Lifeboat Foundation

San Francisco-based research company Otherlab is developing a new concept for disposable delivery drones made of cardboard.

The project is funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA), and it aims to develop drones which can be used to deliver medical supplies and other cargo to remote or hard-to-reach locations.

The drone is designed to make only an outward journey – no returns – and then be discarded. The fact that the drone only has to make a one-way trip will extend its range. The vehicle’s primary method of propulsion will be gliding.

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy has partnered with dozens of organizations to develop a cancer vaccine to prevent the disease which is expected to grow by an additional 21.7 million through 2030. The plan is to target genetic markers specific to tumors to allow the body to generate an immune response to combat the cancer before it ever takes hold.

An international team of scientists has developed a soft robotic sleeve that can be implanted on the external surface of the heart to restore blood circulation in pigs (and possibly humans in the future) whose hearts have stopped beating.

The device is a silicone-based system with two layers of actuators: one that squeezes circumferentially and one that squeezes diagonally, both designed to mimic the movement of healthy hearts when they beat.

Continue reading “Soft robotic sleeve developed to aid failing hearts” »

These 4 stem cell developments are huge and might end up saving your life.

In Brief

• Czech scientists have developed a 3D printed model of a functioning lung that can simulate real-life conditions like asthma and other chronic breathing problems.
• Their model could lead to new treatment options for those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, which claim more than 3 million lives every year.

3D printing is opening so many new doors in the medical field. The technology allows researchers and doctors to manipulate the finest design nuances of models as well as the properties of the materials used to build them. These 3D printed models of organs, bones, and other organic subjects are valuable tools for both students learning the basics and medical experts testing new treatments and conducting experimental research.

Now, Czech scientists from the Brno University of Technology have developed a 3D printed model of a functioning lung that can simulate real-life conditions like asthma and other chronic breathing problems. They believe that their 3D printed mechanical model and its computer-based counterpart can be used to devise new, more precise treatment methods. It would be particularly useful in creating a reference standard for inhaled drugs. “This model will show whether an inhaled drug will settle in the concrete areas where we need it to,” Miroslav Jicha, the head of the research team, told Reuters.

Continue reading “New Synthetic Human Lung Is (Quite Literally) a Breath of Fresh Air” »

The annual 3D Bioprinting Conference is underway in the Netherlands today. While printing human body parts remains largely experimental, there are growing signs of commercial activity.

This skin stretching mechanism helps wounds heal much faster.

Manmade man parts, in case you’ve lost part of yours to injury, illness, or a congenital condition.

It’s a promising approach, but still needs a lot more research.