Lab-made cartilage, micro-implants and see-through masks: 5 most-read biomedical stories 2022

Few events are as life-changing as the diagnosis of an incurable condition, or the loss of a limb. But thanks to the ceaseless work and innovation of biomedical engineers, millions of people each year are able to maintain their quality of life, and to continue doing the things they love. The devices and techniques covered in this year’s top stories are sure to help many more people in the years to come.

Here are the five most-read Professional Engineering biomedical stories of 2022. Click on the links throughout to read the full stories. 

Lab-made cartilage replacement ‘outperforms the real thing’

A new gel-based cartilage substitute that is even stronger and more durable than the real thing was the focus of this year’s most popular article. Developed at Duke University in North Carolina, the hydrogel – a material made of water-absorbing polymers – can reportedly be pressed and pulled with more force than natural cartilage, and is three-times more resistant to wear and tear. The researchers aim to start clinical trials in humans next year.

Dialysis machine inspired by juice dispenser

In July, we wrote about the compact dialysis machine that scooped the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2022 MacRobert Award. Aimed at enabling kidney failure patients to treat themselves at home, the SC+ machine from Quanta Dialysis Technologies had an unusual inspiration – a juice dispensing machine.

Connected micro-implants could treat tinnitus

Physical injuries, strokes and brain tumours can cause permanent damage to the peripheral or central nervous systems, leading to impaired motor functions, paralysis and other issues. In February, we covered a new approach developed by the Intakt project in Germany, which aims to help the millions of affected people by targeting specific areas of the body with ‘interactive micro-implants’. The networks could one day be used to treat tinnitus. 

Koalaa prosthetics give users a helping hand

The prosthetic options available for amputees are often rigid, heavy and uncomfortable. London start-up Koalaa is changing that with its soft, modular prosthetics for upper-limb amputees, helping people carry on doing the things they love. 

“Koalaa is about accessibility,” said founder Nate Macabuag. “That’s at the heart of our small company – being accessible to every single person on the planet who might need to have some form of prosthetic support."

See-through mask filters air with nanoparticle fibres

Opaque mask fabric can obscure emotions and cover important visual cues during speech, creating barriers to communication for people with speech and hearing disabilities. A team of researchers from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and start-up Assero in Lithuania set out to tackle that issue with a see-through mask made with a thin fibre of nanoparticles. 

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