UCF AI class project now helping with robotic surgeries; lonely patients may be at higher risk of hearing loss; women are more consistently active than men – Morning Medical Update

UCF students’ AI class project now helping in robotic surgeries

A team of engineering students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has turned a classroom project into a real-world innovation: an AI-powered tool that tracks surgical staples during robotic procedures at Orlando Health. Originally developed to monitor cafeteria forks, the AIMS (AI for Medical Surgery) system uses a smart camera and custom software to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the operating room. Mentored by UCF biomedical engineer Laura Brattain, PhD, and tested extensively with hospital staff, the tool helps ensure only the staples needed are opened — a big win for both sustainability and surgical precision.

Lonely patients may be at higher risk of hearing loss

Feeling alone could do more than dampen your mood — it might also dampen your hearing. In a massive UK Biobank study involving nearly half a million participants tracked over 12 years, researchers found that people who reported feeling lonely had a 24% higher risk of developing hearing loss, independent of age, health or genetics. Published in Health Data Science, the findings suggest loneliness may biologically contribute to sensorineural hearing damage, especially in women, fueling a cycle where isolation and hearing loss reinforce one another.

Women’s activity levels are more consistent than men

A new study from University of California (UC) San Diego and collaborators found that women’s physical activity patterns are less variable than men’s — and hormonal cycles don’t throw them off. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the study tracked nearly 600 people using Oura rings over 206 days and found that concerns over menstrual cycle-related variability in physical activity are scientifically unfounded.