Kevin

I am the writer, editor and publisher behind this future technology blog and I predict you will keep reading to see what is coming right around that metaphorical corner.

3D Implant Could Combat Cancer

3D Printing Comments Off

Oct 032018

For some time now, we’ve seen regular changes to the way we can combat illnesses such as cancer. Despite being one of the leading causes of death worldwide, overcoming something as powerful as cancer takes a huge amount of innovation and, in some cases, luck. However, thanks to the combined planning of SWRI and UTSA, we could see a major shift in battling cancer thanks to the development of a 3D-printed medical implant.

The researchers at both the Southwest Research Institute and The University of Texas at San Antonio have produced some hugely impressive 3D implants. The device, it is hoped, could be used to provide ailments to patients who are suffering from long-term conditions such as cancer, or even arthritis.

Albert Zwiener, the Project Co-Leader, said: “The implant addresses a specific patient’s illness in addition to their medical history and other health issues. We inject this non-invasive device into the body to deliver medicine over a significant period of time.”

For anyone undertaking drugs to deal with a health condition, they must take an amount that is built for their specific condition. However, those who need to take a specific dosage often need to do so with the help of a doctor or medical professional. With this solution, that need could be automated, with the exact amounts produced and used as needed during the day for the right dosage.

At the moment, the project is backed by the Connect program, which has invested around $125,000 into the project. The main objective is to support projects like this, as well as better enable proposals for peer reviewed research in the future.

A transformative step forward

The aim is to create the device using a specific 3D printer over at the UTSA grounds, that can be used to print our biodegradable material. Once treatment is finished, then, the little implant would dissolve naturally, further reducing the need for medical appointments to get it removed.

Also, it will be used to help work with localized immunotherapy, which will be used to help combat cancerous tumours. However, while this is being mostly marketed as a cancer combatant, the belief is that it will be able to provide access to just about any drug.

According to the other Co-Leader, Lyle Hood: “If clinically translated, this would allow for doctors and pharmacists to print specific dosages to meet patients’ needs. In immunotherapy, most strategies employ systemic circulation through an iv line, much like chemotherapy. This can cause issues with immune reactions far away from the intended target. We hope that by delivering locally, we can keep acute effects constrained to the diseased region.”

This comes as part of a growing wave of technology of this kind, producing hope that, in the long-term, we can make progressive adjustments to how we treat and handle illness.

Could AI Retina Scanning Be Used to Help Diabetic Patients?

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Sep 122018

AI Retinal Scan

For years, one of the most challenging and debilitating illnesses someone could suffer from is diabetes. Hard to spot the symptoms of and harder to treat for patients, diabetes has become a major problem for so many people. However, a technological advancement could help us to finally start making the diagnosis and management of diabetic life so much easier. Thanks to the help of this new AI retinal scanning option, eye screening will change rapidly.

With diabetes being the leading cause of blindness worldwide, this new technology could offer an amazing way to solve this problem in years to come. Retinal scans are presently on offer, and is a recommended part of diabetic diagnosis and care. However, with uptake sometimes falling in the 33-50% margins, it’s not a commonly used solution.

Thanks to the work of Dr. Simon Kos, the Chief Medical Officer at Microsoft, that could be about to change. By improving both the quality and accuracy of retinal scanning, Kos believes that this could help to optimize uptake. “[In the US,] patients have to turn up to the ophthalmologist’s office and it takes two to three hours because they dilate their eyes with these drops and you can’t drive afterwards. From a patient experience perspective, it’s a real inconvenience, hence the poor compliance.”

His latest program, then, Iris, might offer something entirely new: “I’ve been working with a business partner here in the US called Iris [Intelligent Retinal Imaging System] and they have created an ophthalmic visit in a box. It’s actually a combined hardware and software appliance; you pop your chin into a chin strap and a little voice guides you through taking a perfect picture of the back of your eye in a few minutes.”

Greater accuracy

At present, your retina scan would be looked at by a single expert in ophthalmology. Now, it would be sent to a cloud where a team of experts could look at and understand the issues involved. This results in faster and quicker planning for a solution, and can deliver an answer within hours rather than days.

By working alongside AI, the aim is to allow for the image data-sets to eventually be interpreted by the ophthalmologists to make the machine pick up on the crucial details. Accuracy rates with Iris are improving all the time, and the hope is that it will provide a lasting and genuine solution to eye issues in diabetics.

With an accuracy of 97% – a human expert has an average of 92% – it’s safe to say that Iris is learning quickly. In just a year it has made an improvement of 12%. With more accuracy and greater speed of response, it’s easy to see why so many diabetics might be more inclined to make the most of this interesting new development by Microsoft.

Alongside other machine-learning inspired medical tools, Iris offers another glimpse into a world where we can use technology to solve even the most specific conditions in the shortest space of time imaginable.

Are Autonomous Cars the Answer to a Future of Renewable Energy?

Future Cars Comments Off

Aug 292018

Cars Driving

By Guest Blogger Neko Ziron

Companies and governments across the globe are eager to nail driverless technology. For instance, the Japanese government is pressuring carmakers to perfect self-driving features in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Google’s sister company Waymo recently announced that it will purchase 20,000 self-driving vehicles from Jaguar for its future ride-hailing service. This just goes to show the company’s confidence in the driverless vehicle industry.

While driverless technology has been the talk of the town for quite some time, concerns arise over the environmental implications of autonomous vehicles. These cars may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions if they are not made to use renewable energy. On the bright side, however, companies today are exploring solutions to address this very issue.

Ride-sharing service Lyft announced its environment-friendly goals, stating that all of its driverless vehicles will be powered by 100% renewal energy. The company predicts that it will provide 1 billion rides using electric driverless cars. It was noted in the article how Lyft plans to secure renewable energy certificates in order to counter the emissions caused by fueling electric, autonomous vehicles.

Electricity-powered self-driving cars may be the answer, but other enterprises are looking towards alternate solutions. Earlier this year, Hyundai’s fleet of five autonomous hydrogen-fuelled cars successfully completed a 118-mile trip from Seoul to Pyeongchang. According to Automotive News’ report on Hyundai’s test, the automaker believes that fuel cells are a better option than purely electric vehicles, since the artificial intelligence systems in driverless cars eat up a lot of electricity. Because of that, electric-powered vehicles may not last on the road for too long when finally in use.

Hyundai used its own vehicles to make this comparison. For instance, the company’s Ionic EV runs on a 30-kilowatt-hour battery, while the Nexo is loaded with 13 pounds of hydrogen in three tanks. These can generate a total of 108 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is clearly more than its electric vehicle’s power.

Hyundai is not alone in its support for hydrogen fuel cells. Other automakers like Toyota and Honda are also investing in hydrogen-powered vehicles. Both the Honda Clarity and the Toyota Mirai are enjoying sales success in areas that have hydrogen stations, such as California. The majority of automotive companies seem to believe that electric-powered cars are the answer, but if given more time and investment, perhaps the minority can prove otherwise.

Using hydrogen fuel cells is just one way to improve fuel efficiency in vehicles. Fuel efficiency can be enhanced further with the use of onboard electronic logging devices, especially as we wait for driverless car technology to finally hit the world’s highways. Verizon Connect’s summary of electronic logging devices discusses how they can provide insights that drivers can use to correct fuel-wasting habits, such idling, speeding, and aggressive driving. Incidentally, the data provided by these devices can also work to improve road safety. By combining onboard devices and renewable energy, one can reduce both the negative impact a vehicle has on the environment and road safety risks.

Hydrogen Cars Now regularly updates its website on news of hydrogen technology, so be sure to visit from time to time.

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