All articles by Allie Nawrat
Allie Nawrat
Timeline: charting the history of orthopaedic devices as DePuy Synthes turns 125
Founded in the 1890s in Indiana by a travelling salesman, DePuy Manufacturing started out making fibre splints to set fractures. 125 years later, DePuy Synthes is owned by J&J and is one of the world’s leading orthopaedic businesses. Allie Nawrat explores the twists and turns of the 125-year history of orthopaedic giant DePuy Synthes.
Exploring the challenges of regulating faecal microbiota transplants
FMT has transformed the treatment of recurrent C. difficile and allowed patients to avoid repetitive cycles of antibiotics. However, the regulatory landscape surrounding FMT is limiting access, which in turn is pushing some desperate patients to perform extremely dangerous DIY procedures at home. Allie Nawrat finds out more.
WheezeScan: device sparks hope for detecting asthma attacks in under-fives
Managing asthma is a huge challenge at any age, but it is especially difficult for parents with asthmatic children aged under five who cannot properly vocalise how they are feeling. Now, a first at-home device – OMRON’s WheezeScan – could help parents detect asthmatic wheeze, the most common symptom in under-fives and can preclude an asthma attack. Allie Nawrat finds out more.
Democratising ultrasound with Caption: how can AI transform pneumonia diagnosis?
Hot on the heels of FDA approval for its AI-guided cardiac ultrasound software, Caption has received a $4.95m grant from the Gates Foundation to create a version that could speed up pneumonia diagnosis, the leading killer of under-fives. Allie Nawrat talks to Caption’s CTO Kilian Koepsell about its AI software and why there is an urgent need to democratise access to lung ultrasound technology.
Scotland: towards a med tech manufacturing powerhouse
Scotland is to become a hub of med tech manufacturing expertise thanks to a consortium of four Scottish universities teaming up to create the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre. The centre will support and enable SMEs to turn innovative ideas into reality. Allie Nawrat discusses the initiative and its main aims with MDMC business development executive Robin Shields.
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Treating tinnitus: could neuromodulation provide a long-term solution?
Despite being incredibly unpleasant for sufferers and their quality of life, current approaches to managing tinnitus are insufficient. However, Ireland-based Neuromod has a long-term solution: a bimodal neuromodulation device called Lenire. Allie Nawrat talks to the company’s CEO Ross O’Neill and chief scientific officer Hubert Lim about how the device could disrupt and reduce the impact of tinnitus for patients.
Defeating motor neuron disease: Scott-Morgan’s mission to become the first human cyborg
After being diagnosed with terminal MND in 2017, Dr Peter Scott-Morgan was determined to both survive and thrive with the help of cutting-edge technology. To do this, Scott-Morgan enlisted the help of technology companies to turn him into the world’s first human cyborg, as well as demonstrate the ability of technology to transform the lives of anyone with disabilities. Allie Nawrat finds out more.
From M&A freezes to delayed procedures, how disruptive has 2020 been for med tech?
A drop in M&A values and an abrupt halt to ‘elective’ procedures have taken their toll on the med tech industry in 2020. However, it is not all doom and gloom. The signing of two megadeals in August, unprecedented acceleration in digital health services and a huge focus on fields like diagnostics suggest the industry is primed to bounce back in 2021. Allie Nawrat talks to EY’s John Babitt and PwC’s Glenn Hunzinger to find out more.
CureApp: could digital therapeutics be a lifeline for NASH patients?
One of the World Economic Forum’s 2020 tech pioneers is CureApp, a Japanese digital therapeutic company focusing on unmet needs in lifestyle-related diseases. One of its three projects is for NASH – a common liver disease that has no approved treatment options. Allie Nawrat talks to CureApp CEO Kohta Satake about how digital therapeutics can help where pharmaceutical interventions have failed.
The future of data storage: Biohackers is first Netflix show to be stored in Twist DNA
Twist Bioscience and ETH Zurich’s Professor Grass have collaborated with Netflix to store its latest scientific thriller Biohackers in DNA. Why could DNA be the future of data storage and how close are we to rolling it on a large-scale?