Show Notes 4 April 2025
Story 1: These smart contact lens prototypes could convince future me to ditch my glasses thanks to wireless power transfer and eye health biosensing
Source: TechRadar.com Story by Stephen Warwick
See also: https://xpanceo.com/
- The article highlights three innovative smart contact lens prototypes by XPANCEO, a company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates which were featured at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2025 last month.
- Innovation 1: Smart Contact Lens with a Wireless Powering Companion
- The first prototype features a wireless power transfer system that allows the smart lenses to charge remotely from a compact companion device—while ensuring safety through radiation levels akin to those found in common wearables. Possible features include Night Vision and Zoom.
- Innovation 2: Biosensing Smart Contact Lens
- The second prototype introduces biosensing capabilities: it integrates nanoparticles to analyze tear fluid for biomarkers like glucose, several hormones, and vitamins. The idea is for the lens to act as a continuous, non-invasive health monitor.
- Innovation 3: Smart Contact Lens with an Intraocular Pressure Sensor
- The third prototype is tailored to managing glaucoma, featuring an intraocular pressure sensor that provides real-time measurements via an AI-powered smartphone app, potentially offering critical early warnings for patients.
- Additionally, there are hints from the company of future augmented reality functionalities.
- As Stephen Warwick, author of the article, notes, “Although these prototypes are still in the experimental stages and years away from mass production, they underscore a future where everyday items merge seamlessly with cutting-edge technology to deliver both health insights and enhanced visual capabilities”.
Story 2: Wearable ring translates sign language into text – SpellRing is trained on 20,000 words in American Sign Language.
Source: Popular Science Story by Andrew Paul
Link: https://www.popsci.com/technology/sign-language-translator-ring/
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUtRk-oUeIc
- This article highlights the development of a wearable device called SpellRing, created by researchers at Cornell University. This innovative ring uses micro-sonar technology and deep learning algorithms to translate American Sign Language (ASL) fingerspelling into text in real-time.
- SpellRing aims to bridge communication gaps for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by offering a compact and practical solution compared to existing bulky technologies.
- The device, worn on the thumb, emits inaudible soundwaves and measures hand movements with a gyroscope.
- These inputs are processed to interpret ASL gestures with an accuracy of 82–92%, depending on the complexity of the words.
- With further refinement, SpellRing may one day facilitate entire conversations regardless of your ASL comprehension skills.
- Here’s more on how it works:
- The principle component is a quarter-sized 3D-printed ring casing that contains a small microphone and speaker, and is worn around the thumb.
- When the user begins fingerspelling, the microphone emits inaudible soundwaves that are subsequently detected by the microphone as a miniature gyroscope measures the hand motions.
- Meanwhile, a computer featuring a deep-learning algorithmic program analyzes and translates the resultant sonar images into individual letters in real-time on a computer screen.
- The Cornell University researchers trained SpellRing with the help of 20 experienced and novice ASL signers as they spelled out over 20,000 words with an accuracy, once again, ranging from 82–92 percent.
Story 3: Terabytes of data in a millimeter crystal – University of Chicago researchers created a “quantum-inspired” revolution in microelectronics, storing classical computer memory in crystal gaps where atoms should be
Source: Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering news posting, University of Chicago
Link: https://pme.uchicago.edu/news/terabytes-data-millimeter-crystal
See research paper here: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2024-0635/html
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering researchers have explored an entirely new technique to make ones and zeroes for digital information storage out of crystal defects, each the size of an individual atom, for classical computer memory applications.
- One of the researchers noted, “Each memory cell is a single missing atom – a single defect. Now you can pack terabytes of bits within a small cube of material that’s only a millimeter in size.” ***Remember a millimeter is 1/1000 of a meter!
- Note – the article and research paper explain how this innovation used research on radiation dosimeters – most commonly known as the devices that store how much radiation hospital workers absorb from X-ray machines – into groundbreaking microelectronic memory storage.
Story 4: Cellular ‘scaffold’ enables myoblast implants on healthy muscle to advance regenerative medicine
Source: MedicalXpress.com News from Tokyo Metropolitan University
Link: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-cellular-scaffold-enables-myoblast-implants.html
See research paper here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2024.1502332/full
- This article reports on a groundbreaking regenerative medicine technique developed by researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University for treating age-related muscular atrophy.
- Traditionally, the implantation of myoblasts—cells that eventually mature into muscle fibers—has required prior scarring in the tissue to induce a “repair mode” that facilitates successful grafting.
- However, the new method circumvents this necessity by combining myoblasts with an extracellular matrix fluid. This extracellular matrix fluid acts as a “cellular scaffold” that supports the cells and provides biochemical cues that allow them to attach and integrate into healthy, unscarred muscle tissue, as demonstrated in mouse experiments.
- Side note: Extracellular matrix (ECM) fluid, also known as interstitial fluid, is the liquid that occupies the space surrounding cells within tissues. It plays a crucial role in providing structural support, as well as transporting nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between blood vessels and cells. The ECM fluid is part of the extracellular matrix itself, which is composed of proteins, polysaccharides, and other substances that provide a supportive framework for cells.
- In addition to its transport functions, ECM fluid also helps maintain the tissue’s microenvironment, facilitating cell communication and influencing processes like growth, repair, and differentiation. Essentially, it’s a vital medium that keeps cells connected and functioning within their specific tissue environments.
- In the Tokyo Metropolitan University study, myoblasts were injected along with extracellular matrix fluid into healthy muscle, and the newly implanted cells were engineered to emit a green dye to track how they establish themselves and begin to grow or function in the recipient’s body. **note the green dye in the article’s image
- The researchers observed that increasing the concentration of extracellular matrix fluid enhanced the number of myoblasts that successfully grafted, indicating that the presence of extracellular matrix fluid is crucial for cell attachment and survival in uninjured muscle.
- This innovative approach has significant implications for addressing muscle degeneration in aging populations. By enabling effective cell implantation without the need for injury-induced scarring, the method opens new avenues for regenerative therapies that could complement existing preventive measures like exercise and diet.
Honorable Mentions
Story: U.S. Firm Develops Solid-State Battery With 25x More Capacity, 1,000 Cycles
Source: Tomorrow’s World Today
- ION Storage Systems, a Maryland-based company, has achieved a significant milestone in battery technology. They successfully produced their first multi-layer solid-state battery (SSB) cell, marking a key step toward commercialization. Their innovative compression-free, anodeless design offers increased safety, higher power, and full recyclability.
- Recent tests show that their single-layer cell delivered an impressive 25-fold capacity increase and surpassed 1,000 charge cycles. This advancement underscores the potential of their ceramic solid-state battery platform for scalable, next-generation energy storage.
- Let me know if you’d like to explore the details further!
- Side note: A solid-state battery is a type of energy storage device that uses a solid material as both the electrolyte and, often, the separator between the positive (cathode) and negative (anode) electrodes. This contrasts with traditional lithium-ion batteries, which use liquid or gel electrolytes.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Story: Brazil launches world’s first ethanol power plant to turn sugarcane into electricity
Source: Timesofinnovation.com Story by Aria Patel
- In a pioneering initiative, Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has joined forces with Energetica Suape II to establish the world’s first ethanol power plant in Brazil. This groundbreaking project aims to revolutionize the way electricity is produced by harnessing the power of sugarcane to generate clean and sustainable energy.
- The ethanol power plant, located in the heart of Brazil’s sugarcane industry, utilizes innovative technology developed by Wärtsilä to convert sugarcane biomass into electricity. This process not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also provides a renewable energy source that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
- One of the key benefits of this ethanol power plant is its ability to produce electricity consistently, regardless of external factors such as weather conditions. Unlike traditional solar or wind power plants, which are dependent on the sun and wind for energy production, the ethanol power plant can operate 24/7, ensuring a reliable energy supply to the grid.
- Moreover, the use of sugarcane biomass as a fuel source offers a sustainable solution to Brazil’s energy needs. With vast expanses of sugarcane plantations spread across the country, Brazil has a readily available and renewable source of biomass that can be used to generate electricity on a large scale.
- Side note – Ethanol and its use to generate electricity – Ethanol, derived from sugarcane or other organic materials, can be used to generate electricity through combustion or fuel cells. Here’s how it works:
- Combustion Process: Ethanol is burned in a power plant to produce heat. This heat is used to convert water into steam, which drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity. This method is similar to how coal or natural gas power plants operate but with ethanol as a cleaner, renewable fuel source. *This is what they are doing in Brazil*
- Fuel Cells: Ethanol can also be used in fuel cells, where it undergoes a chemical reaction to produce electricity directly, without combustion. This process is more efficient and produces fewer emissions.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Story: Startup cracks the code to create jet fuel in ‘record time’ from an unexpected source: ‘Novel technology’ **Carbon dioxide and water**
Source: The Cool Down Story by Rick Kazmer
- Experts at startup Lydian are tackling air pollution on its home turf in the sky.
- Specifically, the Massachusetts-based company is leveraging low-cost renewable energy, carbon dioxide, and water to make a ready-to-use, carbon-neutral jet fuel alternative. It comes with astounding 95% lower heat-trapping gas emissions, all according to a press release.
- The latest news involves the successful testing of a North Carolina pilot station.
- “In less than three years, we’ve moved from concept to pilot, which marks a pivotal step toward our long-term goal of decarbonizing aviation,” CEO Joe Rodden said in the statement.
- Aviation is widely reported to account for about 2.5% of worldwide, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. The fume volume has accelerated faster than rail, road, or shipping since 2000, according to the International Energy Agency.
- Once spewed, the exhaust contributes to our planet’s warming. Massachusetts Institute of Technology experts said the higher temperatures, combined with natural weather patterns, play a part in worsening severe weather and harmful ocean warming — conditions already being realized.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Story: Fetus Receives Life-Saving Medication Before Birth in Medical First
Source: ScienceAlert.com Story by Carly Cassella
Link: https://www.sciencealert.com/fetus-receives-life-saving-medication-inside-womb-in-medical-first
- Doctors in the US have treated a fetus with a rapidly progressive congenital disease while in the uterus for the very first time.
- Instead of giving medicine to a child with severe neuromuscular complications after they are born, a new case study details how a prospective mother agreed to take the medicine for her developing fetus while she was still pregnant.
- A prenatal test had shown that her fetus held two genetic mutations indicating type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which usually results in severe muscle weakness and breathing difficulties within six months of birth.
- Historically, most children with type 1 SMA die by their second birthday, usually from respiratory failure. However, the child in this study has so far made it to the age of two and a half years with no sign of symptoms.
- The parents of the treated child had previously experienced the loss of their baby to spinal muscular atrophy, and when testing showed their most recent fetus also had the progressive neuromuscular disease, they wanted to know if they could start treatments earlier.
- For this single case, the FDA approved the early administration of the oral drug risdiplam, brand name Evrysdi, owned by the pharmaceutical company F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG.
Leave a Reply