It's my life, you're just along for the ride!

Here’s one for the medical journals: researchers at London’s Imperial College have created a high-tech scalpel that can differentiate between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue as it cuts. The team calls it the iKnife (intelligent knife), and by analyzing vapors created during electrosurgical dissection in real time, it takes only seconds to distinguish healthy flesh from affected tissue. The device’s inventor, Zoltan Takats, says it has the potential to speed up cancer surgery considerably, as current analysis techniques performed mid-operation can take up to 30 minutes. It could also prevent follow-up surgeries prompted by undetected cancer cells. Unfortunately, the iKnife still has to go through more tests before we can add it to our arsenal of weapons against cancer — until then, we’ll just have to make do with run-of-the-mill electrosurgical knives.

via Med students develop knife that can detect cancerous tissues within seconds.

Diabetics might appreciate high-tech glucose sensors when theyre available, but the option for other advanced treatments is certainly intriguing. Take, for example, this new method developed by North Carolina State University researchers that uses injectable sponge to control blood sugar levels. No, its not the same sponge you use to clean at home — the material is made out of a substance taken from crab and shrimp shells called chitosan. This spongy material forms a matrix thats approximately 250 micrometers in diameter, where a rise in blood sugar causes a reaction in the pores that leads to the drugs release.Fighting diabetes is but one of the things this miraculous sponge can be used for; developed further, it could even “intelligently” release anticancer drugs whenever the chitosan reacts to tumors or cancer cells in close proximity. Seems like medical technology is getting smarter with each passing day.

via Injectable smart sponge controls diabetes, presents new targeted drug delivery method.