A novel non-invasive therapy combining pulsed laser and dual-frequency ultrasound for rapid and precise treatment of port-wine stains.

Quantum‑correlated photon imaging experiments first used pairs of entangled photons so that an image was recovered only from correlations between the two detection paths rather than from either beam alone. Similar correlation and entanglement ideas have been attempted for higher energies and to positron‑annihilation photons, motivating quantum‑based Positron Emission Tomography (PET) concepts in which the additional quantum information carried by annihilation photon pairs could enhance image quality or add new types of contrast beyond conventional PET. In parallel, quantum‑inspired transmission imaging has been proposed as an alternative to Computed Tomography (CT), which today relies on a well‑characterized but fundamentally stochastic X‑ray source, and is limited by Poisson photon statistics, dose requirements, and capped contrast for soft‑tissue. Traditional X‑ray and CT imaging are governed by Poisson statistics, where independent, random photon arrivals make the variance equal to the mean, and has fundamentally bound SNR for a given dose. Research on quantum‑correlated transmission schemes has looked at image formation with higher‑order correlations between photons (rather than simple independent counting) such that performance is no longer capped by standard Poisson statistics, which can in principle lead to superior SNR and sharper anatomical detail at a given dose. To date, quantum‑based X‑ray implementations of this idea have largely relied on spontaneous parametric down‑conversion (SPDC) to generate entangled or correlated photon pairs, but SPDC at X‑ray‑level energies has extremely low conversion efficiency and pair rates—often only a few pairs per second—rendering such medical or biological imaging impractical. Quantum correlation of Annihilation Photon Imaging (QAPI) brings the correlation concepts into a PET‑like regime by using positron annihilation as a bright source of 511 keV gamma‑ray pairs while assuming a transmission‑imaging role similar to CT. QAPI is designed to exploit the strengths of both worlds: unlike CT, it can count the incident annihilation photons via the idler channel and operate in a high‑transmission regime that permits binomial transmission statistics. The PET‑like 511 keV photons introduce challenges that do not exist for CT, including low interaction probability in tissue and detectors, reduced single‑photon detection efficiency, and the need for precise coincidence timing between the signal and idler counts. For any high‑energy, photon-based imaging, including emerging quantum schemes, there is a fundamental tension between dose (especially for biological tissues that are highly susceptible to damage, cell death, or mutation when exposed to ionizing radiation) and the photon statistics needed for adequate SNR. Moreover, the dose‑normalized performance for quantum approaches is still not well established.

A specialized needle featuring a bubble level to enable precise percutaneous renal access in urological interventions.

An advanced wearable bio-electronic device for non-invasive abnormality prediction, early diagnostics, and disease prevention.

Chronic and complex wounds represent a substantial clinical and economic burden, affecting more than 6.5 million individuals in the United States and accounting for annual healthcare expenditures exceeding $25 billion. These wounds, including those arising from trauma such as blast and burn injuries, frequently involve multiple tissue types—e.g., skin, bone, and nerve—and are often associated with delayed or incomplete closure. In certain severe trauma populations, complications such as heterotopic ossification, characterized by abnormal bone formation within soft tissue, are observed at elevated incidence. More broadly, recalcitrant wounds are characterized by impaired healing dynamics, including persistent inflammation, fibrosis, and aberrant tissue regeneration. There are barriers to effective recovery because current standards of care have several critical limitations. Most therapies are “reactive” rather than “proactive” and they fail to adapt to the wound’s shifting physiological state, such as fluctuating pH or oxygen levels. Conventional devices use rigid or semi-rigid components, and this mismatch does not conform to contoured or mobile areas like the heel or joints. Moreover, semi-flexible electronics often lose contact during patient movement, and this inconsistent contact leading to sub-therapeutic dosing and persistent inflammation. Bridging this gap requires conformal, bio-integrated systems capable of sustained contact and autonomous, responsive therapeutic delivery to overcome the stagnant healing dynamics of recalcitrant wounds.

Chronic and complex wounds present a massive challenge for both patients and the healthcare system. In the United States alone, over 6.5 million people struggle with these injuries. Recent clinical data suggests that treatment costs now exceed $30 billion dollars annually. These wounds often include diabetic foot ulcers, bedsores, and severe trauma from accidents or combat. These wounds rarely heal on their own because they frequently suffer from poor blood flow and stalled healing processes. In extreme cases such as combat-related amputations, patients may even develop heterotopic ossification, which is a specific complication where bone mistakenly grows inside soft muscle tissue, making the recovery process even harder. Standard wound care is often reactive rather than proactive. Doctors usually check a wound every few days or weeks and apply treatments that do not change until the next visit. While tools like vacuum-assisted healing or lab-grown skin have helped to a certain degree, they have major drawbacks, including too bulky or complicated to administer and use at home. Moreover, these do not address the biggest flaw in today's wound care in that it is essentially "blind" between doctor visits, so while your body’s chemistry can change over hours and days, the current standard of care remains stubbornly static. Recent clinical data shows that this lack of precision is more than just an inconvenience; it is a primary reason why chronic wounds stall.

A multimodal, wireless wearable device enabling continuous and detailed stress assessment and subclassification.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a system and method for accurately extracting fetal photoplethysmography information from mixed maternal-fetal signals obtained non-invasively through the maternal abdomen.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a portable apparatus that standardizes digit positioning and applies counter-resistance for improved imaging of the flexor tendon system in the hand.

A breakthrough one-wire EEG cap with embedded electrode chips provides ultra-sensitive, noise-immune, wide-band brain signal acquisition. It enables non-invasive, real-time, high-resolution recording using dry electrodes, ideal for wearable and clinical neuro-technology applications.

An innovative non-invasive device that accurately determines the age of bruises for all skin types and tones, designed to assist in forensic investigations and medical diagnostics.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a nanoparticle system combining photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for enhanced cancer treatment.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an advanced multi x-ray source array system employing dual cathode designs that enhance computed tomography (“CT”) imaging by enabling pulsed, spatially multiplexed x-ray emission with reduced artifacts.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a technology that introduces an approach to creating semi-living, non-replicating cellular systems for advanced therapeutic applications.

A real-time, ultrasound-based imaging modality that improves intracardiac irreversible electroporation accuracy by visualizing electric field distribution during cardiac ablation.

Position-sensitive radiation detection has been used in semiconductor detector development for decades. Traditional approaches have relied on segmented electrodes to achieve spatial resolution. Conventional semiconductor radiation detectors utilize segmented electrodes where each electrode segment is physically separated and individually read out to determine the position of radiation interactions. Traditional segmented electrode designs have long suffered from highly non-uniform electric fields within the detector volume, particularly at electrode edges and corners. These field concentrations can cause premature breakdown and inconsistent charge collection. This non-uniformity can also lead to position-dependent signal variations, pulse time dispersion, and potential electrical connections between adjacent electrodes from radiation damage. Moreover, common approaches to manufacturing of segmented electrodes requires precise mask alignment and complex fabrication processes, resulting in higher production costs and reduced yields.

Current methods for treating nervous system disorders often rely on generalized approaches that may not optimally address the individual patient's specific pathology, leading to suboptimal outcomes. This innovation, developed by UC Berkeley researchers, provides a method to identify the most critical, or "influential," nodes within a patient's functional connectivity network derived from time-series data of an organ or organ system. The method involves obtaining multiple time-series datasets from an affected organ/system, using them to map the functional connectivity network, and then determining the most influential nodes within that network. By providing this specific and personalized information to a healthcare provider, a treatment can be prescribed that precisely targets the respective organ corresponding to these influential nodes. This personalized, data-driven approach offers a significant advantage over conventional treatments by focusing intervention on the most impactful biological targets, potentially leading to more effective and efficient patient care.

The primary challenge in non-invasive brain stimulation, such as Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (TFUS), is providing precise, localized, and mechanistically distinct control over neural activity. Standard TFUS is believed to function primarily through mechanical deformation of tissue, limiting the ability to selectively enhance or separate different types of neural modulation. Addressing this, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel system for the Activation of Neural Tissue by FUS in the Presence of a Magnetic Field Gradient. This unique mechanism, which generates electromagnetic induction from acoustic motion, provides a new physical mechanism to activate or modulate nervous tissue entirely separate from the mechanical effects of the ultrasound alone, offering a higher degree of experimental control and therapeutic precision compared to conventional FUS.

Chronic wounds affect over 6.5 million people in the United States costing more than $25B annually. 23% of military blast and burn wounds do not close, affecting a military patient's bone, skin, nerves. Moreover, 64% of military trauma have abnormal bone growth into soft tissue. Slow healing of recalcitrant wounds is a known and persistent problem, with incomplete healing, scarring, and abnormal tissue regeneration. Precise control of wound healing depends on physician's evaluation, experience. Physicians generally provide conditions and time for body to either heal itself, or to accept and heal around direct transplantations, and their practice relies a lot on passive recovery. And while newer static approaches have demonstrated enhanced growth of non-regenerative tissue, they do not adapt to the changing state of wound, thus resulting in limited efficacy.

A method to manufacture stretchable circuit boards using silver ink for wearable applications.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed tactile feedback systems that enhance spatial and sensory resolution in sensor arrays through unique signal modulation techniques.

Scaled neural sensing has been pursued for decades. Physical limitations associated with electrical (electrode-based) field recordings hinder advances in both field of view and spatial resolution. Electrochromic plasmonics (electro-plasmonics) has emerged as a rapidly advancing field combining traditional electrochromic materials with plasmonic nanostructures, including recent demonstrations of electrochromic-loaded plasmonic nanoantennas for optical voltage sensing. Existing optical electrophysiology techniques face critical limitations including poor signal-to-noise ratios due to low photon counts from genetically encoded voltage indicators, which have small cross-sections and low quantum yields. Fluorescent voltage indicators suffer from photobleaching, phototoxicity, and require genetic modifications that limit their clinical applicability. Current electrochromic devices also struggle with limited cycling stability, slow switching times, and restricted color options, and conventional plasmonic sensors exhibit inherently low electric field sensitivity due to high electron densities of metals like gold and silver. Current approaches to electro-plasmonics lack stable, high-contrast optical modulators that can operate at sub-millisecond speeds while maintaining human biocompatibility.

A fully implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system that enables direct brain control of lower extremity prostheses to restore walking after neural injury.

HydraFusion is a modular, selective sensor fusion framework designed to enhance performance and efficiency in multi-sensory computing systems across diverse contexts.

Pressure injuries (commonly called bedsores or pressure ulcers) represent one of the most persistent and costly challenges in healthcare, affecting over 2.5 million US patients and costing almost $27B in 2019. Hospital-acquired pressure injury events occur in about 3% in general populations and about 6% in intensive care units (ICUs). Current prevention strategies still rely on the Braden Scale risk assessment tool as the gold standard. Developed in the 80s, it is used to stratify patients into risk categories based on factors like sensory perception, moisture, mobility, and friction. The Braden score directly informs turning frequency as the standard of protocol. Unfortunately, medical staff adherence to turning protocols remains low at ~50% nationally, creating a gap between prescribed care and actual implementation. Technologies to help assess by sensing pressure injuries have limitations, including discontinuous monitoring requiring manual interpretation, and lack of objective mobility metrics. These fail to account for the complex interplay between pressure distribution, patient movement patterns, and individual risk factors. The Braden-scoring approach is particularly problematic as it does not account for the presence of existing pressure injuries or patient-specific factors, and has been shown to have inadequate validity for ICU patients. Additionally, current pressure mapping systems are typically large, expensive, and require specialized training, limiting their practical deployment in routine clinical care.