Broken heart ? artificial muscle is on the way
Scientists have developed a fully functioning artificial human heart muscle large enough to patch over damage typically seen in patients, who have suffered a heart attack. The advance takes a major step toward the end goal of repairing dead heart muscle in human patients, researchers have said.
“Right now, virtually all existing therapies are aimed at reducing the symptoms from the damage that has already been done to the heart, but no approaches have been able to replace the muscle that is lost, because once it is dead, it does not grow back on its own,” said Ilya Shadrin, a doctoral student at Duke University in the US.
“This is a way that we could replace lost muscle with tissue made outside the body,” said the student.
Scar tissue before heart failure
Unlike some human organs, the heart cannot regenerate itself after a heart attack.
The dead muscle is often replaced by scar tissue that can no longer transmit electrical signals or contract, both of which are necessary for smooth and forceful heartbeats.
The end result is a disease commonly referred to as heart failure that affects over 12 million patients worldwide.
Heart patches could be implanted over the dead muscle and remain active for a long time, providing more strength for contractions and a smooth path for the heart’s electrical signals to travel through.
These patches also secrete enzymes and growth factors that could help recovery of damaged tissue that has not yet died.
However, a heart patch must be large enough to cover the affected tissue. It must also be as strong and electrically active as the native heart tissue, or else the discrepancy could cause deadly arrhythmias.
This is the first human heart patch to meet both criteria.
Call it engineering ingenuity
“Creating individual cardiac muscle cells is pretty commonplace, but people have been focused on growing miniature tissues for drug development,” said Nenad Bursac, professor at Duke.
“Scaling it up to this size is something that has never been done and it required a lot of engineering ingenuity,” said Mr. Bursac.
The cells for the heart patch are grown from human pluripotent stem cells — the cells that can become any type of cell in the body.
Researchers have successfully made patches using many different lines of human stem cells, including those derived from embryos and those artificially forced or “induced” into their pluri-potent state.
The results improved on the researchers’ previous patches, which were one square centimetre and four square centimetres.
They successfully scaled up to 16 square centimetres and five to eight cells thick.
Tests show that the heart muscle in the patch is fully functional, with electrical, mechanical and structural properties that resemble those of a normal, healthy adult heart.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/artificial-muscle-can-mend-broken-hearts/article21055616.ece
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New discovery: This ‘black box’ recorder can measure surgeons’ proficiency
Scientists have developed a novel recorder similar in concept to a flight recorder on an airplane that can be used to objectively measure surgeons’ proficiency in robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery.
The recorder, called the dVLogger developed by the US-based Intuitive Surgical, similar to the “black box” in flight would evaluate a surgeon’s proficiency in performing the surgery to ensure patient safety.
When attached to a robotic surgery system during radical prostatectomy procedures — the most common treatment for prostate cancer — the recorder would capture data that could be used to discern the difference between novice and expert surgeons, the study showed.
It captures both anonymised video and movement data.
“The dVLogger records the surgeon’s movements, capturing where the instruments are and how the surgeon is moving the instruments,” said lead author Andrew Hung, Assistant Professor at University of Southern California.
To measure the recorder’s ability, four basic prostate surgery steps were analysed. Data from 100 procedures performed by both novice and expert surgeons were recorded.
The results, forthcoming in The Journal of Urology, showed that novice and expert surgeons could be identified by measuring time to complete operative steps, distance of instrument and camera travel and frequency of camera movements.
“We now have an opportunity to put surgeon proficiency under the microscope and see what role it plays in patient outcomes,” Hung said.
“Creating a sustainable, objective method for evaluating surgeon proficiency and standardising credentialing is a way to help ensure patient safety,” he noted.
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/this-black-box-recorder-can-measure-surgeons-proficiency-2065611
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Want to ward off winter sickness? Take help from these Indian spices
With each Indian spice possessing numerous health properties of their own, they are truly effective if you want to ward off winter sickness.
Indian spices, while enhancing the taste of cuisines around the world, are deeply rooted in ancient Indian traditions as highly effective healers and preventive agents against multifarious health problems.
With each Indian spice possessing numerous health properties of their own, they are truly effective if you want to ward off winter sickness.
Dolly Kumar, Director at GAIA and Purba Kalita, Co-Founder at Salebhai.com, have listed few spices:
Star anise (chakr phool):
Rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, star anise is effective in easing sore throats and colds. Its antifungal and antibacterial abilities can keep you away from flu and other viral infections in this season.
If you are suffering from a sore throat or a bad cough, drink tea made with this star-shaped spice. Add two anise seed pods in boiling water for over 15 minutes. Strain the tea and add a few drops of honey. Drink this tea thrice daily to avail immunity-boosting benefits.
Saffron (kesar):
Apart from adding a vibrant colour to your dishes, saffron has several health benefits too. If you’re looking for an instant relief from cold, mix a few strands in milk and apply the same on your forehead. This technique is a sure-shot one to treat colds due to seasonal change.
Turmeric (haldee):
A glass of turmeric milk gulped down every day in the winter months will boost your immunity system and keep you away from various infections. Known around the world as a miracle spice, turmeric has antioxidants, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory benefits that will help prevent and tackle a number of diseases.
Fenugreek seeds (methee bee):
Do you like laddoos? Try putting fenugreek seeds, ginger, fennel seeds and jaggery in them. Fenugreek seeds are packed with antiviral properties and have the ability to kill viruses that cause sniffles and sore throats.
Nutmeg (jaayaphal):
This is a warm spice and can be added to your sweet and savoury food items to boost their flavours. It has strong antibacterial properties that help boost the immune system. A cup of hot milk with nutmeg powder, a few drops of honey and crushed cardamom is sure to keep your winter blues away.
Black pepper (kaalee mirch):
With a distinctive taste and pungent aroma, this spice contains various anti-oxidants that accelerate the body’s metabolism. Add black pepper to any cuisine or use it as a condiment and enjoy the fine flavour along with its myriad health benefits.
Cloves (laung):
Rich in antioxidants, cloves have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and dental-soothing properties. Widely recognised the world over for its medicinal and culinary qualities, these dried flower buds have distinct flavour and intense aroma. Add cloves to your salad dressings, meats and desserts and relish the bursts of flavour.
Cardamom (ilaayachee):
Also known as elaichi, cardamom’s small green pods are rich sources of minerals and antioxidants that aid in blood detoxification and resolve digestive issues. The aromatic spice also contains vitamin C and other essential nutrients.
Drinking a cup of elaichi tea in the winter months is sure to ward off any symptoms of a cold and enhance your mood in the grey months.
Cinnamon (daalacheenee):
The spice is rich in antioxidants and has several healing properties. In the winter months, cinnamon can be teamed with ginger to beat common cold.
Cinnamon has immunity-boosting abilities and can protect you from various bacteria. A pinch of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey in warm water in the morning can be a perfect winter elixir.
Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/want-to-ward-off-winter-sickness-take-help-from-these-indian-spices-2065757
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Surgeons battle for 16 hours to save a child at andhra hospital, Vijayawada
Surgeons from Andhra Hospitals succesfully conducted a rare complex heart disease on a 10-day-old girl baby after spending 16 hours, according to P.V. Rama Rao, Chief of Children’s Services, here on Thursday.
Speaking to mediapersons he said the baby, born to a couple from Ponnuru in Guntur District, Bala Bharati and Ganapathi, was diagnosed as having a rare heart disease called transposition of great arteries, in which the blood vessels coming from heart are placed on the opposite site.
The children cardiac team from Andhra Hospitals and Healing Little Hearts from United Kingdom performed the complicated surgery after taking the consent of the parents.
“Now the girl child is shifted to a paediatric cardiac ICU. She was on ventilator for six days. The baby is feeding well and gaining weight. It is ready for discharge,” he pointed out.
BCCI Senior Selection Committee Chairman M.S.K. Prasad, who has promised to take care of the child post-surgery, said that Andhra Cricket Association will support children with heart diseases and would take up campaign for early diagnosis.
“ACA, as corporate social responsibility, will use the One Day International match between India and Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam on December 17 to promote the cause”.
He said the message would be beamed on the giant screen in the stadium and also banners and flexis will highlight the cause.
He congratulated Andhra Hospitals children cardiac team, Children Intensive Care Team and Healing Little Hearts from United Kingdom for successfully competing 215 free heart surgeries.
Cardiac surgeons Vikram, Dilip, Srimannarayana and Ramesh were present along with the parents of the child.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/surgeons-battle-for-16-hours-to-save-a-child/article21666521.ece
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This robot-assisted digital 360 degree breast thermography device may help detect breast cancer at an early stage
Keeping a watch on the crab is the only way to eliminate it before it hits you hard. A regular breast cancer screening—whether by self-examining the breast or undergoing radiological tests—is the only way to detect the most common cancer in women at an early stage.
Breast cancer ranks number one cancer among Indian women. One in 28 women gets breast cancer and one in two die due to late detection. But despite many breast cancer awareness programmes, doctors say that not many women come for screening on a regular basis.
They say there could be three reasons for it: many women may weigh harmful radiations they get exposed to during mamography vs the benefit of screening, especially when they don’t have a family history. Some women find mammography a very painful process. Then there are women who feel uncomfortable exposing their breasts for screening.
The new thermography device–Illumina 360 by Cura Health– might address all three inhibitions a woman generally have while going for a regular breast cancer screening.
The breast is a highly complex and one of the most difficult- to- image human organs as it varies in symmetry, density, size and morphology. The breast tissue is unique due to the mechanism of the mammary vessels and skin temperatures. Substantial changes could occur in a woman’s breast during hormonal changes at different stages of life.
Measurement and studying of breast skin temperature and its response to hot and cold challenges in a controlled environment, plays an important role in early detection of breast anomalies.
Thermography can detect the subtle physiologic changes in the breast that usually occur in case of cancer, fibrocystic disease, or an infection
Thermography can detect the subtle physiologic changes in the breast that usually occur in case of cancer, fibrocystic disease, or an infection. “A tissue’s temperature rises in case of an infection or tumour. It is the first change to take place in case of an abnormality. In many cases, it alerts a person months in advance,” says Dr Sandeep Jaipurkar, consultant radiologist, Vijaya hospital, Chennai.
Though it is not a new technique, the new device—Illumina 360—is an improvised version. Designed, developed and manufactured in India with the support of Department of Biotechnology, the government of India, it has more accuracy.
“The accuracy of earlier thermography machines was hardly 60 percent, the camera used to focus on the breast from one angle, thus missing the changes happening in the denser and deeper tissues. Illumina 360 is 96 per cent accurate,” says M Bala Subhramanium, CEO, Cura Health.
The new device consists of a table which has a small hole that allows breast to suspend freely downwards. A rotatory camera fitted below the table then takes pictures of the breast at every 15 degree. It provides 360 degree view of the breast.
It also takes into account the temperature of the surroundings, which may have an effect on the results in case of a conventional thermography machine. The new test is done in a thermally insulated room to avoid any temperature variation during the test.
The technique has other added benefits too: it is radiation free; doesn’t require any compression of breast; provides privacy.
Since mammography is prescribed for above 45 years age, thermography may help detecting breast cancer in younger women.
Source: http://www.healthpost.in/medley/This-robot-assisted-digital-360-degree-breast-thermography-device-may-help-detect-breast-cancer-at-an-early-stage-611
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The doctor and his ‘One-Rupee clinic’
It is afternoon, and the load on Mumbai’s suburban trains on the central railway line has considerably come down, but the queue at the ‘One- Rupee clinic’ at the eastern platform of the Ghatkopar station refuses to shorten. This is the time when local shopkeepers and residents come to the clinic for affordable treatment. And the queue gets longer every time a train stops at the station.
The clinic- a 10 x12 room– was started by Dr Rahul Ghule four months back. It has all the necessary medical equipment: a blood pressure machine, a glucometer, an examination bed, among others. The clinic also offers all blood and urine tests.
A brainchild of Dr Rahul Ghule, it is a part of a chain of 8 clinics at local train stations in Mumbai. The clinics also serve as emergency medical room to the railways.
The idea of setting up the clinic occurred to him in 2014, when he was working as a medical officer at J J Hospital in Mumbai and used to have a lot of free time in the evenings. Since a doctor working in public hospital could not do private practice, he decided to open a charitable clinic in Machimar nagar, a slum near Colaba.
Most patients wanted treatment for cough, cold, fever. Some were diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. One day, an old woman came to him from a far-off locality. She had a wound on her left thumb, which was severely infected. “Had she delayed the treatment for another few days, doctors would have had to amputate her thumb. She could have even died of septic shock. But I found that she was unaware of the severity of the condition,” says Ghule.
In just a month, Machimar clinic became popular with the locals and the patients strength grew from 30 to 200 in the second month. “Most patients who visited the clinic didn’t have money for treatment. I learnt how unaffordable the healthcare system is in our country. I desperately wanted to expand my services to people but there was only so much I could have done alone,” says the 33-year- old doctor.
When he was thinking of expanding the clinic, his parents met with a road accident. “There was no hospital on the highway. My mother, who suffered severe head injury, took long to recover,” says Ghule.
This accident shook him to the core, and he decided to take his charity work to a new level. He found an opportunity—most railway station in Mumbai, he realsed, didn’t have an emergency medical room. Around 10 people die at the stations every day in accidents, and many more suffer serious injuries and disability.
He named it ‘One-Rupee Clinic’ as one rupee is the token fee of consultation. All diagnostic tests are offered at half the market price. As of now, there are eight such clinics and 12 more will start operations soon
The railways accepted Dr Ghule’s proposal and agreed to provide him space, water and electricity. The first clinic came up at Ghatkopar station. To make the clinics self-sustainable, he set up a pathology lab and a pharmacy next to it. He named it ‘One- Rupee Clinic’ as one rupee is the token fee of consultation. All diagnostic tests are offered at half the market price. As of now, there are eight such clinics and 12 more will start operations soon.
The popularity of these one-stop healthcare centres is growing fast. “In the last four months, their turnover has touched two crores,” says Ghule. “We conduct around 5000 tests, including a couple of MRI every day. We also earn through our pharmacy.”
On two occasions, doctors at One Rupee Clinic have helped with deliveries at the platform when women passengers went into sudden labour. “We also got a few cases of cardiac arrest, in which timely intervention saved lives. Accidents occur almost every day at the stations. We can reduce mortality and disability with timely medical intervention,” says Ghule.
Ghule has made the clinics self-sustainable, and there is no dearth of doctors, both young and experienced, wanting to join the unique railway station clinics. The specialist services such as opthalomology, neurology, psychiatry have also been started at few clinics. “We also have MRI and CT scan at two clinics available at almost half the market cost,” says Ghule.
He now plans to launch the concept of ‘Healthcare-on-EMI’. “For patients who cannot afford to pay for expensive tests and imaging, we plan to offer an EMI system at our clinics, allowing them to pay in three installments,” he says.
Source: http://www.healthpost.in/features/The-doctor-and-his–One-Rupee-clinic–593
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