Designer Andrew Lee McConnell drew on his own experience of suffering a neck injury when developing this concept for a wearable protective brace that could help prevent whiplash and other impact-related injuries (+ slideshow). More about Neck Frame by Andrew McConnell could be worn like "a structural second skin"
News: Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron has designed a research and development facility and corporate headquarters for pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca in Cambridge, UK (+ slideshow). More about Herzog & de Meuron unveils plans for drug research centre in Cambridge
A fluted fibreglass wall surrounds this temporary Maggie's Centre in Merseyside, England, designed by London studio Carmody Groarke to offer support to those affected by cancer. More about Maggie's Merseyside by Carmody Groarke features a fluted facade
A team of American scientists and designers have collaborated to create the drinkable book, using a combination of typography, nanotechnology and specially-designed filter paper. More about Drinkable Book combines sanitation manual and filters for contaminated water
The Portable Eye Examination Kit (Peek) aims to improve opthalmic health in low-income countries by adapting smartphones with clip-on hardware and an app, and is among this year's category winners for Designs of the Year 2014. More about Peek smartphone adapter and app scans eyes to help combat blindness
Pale oak walls and muted furnishings aim to create a calming environment for patients inside this dispensing pharmacy in Tokyo by Japanese firm Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects (+ slideshow). More about Hiroyuki Ogawa Architects opts for "tranquility and kindness" with Fuji Pharmacy interior
A new type of hospital door handle by British studio Agency of Design transforms a hotbed for germs into a sanitising device, with a sensor that monitors how often it is used. More about Hospital door handle sanitises users' hands and measures cleanliness of staff
A white spectacles showroom contrasts with black examination areas at this opticians near Montreal by Canadian studio La Shed Architecture (+ slideshow). More about La Shed Architecture separates eye clinic into light and dark zones
Chunky wooden columns and beams support the sloping timber ceiling of this small pharmacy by Japanese studio Ninkipen! in the city of Ogaki (+ slideshow). More about Ninkipen! exposes wooden columns and trusses inside O Pharmacy
Almost everything is pristinely white inside this dental clinic in Sicily by architecture studio Bureauhub, from the walls and floors to furniture, equipment and staff uniforms (photos by Roland Halbe + slideshow). More about White Space orthodontic clinic with Corian walls by Bureauhub
News: researchers in Australia have developed a pen to deposit regenerative stem cells onto damaged bone and cartilage in a process similar to 3D printing. More about 3D-printing BioPen "draws" with living cells to repair damaged bones
News: 3D-printed eye cells could "aid in the cure of blindness" according to researchers at The University of Cambridge, who have successfully printed adult nerve cells for the first time. More about 3D-printed eye cells could "cure blindness"
News: a redesigned accident and emergency department by London studio PearsonLloyd has been found to reduce aggression and violence by 50 percent. More about Signage system designed for hospitals "reduces violence by 50 percent"
News: British company Fripp Design and Research has developed 3D-printed prosthetic eyes that could be produced much faster than existing handmade versions, reducing the cost by 97 percent. More about 3D printing "can produce up to 150 prosthetic eyes per hour"
News: robots could soon be operating on beating human hearts while a surgeon based in a different part of the world directs the procedure remotely, according to a designer working on a new generation of medical equipment. More about Robot surgeons to operate on beating human hearts
News: 3D-printed nose and ear replacements for accident victims and people with facial disfigurements could be just a year away, according to a design firm working on a new generation of prosthetics (+ interview). More about 3D-printed noses for accident victims "within a year"
News: 3D-printed human cells could replace the need for animal testing of new drugs within five years, according to a pioneering bio-printing expert at the 3D Printshow in London, which opens today. More about 3D-printed human cells could "replace animal testing"
Patients at this health centre on the outskirts of the French town of Selles-sur-Cher can look in towards a small landscaped garden or out at the surrounding fields while they sit in the waiting room (+ slideshow). More about Pôle Santé Val de Cher health centre by Oglo
Brains Unlimited is the name of this recently completed trio of buildings, which provides a neuroscience research facility for Maastricht University in the Netherlands (+ slideshow). More about Brains Unlimited neuroscience facility by Wiegerinck
News: the inventor of an anti-diarrhoea pack for the developing world has replaced its innovative, award-winning packaging design with a simple screw-top jar. More about Award-winning packaging ditched in favour of jars