-
1 week ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
THERYQ is developing a radiotherapy system that uses very high-energy electrons to treat deep-seated tumours, and can also enable FLASH treatments Electron therapy has long played an important role in cancer treatments. Electrons with energies of up to 20 MeV can treat superficial tumours while minimizing delivered dose to underlying tissues; they are also ideal for performing total skin therapy and intraoperative radiotherapy. The limited penetration depth of such low-energy electrons,...
-
1 week ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) enable the flow of information between the brain and an external device such as a computer, smartphone or robotic limb. Applications range from use in augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), to restoring function to people with neurological disorders or injuries. Electroencephalography (EEG)-based BCIs use sensors on the scalp to noninvasively record electrical signals from the brain and decode them to determine the user’s intent.
-
2 weeks ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Complex hydrogel structures created using 3D printing are increasingly employed in fields including flexible electronics, soft robotics and regenerative medicine. Currently, however, such hydrogels are often soft and fragile, limiting their practical utility.
-
2 weeks ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Portable multiphoton microscopy system uses femtosecond laser pulses to create pathology-quality diagnostic images Multiphoton microscopy is a nonlinear optical imaging technique that enables label-free, damage-free biological imaging. Performed using femtosecond laser pulses to generate two- and three-photon processes, multiphoton imaging techniques could prove invaluable for rapid cancer diagnosis or personalized medicine. Imaging biological samples with traditional confocal microscopy...
-
3 weeks ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Gold nanoparticles are promising vehicles for targeted delivery of cancer drugs, offering biocompatibility plus a tendency to accumulate in tumours. To fully exploit their potential, it’s essential to be able to track the movement of these nanoparticles in the body. To date, however, methods for directly visualizing their pharmacokinetics have not yet been established.
-
1 month ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
A team at the Trento Proton Therapy Centre in Italy has delivered the first clinical treatments using proton arc therapy, an emerging proton delivery technique. Following successful dosimetric comparisons with clinically delivered proton plans, the researchers confirmed the feasibility of PAT delivery and used PAT to treat nine cancer patients, reporting their findings in Medical Physics.
-
2 months ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Treatment with low-temperature plasma is emerging as a novel cancer therapy. Previous studies have shown that plasma can deactivate cancer cells in vitro, suppress tumour growth in vivo and potentially induce anti-tumour immunity. Researchers at the University of Tokyo are investigating another promising application – the use of plasma to inhibit tumour recurrence after surgery.
-
2 months ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a driving force for researchers to seek out new disinfection methods that could tackle future viral outbreaks. One promising approach relies on the use of nanoparticles, with several metal and metal oxide nanoparticles showing anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. With this in mind, researchers from Sweden and Estonia investigated the effect of such nanoparticles on two different virus types.
-
2 months ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Pollution from microplastics – small plastic particles less than 5 mm in size – poses an ongoing threat to human health. Independent studies have found microplastics in human tissues and within the bloodstream. And as blood circulates throughout the body and through vital organs, these microplastics reach can critical regions and lead to tissue dysfunction and disease. Microplastics can also cause functional irregularities in the brain, but exactly how they exert neurotoxic effects remains unclear.
-
2 months ago | 
physicsworld.com | Tami Freeman
Braille is a tactile writing system that helps people who are blind or partially sighted acquire information by touching patterns of tiny raised dots. Braille uses combinations of six dots (two columns of three) to represent letters, numbers and punctuation. But learning to read braille can be challenging, particularly for those who lose their sight later in life, prompting researchers to create automated braille recognition technologies.
