MIT researchers have unveiled a new bionic knee system that could redefine prosthetic integration for people with above-the-knee amputations. Unlike traditional socket-based prostheses, which often feel like external tools, this system is anchored directly into the user’s bone and muscle tissue—restoring not only mobility but also a profound sense of embodiment. The innovation builds on a surgical technique called the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface (AMI), developed by Professor Hugh Herr and his team. During amputation, muscle pairs that normally work in opposition—like those that flex and extend the knee—are severed, disrupting the body’s ability to sense movement. AMI reconnects these muscle…

Researchers at Penn State have developed a flexible, skin-like sensor that can monitor both physical movement and electrical signals—internally and externally. Designed to mimic the properties of human skin, the device combines electrical and ionic conductivity, allowing it to interface naturally with the body, even in wet environments like internal organs. Unlike conventional sensors that rely solely on electron flow, this dual-modal approach improves signal quality and adhesion, especially for implanted applications. The sensor is built from a mix of flower-shaped metal-organic frameworks, carbon nanotubes, and a soft rubber-like material infused with ionic liquid. This combination gives it high sensitivity,…

For people with type 1 diabetes, dangerously low blood sugar—hypoglycemia—can strike without warning, especially during sleep or in children who can’t self-administer treatment. To address this, MIT engineers have developed a quarter-sized implantable device that stores powdered glucagon and can release it on demand, offering a potentially life-saving backup system for patients at risk. The device consists of a 3D-printed polymer reservoir sealed with a shape-memory alloy that curls open when heated to 40°C. It contains a stable, powdered form of glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar), which is released when the device is triggered—either manually or automatically via…

At-home diagnostic tests surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their convenience often came at the cost of sensitivity. Now, engineers at UC Berkeley have developed a low-cost biosensing platform that could dramatically improve the accuracy of rapid at-home tests—not just for viruses like COVID-19, but also for life-threatening conditions like sepsis and prostate cancer. The innovation hinges on a deceptively simple physical phenomenon: the coffee-ring effect. When a droplet of liquid evaporates, suspended particles migrate to the edge, forming a ring-shaped stain. Lead researcher Kamyar Behrouzi realized this effect could be harnessed to concentrate disease biomarkers in a predictable pattern.…

For millions of people with diabetes and other chronic conditions, daily injections are a painful, inconvenient reality. That’s because many protein-based drugs—like insulin, semaglutide (Ozempic), and monoclonal antibodies—can’t survive the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. But engineers at Georgia Tech have developed a new capsule that could change that: a self-pressurizing pill that uses a tiny chemical “explosion” to deliver injectable drugs directly into the small intestine, no needle required. The capsule, created by Professor Mark Prausnitz and his team, is powered by a simple reaction between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. When the capsule reaches the small intestine,…

Joint health is notoriously difficult to track outside of clinical settings. Traditional methods for measuring joint torque—how much force a joint exerts—are often bulky, lab-bound, or too imprecise for real-world use. Now, researchers from the University of Oxford and University College London have developed a wearable device that could change that: a lightweight, AI-enabled sensor that wraps around the knee and delivers real-time data on torque, angle, and load during movement. At the heart of the device is a piezoelectric film made from boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) embedded in a flexible silicone matrix. These nanotubes are prized for their mechanical…

For over a century, surgical microscopes have relied on a simple trick: mimic human binocular vision to create depth perception. But while this stereoscopic approach helps surgeons navigate delicate anatomy, it falls short when it comes to precision measurement, automation, or real-time 3D reconstruction. Enter the FiLM-Scope—a new surgical microscope developed by researchers at Duke University that uses 48 tiny cameras to generate detailed 3D maps of the surgical field, live and in color. The system, short for Fourier lightfield multiview stereoscope, arranges 48 microcameras in a grid behind a single high-throughput lens. Each camera captures the scene from a…

Artificial blood has long been a biomedical moonshot—promising a scalable, donor-free solution to global shortages, but consistently stalling at the cellular level. Now, researchers at the University of Konstanz and Queen Mary University of London have uncovered a key molecular signal that could finally unlock large-scale red blood cell production. The discovery centers on a chemokine called CXCL12, which plays a surprising role in the final stage of red blood cell development: the expulsion of the nucleus from erythroblasts. In mammals, red blood cells (erythrocytes) are unique in that they eject their nucleus before entering circulation, making room for hemoglobin…

In emergency medicine, speed saves lives—but prolonged immobilization during transport can quietly cause harm. Pressure injuries, also known as bedsores or ulcers, are a serious risk for trauma patients who remain strapped to rigid spine boards for hours during evacuation. In fact, more than half of casualties transported during the Iraq War developed pressure injuries before reaching a hospital. Now, researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and UT Southwestern Medical School have developed a solution that could change the standard of care: an adaptive spine board (ASB) overlay that dynamically redistributes pressure to protect vulnerable patients. The ASB overlay…

Cancer treatment has long been a balancing act—target the tumor without harming healthy tissue, deliver drugs precisely, and somehow rally the immune system to keep the disease from coming back. Most therapies manage one or two of these goals, but rarely all three. Now, researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) have developed a multifunctional nanomaterial that could change that equation. Their innovation: a triple-layered nanodisk that doesn’t just find and destroy cancer cells—it also helps the body remember the attack. The nanomaterial, dubbed “AuFeAuNDs”, is a disk-shaped structure with a layer of iron sandwiched between two…