New computer programme can track bioterror

Boston – Feb.7 – A new quartet of computers soon could help medical authorities spot covert bio-terrorism attacks.  By monitoring hospital data, the novel algorithms may not only prevent the explosion of germ warfare-triggered epidemic, but should yield significant peacetime uses in tracking the spread of infections like West Nile virus.  “Knowing early is as important as knowing at all,” Reis explained. “If it were anthrax attack, for example, you only have a few days to give those infected antibiotics and try to limit the spread.  If you wait longer, antibiotics are no longer effective.  There is a very narrow window of opportunity to nip things in the bud.”  Anthrax symptoms are flu-like in the beginning. These filters seek to detect outbreaks by comparing daily hospital visit rates with estimates  based off historic models for each day.

The Statesman – Feb.8, 2003.

Electronic T-shirts to keep track of your vital signs

These days, the yarn made of synthetic or metallic fibers are woven or knitted into cotton or polyester to produce a new type of cloth known as electrotextiles.  The conductive fibers of electrotextiles can be connected to chips and batteries to create circuits that may one day have many applications.  Electrotextiles may soon be a reality not only in blankets and car seats, but in shirts, trousers and jackets, too.  The soft flexible fibers woven into the electrotextiles are conductive enough to transmit signals, said John Ross, business manager for Arcon, the trade name of a conductive fiber made by DuPon’ts Advanced Fibers System division in Richmond.  Sometimes the cladding is silver, chosen for its solder ability, or nickel, which generally resists corrosion.  After the yarn bundle is clad with nickel, it is insulated with a polymer.  Arcon is one of the conducting fibers used in an electronic T-shirt that keeps track of its wearer’s vital signs, said Sundaresen Jayaraman, a professor of textile engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and chief operating officer of Sensatex, a New York company that markets the shirts.  He is not adapting the shirt for use by firefighters.  “The clothing we wear now doesn’t contain electronic elements, but every type of clothing will have electronic functions in 10 years,” predicted Michael Shur, a physicist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Times of India – Feb.7, 2003.

Migraine gone with device on forehead

London – Feb.24 – Technology has at last found a way to help migraine patients get relief from excruciating headaches.  An electronic device implanted into the patient’s forehead is seen to control the pain to a large extent. Doctors in the United States say they have already used the treatment successfully on one woman, who was suffering from constant headaches, reports BBC.  This technique has worked on patients with pain in other parts of the body, such as the back.  It involves connecting the nerve responsible for causing pain to an electric device, usually a battery. The device sends an electronic signal to the nerve interrupting its own signal and preventing it form causing pain.  Interestingly, this can be controlled by the patient who can turn it on or off by using a special remote control.

Hindustan Times – Feb.25, 2003.