COMPAMED 2019 –
Melting pot for high-tech solutions

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have developed a new material whose shape memory is activated by magnetism. It retains a given shape when it is put into a magnetic field. It is a composite material consisting of two components.

If you've ever pressed a picture-hanging strip onto the wall only to realize it's slightly off-center, you know the disappointment behind adhesion as we typically experience it: it may be strong, but it's mostly irreversible.

The team led by Brown School of Engineering bioengineer Antonios Mikos and graduate student Jason Guo have developed modular, injectable hydrogels enhanced by bioactive molecules anchored in the chemical crosslinkers that give the gels structure.

The mantis shrimp, one of the ocean's most ornery creatures, can take on attacks from its own species without getting injured. Its strategy could solve a big manufacturing problem: Creating lighter materials that absorb a lot of energy from a sharp impact within a limited amount of space.

In one of the first-of-its-kind studies, Cleveland Clinic researchers found that the use of electronic inhaler monitoring, in combination with a disease management program, is associated with reduced healthcare utilization in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A study has found a pattern of molecules that appear in the blood before a seizure happens. This discovery may lead to the development of an early warning system, which would enable people with epilepsy to know when they are at risk of having a seizure.

Worldwide, about one in every 500 babies are born with extra fingers or toes - a condition known as polydactyly. Often seen as a 'birth defect', extra digits are usually removed shortly after birth. The findings could show us how to tap into the brain's resources to control robotic extra limbs and digits.

A simulator for the lower jaw has been developed at Samara Polytech. The device is intended for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

A team of researchers at Texas A&M University has developed an innovative way to print therapeutics in 3D for regenerative medicine.

Today microcontrollers can be found in almost any technical device, from washing machines to blood pressure meters and wearables. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS have developed AIfES, an artificial intelligence (AI) concept for microcontrollers and sensors that contains a completely configurable artificial neural network.