Vein Viewer
Luminetx
No one wants to be poked repeatedly by medical personnel trying to draw blood, start an IV, or administer drugs. So Luminetx developed a quick fix: Its VeinViewer calls upon near-infrared, a digital video camera, and an image processor to locate veins immediately, without the pain (or puncture wounds) left by trial and error. Unlike ultrasound, which requires extensive training, the VeinViewer is easy to operate even for less experienced med techs and, at $25,000, is relatively inexpensive as medical equipment goes. It’s also safe. The near-IR light isn’t intense enough to warm the body or cause tissue damage, and patients can rest easy knowing there’s no danger of cross-contamination. The VeinViewer never comes into contact with the skin, eliminating any chance that it might spread a transmittable disease.
Bacterial Photographs
University of Texas
By genetically tweaking E. coli to stop ingesting sugar when exposed to light, synthetic biologists now have proof that cells can be engineered to organize in specific ways. In this photograph, bacteria left in the dark processed the sugar, resulting in a black enzyme; the others didn’t, leaving the film clear. The result: an image estimated to be close to 100 megapixels, or 10 times more precise than a hi-res printer.
Zerofly
Vestergaard Frandsen
Recovery efforts after natural disasters are often so focused on urgent lifesaving measures (and understandably so) that disease prevention gets short shrift. Tents made of ZeroFly, a thin plastic coated with an insecticide called deltamethrin, shelter displaced survivors and protect them from malaria-bearing mosquitoes without the hassle of pills or inoculations. (On display in the Developing Nations Pavilion at NextFest.)
Dynamicarm Elbow 12K100
Otto Bock Health Care
A prosthetic revolution, Otto Bock’s elbow has an electric motor so powerful it can lift up to 13 pounds. Its Automated Forearm Balance system has the ability to store and later reuse energy that’s released when the arm is extended. With near-perfect balance, it’s as close as it gets to the real thing.
Lifestraw
Vestergaard Frandsen
Waterborne illnesses like diarrhea and typhoid claim the lives of more than 6,000 people a day. For the price of a Happy Meal, LifeStraw kills 99.9 percent of the disease-causing microorganisms in drinking water. Its three-stage, hydrogen-based resin and carbon filtration system sucks up 185 gallons of H20 – what an average person consumes in a year. (On display in the Developing Nations Pavilion at NextFest.)
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