https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A lightweight wearable device developed by UNSW engineers could one day help people monitor their heart and breathing health from home, potentially reducing hospital visits and allowing doctors to detect problems earlier. The flexible sensor patch, which attaches to the chest or over peripheral arteries using medical adhesive tape, is designed to continuously capture subtle vibrations produced by the heart, lungs, blood flow and pulse waves. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-tiny-patch-hospital-style-heart.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:40:08 EDT news700223701 Penn Engineers have developed an open-source algorithm that combines the speed of AI with the precision of geometry to compare complex medical images quickly and accurately, helping detect subtle changes that, over time, can signal disease. In some cases, the new algorithm can accomplish in minutes what would have taken prior techniques an entire week. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fireants-faster-medical-image-analysis.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:14 EDT news700150501 Cerebral palsy is the most common disability that starts in childhood, affecting about 50 million people worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-exoskeletons-people-cerebral-palsy-reality.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:20:06 EDT news699797523 An interactive robotic plushie called "Purrble" could improve depressive symptoms in LGBTQ+ teens. The research, published in Nature Medicine, also found that participants were twice as likely to see improvements in symptoms of anxiety, and more likely to see improvements to their emotional regulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-robotic-plushie-significantly-ease-depression.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:40:04 EDT news699795913 There is a disconnect between what we think happens when we make a decision and what actually happens in the brain during that process, suggests Indiana University Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences Tom James. In both prevailing scientific theories and common-sense views, decisions have long been defined as an intermediate stage between perceptions and actions, with each stage of this linear causal sequence corresponding to a discrete brain function, from sensory to cognitive to motor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-brain-cognitive-neuroscientist-theories-decision.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:40:01 EDT news699697201 New paper-thin piezoelectric patch sensors designed for at-home stroke rehabilitation may soon revolutionize post-stroke care by offering potential accessible, efficient rehabilitation and improving patient outcomes through self-motivated health care and entertainment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-sensors-rehab-screen-game.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:40:06 EDT news699631981 A newly developed portable, point-of-care PET technology can image any organ, delivering high-quality results to guide interventional procedures. With real-time visual feedback, the bedside technology provides a cost-effective approach for hospitals to perform biopsies, tumor ablations, and other procedures in constrained clinical environments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-bedside-pet-scanner-enables-real.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:30:04 EDT news699521521 Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found that patients who continue to smoke ahead of lung cancer surgery have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, but their short-term mortality rate is similar to patients who were able to stop smoking before surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-lung-cancer-patients-dont-surgery.html Thu, 28 May 2026 16:20:07 EDT news699202561 Both robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) and laser enucleation of the prostate (LEP) are safe and effective surgical options for large-volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), according to a review published online May 4 in Frontiers in Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-robot-simple-prostatectomy-laser-enucleation.html Thu, 28 May 2026 15:20:06 EDT news699192834 Researchers at Concordia have developed an AI-assisted technique and a robotic platform that may one day help surgeons perform safer, faster and less invasive procedures to treat conditions such as blood clots located deep inside a patient's neurovascular pathways. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-magnet-soft-robots-safer-treatment.html Tue, 26 May 2026 11:20:06 EDT news699012063 Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created a soft, wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously monitor a fetus for hours at a time—and it can do so consistently even as the fetus and umbilical cord constantly move during pregnancy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-wearable-ultrasound-patch-high-pregnancies.html Tue, 26 May 2026 05:00:01 EDT news698917441 Humans continuously adapt their actions and behaviors in response to changes in their surrounding environment. Past neuroscience studies suggest that this adaptation process relies on the brain's ability to translate abstract goals or rules into specific physical actions or behaviors, yet its neural underpinnings have not yet been clearly elucidated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-distinct-communication-subspace-brain-goals.html Sun, 24 May 2026 08:40:01 EDT news698411947 A vital tool for health care practitioners, electroencephalography (EEG) systems measure electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp, but getting reliable readings can be surprisingly difficult. Hair interferes with contact between the electrodes and skin, and the gels used to improve those connections often dry out over time, weakening signal quality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-thermoreversible-biogel-hairy-problem-wearable.html Sat, 23 May 2026 10:00:04 EDT news698669682 A lightweight robotic device that facilitates neuromuscular recovery in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), helping them to stand unassisted, is published in Nature this week. Improved function persists after discontinuing training, demonstrating the potential for enduring recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-wearable-knee-robot-children-muscle.html Thu, 21 May 2026 14:40:04 EDT news698581801 How can robots and humans work together as effectively as possible in the operating room of the future? Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and TUM University Hospital investigated this question as part of the ForNeRo research project. Using a sensor-equipped system, they analyzed surgeons' movements during procedures and collected data from simulated robot-assisted operations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-robots-surgical.html Wed, 20 May 2026 17:00:02 EDT news698500232 Surgery is a complicated endeavor. Even a successful surgery can lead to complications, and even the best surgeons sometimes have unsuccessful surgeries. A surgeon must rely on visual cues and their own experience to avoid hitting a nerve or a blood vessel, mistakes that can turn a simple surgery into a much more challenging one. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-laser-acoustic-imaging-hidden-nerves.html Mon, 11 May 2026 08:40:01 EDT news697359330 Researchers at the TechMed Center of the University of Twente have built a swallowable soft robot that samples stomach fluid and measures acidity in real time. The robot has no battery, chip, nor any other electronics. Health care workers can move it with a handheld magnet, while it glides through the stomach like a penguin on its belly. The researchers published their work May 8 in Science Advances. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-robotic-penguin-endoscopy-optional.html Mon, 11 May 2026 08:35:59 EDT news697707326 Embodying surgical robots with next-gen AI can safely augment practice if ethical and regulatory questions are addressed, say experts writing in Frontiers in Science. A team of pioneering surgeons and researchers from King's College London says AI-enhanced surgical robotics could enable "true personalized surgery" and enhance the performance, situational awareness, decision-making, and effectiveness of surgical teams. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-embodied-surgical-robots-revolutionize.html Thu, 07 May 2026 05:00:03 EDT news697280901 As the global population ages, smart homes are often touted as the ultimate solution for independent living. However, a new study published in JMIR Aging, suggests that technology developers and policymakers may be missing the mark by treating older adults as a monolithic group. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-lifestyle-age-smart-home-success.html Wed, 06 May 2026 20:20:04 EDT news697279899 The robot pauses at the edge of the room as an engineer checks its sensors. Then, with a soft mechanical hum, this humanoid machine begins to move. It lifts a mannequin from a bed, slowly and carefully. The engineers hold their breath. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-japan-robots-fully-fledged-caregivers.html Wed, 06 May 2026 12:20:01 EDT news697280762 A swarm of tiny, shape-changing, all-metal robots might someday deliver drugs and capture biopsy samples painlessly and then safely dissolve without the need for extraction, according to a study presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-biodegradable-metal-microrobots-drug-delivery.html Tue, 05 May 2026 00:10:07 EDT news697105141 For patients with early-stage breast cancer, robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy (rNSM) is as safe and effective as open NSM, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, held from April 29 to May 3 in Seattle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-asbrs-robotic-nipple-mastectomy-safe.html Mon, 04 May 2026 18:40:04 EDT news697126041 A Concordia-led team of researchers has developed a new AI-driven robotic system that can perform cardiac ultrasound scans autonomously. The researchers say this approach could expand access to cardiac imaging in remote or underserved areas, reduce operator fatigue, and standardize scan quality. The work is published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-powered-robotic-heart-ultrasounds.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news696779341 Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed soft, flexible sensors that help restore a surgeon's sense of touch during minimally invasive (keyhole) surgery. These procedures allow for faster recovery and less pain, but surgeons lose the ability to feel how much force they are applying through long instruments. This makes it harder to safely handle delicate tissue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-soft-sensors-surgeons-minimally.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:10:07 EDT news696615601 Cancer treatment and other delicate medical procedures could one day be carried out using tiny microrobots guided precisely inside the body after scientists developed a new magnetic tool to control them. The new tool, called the Tuneable Magnetic End Effector (TME), was developed by the University of Essex's Robotics for Under Millimetre Innovation (RUMI) Lab to generate magnetic fields that can be switched, shaped and redirected with high precision. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-microrobotics-technology-cancer-treatments-future.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:40:03 EDT news696603138 Lancaster University researchers have created a new toolset to guide developers of technologies aimed at helping the millions of people around the world who are impacted by problematic eating and unhealthy relationships with food. By combining health research insights with practical design tools, the researchers have developed a rigorous, health research-grounded framework to guide the design and evaluation of digital technologies that support mindful eating. The work is published in the journal ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-specially-cards-science-heart-mindful.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news696517742 By copying each other's non-verbal behavior, we gain access to what others think and feel. In psychology, this is known as mimicry. As part of her Ph.D. research, cognitive psychologist Fabiola Diana investigated this phenomenon in social interactions between humans and robots. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-video-gesturing-unconsciously-imitate.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news696090894 The expanding use of robotic technology in lung transplantation came under scrutiny at the 46th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), held from 22–25 April at the Metro Toronto Convention Center in Toronto, ON, Canada. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-surgeons-debate-limits-robotics-lung.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:01 EDT news696244189 Ultrasounds are a critical part of modern health care, helping to image soft tissue and organs, measure blood flow, and monitor fetal development. But the technique has constraints, including a limited field of view and the potential for operator error. To address current shortfalls and push the technology toward new applications, Lihong Wang, Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and a team of Caltech researchers have developed a system that can perform ultrasound tomography (UST) imaging on whole cross-sections of the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-body-ultrasound-captures-full-sections.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:00:07 EDT news696249902 Smart implants that not only stabilize a fracture but also monitor the healing process from day one—and deliver targeted support when required—are currently being developed at Saarland University by a team of engineers, medical researchers and computer scientists. The engineering team led by Professor Paul Motzki is contributing shape-memory micro-actuators with integrated sensing capabilities, while Professor Bergita Ganse and her research group provide the medical expertise in fracture healing. If a fracture is not healing as it should, these novel implants can respond mechanically at the fracture gap by adapting their stiffness or by applying controlled micro-movements to mechanically stimulate tissue and promote bone regeneration. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-smart-implants-robotic-micro-actuators.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:40:03 EDT news695992511