, is... and development in the area of oncology. Under th...
..., July 8 Biotech and pharmaceutical,firms are dev...eamline the,complicated drug discovery process, re...GEN). Most successful approaches rely on a combina...rization techniques, and,advanced data-analysis to...ttp://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=...
...nanomedical applications in diagnostics, imaging, ...EVELAND, July 8 The Nano-Network, Cleveland Clini...rve University today,announced the organizations w...he use of nanoparticles for diagnostics, imaging a...atient care., The 2008 NanoMedicine Summit will t...
Other Biology Technology:Lilly to Acquire SGX Pharmaceuticals 2Lilly to Acquire SGX Pharmaceuticals 3Lilly to Acquire SGX Pharmaceuticals 4Lilly to Acquire SGX Pharmaceuticals 5GEN Reports on Novel Hit-to-Lead Drug Discovery Strategies 2NanoMedicine Summit Returns to Cleveland, September 25-26 2NanoMedicine Summit Returns to Cleveland, September 25-26 3NanoMedicine Summit Returns to Cleveland, September 25-26 4
Mouse Anti-Vancomycin Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone 2G1 from Abcam
Rat Anti-acetyl Salicylic Acid Polyclonal Antibody, Unconjugated from Abcam
Anti-Human I-FABP Polyclonal Antibody, Unconjugated from Cell Sciences
ProPrep BAC 960 from Biotech Support Group
Biology Products: