Brief description not available

      While robots have proven effective in enhancing the precision and time efficiency of MRI-guided interventions across various medical applications, safety remains a formidable challenge for robots operating within MRI environments. As the robots assume full control of medical procedures, the reliability of their operation becomes paramount. Precise control over robot forces is particularly crucial to ensure safe interaction within the MRI environment. Furthermore, the confined space in the MRI bore complicates the safe operation of human-robot interaction, presenting challenges to maneuverability. However, there exists a notable scarcity of force-controlled robot actuators specifically tailored for MRI applications.       To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel MRI-compatible rotary series elastic actuator module utilizing velocity-sourced ultrasonic motors for force-controlled robots operating within MRI scanners. Unlike previous MRI-compatible SEA designs, the module incorporates a transmission force sensing series elastic actuator structure, while remaining compact in size. The actuator is cylindrical in shape with a length shorter than its diameter and integrates seamlessly with a disk-shaped motor. A precision torque controller enhances the robustness of the invention’s torque control even in the presence of varying external impedance; the torque control performance has been experimentally validated in both 3 Tesla MRI and non-MRI environments, achieving a settling time of 0.1 seconds and a steady-state error within 2% of its maximum output torque. It exhibits consistent performance across low and high external impedance scenarios, compared to conventional controllers for velocity-sourced SEAs that struggle with steady-state performance under low external impedance conditions.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a system that significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of stress detection through electrodermal activity monitoring.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a novel 3D printing approach to culture and construct epithelial tubular mini-tissues.

An innovative technique to produce dissolvable calcium alginate microfibers using an immersed microfluidic spinning process for creating tissue constructs and vascularized tissue implants.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a semiautomated solution for identifying differences in tissue architectures or cell types as well as visualizing and analyzing cell densities and cell-cell associations in a tissue sample.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis (“UC Davis”) have developed a unisex swimwear garment designed to prevent swimming-related injuries and to assist in injury recovery during training.

This technology revolves around Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a noninvasive imaging method that provides detailed cross-sectional images of tissue microstructure and blood flow. OCT utilizes either time domain (TDOCT) or Fourier domain (FDOCT) approaches, with FDOCT offering superior sensitivity and speed. Doppler OCT combines Doppler principles with OCT to visualize tissue structure and blood flow concurrently. Additionally, polarization-sensitive OCT detects tissue birefringence. Advanced methods aim to enhance the speed and sensitivity of Doppler OCT, crucial for various clinical applications such as ocular diseases and cancer diagnosis. Swept source FDOCT systems further improve imaging capabilities by increasing range and sensitivity. Overall, this technology represents significant advancements in biomedical imaging, offering insights into both structural and functional aspects of tissue physiology.

Brief description not available

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a sleep quality measuring device to measure waking electroencephalogram (EEG) test to determine the adequacy of sleep

The invention entails a unique catheter device utilizing electromotive drug administration (EMDA) to enhance drug penetrance into tissues of the ureter, renal pelvis, and calyces. By incorporating a conductive wire and fluid delivery system, the catheter enables targeted drug delivery, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of kidney stones, urothelial carcinoma, infections, and inflammation without systemic side effects.

The invention pertains to a prosthetic valve featuring a saddle-shaped annulus that synchronously transforms between concave and convex configurations, facilitating seamless opening and closure synchronized with cardiac cycles. Comprising leaflets and support elements, the valve mimics natural heart valve function, enabling effective blood flow regulation and offering versatile deployment options for cardiac and vascular applications.

This technology describes a prosthetic heart valve system designed to accommodate the growth of children.

This technology is an innovative endoscopic device designed specifically for use in the ureter to remove ureteral and renal stone particle debris from patients. The device is equipped with a force sensor to ensure safe passage without injuring the ureteral wall.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a computer-based method to synthesize continuous speech from biosignals, including brain activity, in real-time.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a computer-based method to evaluate/quantify the intelligibility of speech synthesized by a brain-computer interface or other speech prosthesis.

An innovative direct drive hearing device, with a removable outside component that allows high quality sound and prolonged usage.

This patent application describes methods for non-invasive, label-free imaging of the cellular immune response in human skin using a nonlinear optical imaging system.

A novel method and device for high-throughput sorting of cells in suspension, particularly focusing on the separation of key cellular blood components of the immune system. The patent application presents a novel approach to high-throughput cell sorting, particularly suitable for applications in medicine and biotechnology where precise separation of cell populations is crucial.

The disclosed methods offer a robust approach to accurately quantify skin optical properties across different skin tones, facilitating improved diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment in dermatology.

An innovative technology that uses a device to move any imaging device precisely through a path in 3D space, enabling the generation of high-resolution 3D models.

Electrical properties (EP), such as permittivity and conductivity, dictate the interactions between electromagnetic waves and biological tissue. EP are biomarkers for pathology characterization, such as cancer. Imaging of EP helps monitor the health of the tissue and can provide important information in therapeutic procedures. Magnetic resonance (MR)-based electrical properties tomography (MR-EPT) uses MR measurements, such as the magnetic transmit field B1+, to reconstruct EP. These reconstructions rely on the calculations of spatial derivatives of the measured B1+. However, the numerical approximation of derivatives leads to noise amplifications introducing errors and artifacts in the reconstructions. Recently, a supervised learning-based method (DL-EPT) has been introduced to reconstruct robust EP maps from noisy measurements. Still, the pattern-matching nature of this method does not allow it to generalize for new samples since the network’s training is done on a limited number of simulated data pairs, which makes it unrealistic in clinical applications. Thus, there is a need for a robust and realistic method for EP map construction.

One of the key limitations for devices used in point-of-care diagnostics (POCD) is their limit of detection; patient samples used for POCD devices often contain too low of the target analyte. FlexThrough is a newly developed, centrifugal disk (CD)-based method that utilizes the entirety of a liquid sample via recirculation of the sample for efficient mixing as it iteratively passes through the system.

The LaserPack is an easily manufacturable solution for liquid storage in point-of-care devices that is low-cost, has dimensional variability, and is reproducible, while also serving as a valve for liquid access in microfluidic devices. Current liquid storage techniques rely on lyophilization, or freeze-drying, to minimize occupied space, but lyophilization is not applicable to all liquid reagents nor is it optimal for some biological components of point-of-care devices.

Researchers at UC Irvine have developed an optical detection system for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens that features improvements in screening time, cost, sensitivity, and practicality. As vaccine availability, economic pressure, and mental health considerations has gradually returned society to pre-pandemic activities that require frequent and close interactions, it is imperative that SARS-CoV-2 detection systems remain effective.