Microfluidic devices – such as those used by individuals with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose levels – are all about transport. Typically, these devices use some kind of externally Keep reading
Tag: medicine
Sorting Blood Cells
Many diseases – like sickle-cell anemia and malaria – are accompanied by changes in the stiffness of red blood cells. And while microfluidic devices capable of sorting blood cells by Keep reading
Flow in the Heart
Few flows are more integral to our well-being than blood flow through the heart. Over the course of our lives, our hearts develop from a few cells pushing viscous blood Keep reading
Swallowing Physics
Swallowing – whether of food, beverage, or medication – is an important process for humans, but it’s one many struggle with, especially as they age. To help study the physics Keep reading
Inside a Heart
You may not give it much thought, but there is important fluid dynamics happening inside you every moment of every day, especially inside your heart. Of the four chambers of Keep reading
When Sound Makes You Vertiginous
For some people, a musical tone is enough to induce vertigo and feelings of being drunk. These individuals often have a small hole or defect in the bone that surrounds Keep reading
Using Embolisms to Fight Cancer
Blocking blood vessels by creating embolisms is, under most circumstances, very bad. But researchers are exploring ways to fight cancer by intentionally and strategically creating these blockages. In gas embolotherapy, Keep reading
Microgravity Can Change Vision
In recent years, astronauts have reported their vision changing as a result of long-duration spaceflight. Pre- and post-flight studies of astronauts’ eyes showed flattening along the backside of the eyeball, Keep reading
Inside Cavitation
Cavitation bubbles live a short and violent life. It begins when a low-pressure void forms in a fluid–for example, when a liquid is accelerated so that the pressure drops below Keep reading
Drying Blood Can Reveal Anemia
Blood is a remarkably complicated fluid, thanks in part to its many constituents. What we see here is an animation of a drop of blood evaporating at several times normal Keep reading