6 inventions that could save your life

The publication Inhabitat usually talks about technologies that they think can save the world. However, many scientists, engineers, computer geniuses and designers around the world are engaged not only in global issues of saving the planet, but also more mundane, that is, in other words, they are trying to make us healthier and our lives easier. Here are six developments that, according to Inhabitat, have a chance to save our lives someday.

1. Syringe stopping bleeding

If someone gets a bullet wound, the prompt and effective delivery of medical care becomes a matter of life and death. The XStat syringe can stop bleeding from an artery in about 15 to 20 seconds. Sponges that are inserted into a wound, quickly expand and stop the blood.
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This syringe was developed by Revmedx together with the doctors of the US Special Forces. The use of technology is planned to expand to other types of wounds.

The development of a syringe for military purposes began. On the battlefield, difficulties were caused by injuries in areas where the wound cannot be pinched, for example, the sacrum and armpits. To stop the bleeding in these areas there were no special means, and Revmedx took up the problem. The technology is based on the use of small sponges that are inserted into the wound using an applicator with a diameter of 30 or 120 mm, similar to a syringe. These sponges expand in contact with blood, stop bleeding for 20 seconds and press wounds. Each sponge has a mark that can be distinguished by X-rays. The same technology is planned to be used for use with other types of wounds.

Actions XStat lasts about 4 hours, which gives enough time to transport the victim and prepare for the operation. At XStat has its drawbacks: it can not be applied in the chest, abdominal cavity, collarbone, etc.


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Diabetes is a disease that affects every nineteenth person on the planet. Therefore, developers of all sorts of innovations can not avoid this problem. Patients have to constantly monitor blood sugar levels, which implies unpleasant procedures that must be carried out regularly. Here are a couple of promising developments aimed at facilitating this process.

2. Google lenses monitor health

Google develops contact lenses that track blood glucose levels. In the future it is planned to teach them to warn their owner when the sugar level rises or falls beyond the permissible limit.

The lens has a miniature sensor and a tiny wireless chip that respond to changes in blood sugar levels.
The level of sugar can be determined by tears, which is what Google noticed. Built-in sensors and chips are located between the two layers of the lens itself. LED indicators, also embedded in the lens, will flash when sugar levels reach a dangerous point. The prototype lens, the active development of which was reported back in January 2014, was supposed to fix the blood sugar level once a second.

In addition to the lens itself, it was planned to develop an application that will simultaneously report the level of sugar and the diabetic wearing the lens and his doctor.


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3. Tattoo with nanoparticles

People with diabetes have to regularly pierce their fingers, which is inconvenient, unpleasant, and the method is not very accurate. An alternative was found at MIT : a tattoo can follow the glucose level. Specially designed inks can be tattooed, and the bracelet will report trouble.

MIT is developing a device that could just be worn by itself. Its action is based on the use of carbon nanotubes, which are not destroyed by the action of daylight, wrapped in a polymer that is sensitive to sugar fluctuations. When interacting with glucose, the sensor will glow, which can be fixed by emitting near-infrared waves. Nanotubes should be part of the ink, and infrared radiation directed at the tattoo, will provide a bracelet that looks like a wristwatch. The tattoo will need to be updated about once every six months. And, of course, careful verification of the correct operation of this device is required, so development can take many years.
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4. Drones ambulance

A medical drone can fly to help in one minute and thereby save someone’s life. He can carry a first aid kit, a defibrillator or a device for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and is also equipped with a camera that allows medical staff to direct the actions of eyewitnesses.

The drone is free from trouble that may lie in wait on the way to the injured ambulance. Its coverage is 12 km ² . The author of the project, Alec Momont, hopes to significantly reduce the number of deaths due to the fact that the ambulance does not have time for the patient. The drone’s carrying capacity is about four kilograms, which makes it possible to deliver the necessary medical device to the scene. People will be able to call the ambulance as usual, and in a minute the drone will fly to them, not only with the first-aid kit, but also with the camera, which allows the operator to monitor the situation and tell people in the vicinity how to help the injured while waiting for an ambulance.


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5. Pacemaker new generation

Current pacemakers are far from perfect, but the new technology developed by Urbana-Champaign in Illinois can change the future of life-saving devices. The development team has created a thin membrane penetrated by sensors and electrodes. This pacemaker will fit each individual heart size and support its operation.

After the stages at which high-resolution imaging and computer simulation were used, a heart model was created on a 3D printer, and the membrane was first tested. Then tests were carried out on the rabbit heart.
According to the developers, the pacemaker is similar to the around-the-heart bag and fits the heart tightly. He will be able to constantly monitor the electrical activity of the heart, and, if necessary, by applying an electrical impulse to the desired part of the heart, stop arrhythmia and prevent heart attacks.

Developers say that work on a pacemaker can be completed in 10 to 15 years.


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6. Organovo and 3D organs

Every day, 79 people are transplanted to some organ, and every day 18 people die without waiting for their donor. Organovo , based in San Diego, to improve this situation, is trying to develop 3D printing technology to create human organs. Today they managed to print a small liver.

Organovo company is known for printed fabrics, which have already become widely available and have been recognized by scientists and researchers. The goal of the company is to accelerate and cheapen the drug research process. Printed fabrics on a 3D printer allow you to directly observe how effectively and safely the treatment is carried out with this or that preparation, and, of course, these fabrics allow you to avoid discussing the question of how ethical the experiments in this area are with animals.

Now that the miniature liver has been created, the prospect of printing organs for transplantation has come a little closer.

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