The 5 Most Fascinating Stories in Medical News This Week

[caption id="attachment_2832" align="aligncenter" width="640"] MIT's Shape Shifting Tablet showcased on Fast Company[/caption] Every week in our 5 Most Fascinating Series we take a look back at the new stories (or new to us) that made us think again and again.   Often they concern technology and medical advancements, but sometimes it will simply be the very humanity of the story that touches us. Whatever the topic, we hope our round up is interesting to you, and if we've missed a Big Story, we'd love to hear about it from you.

 1. BioPen  to Rewrite Orthopaedic Implants Surgery

If you  follow Medelita you'll know that we are tech geeks and especially enamored of technological advancements that effect healthcare.  When we read about Australia's University of Wollongong's development of a bio-pen capable of 'drawing' live cells onto injured bones to  accelerate regeneration of functional damaged bone and cartilage, we were amazed.     The pen was built using 3D printing equipment, and is indicative of what the future may hold for this technology.  Read the full article here. Better yet, check out the video.

2. UK Surgeon Branded Patient's Liver

Diane Sokel, a London based medical ethicist, captured our attention with her piece on the BBC's Blog that told the story of a Birmingham surgeon branding his patient's liver during surgery. We were of course horrified, but our faith was restored by the fact that a colleague discovered the incident and turned the surgeon in; that surgeon is currently on unpaid leave.  Read the full article here.

3. University of Iowa Researchers Create New Staph Infection Vaccine

MedCity News helps us keep on top of medical news, and this story was certainly a hope-inducing one.    Researchers at the University of Iowa  developed a new vaccine to protect against pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus. Professor Patrick Schlievert, chair of microbiology in the UI Carver College of Medicine, inspired our hope by stating

"We could bring the flu death rate down to near zero."

Read the full article here.

4. MIT Invents A Shapeshifting Display You Can Reach Through And Touch

Although this story is not purely medical, we can't help but imagine the possibilities for remote care with a tablet that gives users the ability to reach out and touch someone thousands of miles away. Design is still in the early stages, but we encourage you to read the full article and watch the video; it's as inspiring as tech gets.

5.  3-D Printed Cast May be Revolutionary

  Med City news brings us another story of an innovator using 3D technology to potentially transform healthcare.  The not so aptly named  Jake Evill made the 'cast' using a 3D printer and nylon plastic and mimicking the honeycomb structure of the trabecular. The product is still in development, but we can only imagine the possibilities.  Read the full article here. 2013 has been an incredible year, and as we build our blog into a news and information source for our community of medical professionals, we look forward to sharing even more exciting events with you in 2014.  Be safe, and have a very Happy New Year.