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Epilepsy Aid Uses Wearable Sensors To Predict Seizures & Sall For Help

This wearable design concept helps epilepsy sufferers manage symptoms, predict potential seizures and alert passersby or loved ones when having a fit

The Dialog device, developed by American technology company Artefact, would use a wearable sensor and an iPhone app to help monitor patients' vital signs and keep a log of conditions leading up to, during, and after a seizure.

"There are currently three million epilepsy sufferers in America, and it is the third most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer's and stroke," said Matthew Jordan, the project leader.

Current solutions, according to Artefact, only focus on detection, alert or journaling and don't address the whole experience of living with the condition.

The Dialog would deal with the problem by creating a digital network that connects the person living with epilepsy to caregivers, doctors, and members of the public who have installed the Dialog app with data and instructions on how to give assistance.

The user attaches a nodule to the skin, which can be done either using transparent adhesive paper or by wearing it in a bracket that looks like a watch.

Using a series of sensors that monitors hydration, temperature, and heart rate, it gathers information on the wearer and stores the data on a smartphone.

Additionally, the sensor would prompt the wearer to take medication and record mood through the sensor's touchscreen, and logs information about local climate conditions that could increase the likelihood of a seizure.

In the event of a fit, the wearer simply grasps the sensor, which alerts a caregiver and anyone within close proximity of the sufferer who has downloaded the app.

"It helps possible first responders be notified that a patient who is nearby is having a sustained seizure, directs the bystander to the patient, gives instructions on how to help the patient through the emergency, and affords a direct line of communication to the family caregiver," said Jordan.

When the seizure ends, information about the length of the seizure, along with other contextual information, is displayed on the user's smartphone to help reorient themselves.

With the information generated by wearing the sensor, the app will then be able to learn what conditions or vital signs could indicate a potential seizure is imminent and alert all parties. It would also give time for the wearer to take preventative action.

A doctor can would be able to access all of the data generated by the app and make changes to medication or offer insights into causes and symptoms.

"At this point, the device is a concept, but we designed it with technologies and components in mind that are currently in development or being tested in labs and research centres," said Emilia Palaveeva, another member of the Dialog team.

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DNA programmed to detect and bind to cancerous mutations - Advances screening and therapeutics

As part of an international research project, a team of researchers has developed a DNA clamp that can detect mutations at the DNA level with greater efficiency than methods currently in use. Their work could facilitate rapid screening of those diseases that have a genetic basis, such as cancer, and provide new tools for more advanced nanotechnology. The results of this research is published this month in the journal ACS Nano.
An increasing number of genetic mutations have been identified as risk factors for the development of cancer and many other diseases. Several research groups have attempted to develop rapid and inexpensive screening methods for detecting these mutations. "The results of our study have considerable implications in the area of diagnostics and therapeutics,” says Professor Francesco Ricci, “because the DNA clamp can be adapted to provide a fluorescent signal in the presence of DNA sequences having mutations with high risk for certain types cancer. The advantage of our fluorescence clamp, compared to other detection methods, is that it allows distinguishing between mutant and non-mutant DNA with much greater efficiency. This information is critical because it tells patients which cancer(s) they are at risk for or have.”
"Nature is a constant source of inspiration in the development of technologies,” says Professor Alexis Vallée-Bélisle. “For example, in addition to revolutionizing our understanding of how life works, the discovery of the DNA double helix by Watson, Crick and Franklin in 1953 also inspired the development of many diagnostic tests that use the strong affinity between two complementary DNA strands to detect mutations.”
"However, it is also known that DNA can adopt many other architectures, including triple helices, which are obtained in DNA sequences rich in purine (A, G) and pyrimidine (T, C) bases,” says the researcher Andrea Idili, first author of the study. “Inspired by these natural triple helices, we developed a DNA-based clamp to form a triple helix whose specificity is ten times greater than a double helix allows.”
"Beyond the obvious applications in the diagnosis of genetic diseases, I believe this work will pave the way for new applications related in the area of DNA-based nanostructures and nanomachines," notes Professor Kevin Plaxco, University of California, Santa Barbara. "Such nanomachines could ultimately have a major impact on many aspects of healthcare in the future."

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