New batteryless and wireless sensor tested in pigs Stents to treat various blockages in the human body can themselves become blocked, but a new sensor developed at the University of Michigan for stents that are used in the bile duct may one day help doctors detect and treat stent blockages early, helping keep patients healthier. Bile duct blockages can cause jaundice, liver damage and potentially life-threatening infections. Conditions that cause the bile ducts to narrow and close, including pancreatic and liver cancers, may be treated by inserting stents to prop the ducts open. However, bacterial sludge or gallstones can block bile duct stents, requiring urgent treatment with antibiotics and stent replacement. Currently, medical providers monitor biliary stent blockages through blood tests, meaning the problem must be significant enough for the body to notice. A sensor within the stent could enable doctors to recognize that bacterial sludge is accumulating and intervene before the patient begins to fall ill.

On Nov. 4, Yale Peabody Museum, in partnership with Yale Schwarzman Center, will host an experimental opera that imagines Earth after human extinction.

A Q&A with Duke’s AVP for economic development

Northwestern sleep experts want to help people use dreaming for personal benefit