Medical Technology: Engineering for Life

Taking the Sting Out Painless needle pricks may now become a reality, thanks to SonoPrep, a low-frequency ultrasound device by Sontra Medical, which can permeate skin and allow topical anesthetic cream to take effect in just 5 minutes. Future applications include pain-free delivery of vaccinations and monitoring of glucose levels in diabetics, all made possible by three key components.

Chip on Your Arm The introduction of VeriChip, an RF device to be implanted in the human triceps for medical identification, has triggered some serious doubts along with the immediate buzz. Despite the mixed feedback, its creator Applied Digital is moving ahead with other subsidiaries to develop the next generation of VeriChip that may even come with temperature sensing and global positioning functions.

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"Yes, You Can" Products Engineers can't tell what a product needs to be unless they get out there, observe, and ask users questions, says Neal Curran, VP of Engineering and Product Development at home health care giant Invacare Corp. He adds that the underlying goal of his company is to design products that will enable people to be as independent as possible.