New Class of Sound Wave Gentle Enough To Use In Biomedical Devices (dispatchtribunal.com)

hypnosec writes: In a first kind of discovery in decades, researchers have created a new class of hybrid sound waves that are gentle enough to be used in biomedical devices. Known as "surface reflected bulk waves", the new class of sound waves are a hybrid of bulk waves and surface waves and have been created by a team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. According to the team the new class of sound waves have already proved their worth in delivering vaccines and other drugs directly to the lung and are hopeful that their creation could lead to a revolution in stem cell therapy. As Dr Amgad Rezk, from RMIT's Micro/Nano Research Laboratory, explains, they have already dramatically improved the efficiency of an innovative new "nebuliser" that could deliver vaccines and other drugs directly to the lung in as little as 30 seconds [study abstract]. Researchers are hopeful that their work opens up the possibility of using stem cells more efficiently for treating lung disease enabling them to nebulise stem cells straight into a specific site within the lung to repair damaged tissue and this could be a real game changer for stem cell treatment in lungs as well as other organs.

Comments

Weaponization potential?

[Anonymous Coward]

If amplified and focused directionally, I wonder if this tech could be used as a weapon and made to liquify flesh or at least completely destroy the synapses in the brain?

And expect the Republicans...

[Anonymous Coward]

to never let us have it like with all of those other medical advances you constantly read about.

How many AFRICANS were involved?

[Anonymous Coward]

None? What have AFRICANS ever given the world? How about muslims?
Why are white countries being FORCED to accept millions of unwanted non-whites every year? Why don't they want to live around their own kind, in their own countries?

Re:How many AFRICANS were involved?

[behrooz0az]

You do realize that there were libraries with hundreds of thausands of books in islamic countries when you shamed people for thinking earth is round, Right?
Maybe recently You're more right than wrong but this is quite hypocritical IMO.

Re:How many AFRICANS were involved?

[Anonymous Coward]

OK... so... muslims. Here's just two things you might have a passing familiarity with:

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/algorithm

"An algorithm (pronounced AL-go-rith-um) is a procedure or formula for solving a problem. The word derives from the name of the mathematician, Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khwarizmi, who was part of the royal court in Baghdad and who lived from about 780 to 850. Al-Khwarizmi's work is the likely source for the word algebra as well."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu–Arabic_numeral_system

"The Hindu–Arabic numeral system[1] or Hindu numeral system,[2] a positional decimal numeral system, is the most common system for the symbolic representation of numbers in the world. It was invented between the 1st and 4th centuries by Indian mathematicians. The system was adopted by Persian mathematicians (Muammad ibn Ms al-Khwrizm's c. 825 book On the Calculation with Hindu Numerals) and Arab mathematicians (Al-Kindi's c. 830 volumes On the Use of the Hindu Numerals) by the 9th century. It later spread to medieval Europe by the High Middle Ages."

As for 'Africans'... read this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_science_and_technology_in_Africa ... and then shut the fuck up, you stupid racist idiot.

Is this a joke?

[stephanruby]

Is this a joke generated by a text bot? Or simply a super poorly written Slashdot summary? Why can't the Slashdot summary explain what this supposed "sound wave technology" does right from the beginning? Or are we all already supposed to know about this technology?

Re:Is this a joke?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes indeed. I was intrigued enough though being one who suffers from emphysema, to not be put off by the paywalls herein, so I searched out a product called the Vibralung accustical precussor. There are wonderful tutorials which I am listening too. In what way is this any different to what is presented by this Aussie Bloke, I ask.

Re:Is this a joke?

[Anonymous Coward]

/. is a hangout for know it all liberals. To have to explain something would mean to say that there is something that the community does not already know. This would be a logical fallacy. If you want an explanation of how shit works better move to a republican dominated board with all the other morons who don't know everything already. On the other hand if you want an in depth discussion about how this technology is being used by evil white men to marginalize women ad minorities while hastening man made global climate change and the heat death of the entire universe you have come to the right place.

Re:Is this a joke?

[cyn1c77]

Is this a joke generated by a text bot? Or simply a super poorly written Slashdot summary? Why can't the Slashdot summary explain what this supposed "sound wave technology" does right from the beginning? Or are we all already supposed to know about this technology?

It's always off-putting when you read TFM and the PI can't concisely describe the technology in technical terms, but it's never clear if it is the PI's fault or the journalist's:
"It’s basically ‘yelling’ at the liquid so it vibrates, breaking it down into vapour,” Rezk said.

It does make one skeptical though as often someone will try to rebrand an existing scientific art as "innovative" by using awkward language to describe it in a new way.

It looks like they're dropping the liquid onto a vibrating surface, which drives a shock into the liquid, and the liquid sprays off when the shock reflects from the free surface of the liquid-air interface. Maybe....?

Re:Is this a joke?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's always off-putting when you read TFM and the PI can't concisely describe the technology in technical terms, but it's never clear if it is the PI's fault or the journalist's: "Itâ(TM)s basically âyellingâ(TM) at the liquid so it vibrates, breaking it down into vapour,â Rezk said.

That's not the article. That's a science puff piece about the article. If you look there's a link the the actual article by Rezk that simply and clearly defines what they are doing.

It does make one skeptical though as often someone will try to rebrand an existing scientific art as "innovative" by using awkward language to describe it in a new way.

Then get off your high horse and read the science article.

It looks like they're dropping the liquid onto a vibrating surface, which drives a shock into the liquid, and the liquid sprays off when the shock reflects from the free surface of the liquid-air interface. Maybe....?

No. They are vibrating the entire crystal instead of just the surface of the crystal. This was always thought to be inefficient, so no one tried it before. It turns out, it can be far more efficient for some use cases like the one you describe.

I have coworkers who are interviewed by the science press. They all hate it, because the journalists want you to dumb everything down to the point where there is no science left.

Teeth

[Anonymous Coward]

Lets use this technology in combination with others to grow teeth. I've heard enough of the badly installed, breaking and still very expensive crowns. Has any significant tooth with treated roots lasted more than a few years as is? Artificial roots are apparently still too expensive for public healthcare.

What about nebulizing stem cells into the brain?

[Tolkien]

Having done zero reading on the topic, is that a possibility? I have complete agenesis of the corpus calossum so if this could be used to grow said corpus calossum into my brain, I would be forever grateful to the doctor(s) who made it possible.

Actual summary

[penguinoid]

Known as “surface reflected bulk waves”, the new class of sound waves are a hybrid of bulk waves and surface waves. It is used as a nebuliser.

Video of the sound wave in action.

[transporter_ii]

https://vine.co/v/iKBwKEhELpX

OK, seems to be a slow news day.