Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Miracle Workers
FOR OUR
When and if the world beats the global pandemic and returns to normal, it will be scientists we have to thank for it. Husband and wife Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, who have spent years pioneering immunotherapy treatments for cancer, are the brains behind the world’s first effective coronavirus vaccine.
Sahin, 55, and Tureci, 53, set up Biontech in the central German city of Mainz in 2008.
Both trained physicians, they came to attention with their ground-breaking research into modified genetic code.
On Monday, US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, said the couple’s vaccine, using never-beforeapproved technology called messenger RNA, or MRNA, was more than 90% effective i n preventing infection in volunteers.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called it “the greatest medical advance” in the last 100 years.
For many it comes as no surprise that, as politicians blundered, scientists quietly used their expertise and knowledge to find a solution to the world’s biggest problem.
And it’s not the only thing for which we have scientists to thank. Here we look at the other ground-breaking innovations set to bring hope and transform our lives…
Bionic eyes
Researchers have used 3D technology to get one step closer to building a bionic eye. Scientists were able to print light receptors on a glass eyeshaped object using silver particles as ink.
Even though the surface was curved, the ink did not budge and the photodiodes – which are used to convert light into an electrical current – did their job with 25% efficiency.
Now scientists just need to add more receptors and make them more comfortable before they can be rolled out to those who need prosthetics – creating a “seeing” artificial eye.
Robot pills
Scientists have created a tiny origami robot which unfolds itself from a capsule after it is swallowed. Researchers at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created the robot, which can be controlled magnetically from outside the patient.
The robot was first created in 2016 and experts believe it could take up to six years to be safe for human use. However, when it is available, it will be able to deliver medicine to the body, patch wounds and remove foreign objects – all without surgery. That’s definitely not a hard pill to swallow.
Human airbags
A new wearable airbag could protect elderly people from injuries by cushioning their fall if they trip. The creation, named the Fallsafe Airbelt, was designed by engineer, Colm Flynn from the university of Limerick, and contains sensors which can detect a fall within 200 milliseconds and inflate the airbag after just another 100 milliseconds. The clever contraption is also designed to be reusable and wearers can stay protected by simply replacing the cartridge once used. It’s estimated that the belt would cost around £450.
Sepsis sensors
Dr Meera Joshi at Imperial College London, is on a mission to prevent sepsis.
The scientist is trying to introduce wearable sensors for patients undergoing surgery, to tackle the problem of sepsis in hospitals. As a surgical registrar, Dr Joshi knows first-hand how quickly a patient can deteriorate from an infection – as every hour wasted increases the chance of death by almost 8%.
The wearable tech has already been trialled on hospital patients and was quicker at both spotting changes in patients and sending electronic alerts to nurses. The super-sensor moni
A cast which replicates the skin of reptiles is being used to prevent injury and improve sporting performance
An app which uses a camera and hand-tracking software makes touchscreens contactless, and a lot more hygienic tors heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature every two minutes, uploading this and sending the information to a server, enabling the patient to be assessed in real time.
Snake skin
Imperial College graduate Natalie Kerres turned to nature to make a medical marvel.
The scientist created a prosthetic cast, which replicates the skin of a reptile and has the potential to prevent injuries, improve rehabilitation and enhance the sporting performance of users.
It works by creating precise limitations on movement and delivering protection and support only where and when needed. The wearable technology was inspired by animals who are physically protected from mobility issues by an interlocking system of skin, shells or scales. As a result, it has been named Scaled.
Perfect pillows
Researchers at the Samsung Art and Design Institute in Seoul, South Korea, developed a pillow which promises a perfect night’s sleep.
The device, dubbed the Pause Pillow, blocks smartphone signals and wi-fi to stop you being tempted to pick up your phone when you are in bed.
As soon as your head hits the pillow, the pressure sensor sends a jamming signal which stops wi-fi working. The inventors said: “It is a problem that sleep, which is essential for people to recharge their daily lives and maintain a clear mind, is disturbed.”
Medical music
The number of babies being born prematurely has risen across the globe over the past 20 years, which can often mean that tots spend their first days in a neonatal intensive care unit.
So the Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland has been incorporating music into the babies’ care plans – using three songs, which the
newborns listen to through special headphones.
The babies’ brains are then scanned with MRI as they listen and compared to those who did not hear the music. Early findings are proving a success and show that babies who undergo this kind of therapy have improved brain connectivity, and the songs support their daily routines of sleeping and waking.
Brain therapy
Electricity may be key to fighting Alzheimer’s. Scientists have been working on the creation of “brain pacemakers”, which involves implanting electrodes into the body, which deliver electric pulses – also known as deep brain stimulation.
The devices have already helped treat conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder and Parkinson’s disease. And they are now being tested on Alzheimer’s patients to help improve focus, memory and judgement.
Mobile doctors
MIT researchers have found a way to tell whether people have Covid-19 from the way they talk and cough, even if they are asymptomatic. It is impossible to tell the difference between asymptomatic and heathy individuals as the human ear cannot recognise the slight differences in tone caused by Covid-19. But artificial intelligence is being trained to do just that. Researchers used tens of thousands of mobile phone recordings of people coughing and talking to create an AI tool that could accurately identify coronavirus symptoms 98.5% of the time.
Contactless touchscreens
Technology company Ultraleap last month launched an app to enable companies to update touchscreens, making them touch free.
The app – which is appropriately called, Touchfree – uses a camera and hand tracking software to monitor movement, and can be used on any screen for extra hygiene. It is hoped that the device will be able to help places such as train stations, hotels and airports to become more sanitary.
Sign of the times
Sign language will be made more accessible to everyone thanks to an invention by Liye Zhang from the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. The scientist has designed Catcher, a device which can translate sign language into speech. The user simply wears the camera device around their neck and it is able to read hand gestures and translate them into spoken words.