Inventions & Innovations

Tnufa caught momentum after Hurricane Katrina

Israel is on the forefront of developing solutions to mitigate the damage from hurricanes such as Katrina, which lashed the south-eastern United States in September.
The Tnufa (momentum) committee, which is headed by chief scientist Dr. Eli Opper, has approved a preliminary research and development program aimed at advancing the development of an innovative technology for barriers against floods like the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina, according to a Globes Business report. The technology will make it possible to speedily build anti-flood barriers of any length and height necessary to protect a population center from the kind of massive flooding that destroyed thousands of homes in New Orleans.

Less “Ouch” When Donating Blood

If the painful pinprick in your finger to determine if you are anemic has kept you from donating blood, you may no longer have an excuse. A noninvasive, Israeli-developed device, worn on the finger for a few seconds to determine hemoglobin levels, is already in use in Israel.

Calling All Engines

An Internet search engine, using voice-recognition software, a microphone, and speakers, has been developed by researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev in Beersheva. The system, which conducts searches in response to spoken instructions rather than words keyed in as text, operates on any personal computer.

Controlling Bacteria Without Antibiotics

Enhancing quorum sensing could prove useful in agriculture, biotechnology, and the food industry.

The overuse of antibiotics in recent decades has created resistant strains of bacteria, which often make drugs much less effective in fighting infections. But a promising experimental method for controlling bacterial activity without antibiotics—by interfering with their communication process—has been developed by doctoral student Adel Jabbour, a 32-year-old Hebrew University researcher from Upper Nazareth.

Injected Genes stimulate Growth of New Blood Vessels

Genes injected into the heart of a cardiac patient stimulated the growth of new blood vessels in a first-ever operation performed at Rabin Medical Center, located in Petach Tikvah near Tel Aviv. The injection of the genes was carried out by using a cardiac catheter.

Clothes that Adjust to Body Temperature

An Israeli clothing manufacturer has designed a line of clothing using a fabric that automatically adjusts to a wearer’s personal body heat. The Bagir Company is using a high-technology wool blend designed to maintain a wearer’s comfort level regardless of the temperature of his surroundings.

Garlic and Onion Chemical Helps Kill Cancer Cells

The active ingredient in garlic and onions has been used together with advanced biotechnology by a Weizmann Institute of Science research team, led by professor David Mirelman, to improve the targeting of malignant cancer cells. The cancer-killing effectiveness of the technique lies in arming a cancer-targeting antibody with the destructive potential of a dietary molecule called allicin.

Tiny Needle-driving robot Developed

Researchers from Haifa’s Tech-nion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed a miniature robot that can navigate a flexible needle in the human body. The new needle will allow a surgeon to bypass obstacles in the needle’s path and safely reach its objective within the body.

“We are talking about driving a flexible needle,” says doctoral student Daniel Glozman. He developed the steering algorithm under the guidance of Professor Moshe Shoham of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Israeli Technology to Help Breast-Cancer Patients

An Israeli company, together with the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheva, is exploring the treatment of breast cancer using revolutionary Israeli-made Virtual Cancer Patient technology.

Israeli Scientists Develop NEW Explosives Detector

Researchers at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed a pen-sized device to detect triacetone triperoxide (TATP), an explosive commonly used by terrorists. The device resembles a pen with three buttons on it. It dispenses chemical solutions, which change color upon contact with the material.