Latest Med-tech gadgets
Devises that could revolutionize medical treatment.
Appeared in Popular Science Magazine.
Appeared in Popular Science Magazine.
Z-Medica QuikClotMany victims survive the accident but bleed to death before EMTs arrive. That's the inspiration for QuikClot, the first product outside of the operating room that stops massive bleeding. Approved by the FDA in May, it consists of a mineral sponge that rapidly absorbs all but the blood's clotting factors from an open wound. Troops in Afghanistan have put it to use, and inventor Frank Hursey plans to release a home version by early next year. Self-Tying Sutures Knotting a suture after a minimally invasive surgery requires a skilled surgeon—or a smart suture like those demonstrated at MIT this spring. When exposed to body heat, the biodegradable shape-memory sutures morph into perfect knots. They could hit the market in 3 years. Biological Pacemaker Pacemakers require risky surgery and don't react to the body's signals like normal heart cells. This summer, Eduardo Marbán of Johns Hopkins created the first biological alternative, which could revolutionize the treatment of heart disease. Marbán engineered normal guinea pig heart cells to become pacemaker cells; the results are so promising he hopes to begin human tests in three years. More than 250,000 Americans get pacemakers each year.
 
November 2002.
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