Researchers reporting in Biophotonics Discovery recently developed the KeyScope, a low-cost laparoscope designed to address the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in accessing laparoscopic surgery. Traditional laparoscopes are often unaffordable in these regions. The KeyScope significantly reduces costs, by more than 99 percent. Instead of fragile lens systems and fiber optics, it uses LEDs and a small camera, connecting to a laptop via USB for power and video feed and enabling functionality during power outages. Its waterproof design and compatibility with submersion sterilization enhance its suitability for LMICs. Local manufacturing in Uganda ensures accessibility and servicing. The KeyScope delivers high-resolution images comparable to standard laparoscopes, offering a promising solution for improving surgical outcomes in resource-limited settings.

In a study published today in the journal Biofunctional Materials, researchers from the school of pharmacy, University of Mississippi have reviewed the recent developments on functional scaffolds for the bone tissue engineering. The review detailed the key technologies used for developing the scaffolds and simultaneously listed the kind of functionalization types and their chemical nature across the bone tissue regeneration arena. Functional scaffolds offer better tissue regeneration besides structural support. The bone tissue engineering with 3D printing has advanced the regeneration potential.

Scientists have developed a high-resolution distributed temperature sensing technique using plastic optical fibers, achieving a spatial resolution of 4.8 centimeters. This breakthrough, based on Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR), enables precise detection of temperature changes over short distances, with potential applications in structural health monitoring and industrial diagnostics.

Bouncing back from under the weight of Ice Age glaciers which have long since vanished, the Nordic region land mass is slowly rising above sea level. Two scientists at Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology have a refined a method for measuring and predicting the small details of how this slow movement changes Earth’s gravitational pull over time. One thing they found is that the Fennoscandinavian peninsula's land mass is more dense than previously known.