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Made to hear : Cochlear implants and raising deaf children
\"A mother whose child has had a cochlear implant tells Laura Mauldin why enrollment in the sign language program at her daughter's school is plummeting: \"The majority of parents want their kids to talk.\" Some parents, however, feel very differently, because \"curing\" deafness with cochlear implants is uncertain, difficult, and freighted with judgment about what is normal, acceptable, and right. Made to Hear sensitively and thoroughly considers the structure and culture of the systems we have built to make deaf children hear.Based on accounts of and interviews with families who adopt the cochlear implant for their deaf children, this book describes the experiences of mothers as they navigate the health care system, their interactions with the professionals who work with them, and the influence of neuroscience on the process. Though Mauldin explains the politics surrounding the issue, her focus is not on the controversy of whether to have a cochlear implant but on the long-term, multiyear undertaking of implantation. Her study provides a nuanced view of a social context in which science, technology, and medicine are trusted to vanquish disability--and in which mothers are expected to use these tools. Made to Hear reveals that implantation has the central goal of controlling the development of the deaf child's brain by boosting synapses for spoken language and inhibiting those for sign language, placing the politics of neuroscience front and center.Examining the consequences of cochlear implant technology for professionals and parents of deaf children, Made to Hear shows how certain neuroscientific claims about neuroplasticity, deafness, and language are deployed to encourage compliance with medical technology. \"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Visual prostheses: The enabling technology to give sight to the blind
Millions of patients are either slowly losing their vision or are already blind due to retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or because of accidents or injuries. Employment of artificial means to treat extreme vision impairment has come closer to reality during the past few decades. Currently, many research groups work towards effective solutions to restore a rudimentary sense of vision to the blind. Aside from the efforts being put on replacing damaged parts of the retina by engineered living tissues or microfabricated photoreceptor arrays, implantable electronic microsystems, referred to as visual prostheses, are also sought as promising solutions to restore vision. From a functional point of view, visual prostheses receive image information from the outside world and deliver them to the natural visual system, enabling the subject to receive a meaningful perception of the image. This paper provides an overview of technical design aspects and clinical test results of visual prostheses, highlights past and recent progress in realizing chronic high-resolution visual implants as well as some technical challenges confronted when trying to enhance the functional quality of such devices.
Journal Article
Energy Harvesting in Implantable and Wearable Medical Devices for Enduring Precision Healthcare
Modern healthcare is transforming from hospital-centric to individual-centric systems. Emerging implantable and wearable medical (IWM) devices are integral parts of enabling affordable and accessible healthcare. Early disease diagnosis and preventive measures are possible by continuously monitoring clinically significant physiological parameters. However, most IWM devices are battery-operated, requiring replacement, which interrupts the proper functioning of these devices. For the continuous operation of medical devices for an extended period of time, supplying uninterrupted energy is crucial. A sustainable and health-compatible energy supply will ensure the high-performance real-time functioning of IWM devices and prolong their lifetime. Therefore, harvesting energy from the human body and ambient environment is necessary for enduring precision healthcare and maximizing user comfort. Energy harvesters convert energy from various sources into an equivalent electrical form. This paper presents a state-of-the-art comprehensive review of energy harvesting techniques focusing on medical applications. Various energy harvesting approaches, working principles, and the current state are discussed. In addition, the advantages and limitations of different methods are analyzed and existing challenges and prospects for improvement are outlined. This paper will help with understanding the energy harvesting technologies for the development of high-efficiency, reliable, robust, and battery-free portable medical devices.
Journal Article
Bio-mimicking nano and micro-structured surface fabrication for antibacterial properties in medical implants
Orthopaedic and dental implants have become a staple of the medical industry and with an ageing population and growing culture for active lifestyles, this trend is forecast to continue. In accordance with the increased demand for implants, failure rates, particularly those caused by bacterial infection, need to be reduced. The past two decades have led to developments in antibiotics and antibacterial coatings to reduce revision surgery and death rates caused by infection. The limited effectiveness of these approaches has spurred research into nano-textured surfaces, designed to mimic the bactericidal properties of some animal, plant and insect species, and their topographical features. This review discusses the surface structures of cicada, dragonfly and butterfly wings, shark skin, gecko feet, taro and lotus leaves, emphasising the relationship between nano-structures and high surface contact angles on self-cleaning and bactericidal properties. Comparison of these surfaces shows large variations in structure dimension and configuration, indicating that there is no one particular surface structure that exhibits bactericidal behaviour against all types of microorganisms. Recent bio-mimicking fabrication methods are explored, finding hydrothermal synthesis to be the most commonly used technique, due to its environmentally friendly nature and relative simplicity compared to other methods. In addition, current proposed bactericidal mechanisms between bacteria cells and nano-textured surfaces are presented and discussed. These models could be improved by including additional parameters such as biological cell membrane properties, adhesion forces, bacteria dynamics and nano-structure mechanical properties. This paper lastly reviews the mechanical stability and cytotoxicity of micro and nano-structures and materials. While the future of nano-biomaterials is promising, long-term effects of micro and nano-structures in the body must be established before nano-textures can be used on orthopaedic implant surfaces as way of inhibiting bacterial adhesion.
Journal Article
Surface Engineering of Nanomaterials with Polymers, Biomolecules, and Small Ligands for Nanomedicine
Nanomedicine is a speedily growing area of medical research that is focused on developing nanomaterials for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties have recently attracted a lot of attention since they offer a lot of potential in biomedical research. Novel generations of engineered nanostructures, also known as designed and functionalized nanomaterials, have opened up new possibilities in the applications of biomedical approaches such as biological imaging, biomolecular sensing, medical devices, drug delivery, and therapy. Polymers, natural biomolecules, or synthetic ligands can interact physically or chemically with nanomaterials to functionalize them for targeted uses. This paper reviews current research in nanotechnology, with a focus on nanomaterial functionalization for medical applications. Firstly, a brief overview of the different types of nanomaterials and the strategies for their surface functionalization is offered. Secondly, different types of functionalized nanomaterials are reviewed. Then, their potential cytotoxicity and cost-effectiveness are discussed. Finally, their use in diverse fields is examined in detail, including cancer treatment, tissue engineering, drug/gene delivery, and medical implants.
Journal Article
Recent Advancements in Surface Modification, Characterization and Functionalization for Enhancing the Biocompatibility and Corrosion Resistance of Biomedical Implants
Metallic materials are among the most crucial engineering materials widely utilized as biomaterials owing to their significant thermal conductivity, mechanical characteristics, and biocompatibility. Although these metallic biomedical implants, such as stainless steel, gold, silver, dental amalgams, Co-Cr, and Ti alloys, are generally used for bone tissue regeneration and repairing bodily tissue, the need for innovative technologies is required owing to the sensitivity of medical applications and to avoid any potential harmful reactions, thereby improving the implant to bone integration and prohibiting infection lea by corrosion and excessive stress. Taking this into consideration, several research and developments in biomaterial surface modification are geared toward resolving these issues in bone-related medical therapies/implants offering a substantial influence on cell adherence, increasing the longevity of the implant and rejuvenation along with the expansion in cell and molecular biology expertise. The primary objective of this review is to reaffirm the significance of surface modification of biomedical implants by enlightening numerous significant physical surface modifications, including ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification, thermal spraying, ion implantation, glow discharge plasma, electrophoretic deposition, and physical vapor deposition. Furthermore, we also focused on the characteristics of some commonly used biomedical alloys, such as stainless steel, Co-Cr, and Ti alloys.
Journal Article
Biodegradable Medical Implants: Reshaping Future Medical Practice
Biodegradable medical implants have fundamentally transformed the field of biomedical engineering by providing sustainable and biocompatible alternatives that obviate the need for secondary surgical removal and facilitate endogenous tissue regeneration. This comprehensive review systematically evaluates recent advancements in biodegradable implants utilized across a spectrum of medical applications, including internal medicine, surgical interventions, and medical devices. The developments discussed herein signify substantial progress in material synthesis, characterization, and processing techniques, effectively addressing critical challenges associated with the integration of biodegradable devices into medical implants. Although biodegradable medical implants promise advanced patient care, widespread clinical translation is hindered by inconsistent degradation rates mismatched with healing timelines, insufficient load‐bearing strength, and potential inflammatory or toxic by‐products. Additionally, most studies exhibit application‐material imbalances, inadequate in vivo validation, and poorly controlled degradation behavior. Future efforts must clarify degradation mechanisms and treat materials as therapeutic agents. By synthesizing recent findings and highlighting critical gaps, this review provides valuable insights to guide innovation in biodegradable implant technologies, ultimately enhancing clinical outcomes and accelerating regenerative medicine's progress. Addressing these challenges is crucial for realizing their full clinical potential. Biodegradable medical implants are transforming future healthcare by providing sustainable, biocompatible solutions that eliminate secondary removal procedures, enhancing patients’ physical and psychological comfort, and reducing economic burdens. This review synthesizes recent advances in biodegradable implant research, offering researchers a comprehensive overview and guiding innovations in implant technologies to improve clinical outcomes and advance regenerative medicine.
Journal Article
Revolutionizing medical implant fabrication: advances in additive manufacturing of biomedical metals
Exploring personalized biomedical metal implants through additive manufacturing (AM). Presenting new load-bearing and biodegradable alloys for implants. Showcasing AI and 4D printing advancements in material properties. Exploring AM’s roles in various medical fields. Highlighting perspectives of implant technology for improved patient care. Additive manufacturing has emerged as a transformative technology for producing biomedical metals and implants, offering the potential to revolutionize patient care and treatment outcomes. This article reviews the recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) of biomedical metal implants, especially load-bearing biomedical alloys, biodegradable alloys, novel metals, and 4D printing, whose properties are systematically assessed to facilitate material selection for specific medical applications. The applications of the most cutting-edge artificial intelligence in AM and surface functional modification are also presented. This article also explores the application of AM in various medical specialties, such as orthopedics, dentistry, cardiology, and neurosurgery, demonstrating its potential to solve complex clinical challenges and advance patient-centered healthcare solutions. Furthermore, it highlights the critical roles of AM in shaping the future of medical implant manufacturing. The optimistic outlook on the bright future of AM in medical metals delivers personalized, high-performance medical implants that improve patient treatment outcomes and well-being.
Journal Article
Continuously Operating Biosensor and Its Integration into a Hermetically Sealed Medical Implant
An integration concept for an implantable biosensor for the continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels is presented. The system architecture is based on technical modules used in cardiovascular implants in order to minimize legal certification efforts for its perspective usage in medical applications. The sensor chip operates via the principle of affinity viscometry, which is realized by a fully embedded biomedical microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) prepared in 0.25-µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS)/BiCMOS technology. Communication with a base station is established in the 402–405 MHz band used for medical implant communication services (MICS). The implant shall operate within the interstitial tissue, and the hermetical sealing of the electronic system against interaction with the body fluid is established using titanium housing. Only the sensor chip and the antenna are encapsulated in an epoxy header closely connected to the metallic housing. The study demonstrates that biosensor implants for the sensing of low-molecular-weight metabolites in the interstitial may successfully rely on components already established in cardiovascular implantology.
Journal Article
Active photonic wireless power transfer into live tissues
Recent advances in soft materials and mechanics activate development of many new types of electrical medical implants. Electronic implants that provide exceptional functions, however, usually require more electrical power, resulting in shorter period of usages although many approaches have been suggested to harvest electrical power in human bodies by resolving the issues related to power density, biocompatibility, tissue damage, and others. Here, we report an active photonic power transfer approach at the level of a full system to secure sustainable electrical power in human bodies. The active photonic power transfer system consists of a pair of the skin-attachable photon source patch and the photovoltaic device array integrated in a flexible medical implant. The skin-attachable patch actively emits photons that can penetrate through live tissues to be captured by the photovoltaic devices in a medical implant. The wireless power transfer system is very simple, e.g., active power transfer in direct current (DC) to DC without extra circuits, and can be used for implantable medical electronics regardless of weather, covering by clothes, in indoor or outdoor at day and night. We demonstrate feasibility of the approach by presenting thermal and mechanical compatibility with soft live tissues while generating enough electrical power in live bodies through in vivo animal experiments. We expect that the results enable long-term use of currently available implants in addition to accelerating emerging types of electrical implants that require higher power to provide diverse convenient diagnostic and therapeutic functions in human bodies.
Journal Article