The idea of steering a drug capsule through a patient鈥檚 bloodstream to a tumour or diseased organ, and then making it release its payload once it arrives, is being researched by the University of California in Oakland (world patent application 2005/020918). Researchers propose using a tightly focused ultrasound beam to create vibrations behind or to one side of the capsule to nudge it in the right direction. Once it has reached its target, the ultrasound power is increased and the beam is aimed directly at the capsule: this ruptures it and releases the drug payload exactly where it is needed. The research is funded by the US National Cancer Institute.
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If a patient鈥檚 pulse needs to be checked in an emergency, it has to be done quickly and accurately. One solution, says Medtronic Emergency Response Systems of Redmond, Washington, is to use a beam of light. Pads containing infrared light emitters and sensors are pushed against the patient鈥檚 bare chest. The sensors detect light reflected from various parts of the body, including the heart. Any pulsing of the detected light would confirm a heartbeat. The device would give a rapid and reliable pulse reading, even when the heartbeat is too weak to be felt in the carotid artery or wrist, and could be built into a defibrillator to ensure that doctors don鈥檛 try to shock a still-beating heart (WO 2005/020809).
SAFETY SEAL FOR GOOD GAS GUZZLERS
Hydrogen-fuelled cars are clean, but the fate of the Hindenburg airship showed what can happen if the gas they contain ignites. Brian Goggin of Hamilton, New Zealand, wants to patent the idea of making a reinforced metal fuel tank that vents hydrogen gas safely after an accident. A slit round the edge of the tank is sealed with a material designed to give way under a heavy impact. If there is a crash, the weak seal splits, allowing the gas to vent rapidly and safely into the air, preventing a fireball should the tank ignite (WO 2005/021312).
