March/April 2021

Crafting the Future – Opportunities for Students by the Reinvigorated IEEE EMBS Student Activities Committee

Author(s)3: Jingzhi An, Satwik Dutta
Crafting the Future – Opportunities for Students by the Reinvigorated IEEE EMBS Student Activities Committee 150 150 IEEE Pulse
Since its inception, a key mission for the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) has been to support the development of students interested in the application of engineering to medicine and biology. Through its related efforts, EMBS hopes to nurture and encourage the continued growth of this vital field of engineering. Over the years, over 300 EMBS student chapters and clubs have been formed around the world. These are driven by passionate individuals, united under the common vision of using technology to enhance the well-being and alleviate the sufferings of the human race, and have each made an impact on their local communities. read more

Medical Device Technologies: A Systems Based Overview Using Engineering Standards, 2nd ed.

Author(s)3: Paul King
Medical Device Technologies: A Systems Based Overview Using Engineering Standards, 2nd ed. 150 150 IEEE Pulse
As indicated and implied by the title, this text covers medical device technologies using a practical (engineering) systems approach to medical devices. The author, by virtue of her academic and industrial experiences, is professionally and experientially qualified to present this material to the readers. Medical imaging systems are excluded (per the author), as many programs offer a separate course in this area. read more

Biomaterial Mechanics, 1st ed.

Author(s)3: Paul King
Biomaterial Mechanics, 1st ed. 150 150 IEEE Pulse
This two-editor, 27-contributor, 4-section, 11-chapter text touches on the topic of biomaterial mechanics in a mixture of contributions ranging from overview to highly specialized coverage of, for example, biomaterials in cancer research. read more

Best If Used by Date

Author(s)3: Art Johnson
Best If Used by Date 150 150 IEEE Pulse
We have likely all seen the dates stamped on food packages in the United States that say “Best if used by …” or “Sell by …” or some other phrase that suggests that the food item is not to be consumed after the date specified. It is not really clear by the phrase used if the food item becomes poison after this date, or if the food quality declines after this date, or if the date is just a convenience for the seller to move the product. There is a great deal of confusion about what to do with the product after the date given. Should it be thrown away or can it still be consumed safely but with some degradation of its quality? read more

New Apps Drive Health Care Innovation, Access to Care

Author(s)3: Summer Allen
New Apps Drive Health Care Innovation, Access to Care 2448 1224 IEEE Pulse
With the ubiquitous nature of smartphones, apps are a regular part of our day-to-day lives. They are also becoming a larger presence in health care, where they have the ability to expand access to care, help people monitor health changes, provide support for people living with chronic conditions, and coordinate communication between patients and their doctors. From detecting skin cancer to helping people with diabetes, new apps aim to change how people think about their health. read more

Filling a Cavity in Dental Care

Author(s)3: Pamela Reynolds
Filling a Cavity in Dental Care 2121 1414 IEEE Pulse
About a decade ago, Dian Baker, a professor at Sacramento State School of Nursing, responded to a directive from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asking health care practitioners to do something about the thorny and serious problem of ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, which afflicts thousands of people each year. After consulting with colleagues on the issue, Baker noticed something interesting. Although hospital ventilators had been widely assumed to be the cause of this problem, the truth was that most people getting pneumonia in hospitals weren’t on ventilators. The true culprit may come as a surprise: Nurses were shirking the unpleasant task of brushing the teeth of seriously ill patients. read more

Researchers Seek Answers for Millions With Long COVID-19

Author(s)3: Leslie Mertz
Researchers Seek Answers for Millions With Long COVID-19 2121 1414 IEEE Pulse
“I am now eight-and-a-half months into my journey with long COVID … My symptoms include diagnosed post-COVID tachycardia and acute fatigue. I also have chest tightness and breathlessness from time to time; anxiety; muscle aches and pains, especially in the evening; memory loss; and insomnia.”—38-year-old female from the U.K. read more

New Advances in Transplants and Bioengineering Aid in Replacing the Womb

Author(s)3: Jennifer Berglund
New Advances in Transplants and Bioengineering Aid in Replacing the Womb 2560 1707 IEEE Pulse
When Kayla Edwards turned 13, she began to wonder if she was different. It started as a seed of suspicion when her friends began their menstrual cycles, and hers never arrived. Her grandmother was late, she learned, but for Edwards, it still seemed odd. She had hit puberty’s other benchmarks—the hormones, the breasts—just no cycle. read more

CRISPR Tech Behind Super-Sensitive, Smartphone COVID Test

Author(s)3: Leslie Mertz
CRISPR Tech Behind Super-Sensitive, Smartphone COVID Test 1897 1581 IEEE Pulse
Advanced CRISPR technology is part of a new test that determines within minutes whether a person has been infected with even very low levels of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the cause of COVID-19), and also quickly and directly measures the viral load, or how much replicating virus is in a person’s body [1]. read more