Tech Review: Materials II

The Ximedica Technology Forum: A collective enterprise to share, disseminate and discuss new technologies, gadgets and innovations that have recently come into the public domain.

Ghost Heart by Texas Heart Institute

Seeking to relieve the shortage of donor organs, THS has developed a heart scaffold that they have been able to grow a working heart from using human stem cells. The scaffold was created from the protein structure of a pig’s heart with the living cells stripped away with a soap solution, and has successfully been implanted into animals.

As seen on: Nature.com

Magnetic Fabrics by IMD Institute for Material Design and BMW

Textile is filled with magnets and materials that respond to magnets like iron powder. When put near electromagnetic fields, the fabric comes to life. Though still at the proof-of-concept stage, the fabric is being developed by the IMD Institute for Materialdesign and BMW, and could potentially be controlled remotely with the touch of an app.

As seen on: FastCo

Programmable dissolvable tissue sponge by Tufts University

Growing new tissues often requires a scaffold to allow for the proper shape and level of proliferation. A team at Tufts University has developed silk protein that creates an in-vitro scaffold to help soft tissue form & grow. Because silk is a natural substance, the scaffolds have been engineered to dissolve into the body over time with little to no inflammation.

As seen on: MedGadget

OsBot 3D bone printer by LuxNova (Cal State University Long Beach)

A group of college students recently won the Cal State Long Beach Innovation Challenge with their 3D printer. The twist? Their printer is able to replicate the complex, porous architecture of the skeleton down to the micro and nanostructure level, which would make the body much less likely to reject the printed bone implant. The team is currently developing their LuxNova OSBot printer with the help of the $10,000 in seed funding & office space that they won in the competition.

As seen on: MedCityNews