Biotech

The Netherlands' Data Protection Association, a nationwide personal data watchdog organization, has issued a fine of around $33.7 million to Clearview AI over a global facial recognition database. They are not the first or only national organization to go after the company. Allegations generally fall along the same lines: that Clearview gathered the photos it has on hand illegally, and has invaded the privacy of those whose likenesses it has on hand.

Ready for the hemp-based car seat of the future? Volkswagen has collaborated with Revoltech to unleash this concept on next-gen car interiors. The partners assert that the material, derived from by-products of industrial concerns, is a fully sustainable and renewable alternative to other upholstery options such as leather.

OxiWear has received FDA clearance for its continuous blood oxygen ear-clip monitor that works even during motion. Other monitors can only measure accurately when users are at rest or are not FDA cleared as a medical device for accuracy and safety. The ear-wearable alerts the user to low oxygen levels in addition to calling emergency services.

The BP Doctor Fit Gen 3 Blood Pressure Smartwatch from YHE technology can now be purchased from the brand’s website. The wearable was launched via an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and is now being shipped to backers. Features include health and fitness tracking, exportable data and the ability to sync with Apple Health.

The Dexcom G7’s Direct to Watch feature is rolling out to more customers. The tool allows users of the continuous glucose monitoring system to view blood sugar measurements on their Apple Watch. The feature was launched earlier this year to customers in the US and is now available in 14 countries.

Honor will introduce the Magic V3 smartphone to global customers at an upcoming IFA 2024 event as the world's first phone with AI Defocus technology to help prevent nearsightedness. Myopia is a growing health problem that affects up to 80% of children worldwide. AI Defocus selectively blurs the screen image to help reduce myopia progression due to long hours of phone use.

MIT engineers have developed an ultra-tiny, self-powered battery that could revolutionize the field of miniature robots. This zinc-air battery, just the size of a human hair, generates power by oxidizing zinc using oxygen from the air, providing up to 1 volt of electricity.

Paralyzed Ivan Vargas has become the first person on East Coast to receive the $91,032 Ekso Indego Personal exoskeleton under a revised Medicare 2024 ruling. Medicare now classifies exoskeletons in the braces category, allowing these devices to be prescribed to qualifying patients for home use.

Re-Time Pty Ltd has launched its Kickstarter campaign for the Retimer 3 light therapy wearable to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and improve productivity by adjusting one’s circadian rhythm. The use of blue-green light shined into the eyes help trigger cells that regulate the body and sleep cycles for better health.

After successfully proving that the ACBP protein, which was discovered over four decades ago, can be used to cure anorexia in mice, scientists are now ready to try and cure this complex illness in humans using the same method. Statistics reveal that about 1 percent of women and five times fewer men suffer from anorexia.

Although genetically modified wood has been around for a while, the latest poplar trees that were tweaked by a team of researchers with the University of Maryland are taking it all to the next level. Their genetically modified poplar trees deliver high-quality structural wood that can be engineered without the use of chemicals.

Long-term blood pressure measurements in particular are only possible with great effort. A new technology is set to radically change this, which could eventually even find its way into smartwatches and help identify a wide range of health risks.

MOOV claims that its Ring stands out on the wearables market with the ability to track blood pressure and skin temperature as well as heart-rate and blood oxygen levels. It is also touted to assess sleep and stress for the user, to get up to 7 days of battery life and to come finished in high-end materials and an unusually wide range of colors.

WAT Medical has launched its EmeTerm Smart anti-nausea smartwatch campaign on Indiegogo. The health-improving smartwatch actively counters nausea and vomiting in various scenarios by using electrical stimulation of an acupuncture point on the wrist.

A new 3D-printed microneedle system has been designed by researchers at the University of Victoria and the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation. It combines remote health monitoring and drug delivery, and uses painless, minimally invasive tiny microneedles to measure key health indicators like pH, glucose, and lactate levels. It also features a remotely-triggered mechanism for on-demand drug administration, all controlled via a smartphone app.

Bioservo has opened sales of its Carbonhand grip-strengthening glove to all in the US. The powered wearable gives users additional grip strength by using artificial tendons and motors, compensating for medical conditions such as stroke or spinal cord injury. Anyone with qualifying impaired hand function now can buy a Carbonhand glove.

Paraplegic Kevin Piette has walked with the Olympics 2024 torch while wearing the Wandercraft Atalante X exoskeleton. The 36-year-old exoskeleton pilot had an accident 11 years ago that left him unable to use his legs. Piette is an exoskeleton pilot working at Wandercraft to help develop assistive technologies for the disabled.

Synchron announced the successful use of its brain-computer interface (BCI) by an ALS patient to control the Apple Vision Pro using thoughts. This breakthrough will allow individuals who have lost mobility in their hands and voice to interact with the device hands-free. Synchron's CEO stated that this new approach will address a critical unmet need for millions of people with paralysis.

Outdoor gear maker Arc-teryx and startup Skip have unveiled the MO/GO exoskeleton trousers, which use powerful motors and carbon fibre braces to boost leg strength while hiking on inclined terrain or climbing stairs, relieving up to 30 lbs (13.5 kg) of weight. Weighing just 7 lbs, MO/GO runs for over 3 hours or 5-6 miles. Although still in final development, it can be pre-ordered now and will cost $5000 upon launch.

The clinical trial for BiVACOR's innovative artificial heart has reached a stage in which it is being tested in human patients. The synthetic vital organ replacement, which incorporates magnetic levitation (or MAGLEV) technology to keep a user's blood pumping, has been successfully implanted at a Texas research center.

A new technology from South Korea called Nano-MIND allows scientists to wirelessly control specific brain regions using magnetic fields. The technique has already successfully influenced maternal behavior and feeding in mice by targeting distinct neuronal circuits. From helping us understand our brain better to developing treatments for neurological disorders, this tech holds a ton of potential.

SelfDecode has unveiled the DecodyGPT AI health coach providing users with customized diet and lifestyle recommendations for healthier lives. The AI health coach utilizes machine learning on genetic data from tens of thousands of people to help create better sleep, fitness, and health. DecodyGPT can also help answer health questions, build exercise plans, and address illnesses.

Building materials can also be produced using photosynthesis and special bacteria. The process is highly adaptable and should soon deliver relevant quantities.

It is still a prototype, but the tiny device listens exactly where the sound arrives and requires no other components. The advantages for hearing-impaired people could be enormous.

Epicore Biosystems has unveiled the Connected Hydration wearable system to monitor worker hydration to help prevent heat-related illnesses. Employees exposed to hot work environments or under heavy physical exertion can lose a dangerous amount of water from their bodies, and this system helps remind them to hydrate proactively.

Sleep tracking on Apple Watch may have just improved tremendously with watchOS 11. The latest beta update introduces automatic nap detection, a long-awaited feature. This means your watch can now track your sleep even if you forget to turn on Sleep Focus, providing a more comprehensive picture of your overall sleep health.

Samsung has all but confirmed that it will launch its inaugural Galaxy Ring to go with the Galaxy Z Flip6, Fold6, Watch7 and/or Watch Ultra later in 2024. Now, the wearable has popped up in what seems to be a new hands-on leak, which also seems to purport to show how a user goes about charging the new accessory.

Even the humble bathroom scale has become smart in 2024, with many varieties capable of telling a user much more than how much they weigh. Their potential to help track often vital metrics such as body composition is now projected to drive their market's worth by more than $100 million over the next 4 years. Then again, that growth also faces challenges in the form of other smart devices.

Solar Foods has opened a cellular agriculture factory to grow Solein food protein using microbes fed oxygen and hydrogen split from water, carbon dioxide from the air, and a touch of minerals. The main inputs are renewable and drive a fermentation process to create a sustainable, vegan, nutritious protein that can substitute for traditional meats and protein sources.

Sony has showcased a supermicrosurgery robot with 4K 3D cameras and OLED displays to assist surgeons during operations on the smallest of blood vessels and tissues. Automatic instrument exchange eliminates the need for an assistant to hand over surgical tools, speeding up surgeries.

President Biden has raised US import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, medical supplies, semiconductors, port cranes, minerals, steel, and aluminum. The tariffs are in response to unfair Chinese trade practices as well as technology transfers that threaten US supply chains. Americans depending on syringes, face masks, and medical gloves will be hit by 25-50% tariff increases.

As per a new patent filing, Apple may soon implement a drowning detection feature in the next iteration of the Apple Watch. The system, dubbed a digital pool assistant, detects irregular limb movement and heart-rate and blood oxygen readings to ascertain if the wearer is in distress, and sends out a signal to nearby devices to alert others of an emergency.

Hungarian researchers have demonstrated the Lifeward ReStore Exo-Suit exoskeleton to improve stroke patients walking ability better than traditional rehabilitation. Traditional rehabilitation cannot stabilize and move the foot properly, so patients often continue having poor gait.

Bioengineer researchers at UCLA have created a self-powered patch that translates laryngeal muscle movements during silent speech into spoken speech using machine learning. This wearable technology can enable people with speaking difficulties due to illness, injury, or vocal fold disorders to speak even when mute using the speech sensing system.

University of Virginia and NIH researchers have used machine learning models to detect a person’s mood from their word choices on Facebook. Their models work well with White English speakers, but not with Black English speakers. The research can be used as an easy way for humanoid robots or mental health providers to detect moods.

Elon Musk-founded Neuralink's breakthrough enables quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh to control a computer mouse with his mind. Developed in-house, the chip implant reads neuron activity, offering hope for those with neurological conditions. Arbaugh's testimony underscores its transformative potential, with broader applications envisioned for the future.

President Biden has established through executive order the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. The goal is to address the imbalance in health research and treatment of female health issues such as menopause. Government agencies will coordinate research, data, studies and funding while bringing together engineers and scientists to develop novel solutions.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has unveiled the company’s latest AI products and services for the enterprise during GTC 2024 (GPU Technology Conference) in San Jose, CA. The company announced the Blackwell GPU platform as part of their new lineup powering AI in areas such as robotics, drug discovery, and warehouse automation. Advances in autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots were demonstrated.

Hatsumi and Monobanda have held the world premiere of its SoulPaint VR project at South by Southwest 2024. This body mapping experience allowed participants to explore their own bodies and express lived experiences and emotions through art drawn in 3D VR on virtual representations of the self. The project explores the combination of tech, medicine, and art for healing and self-exploration.

The FDA has cleared the Dexcom Stelo as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for use without a prescription in the US. The solution, expected to launch later this year, can be used to track your blood sugar levels in an accompanying app. However, the FDA makes it clear that this product is not suitable for everyone.

Garmin is now selling the Index BPM Smart Blood Pressure Monitor in EU countries, including the Netherlands, France and Germany. The device was launched in the US in 2022 as a blood pressure cuff for clinically validated blood pressure and heart rate measurements. Features include Wi-Fi connectivity to save readings to your Garmin Connect account.

Vera Health has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the Vera Ring. The company suggests the new wearable has a wide range of health tracking features, taking measurements like SpO2, VO2 Max and temperature. Plus, an AI assistant provides advice to improve your health and may be able to spot early signs of illness.

Ultrahuman has launched the M1 Live continuous glucose monitor in the US. The solution uses the FDA-approved Abbott FreeStyle Libre sensor, providing real-time data in the Ultrahuman app. Customers in the US can purchase bundles that are currently discounted or opt for a monthly subscription.

Rehab Technologies IIT has presented the TWIN exoskeleton targeted to stroke and spinal cord injury patients. When worn, the non-self balancing suit assists patients with limited or no control over their legs and feet to sit, stand, and walk about.

Wandercraft has unveiled the Personal Exoskeleton enabling wheelchair-bound people with lower-body paralysis to walk again. The battery-powered exoskeleton utilizes real-time, 3D environmental mapping and adaptive AI gait to allow users to independently sit, stand, and walk around the city.

Elon Musk has said that Neuralink’s first human patient has fully recovered after being implanted with a brain-chip, and is able to move a computer cursor by just thinking. The brain-computer interface, titled Telepathy, is first being tested on those with physical disabilities such as loss of control of one or more limbs.

Surgeons at the headquarters of Virtual Incision have successfully remote-controlled the spaceMIRA surgical robot 250 miles afar on the International Space Station during mock surgery. This trial run simulated surgical tasks required during robotic surgeries such as grasping and cutting by using rubber bands as tissue.

After months of rumors and extensive leaks, a full hands-on video exposé captures Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Fit 3 in a retail store exhibit for visitors to try out. The fitness tracker comes with a wider 1.6” screen, easily replaceable straps, and two familiar colors: gray and white.

It is definitely energy-saving. Genetically modified petunias light up thanks to built-in bioluminescence, which replaces the good old night light and saves electricity at the same time. But the different ways of dealing with risks are also impressive.