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Robotic surgery is nothing new, but after the surgeon has been pushed away from the OR table, you are still left with the gasman. In one of the first efforts to make teleanesthesia a reality (apart from several telemonitoring efforts), researchers from the University of Florida demonstrate the possibility of a robotically assisted simulated nerve block placement under ultrasound guidance in this month's issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia. They used the well known da Vinci surgical robot to perform the procedure. The ultrasound head still had to be manually positioned and the subject was only a phantom, but the procedure was successful. The high price and the need to still have a physician present in case of complications mean that you are not likely to see this happen in practice anytime soon, but it is an interesting technical advancement nevertheless. That leaves us speculating what will be the next procedure to be performed remotely, how about some robotic intubation? Press release: Surgical Robot Could Be Used for Long-Distance Regional Anesthesia... Article: Robot-Assisted Regional Anesthesia: A Simulated Demonstration... Flashback: McSleepy: Automated Anesthesia System... Wouter Stomp

SonoSite has received FDA clearance for its LumenVu Catheter Guidance System. SonoSite acquired LumenVu technology by buying the start-up company and the LumenVu system has been available already on the European market. The system is meant to make the insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) easier and faster. It uses a fiber optic stylet replacing the normally used guide wire which emits near-infrared light, allowing visualization and real-time tracking of the catheter tip during insertion. Possibly this would eliminate the need for post-placement confirmation X-rays. It is compatible with standard PICC catheters. SonoSite envisions the technology being used for other applications as well and plans to develop a fully integrated line placement imaging solution including ultrasound visualization. Press release: SonoSite Receives FDA Clearance For LumenVu Catheter Guidance System... Product page: LumenVu Catheter Guidance System...... Wouter Stomp

The vertebral augmentation field is getting more crowded, and, supposedly, cheaper. CareFusion has just announced an American launch of its new AVAmax® Vertebral Balloon. In a press release, without naming Medtronic's Kyphon, that is clearly the target, CareFusion is throwing all sorts of verbal assaults and innuendos: The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon represents a competitive breakthrough and is expected to enhance the affordability of spinal fracture procedures. CareFusion's vertebral balloon product and related components cost up to 40 percent less than similar kyphoplasty products on the market today, making the procedure more cost effective and accessible to hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. During the product's limited release period, CareFusion completed approximately 300 case studies with eight in 10 physicians saying they would strongly consider switching to the AVAmax product, according to post-product evaluation surveys. The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon is part of an all-in-one system that includes an eight-gauge or 10-gauge needle, bone cement and delivery instruments for kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty, an alternate procedure to treat compression fractures. The all-in-one system gives doctors the choice and flexibility to perform either procedure at the time of patient care. "The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon is easier to use and more efficiently designed than the system previously available to me," said C. Douglas Edmondson, M.D., FACR, Interventional Radiologist at Medical Center of South Arkansas. "With one more tool in the AVAmax toolbox, I can more selectively tailor spinal interventions with vertebropasty or kyphoplasty with a huge cost savings and no wasted materials." The AVAmax® PLUS vertebral augmentation system, which delivers cement for the procedure, allows the radiologist's hands to be out of the radiation field leading to reduced radiation exposure by clinicians. Press release: CareFusion Announces National Launch of Spinal Fracture Device ... Product page: AVAmax® Vertebral Balloon ...... Michael

Analog Devices, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of MEMS and digital signal processing technologies from Norwood, Mass, has just announced that its high performance iMEMS accelerometer enables Zoll Medical's new palm-sized CPR device to measure the rate and depth of chest compressions administered by rescuers. If you've been living in the woods around Norwood, Mass, and still don't know, PocketCPR, as the product is called, is a $149 assistance device that has a chronometer and a voice output to guide anyone to perform CPR correctly, step-by-step and in real time. And as we have reported before, Zoll Medical also offers its technology via software for the iPhone, that does pretty much the same thing, by using iPhone's built-in accelerometer to perform the measurements. Check out the product video, and all the related links below: Product page: PocketCPR... Press release: Pocket-Sized CPR Rescue Device Enabled by Analog Devices' MEMS Motion Sensing Technology ... More: Zoll Medical, Palm-Sized CPR Device for Sudden Cardiac Arrest... Flashback: iPhone CPR App Analyzes, Helps Improve Chest Compressions... Michael

Viatronix Inc. out of Stony Brook, NY has announced 510(k) FDA clearance for the first virtual colonoscopy CAD system available in the US. Along with the approval, the company has released a new version of the V3D-Colon software that has been used in much of the rest of the world since early 2009. Some details from Viatronix: The optional VeraLook Colon CAD module provides a list of CAD marks which are displayed in a numbered list along with bold colored markers on both 2D and 3D images while navigating through the Viatronix V3D-Colon interface. In a Virtual Colonoscopy, the colon is inflated with carbon dioxide introduced through a small rectal tube. Spiral CT Colonography images are then taken in seconds, yielding one-millimeter resolution in the axial and sub-millimeter resolution in the plane directions with excellent contrast between the colon wall and the lumen. Advanced image segmentation creates a clean 3-D colon reconstruction and computer graphics enable easy navigation through it. V3D comes ready to use as a "turn-key" Virtual Colonoscopy system. No setup or extensive computer knowledge is required, although all users must be trained in the use of V3D. All of the necessary hardware and software needed for interactive virtual diagnosis-based on supplied CT Colonography or MRI images-is contained in V3D. Press release: Viatronix Incorporated announces the latest release of its V3D-ColonR software now offering the first 510(k) approved colon CAD for the U.S. market... (.pdf) Product page: V3D-Colon... Flashback: iCAD VeraLook Automatic Colon Polyp Detector... Michael

With the help of X-ray crystallography, a team of investigators from Penn State were able to peer inside the nucleosome core as it interacts with a chromatin protein Penn State press office explains the significance of such an "atomic view" of how a protein interacts with the histone and DNA components of the nucleosome: As the genetic blueprint of life, DNA must be deciphered or "read," even when densely packed into nucleosomes. The nucleosome is therefore a key target of genetic processes in a cell and a focus of scientific investigations into how normal and diseased cells work. Previous studies at Penn State and other research institutions led to the discovery of chromatin enzymes -- proteins that act to turn specific genes on or off by binding to the nucleosome. Since the three-dimensional structure of the nucleosome was determined 13 years ago, scientists have wondered how chromatin enzymes recognize and act on the nucleosome to regulate gene expression and other processes in a cell. "We needed to visualize how these enzymes are able to read such a complicated structure as the nucleosome," Tan said. [Song Tan is an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State- --ed.] To tackle this problem, Ravindra D. Makde, a postdoctoral member of the research team led by Tan, grew molecular crystals of the protein RCC1 (regulator of chromosome condensation, a protein critical for proper separation of chromosomes during cell division) bound to the nucleosome, and used X-ray crystallography to determine the atomic structure of the complex. "Our results showed that the RCC1 protein binds to opposite sides of the nucleosome -- similar to pedals positioned on a tricycle wheel." The structure provides atomic details of how an enzyme can recognize both DNA and components of the protein core of the nucleosome. Unexpectedly, the structure also showed how DNA can stretch as it wraps into a nucleosome. Press release: First picture of genetic processes inside cell developed at Penn State... Abstract in Nature: Structure of RCC1 chromatin factor bound to the nucleosome core particle... Michael

If you've ever had a cold, diarrhea, or pink eye you are probably familiar with the adenovirus. This virus has been a subject of research interest for a long time, but due to its massive size (it is the largest non-enveloped virus), its atomic structure has never been mapped... that is until now! Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute finally were able to unlock the secrets of the contagion by applying a tried and true method, x-ray crystallography, but with some more finesse. By utilizing a robotic system and a powerful new x-ray beam, scientists were finally able to map the atomic structure of the biggest virus mapped thus far. Adenovirus is of particular interest to scientists for its possible use in gene therapy. By better understanding the atomic structure, the virus can be better utilized to target specific cells for therapy. Press release: Scripps Research Scientists Unveil Structure of Adenovirus, the Largest High-Resolution Complex Ever Found Abstract in Science: Crystal Structure of Human Adenovirus at 3.5 Å Resolution... jhbarad

A small (n=10) Phase 1 study published in Science Translational Medicine this week shows that synthetic corneas performed as well as cadaver harvested corneas over a 24 month followup. From the abstract: The biosynthetic implants remained stably integrated and avascular for 24 months after surgery, without the need for long-term use of the steroid immunosuppression that is required for traditional allotransplantation. Corneal reepithelialization occurred in all patients, although a delay in epithelial closure as a result of the overlying retaining sutures led to early, localized implant thinning and fibrosis in some patients. The tear film was restored, and stromal cells were recruited into the implant in all patients. Nerve regeneration was also observed and touch sensitivity was restored, both to an equal or to a greater degree than is seen with human donor tissue. Vision at 24 months improved from preoperative values in six patients. While there are enough cadaver corneas to go around in the US (some are exported as well) they require immunosuppresion and the rest of the world, for various reasons, does not have as ready a supply. The study was an international effort, with the collagen produced by FibroGen in the US, shaped into corneas by University of Ottawa Eye Institute in Canada, and implanted into patients in Sweden. Abstract in Science Translational Medicine: A Biosynthetic Alternative to Human Donor Tissue for Inducing Corneal Regeneration: 24-Month Follow-Up of a Phase 1 Clinical Study Press release: FibroGen Announces Results of 2-Year Study Demonstrating that Biosynthetic Corneas Formulated with Recombinant Human Type III Collagen Restore Vision and Promote Nerve Regeneration Image credit: BlakJakDavy... Dan Buckland

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created tiny plastic microneedles using which they were able to deliver quantum dots under the skin. Quantum dots are being looked into by scientists for their light affecting properties as potential tools in cancer diagnosis. The new advance may help design quantum dot technology in the fight against skin cancers. The researchers created the plastic microneedles and tested them using pig skin, which has characteristics closely resembling human skin. Using a water-based solution containing quantum dots, the researchers were able to capture images of the quantum dots entering the skin using multiphoton microscopy. These images show the mechanism by which the quantum dots enter the layers of skin, allowing the researchers to verify the effectiveness of the microneedles as a delivery mechanism for quantum dots. The imaging method used in this study, multiphoton microscopy, may have clinical applications for real-time imaging of dyes – such as quantum dots – in the skin. This could contribute to more rapid diagnosis of cancers or other medical problems. The study is also significant because it shows that a laser-based rapid prototyping approach allows for the creation of microneedles of varying lengths and shapes. This will allow physicians to create microneedles that are customized for treatment of a specific condition. Specifically, the microneedles were created using two-photon polymerization, an approach pioneered by NC State and Laser Zentrum Hannover for use in medical device applications. Two-photon polymerization allowed the researchers to create hollow, plastic microneedles with specific design characteristics. Press release: Microneedle, Quantum Dot Study Opens Door To New Clinical Cancer Tools...... Michael

As any medical student well knows, the initial treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax is a placement of a small-bore IV or pigtail catheter into the chest in the 2nd intercostal space at the mid-clavicular line, followed by aspiration of air from the pleural space. When up to 4 liters of air in adults are removed, the lung should re-expand itself. Cambridge Consultants think they can make this old process a little more intelligent by optimizing the pressure and flow rate of the aspiration process, and providing necessary data. The company claims that its new device, dubbed Breathe™, can measure the volume of aspirant and control the negative pressure and flow rate. They hope their technology will give physicians a better idea of the dynamics happening while they work the syringe. Cambridge Consultants is looking for partners to help commercialize the device. Automatic aspiration for PSP increases the dynamism of the treatment process and creates a host of beneficial outcomes. For one, the operator must engage with accurate, real-time data about the volume and pressure in the patient's chest cavity. And in a regulatory environment where data is becoming ever more important, the device's diagnostic capabilities provide useful statistics about the body's environment and its reaction to aspiration. Meanwhile, doctors have a new tool in which they can make more educated decisions about their patients. Furthermore, since researchers have never had such data to work with, new and unforeseen conclusions about PSP may arise from the analysis of automatic aspiration intelligence. Press release: Breathe™ easy: Cambridge Consultants technology adds intelligence and automation to aspiration procedures... Michael

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden successfully used magnets to guide fibrinolytics (clot dissolving drugs) directly to the site of a thrombus stuck within a coronary stent. They did this by attaching the drugs to magnetic nanoparticles and using external magnets to move them to the right spot. Guiding drug-loaded magnetic particles using a magnet outside the body is not a new idea. However, previous attempts have failed for various reasons: it has only been possible to reach the body’s superficial tissue and the particles have often obstructed the smallest blood vessels. The Lund researchers’ attempt has succeeded partly because nanotechnology has made the particles tiny enough to pass through the smallest arteries and partly because the target has been a metallic stent. When the stent is placed in a magnetic field, the magnetic force becomes sufficiently strong to attract the magnetic nanoparticles. For the method to work the patient therefore has to have an implant containing a magnetic metal. Press release: Medicine reaches the target with the help of magnets... Abstract in Biomaterials: The use of magnetite nanoparticles for implant-assisted magnetic drug targeting in thrombolytic therapy.... Michael

Haldor Advanced Technologies out of Maumelle, Arkansas won FDA clearance to market its ORLocate surgical tool tracking system. The package includes a central console, RFID tags, buckets and trays that know when tools are placed on them, and a locator to find anything that might have been left inside the patient. From the press release: ORLocate™ has tested 99.8 percent accurate when counting and monitoring the location of sponges and instruments during lab testing by NAMSA in Northwood, Ohio, the world’s leading medical device contract research organization, and labs in Germany and Israel. It works by tagging each item used in surgery with a unique RFID identity. The tag is about the size of a small hearing aid battery. The tagged instruments and sponges are detected via antennas located throughout the sterile field and a robust software application that continuously and automatically performs the counting. Before procedures, a count of items is registered, and as they are used, the information is logged electronically. Along with the OR system, ORLocate offers an additional platform for use in the Sterile Processing and Distribution Departments (SPD) that provides advanced tracking solutions for the lifecycle of surgical instruments. This is done by enabling simple and accurate packing of surgery sets in the sterile processing department. Instruments are tagged and carefully tracked in the system, allowing hospitals to maximize the overall productivity while automatically identifying defective instruments that could pose a risk to patient care and indentifying instruments that need maintenance. The RFID technology allows ORLocate to: * Provide a complete and integrated solution to help reduce cases of retained surgical items in patients' bodies. * Combine tracking technology and asset management services to meet the highest healthcare standards. * Potentially increase efficiency of operating room logistics and workflow processes. * Reduce time-consuming counting and inventory efforts. * Enable simple and accurate packing of surgery sets in the sterile processing department. * Enable hospitals to provide higher and safer quality of care for patients. -->You need to install or upgrade Flash Player to view this content, install or upgrade by clicking here.--> Press release: New Technology for Tracking Surgical Instruments, Sponges During Surgery Earns FDA Clearance... Product page: ORLocate... Michael

Astronauts returning from space often have trouble keeping their balance and walking for a while. Researchers at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute have now developed a device that can simulate these effects without having to leave our planet's surface. They created a Galvanic vestibular stimulation system that delivers electrical pulses through electrodes behind the ears, stimulating the vestibular nerve. Although the concept behind this has been known for quite a while, this is the first compact, mobile and comfortable to wear implementation. From the press release: "We know that GVS is a good model of how microgravity affects astronauts," Moore said. "What we didn't know is how good of an operational analog GVS is for the effects of spaceflight. We now have a validated, ground-based analog for the effects of spaceflight on neurological function that is not just posture, balance and eye movement." In order to determine the viability of using GVS as an analog, Moore tested 12 subjects in the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Each subject flew 16 simulated shuttle landings, with the pilots experiencing the GVS analog during eight of the simulations. The subjects included a veteran shuttle commander, NASA test pilots and U.S. Air Force pilots. The results were compared to data collected from more than 100 shuttle landings. According to Moore, one out of five shuttle landings have been outside the optimal performance range, such as touchdown speed and sink rate. He said the pilots using GVS during landing simulations experienced sensorimotor disturbances similar to the shuttle pilots. For example, GVS generated a significant increase in touchdown speed consistent with that observed in actual shuttle landings. "Without GVS, they were right on the target – around 204 knots," Moore said. "With GVS, the average speed was pushed up to about 210 knots, which is at the upper limit of the target range." The study subjects also experienced GVS-induced problems during a routine landing approach braking maneuver that required the pilots to bring the craft from a 20-degree glideslope angle to a 1.5-degree angle. This is a point during actual shuttle landing approaches at which pilots experienced sensorimotor issues and increased gravitational forces from acceleration. "The GVS stimulation of the nerves is making the simulator pilots think the spacecraft is moving around. We are happy with that result," he said. "GVS induced similar decrements in simulator landings... Wouter Stomp

The female knee differs slightly in some aspects from the male knee, so researchers thought a female specific total knee prosthesis would be better for female patients. However, a prospective randomized study of 85 patients who received the implant now shows that there is no clinical benefit of the gender-specific prosthesis. All participating women received two implants; a standard NexGen CR-flex prosthesis in one knee and a gender-specific NexGen CR-flex in the other. In the gender-specific prosthesis the height of the anterior condyle is lowered and the sulcus is recessed to avoid creating an overstuffed patellofemoral joint and to increase the post-operative range of flexion. Patients were followed for two years after operation. Patient satisfaction and range of motion did not differ between the implants and the majority of women did not have a preference for either of the implants. Much to the surprise of the authors, who expected a benefit of the gender specific devices, there was no advantage of using the gender-specific prosthesis in these patients. The results were recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Press release: Gender Bender: Do Gender Knee Implants Provide Better Outcomes? Study abstract: Comparison of standard and gender-specific posterior-cruciate-retaining high-flexion total knee replacements...... Wouter Stomp

How quickly can your coronary stents reendothelialize following implantation, if ever? We bet not too quick. How about 26 days post-implantation? OrbusNeich, a company headquartered in Hong Kong, has just announced these results from an optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation of a patient that was implanted with company's two new Genous Bio-engineered R coronary stents. The procedure was performed at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong on a 62-year-old male with acute MI. Featuring a proprietary bio-engineered surface that is coated with anti-CD34 antibodies, thought to capture circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) that have CD34 antigen molecules on their membranes, these devices are specifically designed to enhance endothelialization. More from the press release: Following a diagnosis of acute thrombotic occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD), with critical lesions identified in the proximal and mid LAD and a chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the proximal right coronary artery (RCA), the patient, a 62-year-old male, received two 2.5 mm diameter Genous Bio-engineered R stents. The proximal stent was 23 mm in length, and the distal stent was 13 mm in length. At 26 days post-implantation, physicians conducted an OCT assessment when a staged procedure was performed to the CTO on the RCA with implantation of an additional 2.5 mm diameter by 23 mm length Genous Bio-engineered R stent. "This is the first documentation of complete endothelialization after 26 days of Genous stent implantation, showing the pro-healing effect in vivo," said Prof. Lee. Genous is OrbusNeich's patented endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture technology that promotes the accelerated natural healing of the vessel wall after the implantation of blood-contact devices such as stents. The technology consists of an antibody surface coating that attracts EPCs circulating in the blood to the device to form an endothelial layer that provides protection against thrombosis and modulates restenosis. To learn more about Genous technology, check out this brochure: Healing within Hours (.pdf)... OrbusNeich Cardiology Products ... OrbusNeich Media Kit ... Press release: 100 Percent Coverage of Struts and Complete Neointimal Coverage of OrbusNeich's Genous™ Bio-engineered R stent™ Demonstrated 26 Days Post-Implantation in STEMI Patient (.pdf) Images are kindly provided by OrbusNeich. © OrbusNeich... Michael

Kaplan Publishing is giving out free ebooks of all their standardized test prep until Aug 30th. This includes USMLE (Steps 1-3) and MCAT. The catch is that you have to go to their mobile site (www.kaplanpublishing.com/iTunes) on your Apple iOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch). To kick off the back-to-school season, beginning today Kaplan Publishing is offering more than 90 book titles as free downloads exclusively on the iBookstore. The iBookstore is included in the free iBooks app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch Titles include Law School Labyrinth, Med School RX, MBA Fundamental Accounting and Finance, Portable GMAT, NCLEX-RN, the PMBR Finals series, Kaplan's MCAT subject review series, and Kaplan AP guides. Press release: Kaplan Kicks off Back-to-School Season with Free Book Downloads Offer Exclusively On the iBookstore Kaplan Publishing... (via Lifehacker)... Dan Buckland

Dan Buckland is an editor here at Medgadget and an MD/PhD student at Harvard Med/MIT whose thesis deals with diagnosing back injury in spaceflight using ultrasound. Mary Roach, author of previous entertaining books Bonk (a history of sex research) and Stiff (a history of cadaver research), has turned her considerable talents in translating decades of research into a readable review of human (and animal) spaceflight experimentation. The title of her book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, is a bit of a misnomer, only the last chapter is devoted to the medical advances needed for a trip to Mars. However, it is a great layman's history of the biomedical results of both the American and Russian space programs. Through my own research and academic career I've been peripherally involved with many of the recent studies she mentions in the book, and I know many of the people she interviews so I give her credit for taking some fairly complicated concepts and distilling them to relevant anecdotes and asides. Her characterizations of the individuals I know is spot on and I can hear their voices in the quotes she uses. Roach breaks the book down roughly into large projects, rather than by physiological areas or research fields, such as cadaver tests for the next space capsule, space food packaging, simulated environments, microgravity flights, Japanese astronaut selection, porn filmed partially in microgravity, and nausea experiments. Each chapter typically focuses on some large effort and builds context by peppering in the results from other studies and an interviews with experts in the field. The resulting chapters are pretty independent and, aside from a transition paragraph at the end of each, could probably be read in any order. This style of writing is familiar to anyone who has read Roach's other books. Roach accurately notes NASA and the space program's role in the development of medical technology, although the NASA Public Affairs Office may put it differently when promoting the positive benefits of space flight; NASA sees medical technology as a means, not an end. She mentions that most medical technology that helps increase efficiency, redundancy, reliability, or decrease size, mass, and power requirements were worked on or considered by NASA and related agencies at some point. Not because NASA's charter includes helping the world, but because it helps get more stuff off the ground with the constraints inherent... Dan Buckland

Philips Respironics is releasing a new portable ventilator for adult and pediatric patients above five kilos. The Trilogy200 provides up to six hours of life support on one set of batteries which can be hot swapped for indefinite use. From a press release obtained by Medgadget: Using a new single-limb circuit and proximal flow sensor, Trilogy200 offers improved triggering and leak compensation that allows for more sensitive delivery of therapy. This added sensitivity decreases work of breathing resulting in greater therapy comfort, better ventilation and improved patient/ventilator synchrony.1/2 Weighing only 11 pounds and featuring a unique six-hour battery system of internal and easy-to-swap detachable batteries, Trilogy200 gives patients and their families a new level of freedom. "Trilogy200's advanced flow triggering is ideal for patients who require enhanced inspiratory triggering and leak compensation," says John Frank, senior vice president and general manager, Respiratory Care Group. "With three triggering options-Digital Auto-Trak, flow triggering and proximal flow triggering-clinicians can select the most appropriate ventilator settings for their patients." Additionally, Trilogy200 has DirectView reporting software, which streamlines reporting to help clinicians identify adjustments necessary to maintain effective treatment and improve patient care.... Michael

Gavin King, a physicist out of University of Missouri, together with Allison Churnside and Thomas Perkins from Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, have published an interesting paper in SPIE that takes a look at the future of scanning-probe microscopes, and possible ways to overcome some of the problems that are still not resolved in this technology. Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) obtains an image of the surface by mechanically moving a probe, but it suffers from intrinsic mechanical drift. The authors believe they can overcome this detrimental effect that occurs between the scanning-probe tip and sample with some quantum trickery. From the paper, here's how they propose to do it: Drift occurs in all scanning-probe instruments owing to environmental perturbations. When operating such instruments at liquid-helium temperatures, the gold-standard conditions for high-precision SPM work, tip-sample drift rates are reduced to ~0.01Å/min. This extreme instrumental stability facilitates detailed dynamic studies and enables atomic-scale patterning of matter. In recent work,2 we showed that it is possible to approach similar levels of tip-sample stability in ambient, ‘real-world’ operating conditions, where instrumental drift rates are typically 1000-fold higher. Mechanical drift between an SPM tip and a sample limits many aspects of SPM performance. For example, atomic-force microscopes (AFMs), the most prominent type of SPM instrument, would benefit from the ability to enhance image resolution by scanning slowly and averaging cantilever response, return the tip to a precise feature in an image (e.g., a region of a protein), hover the tip over a feature for long time periods to study local dynamics (e.g., conformational fluctuations), and precisely control the tip's 3D position when disengaged from the surface (e.g., force spectroscopy). Unfortunately, none of these important tasks can be achieved with current AFMs in real-world conditions because of drift. Long-term atomic-scale stability between tip and sample is needed to fully exploit the advantages of AFM across a broad array of disciplines. To surmount the limitations imposed by drift, we have developed a unique, ultrastable AFM measurement platform. Our approach, inspired by precision optical-trapping techniques,3 establishes a local differential reference frame to control the tip/sample displacement (see Figure 1). Briefly, focused lasers of different wavelengths (red and green) locally report tip and sample position by scattering off both the tip's apex and a fiducial mark (a nanoscale silicon disk) affixed to the sample plane. Backscattered light is separated... Michael

An MIT research team with help from English and Korean scientists have identified a synthetic material that is effective in promoting the growth of pluripotent stem cells on its surface. Using this new technology, scientists should hopefully be able to overcome the challenge of farming enough stem cells for effective research and future therapeutic needs. Previous studies had suggested that several chemical and physical properties of surfaces — including roughness, stiffness and affinity for water — might play a role in stem-cell growth. The researchers created about 500 polymers (long chains of repeating molecules) that varied in those traits, grew stem cells on them and analyzed each polymer’s performance. After correlating surface characteristics with performance, they found that there was an optimal range of surface hydrophobicity (water-repelling behavior), but varying roughness and stiffness did not have much effect on cell growth. They also adjusted the composition of the materials, including proteins embedded in the polymer. They found that the best polymers contained a high percentage of acrylates, a common ingredient in plastics, and were coated with a protein called vitronectin, which encourages cells to attach to surfaces. Using their best-performing material, the researchers got stem cells (both embryonic and induced pluripotent) to continue growing and dividing for up to three months. They were also able to generate large quantities of cells — in the millions. Image: The cells at top (blue) are stained to reveal their nuclei, while the cells in the middle and bottom are stained for proteins that are known to be present when cells are pluripotent. Courtesy of Y. Mei, K. Saha, R. Langer, R. Jaenisch, and D. G. Anderson Press release: A better way to grow stem cells... Abstract in Nature Materials: Combinatorial development of biomaterials for clonal growth of human pluripotent stem cells... Michael