Revolutionizing tumor surgery! Topic 2: Augmented reality goggles

 Topic: Seeing eye to eye: building a cost-effective tool to visualize cancer  (January 10, 2025 )

https://www.nibib.nih.gov/news-events/newsroom/seeing-eye-eye-building-cost-effective-tool-visualize-cancer

Traditional surgical tools to remove tumors can be inaccessible and complex. However, the NIBIB team use florescence- guided surgery that can overcome the adversities that are associated with traditional methods of surgery. The system uses a fluorophore which uses a certain type of light to see the tumor's activity, allowing it to be removed easier and stimulate healthy tissues. The fluorophores need operating rooms to be dark, which is not ideal. Instead, researchers developed Augmented reality (AR) goggles, which can allow surgeons to project the location of the tumor without needing turning off the lights. This is because the goggles can display the florescence which doesn't depend on light factors. 

Importance: The AR goggles make tumor surgery less expensive and more efficient regarding detection compared to other approaches. This new technology eliminates the problem of needing a certain lighting to conduct the florescence- guided surgery and simple to use. 

I chose this article because of how intriguing the parts of the glasses were. The involvement of the Raspberry Pi and 3D printed mounts caught my attention of its intricacy. Even though the glasses look simple from the outside, it is responsible for running a whole system that carries out NIR fluorescence. 

If this becomes more prevalent in surgical processes, it can improve the accuracy of tumors to be detected. This can have a big impact on the community. It is estimated that 2,960 people were diagnosed with a brain tumor in North Carolina (NBTS, 2022). With this new technology, these people have potential of detecting their tumor early on and avoid further disruption. I learned that tumor detection involves many parts like beam splitters and laser diodes. 

Can the AR Goggles work proficiently for tumors in different parts of the body? Can Augmented reality be used in other fields of medicine? 

Vocab: 

• Fluorescence: Emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or radiation
• Parallax: Alignment of images based on object's position
• Near- Infrared: Light that travels farther in tissues
• Optical: Technology that promotes eyesight and light

The start of Lab to Life! Topic 1: Restoring Facial Nerves

Topic: Addressing facial nerve tissues reconstruction using Stem Cells (December 23, 2024 )

https://www.nibib.nih.gov/news-events/newsroom/engineering-smile

Facial nerve disorders and injuries can severely impact a person's ability to nonverbal communication in the face like smiling. The traditional approach to facial nerve tissues is using autografts, which includes transplantation of the patient's tissue in another part of their body. The issue with this technique is that it is unpredictable, the odds of fixing the donor site varies. However, using Stem Cells, researchers at the University Pittsburgh have developed implantable conduits using Stem Cells to guide injured nerves.

Importance: This highlights a key advancement that could replace undependable autograft approaches that are being used currently. Stem cells can regenerate tissue that is tailored to the patient's needs and reduce complications.

I chose this article because it caught my attention, imagine a world where you couldn't have the ability to Smile? Smiling and other nonverbal communication is an important part for a human and I hope that Stem Cells can fix this issue for those who need it.

If this becomes a more prevalent therapy, it can improve the ability for affected individuals to have nonverbal communication. Tissue regeneration is a less complicated process to transplantations, which can allow for problems in facial nerve tissues to be resolved easier. I learned that biomolecules are produced in Stem cells and they can make their own scaffolds as seen with dental pulp stem cells. 

When is this stem cell therapy going to start being used on humans? How long does it take facial tissue to regenerate?  

Vocab: 

• Stem Cells: Cells that are capable of changing to other cell types
• Axon: Projections extended from neurons
•  Conduits: Structure, channel or tube, that guides nerve regeneration
• Biomimetic: Biological systems that mimic human behavior
• Autograft: transplantation that is one's own tissue