Non-invasive

A test for pee-based markers of prostate cancer has previously relied on an uncomfortable first step. A new study has revealed that the now-available test remains just as accurate without it, paving the way from an easy in-home testing option.

Researchers have flipped the script on the usual approach to pain relief in a new study, demonstrating that a short course of non-invasive brain stimulation before a painful event such as surgery can prevent the development of chronic pain.

Scientists have boosted the motility of slow sperm by blasting the cells with 40-MHz ultrasound waves to induce movement. Capturing the technique's impact on individual sperm cells, the study opens the door to new non-invasive fertility treatments.

Minimally invasive surgery often sees large, expensive robots acting as a surgeon's hands inside the patient's body.​ A new cheaper “needle driver” is designed to precisely mimic the motions of a surgeon’s wrist and translate it to a tiny flexible claw, with no electronic or computerized parts.

​Researchers in the UK have announced a new laser therapy treatment that can kill low-risk prostate cancer cells without inflicting collateral damage on healthy tissue or the patient’s lifestyle. ​

Working with a team of UCLA scientists, a man with protracted and complete paralysis has recovered sufficient voluntary control to take charge of a bionic exoskeleton and take many thousands of steps.

Researchers have developed an algorithm that enabled a man whose right hand had been amputated to grasp objects using a bionic hand controlled by his thoughts. While we've seen similar accomplishments in recent years, the new technique is non-invasive, capturing brain activity via a scalp EEG.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a technique that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to noninvasively detect cancerous cells, offering the potential of supplementing biopsies or maybe one day replacing them altogether.

Alzheimer’s disease currently affects more than 35 million people worldwide, but pharmaceutical treatment efforts to counter it have not yet proven fully effective. A non-invasive method from the University of Queensland using ultrasound promises to be an effective treatment alternative.

In a breakthrough that opens up the potential for new treatments for memory impairments in the young and old, researchers at Northwestern University have shown that electrical stimulation of the brain can improve memory, with the benefits lasting long after treatment.

Finger-prick tests to monitor blood glucose levels can be the bane of a diabetic's life. In a move that could put an end to such tests in the future, researchers at Princeton University have developed a non-invasive way to test blood glucose levels using a laser.

A new system developed by the Toumaz Group may hold the key to improving the level of life-saving attention received by patients, providing two-minute updates on their vital signs 24 hours a day with the use of a comfortable, wireless sensor pad.