Latest news with #AdvancedScience
Herald Sun
02-06-2025
- Health
- Herald Sun
Revolutionizing Women's Health: The MenstruAI Device
1/6 Researchers have developed a promising new detection device using something most would consider to be a waste product, hopefully bridging the gap between affordable diagnostic practices and women all around the world. When it comes to our health, we're lucky to be living in a time of ever-increasing research and innovation, with each discovery, study, and trial bringing mankind one step closer to eradicating and treating all kinds of life-threatening illnesses. But much like our approach to technology, the more advanced our knowledge and application of medicine has become, the faster we demand answers and information. Now, a new device developed by researchers at ETH Zurich is set to change the face of women's health forever, efficiently detecting health biomarkers using only menstrual blood and sanitary napkins . 2/6 The device, known as MenstruAI, is set to be a simple, non-invasive and affordable diagnostic alternative for women, and has been designed to seamlessly record health data in everyday life. Unlike existing diagnostic methods, which can be time-consuming, uncomfortable and expensive, MenstruAI requires a person to simply place an integrated non-electronic sensor inside a sanitary pad and wear it as usual. Once it's time to change the pad, users need to take a picture of the used sanitary pad with their smartphone, where they will be able to analyse the result on the device's corresponding app. 3/6 Most diagnostic health tests conducted today analyse biomarkers found in blood or urine, among other bodily fluids. Until now, menstrual blood has not been considered to be anything other than a waste product with no diagnostic benefit, despite being produced by roughly half of the population. But unlike regular blood, which primarily consists of plasma and blood cells, menstrual fluid contains a complex mixture of uterine tissue, cervical mucus and blood. Containing hundreds of proteins, many of which can be indicators of numerous diseases such as endometriosis and ovarian cancer, menstrual blood carries more information about women's health than most may think. 4/6 'To date, menstrual blood has been regarded as waste. We are showing that it is a valuable source of information,' says Lucas Dosnon, doctoral student and researcher involved in the development of ETH Zurich's revolutionary new device. 'We are showing that it is a valuable source of information. Courageous projects [like this one] are called for to break down existing patterns of behaviour to ensure that women's health finally takes the place it deserves.' Much like a rapid antigen COVID-19 test, the device is a simple, paper-based diagnostic platform that can detect and quantify the target substance in a liquid sample. The results of the device's preliminary testing and trial stage, as well as commentary by the study's lead authors and researchers, have been published in the journal Advanced Science . 5/6 When designing the diagnostic device, researchers focused on three specific women's health biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of infection and inflammation; CA-125, a marker associated with endometriosis; and CEA, a marker associated with gynecological cancers. When these specific biomarkers in the menstrual blood come into contact the the test strip located in the wearable device, a coloured indicator appears, with its intensity dependent on the concentration of the biomarker. The results can be seen with the naked eye or can be further analysed through the smartphone-compatible app. 'The app also recognises subtle differences, such as the amount of proteins present, and makes the result objectively measurable,' Dosnon explains. 6/6 'Right from the outset, the aim was to develop a solution that can also be used in regions with poor healthcare provision and would be as cost-effective as possible, potentially enabling population-based screening,' says Inge Herrmann, PhD , corresponding author of the study and head of The Ingenuity Lab Zurich. 'MenstruAI can revolutionise women's health by offering a non-invasive, affordable, and accessible health monitoring method, democratizing healthcare, and enhancing service availability and equity.' While only in its initial testing phase now, researchers emphasise that even if the device is cleared for everyday use under real-life conditions, it is not designed to replace existing diagnostic tests. In other words, MenstruAI should be viewed more as an early warning system to alert women to potential health issues and should always be followed by a visit with a medical professional. More related stories Lifestyle Joining the travelling circus that is the Great Victorian Bike Ride is no walk in the park, but this traveller has no regrets. Read more Lifestyle Sydney airport is auctioning off a trove of forgotten treasures, with everything from laptops to teddy bears up for grabs. Read more
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Built a Memory Device That Doesn't Lose Power—and the Implications Are Mind-Blowing
MRAM is one of the most promising emerging memory technologies we have, as it can theoretical improve on nearly every metric of existing DRAM and SRAM technologies. However, MRAM requires significant current to switch the magnetic vectors required to write information. A new study by scientists at Osaka University created a new material that can help lower that current threshold while maintaining all of MRAM's inherent efficiencies. The story of computing is one of progressively better, faster, and more efficient machines powered by incremental-yet-substantial improvements made to every piece of tech they contain. The oft-mentioned fact that the computer that flew the Apollo 11 mission was less powerful than the phone in your pocket just goes to show the immense progress made in only half a century. However, this story of progress has yet to end, and one area in which computers could still make huge gains is by replacing volatile dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) with what is known as magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). MRAM uses an electron's spin to store information instead of the tiny electrical chargers on the capacitors inside DRAM. This makes it non-volatile, meaning it can store information without a power supply. Theoretically, MRAM devices could make computers more powerful and more efficient by lowering power needs in a standby state. Although the idea for MRAM dates back to the late 1980s, engineers still can't get the tech into high enough densities to be truly functional, due to the amount of current needed to change magnetization vectors and write information. Now, scientists in Japan may have a solution called a 'multiferroic heterostructure.' Let's break it down. In a new paper published in Advanced Science, scientists at Osaka University essentially developed an improved method for controlling the electric fields in MRAM devices. The new component in question— the multiferroic heterostructure—consists of two layers of ferromagnetic and piezoelectric material with a super-thin strip of the element vanadium sandwiched between—something previous MRAM devices lacked. When passing a current through these materials, Live Science reports that the magnetic state switched direction, materials maintained shape, and the magnetic state remained after the power supply was cut off. This breakthrough could help lower the power needed to write information while finally opening the doors for higher MRAM densities. 'Through precise control of the multiferroic heterostructures, two key requirements for implementing practical magnetoelectric (ME)-MRAM devices are satisfied, namely a non-volatile binary state with zero electric field, and a giant converse magnetoelectric effect,' Kohei Hamaya from Osaka University said in a press statement. As Live Science notes, it's uncertain exactly how well this new technology will hold up under consistent use, but the researchers remain confident that their technology can be implemented on 'practical MRAM devices.' Like most emerging technologies, it's unlikely that MRAM will be seen on laptop spec sheets anytime soon, as the technology will find its way into more niche applications first. But... maybe someday? You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
