medicine tagged posts

UMD engineers demonstrate their approach by printing the smallest-known 3D microfluidic circuit element. Engineers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have created the first 3D-printed fluid circuit element so tiny that 10 could rest on the width of a human hair. The diode ensures fluids move in only a single direction – a critical feature for products like implantable devices that release therapies directly into the body.

The...

The network, composed of a series of polymer layers, works using light that travels through it. Each layer is 8 centimeters square. Credit: UCLA Samueli / Ozcan Research Group

The 3D-printed artificial neural network can be used in medicine, robotics and security. Electrical and computer engineers have created a physical artificial neural network that can analyze large volumes of data and identify objects at the actual speed of light. The device was created using a 3D printer.

Numerous devices in everyday life today use computerized cameras to identify objects – think of automated teller machines that can “read” handwritten dollar amounts when you deposit a check, or internet search engines that can quickly match photos to other similar images in their databases...

A powerful new 4D printing technique could one day allow manufacturers to produce electronic devices and their wiring in a single process. Credit: H. Jerry Qi

Scientists report that they have developed a powerful new printer that could streamline the creation of self-assembling structures that can change shape after being exposed to heat and other stimuli. They say this unique technology could accelerate the use of 4D printing in aerospace, medicine and other industries. “We are on the cusp of creating a new generation of devices that could vastly expand the practical applications for 3D and 4D printing,” H. Jerry Qi, Ph.D., says. “Our prototype printer integrates many features that appear to simplify and expedite the processes used in traditional 3D printing...

The SAW robot. Credit: Image courtesy of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Applications in medicine, homeland security, search and rescue. The first single actuator wave-like robot (SAW) has been developed by engineers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). The 3D-printed robot can move forward or backward in a wave-like motion, moving much like a worm would in a perpendicular wave.

SAW can climb over obstacles or crawl through unstable terrain like sand, grass and gravel, reaching a top speed of 22.5 inches/s, 5X faster than similar robots. Its minimalistic mechanical design produces an advancing sine wave with a large amplitude, using only a single motor with no internal straight spine...