Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
It's Like Having 'Superman Eyes': New Video Microscope Could Revolutionize Brain Surgery
The New York Times: Brain Surgery In 3-D: Coming Soon To The Operating Theater
One blue surgical drape at a time, the patient disappeared, until all that showed was a triangle of her shaved scalp. “Ten seconds of quiet in the room, please,” said Dr. David J. Langer, the chairman of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, part of Northwell Health. Silence fell, until he said, “O.K., I’ll take the scissors.” His patient, Anita Roy, 66, had impaired blood flow to the left side of her brain, and Dr. Langer was about to perform bypass surgery on slender, delicate arteries to restore the circulation and prevent a stroke. (Grady, 1/8)
In other news at the intersection of technology and health care —
The Wall Street Journal: Apple Defends Its Smartphone Practices For Children After Investor Critique
Apple Inc. defended its record of providing parental controls and other protections for children who use its iPhones and other devices, after a pair of prominent investors called on the tech giant to take more steps to curb the ill effects of smartphones. In a statement late Monday, Apple said that its mobile software includes extensive parental controls governing different types of content and applications, noting that it started offering some of them as early as 2008. (Mickle, 1/8)
NPR: Experimental Capsule Samples Gases As It Passes Through The Gut
To study the human gut and the microbes that live within it, scientists have a couple of options. They can grab a small piece of tissue from the gastrointestinal tract or collect a sample of fecal matter. Neither way is ideal, says Jack Gilbert, a microbiologist and director of the Microbiome Center at the University of Chicago. "By studying [the sample], you're changing it, just by observing it, because you have to cut it out and analyze it," he says. (Chen, 1/8)
