WIRELESS BIRTH
This past spring, the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center started using a wireless monitor called the Novii Wireless Patch System that allows laboring moms to untether from their hospital beds. The system uses single-use adhesive patches that contain electrodes that pick up fetal and maternal heartbeats and uterine contractions from the skin’s surface.
Why it’s a big deal: Giving birth is hard enough without getting trapped in your bed by a mess of wires and cables. With the Novii, mothers can walk the halls, move around the bed and even use a yoga ball while still being connected. The GE technology is also used with women who have a high BMI.
Read more about the upgraded birth technology here.
LARGE LAKE FOUND ON MARS
Italian scientists have found evidence of a large saltwater lake on Mars, spanning at least 20 kilometers across and buried 1.5 kilometers beneath the southern polar cap. The finding comes from four years of research using the Mars Express spacecraft that has been orbiting the red planet since 2003.
Why it's cool: In looking for life on other planets, NASA has long advised to “follow the water.” Given this new information, there is a real possibility of life on Mars and researchers around the globe will be thinking of ways to find out. Landing on Mars’ southern hemisphere is harder than landing on the northern hemisphere or near the equator. With this evidence as motivation, scientists will have to invent new technology to get us there.
Read more about the lake on Mars here.
— VIDEO OF THE WEEK —
Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE.
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