COVID-19: dried blood spot sampling

Using dried blood spot samples (DBS) is an accurate alternative to venous blood in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, a new study by immunology experts at the University of Birmingham has found.

Handheld robotic exoskeleton to improve hand mobility problems

The Engineering Design and Technological Development Group (DIDET), from the University of AlicanteArtefactosLAB, has once again taken a step forward in terms of social innovation with the design of a new handheld robotic exoskeleton. Named [flick], this robotic exoskeleton improves the lives of people with limited or no ability to move due to neurological and/or physiological disorders.

Lungs: a step toward helping patients breathe deeply

Damaged lungs can't open properly. Patients with asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and systemic sclerosis suffer from fibrosis and tissue remodeling, where a build-up of tissue and immune cells, and proteins that form a glue-like substance, keep the airways from expanding. As fibrosis gets worse, taking a breath feels like blowing up a balloon filled with concrete.

Virtual rehab for stroke patients

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have been putting virtual reality rehabilitation for stroke survivors to the test. They have created a new gaming platform which uses low cost videogame technology to improve the lives of stroke patients suffering from complex neurological syndromes caused by their stroke. And they have been working with stroke survivors and their carers to see how they get on with using the new technology.

Weighted blankets decrease insomnia severity

Weighted blankets are a safe and effective intervention in the treatment of insomnia, according to Swedish researchers who found that insomnia patients with psychiatric disorders experienced reduced insomnia severity, improved sleep and less daytime sleepiness when sleeping with a weighted chain blanket.