Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

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Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nasa to conduct Mars 'flying saucer' test on Earth

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Jun 11, 2014, 05.26PM IST

The U.S. space agency,NASA, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars. (AP photo)

Page 1 of 4

LOS ANGELES: The US space agency, Nasa, is getting ready to launch a "flying saucer'' into Earth's atmosphere to test technology that could be used to land on Mars.

For decades, Nasa has depended on the same parachute design to slow spacecraft after they enter the Martian atmosphere. But it needs a larger and stronger parachute if it wants to land heavier objects and astronauts.

On Wednesday, weather permitting, a balloon carrying the saucer-shaped vehicle is set to launch from Hawaii. Then the vehicle will ignite its rocket engine and climb to 34 miles (54 kilometers). It will inflate a tube to slow itself down from supersonic speeds and unfurl a parachute for a water landing.

The test has been postponed several times because of winds.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

British university makes antibiotic resistance breakthrough

Scientists at a British university have claimed a breakthrough in the race to beat the global health threat of antibiotic resistance.

In research that could pave the way for an entirely new class of drugs to combat highly resistant "superbugs", the scientists say they have found the "Achilles heel" of a major group of bacteria which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly species.

Antibiotic resistance - the process whereby bacteria evolve resistance to the drugs we use to treat them - is regarded by most experts as one of the gravest threats facing mankind, ranking alongside climate change and global terrorism. In Europe there are already estimated to be 25,000 deaths per year as a result of drug-resistant infections.

Developing new forms of antibiotics is seen as one of the key avenues for combating the threat. Now scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say that they have discovered a way in which drugs could attack the cell membrane of one of the three major bacteria groups, known as gram negatives.

The membrane acts as a defensive barrier against attacks by the human immune system and antibiotic drugs. Exactly how the membrane is formed has not been well understood until now, but the new findings reveal how a crucial set of molecules called lipopolysaccharides are involved.

Scientists at UEA's Norwich Medical School believe that if drugs could be developed to target these molecules, then membranes could not form, leaving the bacteria cell exposed to the body's own immune system.

They also said that, because the drugs would not need to enter the bacteria itself, the bacteria may not be able to develop resistance, halting the evolution of superbugs.

Prof Changjiang Dong, who led the research, which is published in the journal Nature tomorrow, said that the discovery provided "the platform for urgently needed new generation drugs".

However, the method will have to be tested on infection-causing bacteria, and would only work on gram negative bacteria, a group which includes E.coli and other potentially deadly superbugs such as Klebisella pneumoniae, which has infected hundreds of patients at UK hospitals in recent years.

"We should be excited about this research, because we are in a situation where we need to look at every possible [treatment] target we can come across," said Mark Fielder, professor of microbiology at Kingston University. "What we need to do is take it forward and try it against clinically relevant organisms."

However, he said it was not clear whether bacteria could evolve resistance even to the new generation of drugs.

"I think because [the new drugs would be] attacking such a vast area of the organism, the potential for mutation might be slowed, but I don't think we could ever say it won't evolve," he said. "It is another step forward, another piece in our armoury to overcome the organisms. The more we understand, the better chance we have."

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More

Now, a wristwatch to monitor glucose, pulse rate & hydration levels

The author has posted comments on this articleKounteya Sinha, TNN | Jun 12, 2014, 06.50AM IST

Page 1 of 4

LONDON: A new biometric wristwatch is being developed that can monitor your blood glucose, dehydration and pulse rate.

In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society, researchers from the Netherlands and Israel described two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels while the other monitors pulse.

Monitoring a patient's vital signs and other physiological parameters is a standard part of medical care but increasingly health and fitness-minded individuals are looking for ways to easily keep their own tabs on these measurements.

The glucose sensor is the first wearable device that can measure glucose concentration directly but noninvasively, the authors said.

And while other wearable devices have been made to monitor pulse, the authors claim their new design would be less sensitive to errors when the wearer is in motion.

The devices use the so-called speckle effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material.

"The speckle pattern changes with changes in the flow," said biomedical engineer Mahsa Nemati from the Delft University of Technology.

In the first paper bioengineer Zeev Zalevsky of Israel's Bar-Ilan University described a new wearable biometric system that uses the speckle effect to directly monitor the glucose concentration in the bloodstream and the wearer's relative hydration level.

"Glucose is the holy grail of the world of biomedical diagnostics and dehydration is a very useful parameter in the field of wellness," Zalevsky said.

Article continues

22.10 | 0 komentar | Read More