Latest news with #biomedicalengineering
Gizmodo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
Your Pruney Fingers After After a Bath Always Wrinkle the Same Way, Study Reveals
Pruney fingers and toes after a long time in the pool or the bathtub are one of those things we all expect but couldn't explain scientifically until recently. In 2023, Binghamton University biomedical engineer Guy German and colleagues found that this happens because the blood vessels in our digits contract when we spend too much time in water. Then a kid asked a brilliant question that triggered a whole new research project. 'A student asked, 'Yeah, but do the wrinkles always form in the same way?' And I thought: I haven't the foggiest clue!' German explained in a Binghamton University statement. 'So it led to this research to find out.' German and Rachel Laytin, a former graduate researcher at the university's Biological Soft Matter Mechanics Laboratory, revealed that the answer is, simply put, yes: pruney fingers always seem to wrinkle along the same patterns. They detailed their work in a study published in February in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. The two researchers photographed study participants' fingers after they had been immersed in water for half an hour, then repeated the process at least 24 hours later. They compared the pruniness in the two images, looking for similarities, and found that the 'topography' of the wrinkles was the same across both immersions. The blood vessels in our fingers and toes 'don't change their position much—they move around a bit, but in relation to other blood vessels, they're pretty static,' German said. 'That means the wrinkles should form in the same manner, and we proved that they do.' The research also confirms something people have observed for decades: Individuals with median nerve damage—injury to a major nerve in the hand—don't get wrinkles after prolonged water exposure. 'One of my students told us, 'I've got median nerve damage in my fingers.' So we tested him—no wrinkles!' German said. While the recent study was conducted to answer a child's relatively simple question, the findings could have important implications for forensics, particularly in identifying fingerprints at crime scenes or bodies recovered from water. German explained that his father, a former U.K. police officer, encountered some of these difficulties while on the job. As such, 'biometrics and fingerprints are built into my brain,' he added. 'I always think about this sort of stuff, because it's fascinating.' It might be time to add pruney prints to law enforcement's biometric database.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal the real reason why your fingers wrinkle when you soak in the bath
It's a phenomenon we're all familiar with. You go for a swim, or enjoy a relaxing soak in the bath, and soon enough your fingers and toes go wrinkly. But have you ever wondered why this happens? A common misconception is that our fingers wrinkle due to swelling triggered by water absorption. Now, scientists have confirmed that this isn't the case – instead, it's all down to our blood vessels. Guy German, an associate professor in the department of biomedical engineering at Binghampton University, New York, recruited three volunteers to soak their fingers for 30 minutes. His team annotated the patterns of looped peaks and valleys that formed on the sodden skin. They discovered that these patterns mostly repeated themselves when they were soaked again 24 hours later. 'Often people assume that these winkles form because skin absorbs water, which makes it swell up and buckle,' he told The Conversation. 'To be honest, I did too for a long time.' However, it turns out it's actually our autonomic nervous system at work. This controls our involuntary movements such as breathing, blinking and our heart beating – as well as how our blood vessels contract and relax. Normally temperature, medication and what we eat and drink can influence how they behave. 'This contraction of your blood vessels is also what causes the skin to wrinkle after a lengthy swim,' Dr German said. 'When your hands and feet come into contact with water for more than a few minutes, the sweat ducts in your skin open, allowing water to flow into the skin tissue. 'This added water decreases the proportion of salt inside the skin. 'Nerve fibres send a message about lower salt levels to your brain, and the autonomic nervous system responds by constricting the blood vessels. 'The narrowing of the blood vessels causes the overall volume of skin to reduce, puckering the skin into these distinct wrinkle patterns. 'It's like how a dried-out grape becomes a wrinkled raisin – it's lost more volume than surface area.' He explained that submerged fingers usually reproduce the same wrinkly pattern because blood vessels 'don't change their position much'. The experiments, published in the Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, also confirmed another theory – that wrinkles don't form in people who have nerve damage in their fingers. Dr German also revealed another advantage to wrinkled fingers and toes – grip. Researchers have found wrinkled skin can provide more grip underwater compared to unwrinkled, smooth skin. This could make walking along an underwater surface easier, with less likelihood of slipping.
Malay Mail
14-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Thai Engineering Student's Journey at CUHK Exemplifies Excellence in Global Healthcare Innovation
CUHK Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship awardee Jarinyagon CHANTAWANNAKUL (right) from Thailand receives recognition at the University's Scholarship Presentation Ceremony 2021/22, exemplifying CUHK's commitment to nurturing international talents. The significant scholarship recognises her outstanding academic achievements and potential contributions to healthcare innovation. Choosing Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Academic Achievement and Research Excellence Biomedical Engineering student Jarinyagon CHANTAWANNAKUL gains hands-on research experience during her summer internship at Stanford University's Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine. Mentorship and Faculty Support Global Exposure and Professional Development Future Impact in Healthcare Innovation For Thai Students Considering CUHK HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 May 2025 - The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) continues to attract international talent in specialised fields, as demonstrated by the journey of Jarinyagon CHANTAWANNAKUL, a final-year Biomedical Engineering student from Thailand. Her story highlights CUHK's growing reputation as a premier destination for healthcare technology education in selected CUHK after recognising Hong Kong as one of Asia's few locations offering specialised Biomedical Engineering programmes. The university's comprehensive infrastructure, including dedicated libraries, laboratories, and teaching hospitals, along with its unique college system and generous hostel policy, proved decisive factors in her choice. Her academic excellence was recognised with the prestigious Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship, ensuring her financial stability throughout her academic journey has been marked by notable achievements, including the Charles K. Kao Scholarship, which supported her research exchange at Stanford University's Department of Otolaryngology. Most recently, she secured funding from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation's (HKSTP) Ideation programme to develop her final year project into a commercial CUHK, Jarinyagon has benefited from close mentorship by distinguished faculty members. Professor Scott Wu Yuan has served as her project supervisor, career mentor, and life adviser, while Professor Liting Duan's guidance as academic adviser has helped ensure her continued success throughout the classroom learning, Jarinyagon's professional experience includes valuable internships at both Stanford University and a Hong Kong biotech company. Her first full-time paid position as an R&D intern in Hong Kong's biotech sector provided crucial insights into industry operations and workplace dynamics in one of Asia's primary business ahead, Jarinyagon aims to leverage her CUHK education to make meaningful contributions to healthcare through innovation. Her involvement with HKSTP's Ideation programme exemplifies how CUHK prepares students to transform academic projects into practical healthcare prospective Thai students, Jarinyagon emphasises CUHK's strong global reputation and generous scholarship opportunities as key attractions. The university's diverse cultural environment provides invaluable opportunities for international students to expand their global perspectives while pursuing world-class #CUHK The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About CUHK Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) stands as a leading comprehensive research university, consistently ranked among Asia's top educational institutions.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration halts funding for research on infants with heart defects
President Donald Trump's administration has halted funding for a team researching how to help infants with heart defects. Dr. James Antaki, a professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell University, tells NBC News that the Department of Defense has cancelled a $6.7 million grant that would allow him to continue researching PediaFlow, a device that could boost blood flow in infants with heart defects. Antaki's device, which he began developing in 2003, is the size of an AA battery and helps increase blood flow to babies born with a hole between the chambers of their heart. The device helps babies survive until they have surgery or receive a donated heart. The agency sent him a stop-work order on April 8 and withdrew the grant, which would have been distributed over four years. The notice, which came one month after the grant was first approved, said the withdrawal was at 'the direction of the Administration.' Antaki's three decades of research on the subject are now in jeopardy, he told NBC News. If funding isn't restored within three months, his lab will need to lay off staff, and the PhD students involved will have to find a new area of research. 'I feel that it's my calling in life to complete this project,' he said. 'Once a week, I go through this mental process of, 'Is it time to give up?' But it is not my prerogative to give up.' Compared to the federal government's budget, Antaki says this grant is a 'small amount of money that could do so much good for so many people.' 'It's just the right thing to do,' he told NBC News. 'It just it kind of speaks for itself.' Dr. Evan Zahn, a pediatric interventional cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who isn't involved in Antaki's research, said the loss of funding is a major blow to pediatric research. 'Technology specifically designed for our children, particularly babies across the board, is desperately needed, so losing funding for something like that is a real loss,' he told NBC News. This comes after the Trump administration shut down the office responsible for leading the Safe to Sleep campaign, which provided education on safe sleep practices for infants, NPR reports. When the campaign was first launched in 1994, the number of infant deaths decreased by 50 percent and it has subsequently saved thousands of infants' lives, pediatrician Dr. Rachel Moon told NPR. These cuts, which are part of Trump's directive to downsize the federal government, come as the administration claims to support new parents and says it even wants to financially incentivize Americans to have more children. The president recently floated the idea of a $5,000 'baby bonus' for new parents, while the White House has reportedly fielded proposals to bestow a 'National Medal of Motherhood' to mothers with six or more children.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration halts funding for research on infants with heart defects
President Donald Trump's administration has halted funding for a team researching how to help infants with heart defects. Dr. James Antaki, a professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell University, tells NBC News that the Department of Defense has cancelled a $6.7 million grant that would allow him to continue researching PediaFlow, a device that could boost blood flow in infants with heart defects. Antaki's device, which he began developing in 2003, is the size of an AA battery and helps increase blood flow to babies born with a hole between the chambers of their heart. The device helps babies survive until they have surgery or receive a donated heart. The agency sent him a stop-work order on April 8 and withdrew the grant, which would have been distributed over four years. The notice, which came one month after the grant was first approved, said the withdrawal was at 'the direction of the Administration.' Antaki's three decades of research on the subject are now in jeopardy, he told NBC News. If funding isn't restored within three months, his lab will need to lay off staff, and the PhD students involved will have to find a new area of research. 'I feel that it's my calling in life to complete this project,' he said. 'Once a week, I go through this mental process of, 'Is it time to give up?' But it is not my prerogative to give up.' Compared to the federal government's budget, Antaki says this grant is a 'small amount of money that could do so much good for so many people.' 'It's just the right thing to do,' he told NBC News. 'It just it kind of speaks for itself.' Dr. Evan Zahn, a pediatric interventional cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who isn't involved in Antaki's research, said the loss of funding is a major blow to pediatric research. 'Technology specifically designed for our children, particularly babies across the board, is desperately needed, so losing funding for something like that is a real loss,' he told NBC News. This comes after the Trump administration shut down the office responsible for leading the Safe to Sleep campaign, which provided education on safe sleep practices for infants, NPR reports. When the campaign was first launched in 1994, the number of infant deaths decreased by 50 percent and it has subsequently saved thousands of infants' lives, pediatrician Dr. Rachel Moon told NPR. These cuts, which are part of Trump's directive to downsize the federal government, come as the administration claims to support new parents and says it even wants to financially incentivize Americans to have more children. The president recently floated the idea of a $5,000 'baby bonus' for new parents, while the White House has reportedly fielded proposals to bestow a 'National Medal of Motherhood' to mothers with six or more children.
