Sorrow and Hope

Inventions & Innovations

Rescue Me…Israel Style

{image_1}If you've got a heavy load to haul, carrying it in a backpack will be easier than lugging it by hand—whether it's camping gear or an injured person. And that's the simple reason why Jerusalem-based Agilite has gotten thousands of inquiries about its recently introduced IPC (Injured Personnel Carrier). The patent-pending, trademarked IPC weighs in at three-quarters of a pound, yet it can bear 5,000 pounds [2,268 kilograms] and enables a rescuer to carry someone on his or her back. The unit's 12.5-foot [3.8 meter] length folds down to just 10 inches [25.4 centimeters].

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Strengthening Weak Hearts

{image_1}For many of the 26 million people with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF), medical treatment fails to get their hearts pumping normally. Shortness of breath and general weakness just don't go away, as heart muscle damaged by genetic conditions, heart attack, coronary artery disease, or persistent high blood pressure cannot deliver adequate oxygen and nutrients to the body.

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Non-invasive Stimulation for the Brain

{image_1}Psychotherapy, drug therapy, hypnosis, cold turkey—whatever the remedy for addictions, doctors agree there is no one quick fix. However, a new tool from Israel promises to help alleviate addictions and at least a dozen other brain disorders, such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia, in a non-invasive way with no side effects.

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A Pest-free Cocoon for Crops

{image_1}Israeli-designed GrainPro Cocoons provide a simple and cheap way for African and Asian farmers to keep their grain market-fresh. When the ancient Israelite Joseph told Egypt's Pharaoh that there would be a famine, he implemented a plan to store the provisions. Israel's modern-day Joseph, Professor Shlomo Navarro, has developed a simple but effective solution to help communities and countries avert large damages to their stores of cereals and pulses [legumes] without using chemicals.

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Why Israel Matters to the World

{image_1}Israel played a role in developing the cell phone; it has an important research location for the Intel computer processor; it’s one of the first nations to help disaster-struck Haiti; and it’s a world-leader in defense technologies. Yet, it’s a tiny country consisting of roughly 7 million people and a territory about the same as Wales, the state of New Jersey, or Kruger National Park in South Africa. Prior to recent natural gas discoveries, it was generally considered devoid of natural resources.

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Mobile Phone Keeps Tabs on Malaria

{image_1}A simple mobile-phone imaging system developed in Israel for diagnosing and monitoring malaria has won its developers a [US] $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This new inexpensive weapon against Africa's second-leading cause of death will be tested in the field in 2012 where the disease causes an estimated 1,900 deaths every day in children under the age of five. Using a mobile phone camera with a [US] $15 specialized lens, the system can detect malaria by imaging the eye or the skin to look for hemozoin, a pigment generated by the malaria parasite.

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Saving the Galilee: Turning Gray Water Green

{image_1}The facts on the ground are stark: Israel has a serious water shortage. The Sea of Galilee is shrinking, as are its underground aquifers, yet water needs are increasing. One answer to this crisis may be found in “gray water,” the water sent down the sink and bathtub drains. Much of this can be treated and reused to flush toilets and water gardens.

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Advanced Cell Therapy for Chronic Wounds

{image_1}The physical deterioration of old age and illness is often manifested in what doctors call chronic wounds, wounds that just will not repair themselves. An Israeli biotechnology company has developed a product that aims to do what the body can’t—heal wounds that have festered for months, if not years. CEO of MacroCure Dr. Michael Shirvan said, “Our product CureXcell is on the market in Israel. It has already been administered by physicians to more than 4,500 patients with severe chronic wounds that would probably have remained with them for years.”

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A Miniscule Mouse

August 1, 2011

{image_1} How small can a mouse be? “Small. Really small.” That's the answer of Israeli start-up MicroPointing's CEO Ailon Tamir. His company is developing what looks to be the world's smallest mouse device—as minuscule as one square millimeter.

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