Heart Beat

 Ultra violet light could soon be used to detect and assess infected wounds following the development of polymers that shine when there are bacteria present. Researchers at the University of Sheffield, England, found that when a gel containing the polymers was applied to a wound, the level of fluorescence indicated the severity of infection. Professor [...]

August 22 – A nursing student is hoping to win a European competition after coming up with an idea to reduce the misery faced by children having plaster-casts removed. Amanda Jack has already won a year’s use of a Mazda sports care for her idea – which she came up with during her first year [...]

A man with a plastic heart? Is the future already here? In this short video clip, Dr Kevin Fong meets Troy Golden who has an artificial heart. It is powered by a pump he must carry around with him at all times in a backpack. Click here to see the video. It has been suggested [...]

A revolutionary blood pressure measuring device is unveiled today by British scientists. The device will record blood pressure deep within the body – creating the potential for radical improvements to efforts to prevent heart disease and stroke. Researchers at Leicester University, UK, have worked with a company in Singapore on the project. The new device [...]

How did ancient Egyptians walk? Some used prosthetic toes, according to British researchers. Manchester University researchers have proved that two artificial toes found in Egyptian tombs could be used successfully to aid walking. Details of a successful experiment, using the toes dating from 600BC at the height of Egyptian power, have now been reported in [...]

Engineers are seeking to develop “hand gesture” recognition for surgeons working with robotic devices. Robotic theatre nurses are also in the sights of engineers, according to a report in the journal of the Association for Computing Machinery. Gesture recognition will save surgeons time and help reduce the risk of infection from having to use keyboards [...]

 A silicon cuff could convert a cheap pencil into an ideal surgical device, it has been claimed. According to two surgeons in Oxford, UK, the pencil from discount store IKEA may provide the best way of marking cuts in the bone for facial and head surgery. The benefits of the pencil are quite well known, [...]

People who cut their sleep short may also cut their lives short, researchers warned last night. A British study has found that reducing sleep to less than six hours a night increases the risk of premature death by 12 per ent. Researchers at Warwick University have analysed the findings of some 16 pieces of research around [...]

A common drug could save the lives of tens of thousands of accident victims, British researchers claimed today. The blood clotting drug tranexamic acid – TXA – can successfully be used to stem bleeding following an accident, according to a major study. British government funds helped pay for the research involving more than 20,000 patients in [...]