In 2024, biomedical know-how actually acquired to our heads—or extra particularly, our eyes and brains. A few of Spectrum’s hottest articles this yr had been about know-how aiding our imaginative and prescient, with tales of retinal implants and sensible contact lenses drawing your eye. You dug deep into non-invasive tech to hasten sleep and protect mind operate for folks with Alzheimer’s illness, in addition to an imaging probe to assist extremely invasive mind surgical procedures.
However it wasn’t all in our heads. This yr, you additionally examine assistive exosuits and low-cost MRI machines, in addition to a DNA knowledge drive promising a brand new method to save huge quantities of knowledge.
As we wait to see how new know-how will increase our senses or enhance our well being in 2025, take a minute to look again on the previous yr’s largest tales. Learn on to see Spectrum’s prime biomedical articles of 2024.
Wyss Middle for Bio and Neuroengineering
Assistive frames referred to as exosuits might help folks in bodily remedy and rehabilitation transfer their physique. The units work by transferring a consumer’s muscle groups by way of electrical pulses, however that stimulation can shortly tire out the consumer. Researchers in South Korea and Switzerland are providing a possible answer: an electrostatic clutch system. Within the system, sleeves are positioned round joints and usually versatile, however can quickly stiffen to assist the physique between actions with out further stimulation. The know-how, referred to as “Synapsuit,” is being prototyped by the Korea Electronics Know-how Institute.
Pixium
In 2022, contributor Mark Harris detailed how blind customers of a retinal implant made by California biotech firm Second Sight had been left with unsupported devices when the producer went out of enterprise. That story got here near repeating when French biotech firm Pixium Imaginative and prescient ran out of cash in November 2023—till, that’s, spectacular trial knowledge arrived earlier this yr, and the corporate was acquired by Science, a startup run by one among Neuralink’s cofounders.
Elemind
Startup Elemind’s $349 headband guarantees to get you to sleep quicker. The corporate’s first product, which started preorders this yr, tracks mind waves with electrocephalography (EEG) sensors, then tweaks them with sound waves delivered by way of bone conduction. Spectrum’s esteemed former editor Tekla Perry briefly tested out the headband, although in less-than-ideal circumstances. “It wasn’t the time or place to attempt for sound sleep, however I—and the others within the room—famous that after 2 minutes I used to be yawning like loopy.”
Getty Photographs
Elon Musk has made daring claims concerning the coming capabilities of Neuralink Blindsight, his firm’s visible prosthesis aiming to revive imaginative and prescient in individuals who have misplaced sight in each eyes. The gadget was designated a breakthrough gadget by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration in September—however consultants advised Spectrum it doubtless won’t live up to Musk’s hype.
Greg Mably
For folks with psychological well being circumstances like bipolar dysfunction, it’s vital to keep watch over their temper. Smartphone apps might be able to just do that, offering goal perception about our internal state from knowledge collected with none consumer enter. In contrast to conventional mood-tracking apps and logs, these apps quietly collect knowledge within the background a couple of consumer’s conduct. However, whereas promising, they face challenges, together with privateness considerations and a necessity for rigorous scientific validation.
St. Michael’s Basis
When treating aneurysms and strokes, neurosurgeons sometimes should make do with blurry photographs. However that will quickly change, due to a new fiber-optic imaging probe. The probe winds by means of the maze of mind arteries, capturing high-resolution photographs of the mind to information surgeons. “Whereas earlier than … clinicians had a satellite-like view of the mind’s vasculature community, now they’ve a Google Avenue View-like perspective,” writes contributor Elie Dolgin. The probe has been examined in scientific trials at two hospitals in Toronto and Buenos Aires, and a startup is aiming to deliver the know-how to market.
Getty Photographs
Present MRI scanners are costly and require highly effective magnets and lots of power to energy. With the machines sometimes solely present in specialised hospital facilities, MRIs are inaccessible for greater than two-thirds of the worldwide inhabitants. However a new, simplified full-body MRI scanner works at a fraction of the price and 1,800 watts, in comparison with 25 kilowatts or extra. The machine makes use of AI to match the picture high quality of conventional MRI scanners with a lot much less highly effective magnets.
Tsai Laboratory/MIT Picower Institute
Early scientific trials are starting to point out proof that stimulating the mind at sure frequencies could benefit people living with Alzheimer’s disease. In accordance with a staff of researchers at MIT, sound and lightweight oscillations at 40-hertz energetic a neural-cleansing course of that helps take away beta-amyloid, the protein that clumps collectively within the brains of these with Alzheimer’s. The non-invasive remedy is presently being examined in randomized trials, and analysis will doubtless proceed for the following few years, although some firms are already providing “wellness” merchandise that ship gamma frequency gentle or sound stimulation.
Edmon de Haro
Our knowledge is piling up shortly. In reality, it’s rising quicker than our storage functionality will be capable of deal with in only a few years. That’s why some organizations are taking steps towards building a DNA drive to retailer the deluge of knowledge, rather than magnetic tape and disk drives. With every DNA base (A, T, G, and C) performing as a bit, DNA affords significantly better storage density; based on one estimate, all 120 zettabytes of knowledge on the Web might be saved in a quantity of DNA the dimensions of a sugar dice. Now, researchers search methods to effectively learn and write giant volumes of DNA knowledge.
Erfan Pourshaban
Sensible contact lenses may have varied client and medical makes use of—measuring glucose ranges, delivering medicine for ocular illness, and even performing as a show for augmented actuality. However how do you energy a tool sitting on one of the delicate elements of the human physique? Researchers on the College of Utah created a hybrid energy-generation unit that draws energy from light and tears: Whereas the eyes are open, tiny, versatile photo voltaic cells constituted of silicon seize gentle from the solar and synthetic sources. Then, actually within the blink of a watch, a second system acts like a metal-air battery, with electrolytes in tears serving as a biofuel. The mixture permits for steady energy era and provides sufficient power for sensible contacts.
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