Hasta La Gadget!

A plastic surgeon from New York City, Dr. Ramtim Kassir, claims that the Google Glass he wears is now an indispensable part of his practice on Park Avenue. Google is currently ramping up the availability of their Google Glass eyewear so that just about anyone can purchase a pair this coming April 15th for $1,500 a pop, and Dr. Kassir hopes that using Google Glass will help others see that they might want to give this piece of wearable tech a go.

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Surgeon Finds Google Glass Indispensable In His Work original content from Ubergizmo.

Last year we saw a robot cane for visually impaired people that warns its user of obstacles with an audible alert. The Virtual Aid for the Visually Impaired or VAVI by grade 10 student Roman Kozak is an even more convenient prototype for a high tech cane. It lets the user search Google Maps and be guided towards his or her destination by voice prompts.

VAVI is not actually a cane but just a short cylinder; instead of direct contact it uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect objects in the user’s path. A vibration motor and a buzzer alerts the user if there’s an obstacle in his way. As for the location search, Roman wrote an Android app that taps into Google Maps. When the app is open, the user can order it to search for a location by saying “go to _____.” The app will look for the destination and will then provide voice prompts to guide the user as he walks.

The app also accepts voice commands for placing a phone call, sending the user’s current location to someone else and for finding VAVI. For that last feature, the app will reach out to VAVI through Bluetooth and activate its motor and buzzer to make it easier to find. Roman also made it so VAVI can be charged wirelessly via induction so the user won’t have to bother finding an adapter and an outlet.

For all its capabilities, Roman estimates that VAVI only costs about $70(USD) to produce. Check out Roman’s website for more on his invention.

[via Hack A Day]

When it comes to 3D printing, it does seem as though the possibilities might be endless, considering how technology in this segment has moved so fast, so much so that we might be making some headway into printing out human organs that could be used to replace failing organs down the road, hence doing away with the long waiting list for organ donors. Right now, scientists are looking at the possibility of using 3D printer in order to build a human heart – that will work, of course.

This ambitious project intends to deliver a new heart for a patient using their own cells prior to the transplant operation, but it does seem that it might take decades in order to achieve this particular situation. However, the technology required to do so might already be available in the here and now, as researchers have created splints, valves and even a human ear using 3D printers in the past.

The University of Louisville research team has printed out human heart valves and small veins with cells so far, where they hope to continue from here and construct some other parts using different methods. The finished article would then be known as the “bioficial heart”, which would be a miraculous blend of natural and artificial. Good luck guys, the world owes you big time if you managed to achieve this feat.

3D Printed Human Heart Might Be Realized Soon , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Medical, 3d printer,

There is nothing quite like advances in modern medical technology that brings about what could be deem as miraculous. Take these four men for example, where they are all paralyzed from the chest down for over two years. Not only that, their situation is further dampened after being informed that it is nigh impossible to regain the ability to voluntarily move their legs and feet, but through an electrical device implanted in their spines, they were able to do just that.

Sure, it is a far cry from actually getting up to walk, but at least being able to move one’s legs and feet after being told that it would be an impossible thing to happen is a great way to build one’s confidence. It is hoped that this success will be the stepping stone to other major advancements in such an area of medical development, where such a new treatment option could help many of the 6 million paralyzed Americans, with 1.3 million of those suffering from spinal cord injuries.

The RestoreAdvanced stimulator is the device that these patients can thank if they were to regain some semblance of movement after being implanted at their spine, where it is manufactured by Medtronic and mainly used for pain control. Epidural stimulation looks to be the way to go, and hopefully it will be affordable enough for the masses.

Spinal Implant Allows Paralyzed Men To Move , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Medical, science,

Wearable technology is just about to take off, but we can already take a peek at what’s coming after smartwatches and the like. A team of engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have made health monitors in the form of stick-on electronic patches.

The development of the patch was led by professors John A. Rogers and Yonggang Huang. Prof. Rogers was already working on electronics that can be applied directly onto human skin like a temporary tattoo, i.e. no patch base needed. But he went ahead with the patch platform because it allows for the use of commercially available – and therefore cheap and abundant – components, as opposed to the tattoo-like electronics that needed custom capacitors, batteries and other parts.

One of the crucial aspect of the engineers’ patch is the origami-like arrangement of the wires connecting the components, which allows for the patch to be bent without damaging the chips.

The engineers believe that stick-on electronics will make it easier to gather patient data. They also think it will lead to more accurate fitness trackers, and even health monitoring devices that can detect clues about the wearer’s condition even before he or she feels sick. Stick a browser to your face and head to the University of Illinois’ News page for more on this amazing invention.

[via Fast Co. Design]