In 2024, biomedical know-how actually received to our heads—or extra particularly, our eyes and brains. A few of Spectrum’s hottest articles this 12 months had been about know-how helping our imaginative and prescient, with tales of retinal implants and good 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 help extremely invasive mind surgical procedures.
Nevertheless it wasn’t all in our heads. This 12 months, you additionally examine assistive exosuits and low-cost MRI machines, in addition to a DNA knowledge drive promising a brand new option 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 12 months’s greatest tales. Learn on to see Spectrum’s prime biomedical articles of 2024.
Wyss Middle for Bio and Neuroengineering
Assistive frames known as exosuits may help folks in bodily remedy and rehabilitation transfer their physique. The units work by shifting a consumer’s muscle mass through 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 extra stimulation. The know-how, known as “Synapsuit,” is being prototyped by the Korea Electronics Expertise 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 units 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 12 months, and the corporate was acquired by Science, a startup run by certainly one of Neuralink’s cofounders.
Elemind
Startup Elemind’s $349 headband guarantees to get you to sleep sooner. The corporate’s first product, which started preorders this 12 months, tracks mind waves with electrocephalography (EEG) sensors, then tweaks them with sound waves delivered through bone conduction. Spectrum’s esteemed former editor Tekla Perry briefly examined out the headscarf, 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 Photos
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 machine was designated a breakthrough machine by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration in September—however specialists instructed Spectrum it probably gained’t stay as much as Musk’s hype.
Greg Mably
For folks with psychological well being circumstances like bipolar dysfunction, it’s necessary to keep watch over their temper. Smartphone apps could possibly do exactly 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 few consumer’s habits. However, whereas promising, they face challenges, together with privateness issues and a necessity for rigorous medical validation.
St. Michael’s Basis
When treating aneurysms and strokes, neurosurgeons sometimes must make do with blurry photos. However which will quickly change, because of a new fiber-optic imaging probe. The probe winds by the maze of mind arteries, capturing high-resolution photos 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 medical trials at two hospitals in Toronto and Buenos Aires, and a startup is aiming to deliver the know-how to market.
Getty Photos
Present MRI scanners are costly and require highly effective magnets and a number 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 associated fee 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 medical trials are starting to indicate proof that stimulating the mind at sure frequencies may gain advantage folks dwelling with Alzheimer’s illness. In response to a staff of researchers at MIT, sound and lightweight oscillations at 40-hertz lively 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 probably proceed for the subsequent few years, although some firms are already providing “wellness” merchandise that ship gamma frequency mild or sound stimulation.
Edmon de Haro
Our knowledge is piling up shortly. In reality, it’s rising sooner than our storage functionality will be capable to deal with in just some years. That’s why some organizations are taking steps towards constructing 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) appearing as a bit, DNA affords significantly better storage density; in keeping with one estimate, all 120 zettabytes of knowledge on the Web may very well 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 treatment for ocular illness, and even appearing as a show for augmented actuality. However how do you energy a tool sitting on one of the vital delicate elements of the human physique? Researchers on the College of Utah created a hybrid energy-generation unit that attracts power from mild and tears: Whereas the eyes are open, tiny, versatile photo voltaic cells made out of silicon seize mild from the solar and synthetic sources. Then, actually within the blink of an eye fixed, a second system acts like a metal-air battery, with electrolytes in tears serving as a biofuel. The mix permits for steady energy technology and provides sufficient power for good contacts.
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