Important Innovations

New Light Therapy "Highly Effective" for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Source:  MGH Much More Effective Than Current Treatments Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic, colorless, odorless gas produced by cars, trucks, fires and explosions.  Every year in the US, more than 50,000 people with CO poisoning are admitted to emergency rooms.  Now researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have invented a new light therapy that removes CO from the victim's blood.  It's proven to be much more effective than current oxygen therapy treatments. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning is frequently deadly.  It occurs when inhaled CO, for instance from a running car in a contained space, displaces oxygen from the blood's hemoglobin.  That compromises the body's ability to deliver oxygen. Light Therapy It's known that visible light can break the molecular bond between CO and hemoglobin.  Knowing that, the MGH team have combined phototherapy with an...

Using Astronomers' Tools to Understand Space to Fight Cancer Source:  NASA - Cloud of Gas & Dust Detection and Analysis By Light Techniques used by astronomers to understand the formation of planets and stars can help in the early detection of skin and breast cancers in humans here on earth.  This is new research on the cross-disciplinary use of space technology to fight cancer just published by the University of Exeter, UK. Shedding Light From Space The specific technique is the detection and analysis by light.  Astronomers study the light that is scattered, pulled in and discharged by clouds of gas and dust in space.  By following the light, they're developing information on what's inside the massive clouds to determine, among other things, how stars and planets are created. Shedding Light on Cancer The process is very similar when light travels through the human body.  When light hits cancerous tissue, a change is seen.  For instance, ...

Smart International Pedestrian Traffic Lights Source:  Vienna's UT  Innovation from Vienna These may be the world's most intelligent traffic lights.  Created by a research team at TU Graz, they incorporate cameras, computers and algorithms to predict the intention of a pedestrian moving toward a road.  This is not just a smart traffic light.  It's very advanced technology to make roads safer for pedestrians and drivers.  Just invented in Vienna, Austria. For a great news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: Vienna's Intelligent Traffic Lights : Making Streets Smarter and Safer for Pedestrians and Drivers Source:  TU Graz, Vienna Lots of Technology and Research Involved A tea...

First HD Movie of Molecular Activity Source:  DOE - Molecules Reacting to Light US Dept. of Energy High Speed Electron Camera Breakthrough The US Department of Energy/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has created the world's 1st HD movie of molecules reacting to exposure to light.  They used a powerful, high speed electron camera.  The scientists say this technology will deepen their understanding of the fundamental chemical reactions that are the foundations of life.  For a great news blog on this by journalist Ed Kane, go to Important Innovations Collection: 1st Molecular Movie in HD : High Speed Electron Cameras Source:  DOE US Department of Energy's Breakthrough For the first time, researchers at the US Depar…                                                 The findings were just reported in the journal Nature Chemistry...