Longevity science

New technology may be ushering in the age of robotic surgery, but there is still a role for cutting-edge electronics to play in augmenting a surgeon's natural talents. The latest example of this comes from Germany, where researchers have proposed a way for doctors to operate using their own standard instruments by developing a special handle that fits on most surgical tools and lights up to indicate when enough pressure has been used during a procedure.

A pioneering surgical blood salvage technology developed at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, is set to transform the way major surgery is carried out by reducing blood loss in patients.

This device recovers and recycles the blood that is spilled during surgery. It then processes and returns the blood to the patient through autotransfusion. By using the patient's own blood, there is a lower need for donor blood, and a lesser risk of reaction from the transfusion. 

HemoSep, as the new device is called, has succeeded in clinical trials and has been approved for use in Europe and Canada.