In 2024, biomedical know-how actually received to our heads—or extra particularly, our eyes and brains. A few of Spectrum’s hottest articles this 12 months had been about know-how aiding our imaginative and prescient, with tales of retinal implants and sensible contact lenses drawing your eye. You dug deep into non-invasive tech to hasten sleep and protect mind perform for individuals with Alzheimer’s illness, in addition to an imaging probe to assist extremely invasive mind surgical procedures.
However it wasn’t all in our heads. This 12 months, you additionally examine assistive exosuits and low-cost MRI machines, in addition to a DNA information drive promising a brand new method to save huge quantities of data.
As we wait to see how new know-how will increase our senses or enhance our well being in 2025, take a minute to look again on the previous 12 months’s greatest tales. Learn on to see Spectrum’s high biomedical articles of 2024.
Wyss Middle for Bio and Neuroengineering
Assistive frames known as exosuits can assist individuals in bodily remedy and rehabilitation transfer their physique. The gadgets work by shifting a person’s muscle groups through electrical pulses, however that stimulation can rapidly tire out the person. Researchers in South Korea and Switzerland are providing a possible resolution: an electrostatic clutch system. Within the system, sleeves are positioned round joints and usually versatile, however can quickly stiffen to assist the physique between actions with out further stimulation. The know-how, known as “Synapsuit,” is being prototyped by the Korea Electronics Expertise Institute.
Pixium
In 2022, contributor Mark Harris detailed how blind customers of a retinal implant made by California biotech firm Second Sight had been left with unsupported devices when the producer went out of enterprise. That story got here near repeating when French biotech firm Pixium Imaginative and prescient ran out of cash in November 2023—till, that’s, spectacular trial information arrived earlier this 12 months, and the corporate was acquired by Science, a startup run by one in all Neuralink’s cofounders.
Elemind
Startup Elemind’s $349 headband guarantees to get you to sleep sooner. The corporate’s first product, which started preorders this 12 months, tracks mind waves with electrocephalography (EEG) sensors, then tweaks them with sound waves delivered through bone conduction. Spectrum’s esteemed former editor Tekla Perry briefly tested out the headband, although in less-than-ideal circumstances. “It wasn’t the time or place to strive for sound sleep, however I—and the others within the room—famous that after 2 minutes I used to be yawning like loopy.”
Getty Photos
Elon Musk has made daring claims concerning the coming capabilities of Neuralink Blindsight, his firm’s visible prosthesis aiming to revive imaginative and prescient in individuals who have misplaced sight in each eyes. The gadget was designated a breakthrough gadget by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration in September—however consultants informed Spectrum it possible won’t live up to Musk’s hype.
Greg Mably
For individuals with psychological well being circumstances like bipolar dysfunction, it’s essential to control their temper. Smartphone apps might be able to do exactly that, offering goal perception about our interior state from information collected with none person enter. In contrast to conventional mood-tracking apps and logs, these apps quietly collect information within the background a couple of person’s conduct. However, whereas promising, they face challenges, together with privateness issues and a necessity for rigorous medical validation.
St. Michael’s Basis
When treating aneurysms and strokes, neurosurgeons usually must make do with blurry pictures. However which will quickly change, due to a new fiber-optic imaging probe. The probe winds by means of the maze of mind arteries, capturing high-resolution pictures of the mind to information surgeons. “Whereas earlier than … clinicians had a satellite-like view of the mind’s vasculature community, now they’ve a Google Avenue View-like perspective,” writes contributor Elie Dolgin. The probe has been examined in medical trials at two hospitals in Toronto and Buenos Aires, and a startup is aiming to carry the know-how to market.
Getty Photos
Present MRI scanners are costly and require highly effective magnets and a whole lot of vitality to energy. With the machines usually solely present in specialised hospital facilities, MRIs are inaccessible for greater than two-thirds of the worldwide inhabitants. However a new, simplified full-body MRI scanner works at a fraction of the price and 1,800 watts, in comparison with 25 kilowatts or extra. The machine makes use of AI to match the picture high quality of conventional MRI scanners with a lot much less highly effective magnets.
Tsai Laboratory/MIT Picower Institute
Early medical trials are starting to indicate proof that stimulating the mind at sure frequencies could benefit people living with Alzheimer’s disease. In response to a staff of researchers at MIT, sound and light-weight oscillations at 40-hertz lively a neural-cleansing course of that helps take away beta-amyloid, the protein that clumps collectively within the brains of these with Alzheimer’s. The non-invasive remedy is at present being examined in randomized trials, and analysis will possible proceed for the following few years, although some firms are already providing “wellness” merchandise that ship gamma frequency gentle or sound stimulation.
Edmon de Haro
Our information is piling up rapidly. In reality, it’s rising sooner than our storage functionality will be capable of deal with in only a few years. That’s why some organizations are taking steps towards building a DNA drive to retailer the deluge of information, instead of magnetic tape and disk drives. With every DNA base (A, T, G, and C) performing as a bit, DNA gives significantly better storage density; based on one estimate, all 120 zettabytes of data on the Web could possibly be saved in a quantity of DNA the scale of a sugar dice. Now, researchers search methods to effectively learn and write massive volumes of DNA information.
Erfan Pourshaban
Good contact lenses might have numerous shopper and medical makes use of—measuring glucose ranges, delivering treatment for ocular illness, and even performing as a show for augmented actuality. However how do you energy a tool sitting on one of the crucial delicate elements of the human physique? Researchers on the College of Utah created a hybrid energy-generation unit that draws energy from light and tears: Whereas the eyes are open, tiny, versatile photo voltaic cells comprised of silicon seize gentle from the solar and synthetic sources. Then, actually within the blink of an eye fixed, a second system acts like a metal-air battery, with electrolytes in tears serving as a biofuel. The mix permits for steady energy technology and provides sufficient vitality for sensible contacts.
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