Vocal Cords on a Chip, Cancer Cell detection and 3D Bioprinting inside the Body

March 9

This week we look at a chip that can mimic vocal cords and enable speech. We investigate a new and quick way to detect cancer cells via a simple blood test. We examine a new method for 3D bioprinting inside the human body and finally we find out which 4 dead US Presidents are being sent to space to orbit the sun for eternity.

Vocal Cords on a Chip

A team at Tsinghua University in Beijing have developed a simple device that can replicate a voice for those with seriously compromised vocalization. This may be due to disease, surgery, stroke or accident. It is a set of vocal cords on a computer chip.

The team calls the device a “graphene based intelligent wearable artificial throat”. It is about the width of plastic cling wrap and can be attached to the throat with adhesive. Tiny wires connect to a microcontroller powered by a coin sized battery.

The graphene sensors detect tiny vibrations on the body as the patient tries to speak. Muscle motions and audio vibrations on the surface of the skin can be recognized and converted into speech at normal volume with 99% accuracy. The device works without interference from noisy environments.

The team believes the device will lead to improvements in intelligent home health monitoring systems, wearable electronics and potentially cryptographic security.

Detecting Cancer Cells from Blood

Many of us will have heard of the US company Theranos, which claimed that they could test for hundreds of diseases from a single pin prick of blood. Theranos had a valuation of over US$10Billion at its’ peak. Unfortunately that company turned out to be completely fraudulent. This fraud has made any claim of a machine being able to test blood for disease a very difficult sell to a skeptical world.

There are a number of companies working on blood tests that will be able to easily detect cancer and disease from blood. A team at University of Technology in Sydney have joined them. They have developed a new device that can identify and analyze cancers cells from blood samples.

The device named “The Static Droplet Microfluidic Device” (there is a role for Marketers in the world after all) is a tool capable of identifying circulating tumor cells that have separated from the primary tumor and entered the blood system. The device distinguishes tumor cells from normal blood cells by utilizing the unique metabolic signature of cancer.

In the 1920’s Otto Warburg discovered that cancer cells consume a lot of glucose and so produce more lactate. The device monitors single cells for increased lactate using a ph sensitive fluorescent dye that detects acidification around the cells.

This new device will allow doctors to diagnose and monitor cancer patients in practical and cost effective way. The commercialization process is underway.

Bioprinting inside the Body

A team from the University of New South Wales have developed a miniature, flexible robotic arm that can be used to 3D print biomaterial directly onto organs inside a person’s body. Bioprinting is a process where bioink is used to construct natural tissue like structures using a 3D printer.

Bioprinting is currently used for research into tissue engineering and experimental drugs. It requires the use of large 3D print machines to produce the cellular structures outside the body.

The team has developed a tiny flexible 3D bioprinter that has the ability to be inserted into the human body like an endoscope. It can deliver multilayered biomaterials onto the surface of internal organs and tissues. A highly maneuverable swivel head prints the biomaterial. The head is attached to a long flexible snake like robotic arm which allows external control of the device.

The team hopes that within 5 to 7 years the technology could be used by medical professionals to access hard to reach areas of the body via small skin incision. The system offers the potential for the reconstruction of three dimensional wounds inside the body such as gastric injuries or damage from disease.

Dead Presidents being sent to Space

This sounds like the name a Punk Rock band that didn’t quite make it big however it is an actual project from Celestis, a US company that launches memorial space flights. The company has been around for the past 20 years launching almost 1200 loved ones into space (don’t get any ideas kids, I am still alive and kicking, they only launch people after they have passed).

The company will soon launch some of the remains of George Washington, Ronald Regan, John F Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower into permanent orbit around the solar system. Celestis have named the spaceship the Enterprise Station and it will orbit the sun at a distance of between 150 and 300 million miles (240 and 480 million kilometers). The goal is to educate future civilizations about bygone American leaders and culture. They will do this by sending hair samples from the leaders containing their DNA as that can be stored in space for many years without degradation.

The company has not yet announced a launch date for sending living current and past Presidents into space. An announcement that is widely anticipated and that will certainly be celebrated.

Paying it Forward

If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.

If you have any questions or comments please comment below.

I would also appreciate it if you could forward this newsletter to anyone that you think might be interested.

Till next week.