Scientists monitor neuron action potentials optically

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and colleagues in Switzerland and Japan have used fluorescent calcium indicator proteins to optically measure living mice neuron action potentials, as well as the activity of


The only way scientists could do this previously was by inserting invasive electrodes into the nerve tissue or the cells, which does not allow for identifying indivisual cells and damages the tissue.


The new technique allows for investigating how memories are formed and lost and when and where nerve cell activity patterns become altered, as in aging and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.

[ more ]

Endometrial stem cells could repair brain cells damaged by Parkinson's disease

Stem cells derived from the endometrium (uterine lining) and transplanted into the brains of laboratory mice with Parkinson's disease appear to restore functioning of brain cells damaged by the disease, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

[ more ]

Eye Tracking for Mobile Control

It's hard sending a text message with arms full of groceries or while wearing winter gloves. Voice control is one alternative to using your fingers, but researchers are also working on other hands-free ways to control mobile devices. A team at Dartmouth College has now created an eye-tracking system that lets a user operate a smart phone with eye movement....

[ more ]

Projected MultiTouch Screen

Light Blue Optics' interactive projector transforms any flat surface into a multitouch screen, planned to be released to the market in late 2010. When a person's fingers touch the display, infrared sensors detect the motion and allow the same kinds of interactions that are possible on, say, an iPhone. The product is initially being made available to industrial partners for commercial applications such as interactive displays in retail or educational settings.

[ more ]

Smart clothes...

In the emerging 'Internet of Things', everyday objects are becoming networked. Clothing is no exception. It's still early days for Web-enabled clothes - the best example so far is the Nike+ running shoe, which contains sensors that connect to the user's iPod. But expect to see everything from your shirt to your underwear networked in the not too distant future.

In the following list of ten 'smart clothing' items, we showcase Internet pants, a proximity sensing shirt, a heart sensing bra, biosensor underwear, a "thought helmet", and more!

[ more ]

Brain Waves Predict Suicide Risk

A new technique might help doctors foresee suicidal thoughts before a patient even has them. Researchers at UCLA are using quantitative EEG (QEEG) to determine how different individuals' brains respond to different antidepressants, trying to find early markers that indicate whether a new therapy will be effective.

[ more ]

Simultaneous Pen + Touch Direct Input

pCubee: a Perspective-Corrected Handheld Cubic Display

Using own skin cells to repair hearts on horizon

A heart patient's own skin cells soon could be used to repair damaged cardiac tissue thanks to pioneering stem cell research of the University of Houston's newest biomedical scientist, Robert Schwartz.

[ more ]

A Brain Implant that Uses Light

Researchers at Medtronic are developing a prototype neural implant that uses light to alter the behavior of neurons in the brain. The device is based on the emerging science of optogenetic neuromodulation, in which specific brain cells are genetically engineered to respond to light. The company plans to market the device to neuroscience researchers and use it for in-house research on the effects of DBS.

[ more ]