Source: MIT News

People with type 1 diabetes must keep a careful eye on their blood glucose levels: Too much sugar can damage organs, while too little deprives the body of necessary fuel. Most patients must prick their fingers several times a day to draw blood for testing. 

To minimize that pain and inconvenience, researchers at MIT’s Spectroscopy Laboratory are working on a noninvasive way to measure blood glucose levels using light. 

First envisioned by Michael Feld, the late MIT professor of physics and former director of the Spectroscopy Laboratory, the technique uses Raman spectroscopy, a method that identifies chemical compounds based on the frequency of vibrations of the bonds holding the molecule together. The technique can reveal glucose levels by simply scanning a patient’s arm or finger with near-infrared light, eliminating the need to draw blood. Read more here. 

Source: PopSci

A new nano-scale wiretap device could tell researchers about the inner workings of cells, according to a new Harvard study.

It involves a transistor that can take electrical readings, embedded inside a membrane that fits inconspicuously inside an individual living cell. The tiny probe, which is smaller than many viruses, is the first semiconductor device to take measurements of the inside of a cell.

The nano-probe infiltrated living cells without damaging them, which is a drastic improvement over current cell-tapping technology, according to Harvard chemistry professor Charles Lieber, who led the research team. Read more here. 

Source: PopSci

A new, implantable sensor that wirelessly transmits blood-glucose data has the potential to completely change the way most diabetics control their disease.

The round device is just a bit smaller than a Double-Stuf Oreo -- about 1.5 inches wide and half an inch thick -- and would be implanted in a person's torso. It's hermetically sealed, with an integrated antenna that wirelessly transmits data, a long-lived battery, and a pair of sensors. One sensor detects only oxygen, the other a reaction that involves both oxygen and glucose. No matter how dense the scar tissue surrounding the implant, the two-sensor combination compensates, allowing the device to correctly calculate glucose levels in the blood. Read more here. 

Source: Reuters-

The diagnostic test, developed by Abbott Laboratories Inc, detects the virus more accurately in the weeks immediately following transmission, the company said. The sooner patients are diagnosed and placed into care, the better the chance there is to stop further spread of the virus, said Abbott's senior director for research and development of infectious disease diagnostics. Read more here. 

Source: MHT

If a biotech company needs a picture of a tumor inside a mouse, it may turn to Woburn-based CRI Inc.

The 50-person company will add five to 10 workers this year, as demand for its tumor imaging products takes off. And it’s not just animal imaging. Some of the benchtop devices, which weigh a couple hundred pounds, are used to examine slices of human tumors, not just to detect if they are growing, but why. Read more here

Source: R&D Mag

Wettability—the degree to which a liquid either spreads out over a surface or forms into droplets—is crucial to a wide variety of processes. It influences, for example, how easily a car’s windshield fogs up, and also affects the functioning of advanced batteries and fuel-cell systems. Read more here

Source: R&D Mag

New research findings suggest that an experimental ultrasensitive medical imaging technique that uses a pulsed laser and tiny metallic "nanocages" might enable both the early detection and treatment of disease.

The system works by shining near-infrared laser pulses through the skin to detect hollow nanocages and solid nanoparticles—made of an alloy of gold and silver—that are injected into the bloodstream. Read more here

Source: R&D mag

Two-dimensional, “sheet-like” nanostructures are commonly employed in biological systems such as cell membranes, and their unique properties have inspired interest in materials such as graphene. Now, Berkeley Lab scientists have made the largest two-dimensional polymer crystal self-assembled in water to date. This entirely new material mirrors the structural complexity of biological systems with the durable architecture needed for membranes or integration into functional devices. Read more here

Source: R&D Mag

New research findings suggest that an experimental ultrasensitive medical imaging technique that uses a pulsed laser and tiny metallic "nanocages" might enable both the early detection and treatment of disease.

The system works by shining near-infrared laser pulses through the skin to detect hollow nanocages and solid nanoparticles - made of an alloy of gold and silver - that are injected into the bloodstream. Read more here

Source: The Burrill Report

Not long ago it seemed healthcare reform legislation was sure to be signed, sealed and delivered in time for President Obama’s State of the Union address. But the dramatic upset in Massachusetts that has resulted in Republican Scott Brown winning the seat held by long-time healthcare reform advocate Ted Kennedy has thrown the Democrats plan on its head as Brown represents the 41st vote for the Republicans, which gives them the ability to shut down the legislation. We spoke to Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest about where the Democrats went wrong, what Brown’s election means for healthcare reform and where we go from here. Read more here