Apple was very busy when it came to AirPods announcements this week. Alongside new fourth-generation AirPods (and an ANC option) and updated AirPods Max, it's also giving attention to the AirPods Pro, with a focus on hearing health. This leans heavily on hearing loss prevention, with noise levels limited by default, and an app to measure exactly how noisy your surroundings are. Apple notes that one in three people are regularly exposed to environments that can damage hearing, even with in-ear buds like AirPods Pro and noise cancellation.
The company is now introducing a clinically-validated hearing test on your iPhone. The test taps into large-scale data studies that Apple used to develop its hearing loss features, and it only takes five minutes. It'll ask you to tap the screen when you hear a series of tones at different frequencies. Your hearing profile will also be automatically applied to audio content across music, movies and phone calls.
But Apple took it even further and has developed an over-the-counter, professional-grade hearing aid feature. It'll boost the specific kinds of sounds you need help with. It's a big move from Apple, as existing OTC hearing aids can cost between $1,000 and $1,500. The second-gen AirPods Pro are just $250 by comparison.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-airpods-pro-update-turns-them-into-a-clinical-grade-hearing-aid-174919818.html?src=rss
Health tech company Abbott has been working on a number of biometric wearables for regular consumers. Now, we can get our hands on one. The company just released the Lingo continuous glucose monitor.
This is an over-the-counter device, so you can just order it without prior approval. However, it’s not intended for diabetics, as it isn't designed for insulin pumps or serious medical alerts. Rather, it’s for curious people who want to keep an eye on their glucose levels.
Here’s how it works. The biosensor gets stuck to the back of the arm and can stay there for up to 14 days straight. During that time, the device continuously streams glucose data to the affiliated smartphone app. This should, in theory, translate the “body’s reaction to food, exercise and life’s daily stressors.”
Abbott
The app looks particularly robust, providing access to all kinds of related health metrics. There are glucose graphs that update in real time and something called Lingo Count, which displays data related to glucose spikes.
There’s even a place for food and activity logging and the app syncs with Apple Health to automatically track workouts. Once there’s enough information in the system, it’ll provide tailored recommendations and create challenges to encourage healthy habits.
Each Lingo biosensor costs $49, but they only work for two weeks and aren’t reusable. The company is offering combo packs, with two sensors available for $89 and six for $249.
Abbott’s Lingo device isn’t the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor on the market. A company called Dexcom received FDA approval for a similar sensor earlier this year. The company’s Stelo Glucose Biosensor is also $89 for two units, each working for two weeks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/abbotts-otc-glucose-monitor-is-now-available-in-the-us-170036887.html?src=rss
By the early 2000s, it seemed everyone had two things: a cell phone and the certainty its radio waves could give them cancer. The first is arguably more true than ever, but a new World Health Organization-backed systematic review found no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer. These findings included no association with use for more than a decade, number of calls or length of time spent talking on the phone.
The review analyzed over 5,000 studies, eventually including 63 published between 1994 and 2022, which, together, included participants from 22 countries. The research, led by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), also found no link to other head and neck cancers. This data comes ahead of the WHO's publication of an Environmental Health Criterion Monograph looking at radio wave exposure's impact on human health.
In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radio waves as "possibly carcinogenic," meaning it couldn't rule out or confirm the link. This list also includes aloe vera, coffee and working as a firefighter — among over 1,000 other entries. "This systematic review of human observational studies is based on a much larger dataset compared to that examined by the IARC, that also includes more recent and more comprehensive studies, so we can be more confident that exposure to radio waves from wireless technology is not a human health hazard," Ken Karipidis, ARPANSA's health impact assessment assistant director and the lead author, said in a statement. Karipidis and his team are if mobile phones have links to other cancers, such as leukemia.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/who-backed-study-finds-no-link-between-mobile-phone-use-and-brain-cancer-123032606.html?src=rss
Forget bulky, pricey, and intrusive smartwatches! Smart rings are the new black, providing key insights into your health without weighing down your wrist or distracting you with notifications. Like David versus Goliath, RingConn boldly faced giants to bring an accessible smart ring to the masses and it continues to challenge the status quo even with the arrival of even bigger names in the market. Taking its game to the next level, RingConn is introducing its next-gen smart ring boasting not only a discreet, comfortable design and AI-powered comprehensive health tracking but also a battery life that will last you almost two weeks, ensuring that you will never miss a beat when it comes to taking control of your well-being, especially the all-important sleep that we often take for granted.
The original RingConn already delivered a more convenient way to keep track of your health and sleep quality 24/7. You only had to take it off after a few days to charge it briefly, and it didn’t get in your way or distract you with notifications. Best of all, it offered all the data and insights into your health without any subscription fees. It empowered everyone to take control of their health by giving them the tools and knowledge to create the path to healthier living.
The RingConn Gen 2 builds on that solid foundation and takes it up to eleven, improving not only the technology inside but also the design that will make you proud to show the ring off. At only 2g and only 2mm thick, it is the thinnest and lightest smart ring on the market. You might even forget that you’re wearing it, freeing you to go about your life without giving it a second thought. And with an IP68 dust and water protection rating, you don’t even have to worry when your hand gets wet, accidentally or intentionally. Wear it outdoors, in the shower, under the rain, or for a swim, the RingConn Gen 2 will be able to keep up with whatever lifestyle you live.
Its ultra-thin profile belies the amount of technology that the RingConn Gen 2 packs inside. From the basics like 3D accelerometers to advanced PPG (photoplethysmography) and temperature sensors, this discreet and lightweight smart ring has everything necessary to paint a complete picture of your body’s health. Unlike a smartwatch, the RingConn Gen 2 takes advantage of the finger’s thin skin and abundant blood vessels to provide precise tracking, taking note of key metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen levels. All of this data is fed into the RingConn app which presents a holistic view of your well-being, including stress levels and monthly cycles, without hiding anything behind subscription fees.
One of the biggest innovations that this next-gen smart ring brings to the table, or to the bed rather, is AI-powered sleep tracking. Sleep is easily overlooked and quickly sacrificed on the altar of productivity, but it is ironically one of the most important factors in living a healthy and productive life. Using next-gen sensors and advanced AI, the RingConn Gen 2 can evaluate your nighttime breathing, respiratory variations, sleep stages, and overall sleep efficiency, allowing you to detect critical sleep risk events and issues like sleep apnea so that you can take the right steps to improve your sleep quality and your overall well-being.
With all the features it provides, your mind will probably be blown away by the RingConn Gen 2’s 10-12 day uptime on a single charge. Add in the charging case and you can get an accumulative 150 days of use before you need to plug it in. That’s five months of continuous sleep and health tracking, generating a comprehensive picture of your health directly available on your phone. So ditch the smartwatch, put on your favorite timepiece, slip on the RingConn Gen 2, and live your healthiest life today!
Our health is the single most important investment we can make, but most people tend to take it for granted or are at a loss for what to do. Some pay no attention to the discomfort in their gut, simply attributing it to indigestion, while others belittle the stress and anxiety they feel each day, deciding to just “tough it up.” Others do take the effort to address these concerns but end up with solutions that are costly, uncomfortable, and worse, ineffective. Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case, thanks to these innovative wearable devices that target the centers of physical and mental health, providing people with easy-to-use, portable, safe, and comfortable tools to enjoy a pain-free gut, a stress-free mind, and a happy, healthy life in j just weeks.
It’s almost too easy to take the discomfort that we feel in our guts for granted, but that can actually affect not only our physical health but our mental state as well. If the brain is the control center of the body, the gut or gastrointestinal tract is the health hub and reflects the general state of the body. Gut problems are often a symptom of or lead to more serious health disorders, and these, in turn, also affect our mental well-being.
Revitalize Gut Health With Red Light Laser Therapy
HEAL+ is a non-invasive solution that makes sure that your gut is working properly in order to improve your overall health. The science behind HEAL+ is laser therapy, specifically low-level laser therapy or LLLT to reduce inflammation and pain that commonly occurs with gut-related disorders such as IBS, colitis, Crohn’s disease, and more. It also assists in recovery from long-COVID by boosting your immune system and improving your overall health. This non-invasive method regulates microbial balance in the gut which is necessary for proper digestion and enhanced immune functions. Going beyond your gut, HEAL+ also supercharges nitric oxide for improved blood circulation and enhances dopamine signaling in the brain to improve your mood, giving credence to the saying “A Happy Gut Means a Happy Mind.”
Best of all, HEAL+ is not some complicated machine or nauseating drug but a wearable device you simply wrap around your waist. Attach the removable laser modules to the front of the waistband and you’re good to go, enjoying the relief that HEAL+ brings to gut issues. It’s easy to use and comfortable to wear, allowing you to bring this health-promoting device anywhere with you.
Calm+ is a neck-worn device, easy to use and helps stack with daily habits. Ease the ‘fight or flight’ state triggered by daily stress within just 15 minutes. Calm+ stimulates the Vagus nerve that’s responsible for signaling the brain to release calming neurotransmitters like acetylcholine and serotonin, chemicals that are associated with calmness and relaxation. The device includes built-in sensors that will integrate optical heart measurements, allowing you to personalize the dosage to your own optimal outcomes.
Together, HEAL+ and CALM+ help improve your physical and mental well-being through a combination of red light therapy and vagus nerve stimulation. Thanks to its compact and portable design, it can keep your gut healthy and your mind happy whenever and wherever you are. The Kineon App is your ultimate guide to wellness. Seamlessly schedule, track your progress, customize your programs, and get access to expert insights, anywhere, anytime. Say goodbye to gut ouchies and stress-induced headaches and live your healthiest and happiest life with the innovative HEAL+ and CALM+ wearables. Together with the wealth of information and community assistance through Kineon’s Pain to Possible Program, you can quickly embark on a journey to wellness and calm right now!
Neuralink's brain chip has been implanted into a second patient as part of early human trials, Elon Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman on Saturday. The company hasn't disclosed when the surgery took place or the name of the recipient, according to Reuters.
Musk said 400 of the electrodes on the second patient's brain are working out of 1,024 implanted. "I don't want to jinx it but it seems to have gone extremely well," he said. "There's a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It's working very well."
The device allows patients with spinal cord injuries to play video games, use the internet and control electronic devices using their thoughts alone. In May, the company announced that it was "accepting applications for the second participant" in trials following FDA approval.
The original Neuralink implant patient, Nolan Arbaugh, described the surgery as "super easy." In a demo, the company showed how Arbaugh was able to move a cursor around the screen of a laptop, pause an on-screen music device and play chess and Civilization VI.
Arbaugh himself participated in the marathon podcast with Musk and Fridman. He said that the device allows him to make anything happen on a computer screen just by thinking it, helping reduce his reliance on caregivers.
However, problems cropped up shortly after his surgery when some of electrodes retracted from his brain. The issue was partly rectified later on by modifying the algorithm to make the implants more sensitive. Neuralink told the FDA that in a second procedure, it would place the implant’s threads deeper into the patient’s brain to prevent them from moving as much as they did in Arbaugh’s case.
Neuralink previously tested its implant in animals, including chimps, and some of those testing practices have been the subject of federal investigations.
Despite those issues, the company said it had over 1,000 volunteers for its second surgical trial. Musk said he expects Neuralink to implant its chips in up to eight more patients by the end of 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/neuralink-successfully-implants-its-chip-into-a-second-patients-brain-123013864.html?src=rss
In a significant medical breakthrough, the Texas Heart Institute and BiVACOR have successfully implanted the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH) in a human patient at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. This development marks a substantial advancement in treating severe heart conditions, particularly for patients with biventricular and univentricular heart failure, who are unsuitable candidates for traditional devices like left ventricular assist devices.
Designer: BiVACOR
The BiVACOR TAH features a titanium rotary blood pump utilizing magnetic levitation technology. This innovation minimizes the wear and tear commonly seen in traditional artificial hearts. With only one moving part, the TAH emulates the human heart’s function by efficiently pumping blood while reducing damage to blood cells.
The maglev technology allows the rotor inside the heart to operate without contacting other parts, reducing friction and extending the device’s lifespan. Inspired by high-speed trains, this technology enables the artificial heart to function quietly and smoothly, enhancing patient comfort. The TAH is designed to sustain patients until a suitable donor heart is available for transplant.
This successful implantation is part of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration study to assess the TAH’s safety and effectiveness in real-world conditions. Daniel Timms, founder and CTO of BiVACOR, noted that this technology brings us closer to providing more options for patients ineligible for traditional heart transplants.
Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide, affecting millions. In the U.S. alone, about 6.2 million adults suffer from heart failure. The National Institutes of Health estimate that up to 100,000 U.S. patients could immediately benefit from mechanical heart support like the TAH.
Dr. Joseph Rogers, president and CEO of the Texas Heart Institute, emphasized the importance of this new technology. Collaborating with BiVACOR and Baylor College of Medicine, they aim to revolutionize heart failure treatment and offer new hope to patients in need.
Comparing the Titanium Maglev Heart and the Biological Heart
The titanium maglev heart looks and functions quite differently from a natural human heart. Constructed from titanium, this heart implant features a strong, metallic design, which stands in stark contrast to the soft muscle tissue of a biological heart. The maglev heart’s sleek design includes various ports and connectors that allow it to work seamlessly with medical devices. Meanwhile, a biological heart has a more organic look, with textures and colors that highlight its living nature, without the industrial elements present in the titanium heart.
BiVACOR: The Total Artificial Heart, made of titanium
Design-wise, the maglev heart appears more mechanical, with visible joints and parts tailored for specific functions, resembling a machine more than an organ. Conversely, the biological heart is smooth and compact, with chambers and valves seamlessly flowing together without sharp edges or mechanical parts.
Functionally, the maglev heart includes technology for monitoring and control, allowing for potential remote adjustments. Its ports and cables are designed to connect to external devices. In contrast, the natural heart’s connections are biological, including arteries and veins, without external interfaces.
Size-wise, the titanium maglev heart may be larger than a biological heart due to the space required for mechanical components like motors and the magnetic levitation system. A biological heart is typically more compact, fitting efficiently within the chest cavity.
The titanium maglev heart shows how science and engineering can merge to provide new solutions for patients who cannot receive a biological heart transplant. Its design and features highlight advancements in medical devices, offering a promising option for those in need.
Serious concerns have been raised about the effect of social media on teenagers’ mental well-being. Meta is letting a group of researchers examine some of Instagram’s data to determine if social media is psychologically damaging younger users.
The Vergereported that the Center for Open Science (COS) is launching a new joint pilot program with Meta to produce independent studies about how social media affects teenagers’ mental health.
The Instagram Data Access Pilot for Well-Being Research program will conduct “independent academic” research using up to six months of Instagram data to determine the “potential positive or negative associations of Instagram use” among teens and young adults. The study will also examine the positive and negative differences of large populations across the world and the causes of “statistical relationships between Instagram and social or emotional health,” according to the program’s website.
The data researchers can access may include an Instagram user’s followers and the accounts they follow, account settings and the amount of time they spend on the photo sharing service. The researchers will not have access to users’ demographic information or the contents of their posts and comments. The data will come from accounts based in 24 countries including the US and UK, according to the request for proposal (RFP).
Other scientific studies conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and New York University and Stanford have found parallel links between social media use and the state of a person’s mental health. The link earned greater awareness last year when Arturo Béjar, a former director of engineering for Protect and Care at Facebook, testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that he alerted the company and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg by email of the dangers their product could have on young people.
Béjar testified that seven days before the hearing, 13 percent of users on Instagram between the ages of 13-15 receive unwanted sexual advances. He also testified that his own 16-year-old daughter exhibited signs of a momentary decline in mental health when a user commented that she should “get back to the kitchen” under one of her posts.
A month before the hearing, 41 states filed a lawsuit against Meta for allegedly misleading the public about the potentially addictive nature of its platforms like Facebook and Instagram among teenagers.
"My experience, after sending that email and seeing what happened afterwards, is that they knew there were things they could do about it, they chose not to do them and we cannot trust them with our children," Béjar said during the hearing. "It's time for Congress to act. The evidence, I believe, is overwhelming."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-gives-researchers-access-to-instagram-data-for-teen-mental-health-study-204322979.html?src=rss
A 13-year-old boy with severe epilepsy in the United Kingdom has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant that helps keep seizures under control. Per The Guardian, Oran Knowlson underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London to have the Picostim neurostimulator fitted into his brain to address Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare treatment-resistant form of epilepsy.
Knowlson received the neurostimulator in October 2023 as part of a pilot program run by GOSH in collaboration with University College London, King’s College Hospital and the University of Oxford. Since receiving the implant, which was developed by Amber Therapeutics, Oran’s daytime seizures have been reduced by 80 percent. Previously, his seizures were so severe he required constant care, and would sometimes lose consciousness and need resuscitation.
“For Oran and his family, epilepsy completely changed their lives and so to see him riding a horse and getting his independence back is absolutely astounding,” said Martin Tisdall, the pediatric neurosurgeon at GOSH. “We couldn’t be happier to be part of their journey.”
Tisdall’s surgical team installed the implant by mounting the Picostim to Knowlson's skull and inserting two electrodes deep into his brain until they hit the thalamus. The electrodes were then connected to the neurostimulator, which sends constant, mild electrical current to his brain to prevent or attenuate seizures. Justine Knowlson, Oran’s mother, confirmed as much when she discussed how the implant improved her son’s quality of life.
“We’ve seen a big improvement; seizures have reduced and are less severe,” she said. “He’s a lot more chatty, he’s more engaged. He’s turned 13 and I definitely now have a teenager – he’s happy to tell me no. But that adds to his quality of life, when he can express himself better.”
The Picostim neurostimulator is just one device for seizure treatment being tested. In 2020, researchers in Israel developed a wearable EEG device called Epiness, which can predict seizures up to an hour before they start. Two years earlier, a smart arm bracelet called Nightwatch was created to detect nighttime epileptic seizures and contact the wearer’s care staff when they strike.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epileptic-teen-receives-first-ever-seizure-controlling-brain-implant-193617887.html?src=rss
I remember being a kid and seeing my grandmother without her dentures for the first time. It was a harrowing experience. Now my dad has dentures so, genetically speaking, I’m several decades out from needing some myself. However, it’s possible that modern medicine will solve the issue of lost teeth by then, thanks to a new drug that's about to enter human trials.
The medicine quite literally regrows teeth and was developed by a team of Japanese researchers, as reported by New Atlas. The research has been led by Katsu Takahashi, head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital. The intravenous drug deactivates the uterine sensitization-associated gene-1 (USAG-1) protein that suppresses tooth growth. Blocking USAG-1 from interacting with other proteins triggers bone growth and, voila, you got yourself some brand-new chompers. Pretty cool, right?
Human trials start in September, but the drug has been highly successful when treating ferrets and mice and did its job with no serious side effects. Of course, the usual caveat applies. Humans are not mice or ferrets, though researchers seem confident that it’ll work on homo sapiens. This is due to a 97 percent similarity in how the USAG-1 protein works when comparing humans to other species.
September’s clinical trial will include adults who are missing at least one molar but there’s a secondary trial coming aimed at children aged two to seven. The kids in the second trial will all be missing at least four teeth due to congenital tooth deficiency. Finally, a third trial will focus on older adults who are missing “one to five permanent teeth due to environmental factors.”
Takahashi and his fellow researchers are so optimistic about this drug that they predict the medicine will be available for everyday consumers by 2030. So in six years we can throw our toothbrushes away and eat candy bars all day and all night without a care in the world (don’t actually do that.)
While this is the first drug that can fully regrow missing teeth, the science behind it builds on top of years of related research. Takahashi, after all, has been working on this since 2005. Recent advancements in the field include regenerative tooth fillings to repair diseased teeth and stem cell technology to regrow the dental tissue of children.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-worlds-first-tooth-regrowing-drug-has-been-approved-for-human-trials-174423381.html?src=rss
