Corneal edema treatment approved for the US

The US FDA has approved the Hyper-CL contact lens for the treatment of corneal edema developed by Israel’s EyeYon Medical. The product is already approved for marketing in Europe. About two million people develop corneal edema annually.  

Using Virtual Reality to prevents falls

Tel Aviv University researchers have proved that exercise using Virtual Reality (VR) systems can halve the number of incidents of falls in the elderly.  Falls in adults aged 65 and over account for about 2% of all healthcare expenditures in high-income countries,

Pain relief machines for women in labor

Yad Sarah, the voluntary organization that lends out medical equipment and offers many other services to the ill, lonely and elderly, has bought hundreds of TENS machines. These provide pain relief for women in labor and will be lent to expectant mothers from Yad Sarah branches.

Use your brain to control nanobots

Researchers at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University and the IDC in Herzliya have used brainwaves of humans under strain, to control the release of medicine by tiny robots made from shells made of DNA.  The technique could be used (for example) to treat schizophrenia or depression.

Rejoining his family after 18 months as a vegetable

The amazing story of how Moti’s family realized that, despite the paralysis from his stroke, Moti was still there.  Now he uses the Israeli device Click2Speak to take part in conversations.  And he says that he’s happy!

Monitoring insulin levels

Israel’s DreaMed Diabetes is developing a decision support technology platform called the Advisor to determine optimal patient-specific insulin treatment plans leading to balanced glucose levels in people with diabetes.  DreaMed has just raised $3.3 million for development.

First US patients for Chameleon balloon catheter

I reported previously that Israel’s AV Medical had completed trials of its unique balloon catheter that allows simultaneous angioplasty and fluid injection.  AV Medical has just commenced using Chameleon on patients in the US.

Pain-free bladder treatments

Israeli startup Vensica Medical is developing the ‘VensiCare, a painless needle-free ultrasound catheter system to deliver treatments for overactive bladder, bladder cancer and interstitial cystitis.  Vensica has just raised $500,000 for R&D and completion of device design.

To diagnose genetic disorders

Israeli-based NRGene is the only company in the world to map the genome for bread, pasta and wild emmer wheat.  Now it is turning its attention to the human genome in order to help diagnose genetic disorders at an early stage and strive to personalize medications.

Breakthrough in search for melanoma cure

Researchers, led by Tel Aviv University’s Dr. Carmit Levy, have unraveled the metastatic mechanism of melanoma (how it spreads to other organs).  They have also crucially found chemical substances that can stop the process - promising news for future treatments.