Medical Devices & Technology Archive

A bioengineered collagen patch can heal heart attack damage, a recent mouse study suggests.

When a heart attack cuts off the blood supply to the heart muscle, heart cells die. Nothing can bring them back. Efforts to replace these dead cells with living cells from outside the body, such as stem-cell approaches, have not been particularly successful.

Q. It seems like more and more people are wearing various devices that measure how active they are.
Is this really valuable, or is it just a fad?

A. Being physically active surely is valuable. In fact, there is probably nothing more valuable that we
can do to protect our health. In recent years, small electronic devices to monitor our movement have appeared. Some measure how many steps we take a day (pedometers). Others measure how much we move (accelerometers). Some estimate how many calories we've burned, based on the amount we move.

Q. An MRI of my knee shows I have a torn medial meniscus and mild osteo­arthritis. What treatment options should I consider?

A. A torn meniscus is a common cause of knee pain, and meniscal tears are especially common in people with osteoarthritis (OA). Menisci are small cartilage pads within the knee that help pad the bones in the joint and provide smooth knee motion. Meniscal tears may cause knee pain in people with OA. If you have knee pain and both conditions are detected, it is common to attribute the pain to the meniscal tear and to recommend surgical repair through an arthroscope. A surgeon inserts the scope and instruments into the knee joint through tiny incisions and trims the torn meniscus in a procedure called partial meniscectomy. Whether this approach results in better function has been debated.

Raising the allowable beats per minute may avoid injury, even death, from inappropriate shocks.

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) can be a lifesaving device in someone with a tendency to develop dangerous heart rhythms. An ICD detects the onset of an irregular and potentially fatal heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to stop it. But sometimes ICDs go off in response to irregular heart rhythms that aren't dangerous or deadly. "Unnecessary shocks can be painful, and there is some evidence that frequent inappropriate shocks weaken heart muscle and make a bad situation worse, increasing the risk of death," says Dr. Deepak Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School..

Approach these phone, tablet, or computer programs with caution if they make big promises.

Of the countless applications (apps) available for your computer tablet and smartphone, there are an estimated 40,000 health-related apps for consumers and physicians. But how do you know if these apps are safe and accurate? "You don't," says Dr. Nathan Eagle, a mobile health technology expert and adjunct assistant professor at Harvard School of Public Health. "While most mobile apps are vetted by the app store to ensure they aren't compromising the user's privacy, there is very little formal vetting to certify the app can do what it claims it can do beyond basic user reviews."

Phone applications that monitor suspicious moles for the deadly skin cancer melanoma may not be reliable. In a study, three out of four applications incorrectly classified 30% or more melanomas as unconcerning.

Wire tubes that prop open arteries continue to be refined.

Small metal cylinders called stents have helped revolutionize the treatment of heart disease. In an angioplasty procedure, a narrowed or blocked artery is opened with a balloon. A stent is then inserted to hold the artery open—all without the trauma of open-heart surgery.

A stent while you're stable may prevent urgent care.

For some people with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), having a stent or stents put in now along with standard medical therapy significantly reduces the need for emergency interventions later, compared to treating stable CAD with medications alone. Those are the main findings in a study known as FAME 2 published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. "I believe the conclusions, since they mirror daily practice: If a patient has a severe blockage seen during a (special procedure called a) heart catheterization and it is left alone, their risk of coming back in an emergency situation is increased," says Dr. Deepak Bhatt, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Relieving pain in your knees, hips, and back may begin with your feet.

Insider tips to getting the device best for you.