WorldWideScience

Sample records for based prosthetic devices

  1. Advanced upper limb prosthetic devices: implications for upper limb prosthetic rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnik, Linda; Meucci, Marissa R; Lieberman-Klinger, Shana; Fantini, Christopher; Kelty, Debra L; Disla, Roxanne; Sasson, Nicole

    2012-04-01

    The number of catastrophic injuries caused by improvised explosive devices in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars has increased public, legislative, and research attention to upper limb amputation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and DEKA Integrated Solutions to optimize the function of an advanced prosthetic arm system that will enable greater independence and function. In this special communication, we examine current practices in prosthetic rehabilitation including trends in adoption and use of prosthetic devices, financial considerations, and the role of rehabilitation team members in light of our experiences with a prototype advanced upper limb prosthesis during a VA study to optimize the device. We discuss key challenges in the adoption of advanced prosthetic technology and make recommendations for service provision and use of advanced upper limb prosthetics. Rates of prosthetic rejection are high among upper limb amputees. However, these rates may be reduced with sufficient training by a highly specialized, multidisciplinary team of clinicians, and a focus on patient education and empowerment throughout the rehabilitation process. There are significant challenges emerging that are unique to implementing the use of advanced upper limb prosthetic technology, and a lack of evidence to establish clinical guidelines regarding prosthetic prescription and treatment. Finally, we make recommendations for future research to aid in the identification of best practices and development of policy decisions regarding insurance coverage of prosthetic rehabilitation. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Control method for prosthetic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the moveable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the moveable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective moveable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  3. Control System for Prosthetic Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that of movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the moveable body part through the full-shrg position of the moveable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the moveable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective moveable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  4. Control system and method for prosthetic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    A control system and method for prosthetic devices is provided. The control system comprises a transducer for receiving movement from a body part for generating a sensing signal associated with that movement. The sensing signal is processed by a linearizer for linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part. The linearized sensing signal is normalized to be a function of the entire range of body part movement from the no-shrug position of the movable body part through the full-shrug position of the movable body part. The normalized signal is divided into a plurality of discrete command signals. The discrete command signals are used by typical converter devices which are in operational association with the prosthetic device. The converter device uses the discrete command signals for driving the movable portions of the prosthetic device and its sub-prosthesis. The method for controlling a prosthetic device associated with the present invention comprises the steps of receiving the movement from the body part, generating a sensing signal in association with the movement of the body part, linearizing the sensing signal to be a linear function of the magnitude of the distance moved by the body part, normalizing the linear signal to be a function of the entire range of the body part movement, dividing the normalized signal into a plurality of discrete command signals, and implementing the plurality of discrete command signals for driving the respective movable prosthesis device and its sub-prosthesis.

  5. Control of a powered prosthetic device via a pinch gesture interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yetkin, Oguz; Wallace, Kristi; Sanford, Joseph D.; Popa, Dan O.

    2015-06-01

    A novel system is presented to control a powered prosthetic device using a gesture tracking system worn on a user's sound hand in order to detect different grasp patterns. Experiments are presented with two different gesture tracking systems: one comprised of Conductive Thimbles worn on each finger (Conductive Thimble system), and another comprised of a glove which leaves the fingers free (Conductive Glove system). Timing tests were performed on the selection and execution of two grasp patterns using the Conductive Thimble system and the iPhone app provided by the manufacturer. A modified Box and Blocks test was performed using Conductive Glove system and the iPhone app provided by Touch Bionics. The best prosthetic device performance is reported with the developed Conductive Glove system in this test. Results show that these low encumbrance gesture-based wearable systems for selecting grasp patterns may provide a viable alternative to EMG and other prosthetic control modalities, especially for new prosthetic users who are not trained in using EMG signals.

  6. 38 CFR 17.122 - Payment or reimbursement of the expenses of repairs to prosthetic appliances and similar devices...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... of the expenses of repairs to prosthetic appliances and similar devices furnished without prior... Payment or reimbursement of the expenses of repairs to prosthetic appliances and similar devices furnished without prior authorization. The expenses of repairs to prosthetic appliances, or similar appliances...

  7. Surface EMG and intra-socket force measurement to control a prosthetic device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanford, Joe; Patterson, Rita; Popa, Dan

    2015-06-01

    Surface electromyography (SEMG) has been shown to be a robust and reliable interaction method allowing for basic control of powered prosthetic devices. Research has shown a marked decrease in EMG-classification efficiency throughout activities of daily life due to socket shift and movement and fatigue as well as changes in degree of fit of the socket throughout the subject's lifetime. Users with the most severe levels of amputation require the most complex devices with the greatest number of degrees of freedom. Controlling complex dexterous devices with limited available inputs requires the addition of sensing and interaction modalities. However, the larger the amputation severity, the fewer viable SEMG sites are available as control inputs. Previous work reported the use of intra-socket pressure, as measured during wrist flexion and extension, and has shown that it is possible to control a powered prosthetic device with pressure sensors. In this paper, we present data correlations of SEMG data with intra-socket pressure data. Surface EMG sensors and force sensors were housed within a simulated prosthetic cuff fit to a healthy-limbed subject. EMG and intra-socket force data was collected from inside the cuff as a subject performed pre-defined grip motions with their dominant hand. Data fusion algorithms were explored and allowed a subject to use both intra-socket pressure and SEMG data as control inputs for a powered prosthetic device. This additional input modality allows for an improvement in input classification as well as information regarding socket fit through out activities of daily life.

  8. Corynebacterium minutissimum vascular graft infection: case report and review of 281 cases of prosthetic device-related Corynebacterium infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reece, Rebecca M; Cunha, Cheston B; Rich, Josiah D

    2014-09-01

    Corynebacterium spp. have proven their pathogenic potential in causing infections, particularly in the setting of immunosuppression and prosthetic devices. We conducted a PubMed literature review of all cases of Corynebacterium prosthetic device infections published in the English language through December 2013. The majority of cases involved peritoneal dialysis and central venous catheters, but prosthetic joints and central nervous system shunts/drains were also involved. The management of these cases in terms of retention or removal of the device was not uniform; however, the overall mortality remained the same among both groups. All of these prosthetic device infections pose potential problems in management when the device cannot be removed safely for the patient, especially with the lack of data on the pathogenicity of Corynebacterium species. However with better identification of species and sensitivities, successful treatment is possible even with retention of the device.

  9. Using computed tomography and 3D printing to construct custom prosthetics attachments and devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liacouras, Peter C; Sahajwalla, Divya; Beachler, Mark D; Sleeman, Todd; Ho, Vincent B; Lichtenberger, John P

    2017-01-01

    The prosthetic devices the military uses to restore function and mobility to our wounded warriors are highly advanced, and in many instances not publically available. There is considerable research aimed at this population of young patients who are extremely active and desire to take part in numerous complex activities. While prosthetists design and manufacture numerous devices with standard materials and limb assemblies, patients often require individualized prosthetic design and/or modifications to enable them to participate fully in complex activities. Prosthetists and engineers perform research and implement digitally designs in collaboration to generate equipment for their patient's rehabilitation needs. 3D printing allows for these devices to be manufactured from an array of materials ranging from plastic to titanium alloy. Many designs require form fitting to a prosthetic socket or a complex surface geometry. Specialty items can be scanned using computed tomography and digitally reconstructed to produce a virtual 3D model the engineer can use to design the necessary features of the desired prosthetic, device, or attachment. Completed devices are tested for fit and function. Numerous custom prostheses and attachments have been successfully translated from the research domain to clinical reality, in particular, those that feature the use of computed tomography (CT) reconstructions. The purpose of this project is to describe the research pathways to implementation for the following clinical designs: sets of bilateral hockey skates; custom weightlifting prosthetic hands; and a wine glass holder. This article will demonstrate how to incorporate CT imaging and 3D printing in the design and manufacturing process of custom attachments and assistive technology devices. Even though some of these prosthesis attachments may be relatively simple in design to an engineer, they have an enormous impact on the lives of our wounded warriors.

  10. ARM-based visual processing system for prosthetic vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matteucci, Paul B; Byrnes-Preston, Philip; Chen, Spencer C; Lovell, Nigel H; Suaning, Gregg J

    2011-01-01

    A growing number of prosthetic devices have been shown to provide visual perception to the profoundly blind through electrical neural stimulation. These first-generation devices offer promising outcomes to those affected by degenerative disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa. Although prosthetic approaches vary in their placement of the stimulating array (visual cortex, optic-nerve, epi-retinal surface, sub-retinal surface, supra-choroidal space, etc.), most of the solutions incorporate an externally-worn device to acquire and process video to provide the implant with instructions on how to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient, in order to elicit phosphenized vision. With the significant increase in availability and performance of low power-consumption smart phone and personal device processors, the authors investigated the use of a commercially available ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) device as an externally-worn processing unit for a prosthetic neural stimulator for the retina. A 400 MHz Samsung S3C2440A ARM920T single-board computer was programmed to extract 98 values from a 1.3 Megapixel OV9650 CMOS camera using impulse, regional averaging and Gaussian sampling algorithms. Power consumption and speed of video processing were compared to results obtained to similar reported devices. The results show that by using code optimization, the system is capable of driving a 98 channel implantable device for the restoration of visual percepts to the blind.

  11. Prosthetic vision: devices, patient outcomes and retinal research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadjinicolaou, Alex E; Meffin, Hamish; Maturana, Matias I; Cloherty, Shaun L; Ibbotson, Michael R

    2015-09-01

    Retinal disease and its associated retinal degeneration can lead to the loss of photoreceptors and therefore, profound blindness. While retinal degeneration destroys the photoreceptors, the neural circuits that convey information from the eye to the brain are sufficiently preserved to make it possible to restore sight using prosthetic devices. Typically, these devices consist of a digital camera and an implantable neurostimulator. The image sensor in a digital camera has the same spatiotopic arrangement as the photoreceptors of the retina. Therefore, it is possible to extract meaningful spatial information from an image and deliver it via an array of stimulating electrodes directly to the surviving retinal circuits. Here, we review the structure and function of normal and degenerate retina. The different approaches to prosthetic implant design are described in the context of human and preclinical trials. In the last section, we review studies of electrical properties of the retina and its response to electrical stimulation. These types of investigation are currently assessing a number of key challenges identified in human trials, including stimulation efficacy, spatial localisation, desensitisation to repetitive stimulation and selective activation of retinal cell populations. © 2015 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2015 Optometry Australia.

  12. Myoelectric control of prosthetic hands: state-of-the-art review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geethanjali P

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Purushothaman Geethanjali School of Electrical Engineering Department of Control and Automation VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract: Myoelectric signals (MES have been used in various applications, in particular, for identification of user intention to potentially control assistive devices for amputees, orthotic devices, and exoskeleton in order to augment capability of the user. MES are also used to estimate force and, hence, torque to actuate the assistive device. The application of MES is not limited to assistive devices, and they also find potential applications in teleoperation of robots, haptic devices, virtual reality, and so on. The myoelectric control-based prosthetic hand aids to restore activities of daily living of amputees in order to improve the self-esteem of the user. All myoelectric control-based prosthetic hands may not have similar operations and exhibit variation in sensing input, deciphering the signals, and actuating prosthetic hand. Researchers are focusing on improving the functionality of prosthetic hand in order to suit the user requirement with the different operating features. The myoelectric control differs in operation to accommodate various external factors. This article reviews the state of the art of myoelectric prosthetic hand, giving description of each control strategy. Keywords: EMG, assistive device, amputee, myoelectric control, electric powered, body ­powered, bioelectric signal control

  13. Pilot Study for OCT Guided Design and Fit of a Prosthetic Device for Treatment of Corneal Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong-Gam T. Le

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To assess optical coherence tomography (OCT for guiding design and fit of a prosthetic device for corneal disease. Methods. A prototype time domain OCT scanner was used to image the anterior segment of patients fitted with large diameter (18.5–20 mm prosthetic devices for corneal disease. OCT images were processed and analyzed to characterize corneal diameter, corneal sagittal height, scleral sagittal height, scleral toricity, and alignment of device. Within-subject variance of OCT-measured parameters was evaluated. OCT-measured parameters were compared with device parameters for each eye fitted. OCT image correspondence with ocular alignment and clinical fit was assessed. Results. Six eyes in 5 patients were studied. OCT measurement of corneal diameter (coefficient of variation, %, cornea sagittal height (%, and scleral sagittal height (% is highly repeatable within each subject. OCT image-derived measurements reveal strong correlation between corneal sagittal height and device corneal height ( and modest correlation between scleral and on-eye device toricity (. Qualitative assessment of a fitted device on OCT montages reveals correspondence with slit lamp images and clinical assessment of fit. Conclusions. OCT imaging of the anterior segment is suitable for custom design and fit of large diameter (18.5–20 mm prosthetic devices used in the treatment of corneal disease.

  14. Unilateral lower-limb loss: prosthetic device use and functional outcomes in servicemembers from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gailey, Robert; McFarland, Lynne V; Cooper, Rory A; Czerniecki, Joseph; Gambel, Jeffrey M; Hubbard, Sharon; Maynard, Charles; Smith, Douglas G; Raya, Michele; Reiber, Gayle E

    2010-01-01

    Rehabilitation goals following major combat-associated limb loss in World War II and the Vietnam war focused on treatment of the injury and a return to civilian life. The goal for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) servicemembers is to restore function to the greatest possible degree and, if they desire, return them to Active Duty, by providing them with extensive rehabilitation services and a variety of prosthetic devices. Our study determines the usefulness of these diverse types of prosthetic devices for restoring functional capability and documents prosthesis use and satisfaction. We compare servicemembers and veterans with major combat-associated unilateral lower-limb loss: 178 from the Vietnam war and 172 from OIF/OEF conflicts. Of survey participants with unilateral lower-limb loss, 84% of the Vietnam group and 94% of the OIF/OEF group currently use at least one prosthetic device. Reasons for rejection varied by type of device, but common reasons were pain, prosthesis too heavy, and poor fit. Abandonment is infrequent (11% Vietnam group, 4% OIF/OEF group). Future efforts should aim to improve prosthetic-device design, decrease pain, and improve quality of life for these veterans and servicemembers.

  15. Carbon based prosthetic devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Devlin, D.J.; Carroll, D.W.; Barbero, R.S.; Archuleta, T. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US); Klawitter, J.J.; Ogilvie, W.; Strzepa, P. [Ascension Orthopedics (US); Cook, S.D. [Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA (US). School of Medicine

    1998-12-31

    This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project objective was to evaluate the use of carbon/carbon-fiber-reinforced composites for use in endoprosthetic devices. The application of these materials for the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joints of the hand was investigated. Issues concerning mechanical properties, bone fixation, biocompatibility, and wear are discussed. A system consisting of fiber reinforced materials with a pyrolytic carbon matrix and diamond-like, carbon-coated wear surfaces was developed. Processes were developed for the chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) of pyrolytic carbon into porous fiber preforms with the ability to tailor the outer porosity of the device to provide a surface for bone in-growth. A method for coating diamond-like carbon (DLC) on the articulating surface by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was developed. Preliminary results on mechanical properties of the composite system are discussed and initial biocompatibility studies were performed.

  16. Which prosthetic foot to prescribe?

    OpenAIRE

    De Asha, AR; Barnett, CT; Struchkov, V; Buckley, JG

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: \\ud Clinicians typically use findings from cohort studies to objectively inform judgements regarding the potential (dis)advantages of prescribing a new prosthetic device. However, before finalising prescription a clinician will typically ask a patient to 'try out' a change of prosthetic device while the patient is at the clinic. Observed differences in gait when using the new device should be the result of the device’s mechanical function, but could also conceivably be due to pa...

  17. 21 CFR 890.3025 - Prosthetic and orthotic accessory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Prosthetic Devices § 890.3025... intended for medical purposes to support, protect, or aid in the use of a cast, orthosis (brace), or prosthesis. Examples of prosthetic and orthotic accessories include the following: A pelvic support band and...

  18. Performance of Optimized Prosthetic Ankle Designs That Are Based on a Hydraulic Variable Displacement Actuator (VDA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, James; Bari, Abu Zeeshan; Kenney, Laurence; Twiste, Martin; Moser, David; Zahedi, Saeed; Howard, David

    2017-12-01

    Current energy storage and return prosthetic feet only marginally reduce the cost of amputee locomotion compared with basic solid ankle cushioned heel feet, possibly due to their lack of push-off at the end of stance. To the best of our knowledge, a prosthetic ankle that utilizes a hydraulic variable displacement actuator (VDA) to improve push-off performance has not previously been proposed. Therefore, here we report a design optimization and simulation feasibility study for a VDA-based prosthetic ankle. The proposed device stores the eccentric ankle work done from heel strike to maximum dorsiflexion in a hydraulic accumulator and then returns the stored energy to power push-off. Optimization was used to establish the best spring characteristic and gear ratio between ankle and VDA. The corresponding simulations show that, in level walking, normal push-off is achieved and, per gait cycle, the energy stored in the accumulator increases by 22% of the requirements for normal push-off. Although the results are promising, there are many unanswered questions and, for this approach to be a success, a new miniature, low-losses, and lightweight VDA would be required that is half the size of the smallest commercially available device.

  19. A new prosthetic alignment device to read and record prosthesis alignment data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirouzi, Gholamhossein; Abu Osman, Noor Azuan; Ali, Sadeeq; Davoodi Makinejad, Majid

    2017-12-01

    Prosthetic alignment is an essential process to rehabilitate patients with amputations. This study presents, for the first time, an invented device to read and record prosthesis alignment data. The digital device consists of seven main parts: the trigger, internal shaft, shell, sensor adjustment button, digital display, sliding shell, and tip. The alignment data were read and recorded by the user or a computer to replicate prosthesis adjustment for future use or examine the sequence of changes in alignment and its effect on the posture of the patient. Alignment data were recorded at the anterior/posterior and medial/lateral positions for five patients. Results show the high level of confidence to record alignment data and replicate adjustments. Therefore, the device helps patients readjust their prosthesis by themselves, or prosthetists to perform adjustment for patients and analyze the effects of malalignment.

  20. Can We Achieve Intuitive Prosthetic Elbow Control Based on Healthy Upper Limb Motor Strategies?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manelle Merad

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Most transhumeral amputees report that their prosthetic device lacks functionality, citing the control strategy as a major limitation. Indeed, they are required to control several degrees of freedom with muscle groups primarily used for elbow actuation. As a result, most of them choose to have a one-degree-of-freedom myoelectric hand for grasping objects, a myoelectric wrist for pronation/supination, and a body-powered elbow. Unlike healthy upper limb movements, the prosthetic elbow joint angle, adjusted prior to the motion, is not involved in the overall upper limb movements, causing the rest of the body to compensate for the lack of mobility of the prosthesis. A promising solution to improve upper limb prosthesis control exploits the residual limb mobility: like in healthy movements, shoulder and prosthetic elbow motions are coupled using inter-joint coordination models. The present study aims to test this approach. A transhumeral amputated individual used a prosthesis with a residual limb motion-driven elbow to point at targets. The prosthetic elbow motion was derived from IMU-based shoulder measurements and a generic model of inter-joint coordinations built from healthy individuals data. For comparison, the participant also performed the task while the prosthetic elbow was implemented with his own myoelectric control strategy. The results show that although the transhumeral amputated participant achieved the pointing task with a better precision when the elbow was myoelectrically-controlled, he had to develop large compensatory trunk movements. Automatic elbow control reduced trunk displacements, and enabled a more natural body behavior with synchronous shoulder and elbow motions. However, due to socket impairments, the residual limb amplitudes were not as large as those of healthy shoulder movements. Therefore, this work also investigates if a control strategy whereby prosthetic joints are automatized according to healthy individuals

  1. Simulating The Technological Movements Of The Equipment Used For Manufacturing Prosthetic Devices Using 3D Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chicea, Anca-Lucia

    2015-09-01

    The paper presents the process of building geometric and kinematic models of a technological equipment used in the process of manufacturing devices. First, the process of building the model for a six axes industrial robot is presented. In the second part of the paper, the process of building the model for a five-axis CNC milling machining center is also shown. Both models can be used for accurate cutting processes simulation of complex parts, such as prosthetic devices.

  2. Effect of Modifying Prosthetic Socket Base Materials by Adding Nanodiamonds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lifang Ma

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The curing process of prosthetic socket base materials requires attention owing to a series of associated problems that are yet to be addressed and solved. However, to date, few relevant studies have been reported. In this paper, nanodiamonds modified with a silane coupling agent were dispersed into a prosthetic socket base material, and the performance of the modified base materials was investigated. Adding a predetermined amount of nanodiamonds to the prosthetic socket base material increased the glass transition temperature, improved the mechanical properties of the cured base material, and reduced the influence of the volatile gas formed during the curing process on the environment. With increasing nanodiamond contents, the glass transition temperature increased and the mechanical properties improved slightly. Owing to the high thermal conductivity of the nanodiamonds, the localized heat, as a result of the curing process, could be dissipated and released. Thus, adding nanodiamonds led to a more uniform temperature field forming in the curing system. This improved the curing process and reduced the formation of volatile monomers, thereby decreasing the adverse impact of the generated volatile gases on the environment. All of these provide a potential strategy for modifying prosthetic socket base materials.

  3. SU-E-T-512: Evaluation of Treatment Planning Dose Calculation Accuracy at the Interface of Prosthetic Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulu, D; Alaei, P

    2012-06-01

    To evaluate the ability of treatment planning algorithm to accurately predict dose delivered at the interface of high density implanted devices. A high density (7.6 g/cc) Cobalt-Chromium-Molybdenum hip prosthesis was molded into an epoxy-based cylindrical leg phantom. The phantom was designed to be separated in half to access the prosthesis and to place the TLDs. Using MVCT to image the apparatus, a simple treatment plan was developed using the Philips Pinnacle treatment planning system. Wires were placed in the molded epoxy to allow for accurate definition of measurement sites (TLD positions) along the surface of the prosthesis. Micro-cube TLDs (1 mm 3 ) were placed at six measurement locations for which the dose had been calculated by the treatment planning system. An Elekta Synergy linear accelerator was used to deliver a 400 cGy plan to the phantom with 6 MV photons in a single fraction. A total of four 10 cm × 21 cm fields were used at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degree gantry rotations. Initial results indicate that the measured dose is 7-17% lower than the dose calculated by the treatment planning system. Further study using high energy beams are also in progress. Initial results indicate that the treatment planning system does predict the dose near a high density prosthetic device within 10-15% but underestimates the dose. The results of this study could help in designing treatment plans which would reduce the uncertainty of the dose delivered in the vicinity of prosthetic hip implants and similar devices. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  4. 38 CFR 17.150 - Prosthetic and similar appliances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... appliances. 17.150 Section 17.150 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL Prosthetic, Sensory, and Rehabilitative Aids § 17.150 Prosthetic and similar appliances... appliances including invalid lifts and therapeutic and rehabilitative devices, and special clothing made...

  5. Circuit For Control Of Electromechanical Prosthetic Hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

    1995-01-01

    Proposed circuit for control of electromechanical prosthetic hand derives electrical control signals from shoulder movements. Updated, electronic version of prosthesis, that includes two hooklike fingers actuated via cables from shoulder harness. Circuit built around favored shoulder harness, provides more dexterous movement, without incurring complexity of computer-controlled "bionic" or hydraulically actuated devices. Additional harness and potentiometer connected to similar control circuit mounted on other shoulder. Used to control stepping motor rotating hand about prosthetic wrist to one of number of angles consistent with number of digital outputs. Finger-control signals developed by circuit connected to first shoulder harness transmitted to prosthetic hand via sliprings at prosthetic wrist joint.

  6. Prosthetic Jamming Terminal Device: A Case Study of Untethered Soft Robotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Nadia; Amend, John; Farrell, Todd; Latour, Debra; Martinez, Carlos; Johansson, Jen; McNicoll, Anthony; Wartenberg, Marek; Naseef, Samuel; Hanson, William; Culley, William

    2016-12-01

    This article illuminates the major and often overlooked challenge of untethering soft robotic systems through the context of recent work, in which soft robotic gripper technology enabled by jamming of granular media was applied to a prosthetic jamming terminal device (PJTD). The PJTD's technical and market feasibility was evaluated in a pilot study with two upper-limb amputees. A PJTD prototype was tested against a commercial device (Motion Control electric terminal service with a one degree-of-freedom pinching mechanism) using two existing hand function tests: the first quantified the device's speed in picking and placing small blocks and the second evaluated a person's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). The PJTD prototype performed slightly slower than its commercial counterpart in the first test. While both participants successfully completed all the ADLs with both devices in the second test, the commercial device scored marginally higher. Results suggested that PJTD can have potential benefits over existing terminal devices, such as providing the capability to firmly grasp tools due to the ability of PJTD to conform to arbitrary surfaces and reducing compensatory shoulder movements due to its axisymmetric design. Some downsides were that users reported fatigue while operating the PJTD, as most operations require pushing the PJTD against target objects to adequately conform to them. The greatest drawback for the PJTD is also a major roadblock preventing a number of soft robotic research projects from making an impact in real-world applications: pneumatic technology required for operating the PJTD is currently too large and heavy to enable compact untethered operation.

  7. Development of a 3D-Printed Robotic Prosthetic Arm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomez Martinez, M.; Garcia-Miquel, A.; Vidal Martinez, N.

    2016-07-01

    Current prostheses are not affordable to the general public. 3D printing technology may allow low-cost production of such devices, making them more readily accessible to people in need. This contribution presents the set-up and the considerations that have to be taken into account to develop a functional artificial upper limb prototype. The robotic prosthetic arm reported herein was produced entirely using 3D printing technology to demonstrate its feasibility on a limited budget. The project was developed to integrate two different functional modes: a prosthetic application and a remote application. The prosthetic application is intended to emulate existing prosthetic devices using myoelectric sensors. The remote application is conceived as a tool for prevention, by providing the general public with a device that could carry out activities that entail a risk of severe physical injury. This is achieved using a hand-tracking system that allows the robotic arm to copy the user’s movements remotely and in real time. The outcome of the validation tests has been considerably successful for both applications and the total costs are on target. (Author)

  8. Development of nylon-based artificial muscles for the usage in robotic prosthetic limb

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atikah, Nurul Anis; Weng, Leong Yeng; Anuar, Adzly; Fat, Chau Chien; Abidin, Izham Zainal; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed

    2017-09-01

    This paper describes the development of nylon-based artificial muscles that is intended to be used in prosthetic limb for young amputees. Prosthetic limbs are very expensive and this situation is further compounded for young amputees who are very quickly out-grow their prosthesis. The proposed artificial muscles are made of nylon fishing strings from various size such as 0.45mm, 0.55mm, 0.65mm and 1.00mm. These fishing strings were twisted into coils to create Super Coiled Polymers (SCP) and tested using hot air blower. These artificial muscles react counterintuitively, where when it is exposed to heat, contracts, and when cooled, expands. Peltier devices, when switched-on acts as heat pump, where one side is hot and the other is cold. This phenomenon, when affixed in between 2 SCP's, creates tandem motion similar to triceps and biceps. As initial study, the hot side of the Peltier module was tested using these artificial muscles. The string was measured for both its force production, length contraction, the initial results were promising.

  9. Nitinol for Prosthetic and Orthotic Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Emma; Buis, Arjan

    2011-07-01

    As global populations age, conditions such as stroke and diabetes require individuals to use rehabilitation technology for many years to come due to chronic musculoskeletal, sensory, and other physical impairments. One in four males currently aged 45 will experience a stroke within 40 years and will often require access to prolonged rehabilitation. In addition, worldwide, one individual loses a limb every 30 s due to the complications of diabetes. As a result, innovative ideas are required to devise more effective prosthetic and orthotic devices to enhance quality of life. While Nitinol has already found much favor within the biomedical industry, one area, which has not yet exploited its unique properties, is in the field of physical rehabilitation, ranging from prosthetic and orthotic devices to assistive technology such as wheelchairs. Improved intervention capabilities based on materials such as Nitinol have the potential to vastly improve patients' quality of life and in the case of orthoses, may even reduce the severity of the condition over time. It is hoped that this study will spark discussion and interest for the materials community in a field which has yet to be fully exploited.

  10. Smartphones as image processing systems for prosthetic vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapf, Marc P; Matteucci, Paul B; Lovell, Nigel H; Suaning, Gregg J

    2013-01-01

    The feasibility of implants for prosthetic vision has been demonstrated by research and commercial organizations. In most devices, an essential forerunner to the internal stimulation circuit is an external electronics solution for capturing, processing and relaying image information as well as extracting useful features from the scene surrounding the patient. The capabilities and multitude of image processing algorithms that can be performed by the device in real-time plays a major part in the final quality of the prosthetic vision. It is therefore optimal to use powerful hardware yet to avoid bulky, straining solutions. Recent publications have reported of portable single-board computers fast enough for computationally intensive image processing. Following the rapid evolution of commercial, ultra-portable ARM (Advanced RISC machine) mobile devices, the authors investigated the feasibility of modern smartphones running complex face detection as external processing devices for vision implants. The role of dedicated graphics processors in speeding up computation was evaluated while performing a demanding noise reduction algorithm (image denoising). The time required for face detection was found to decrease by 95% from 2.5 year old to recent devices. In denoising, graphics acceleration played a major role, speeding up denoising by a factor of 18. These results demonstrate that the technology has matured sufficiently to be considered as a valid external electronics platform for visual prosthetic research.

  11. Development of novel 3D-printed robotic prosthetic for transradial amputees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gretsch, Kendall F; Lather, Henry D; Peddada, Kranti V; Deeken, Corey R; Wall, Lindley B; Goldfarb, Charles A

    2016-06-01

    Upper extremity myoelectric prostheses are expensive. The Robohand demonstrated that three-dimensional printing reduces the cost of a prosthetic extremity. The goal of this project was to develop a novel, inexpensive three-dimensional printed prosthesis to address limitations of the Robohand. The prosthesis was designed for patients with transradial limb amputation. It is shoulder-controlled and externally powered with an anthropomorphic terminal device. The user can open and close all five fingers, and move the thumb independently. The estimated cost is US$300. After testing on a patient with a traumatic transradial amputation, several advantages were noted. The independent thumb movement facilitated object grasp, the device weighed less than most externally powered prostheses, and the size was easily scalable. Limitations of the new prosthetic include low grip strength and decreased durability compared to passive prosthetics. Most children with a transradial congenital or traumatic amputation do not use a prosthetic. A three-dimensional printed shoulder-controlled robotic prosthesis provides a cost effective, easily sized and highly functional option which has been previously unavailable. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

  12. Case Study on Human Walking during Wearing a Powered Prosthetic Device: Effectiveness of the System “Human-Robot”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svetlana Grosu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available It is known that force exchanges between a robotic assistive device and the end-user have a direct impact on the quality and performance of a particular movement task. This knowledge finds a special reflective importance in prosthetic industry due to the close human-robot collaboration. Although lower-extremity prostheses are currently better able to provide assistance as their upper-extremity counterparts, specific locomotion problems still remain. In a framework of this contribution the authors introduce the multibody dynamic modelling approach of the transtibial prosthesis wearing on a human body model. The obtained results are based on multibody dynamic simulations against the real experimental data using AMP-Foot 2.0, an energy efficient powered transtibial prosthesis for actively assisted walking of amputees.

  13. A geometrical optimization of a magneto-rheological rotary brake in a prosthetic knee

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gudmundsson, K H; Jonsdottir, F; Thorsteinsson, F

    2010-01-01

    Magneto-rheological (MR) fluids have been successfully introduced to prosthetic devices. One such device is a biomechanical prosthetic knee that uses MR fluids to actively control its rotary stiffness. The brake is rotational, utilizing the MR fluid in shear mode. In this study, the geometrical design of the MR brake is addressed. This includes the design of the magnetic circuit and the geometry of the fluid chamber. Mathematical models are presented that describe the rotary torque of the brake. A novel perfluorinated polyether (PFPE)-based MR fluid is introduced, whose properties are tailored for the prosthetic knee. On-state and off-state rheological measurements of the MR fluid are presented. The finite element method is used to evaluate the magnetic flux density in the MR fluid. The design is formulated as an optimization problem, aiming to maximize the braking torque. A parametric study is carried out for several design parameters. Subsequently, a multi-objective optimization problem is defined that considers three design objectives: the field-induced braking torque, the off-state rotary stiffness and the weight of the brake. Trade-offs between the three design objectives are investigated which provides a basis for informed design decisions on furthering the success of the MR prosthetic knee

  14. A dynamic model-based approach to motion and deformation tracking of prosthetic valves from biplane x-ray images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Martin G; Hatt, Charles R; Dunkerley, David A P; Bodart, Lindsay E; Raval, Amish N; Speidel, Michael A

    2018-04-16

    Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure in which a prosthetic heart valve is placed and expanded within a defective aortic valve. The device placement is commonly performed using two-dimensional (2D) fluoroscopic imaging. Within this work, we propose a novel technique to track the motion and deformation of the prosthetic valve in three dimensions based on biplane fluoroscopic image sequences. The tracking approach uses a parameterized point cloud model of the valve stent which can undergo rigid three-dimensional (3D) transformation and different modes of expansion. Rigid elements of the model are individually rotated and translated in three dimensions to approximate the motions of the stent. Tracking is performed using an iterative 2D-3D registration procedure which estimates the model parameters by minimizing the mean-squared image values at the positions of the forward-projected model points. Additionally, an initialization technique is proposed, which locates clusters of salient features to determine the initial position and orientation of the model. The proposed algorithms were evaluated based on simulations using a digital 4D CT phantom as well as experimentally acquired images of a prosthetic valve inside a chest phantom with anatomical background features. The target registration error was 0.12 ± 0.04 mm in the simulations and 0.64 ± 0.09 mm in the experimental data. The proposed algorithm could be used to generate 3D visualization of the prosthetic valve from two projections. In combination with soft-tissue sensitive-imaging techniques like transesophageal echocardiography, this technique could enable 3D image guidance during TAVR procedures. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  15. Optimising the prescription of prosthetic technologies (opptec): Outcome measures for evidence based prosthetic practice and use

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ryall, Dr Nicola

    2010-01-01

    This study provided a forum for patients and service providers to voice their opinions in what they believe to be the important predictors and outcomes involved in successful rehabilitation following limb loss. To develop a consensus on the most important outcomes and factors to address for both the lower limb and upper limb prosthetic prescription process, the above data relating to lower limb and upper prosthetics were subsequently used in the next phase of the research involving two Delphi surveys of 23 and 53 experts within the lower limb and upper limb amputation and prosthetic field respectively, including users, service providers and researchers.\\r\

  16. Prosthetic Joint Infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslam, Saima; Darouiche, Rabih O.

    2012-01-01

    Prosthetic joint infections represent a major therapeutic challenge for both healthcare providers and patients. This paper reviews the predisposing factors, pathogenesis, microbiology, diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of prosthetic joint infection. The most optimal management strategy should be identified based on a number of considerations including type and duration of infection, antimicrobial susceptibility of the infecting pathogen, condition of infected tissues and bone stock, patient wishes and functional status. PMID:22847032

  17. Utilization of penile prosthesis and male incontinence prosthetics in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alwaal, Amjad; Al-Sayyad, Ahmad J

    2017-01-01

    Erectile dysfunction is a prevalent disease affecting over 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 years. Penile prosthesis represents the end of the line treatment when other less invasive therapies fail or are contraindicated. Male stress urinary incontinence can significantly diminish quality of life and lead to embarrassment and social withdrawal. Surgical therapies, such as male urethral slings and artificial urinary sphincters (AUS), are considered effective and safe treatments for male stress incontinence. No data exist on the utilization of penile prosthesis or male incontinence surgical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Generally, urological prosthetic surgery is performed either in private hospitals or in government hospitals. Our aim was to assess the trend of penile prosthesis and male incontinence device utilization in Saudi Arabia. We utilized sales' data of penile prosthetics, male slings, and AUS from the only two companies selling these devices in Saudi Arabia (AMS ® and Coloplast ® ), from January 2013 to December 2016. There were 2599 penile prosthesis implantation procedures done in the study period, with 67% of them performed in private institutions. There was a progressively increased use of penile prosthetics which nearly doubled from 2013 to 2016. The main type of prosthesis utilized was the semirigid type 70% versus 11% of the 2-piece inflatable and 17% of the 3-piece inflatable device. Only 10 slings and 31 AUS were inserted during the same study period. There is an increased utilization of penile prosthetics in Saudi Arabia. The private sector performs the majority of penile prosthesis procedures, and most of them are of the semirigid type. The governmental sector is more likely to perform inflatable penile prosthesis and male incontinence device procedures. Male incontinence prosthetics' use is very limited in Saudi Arabia.

  18. Fiber-array based optogenetic prosthetic system for stimulation therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Ling; Cote, Chris; Tejeda, Hector; Mohanty, Samarendra

    2012-02-01

    Recent advent of optogenetics has enabled activation of genetically-targeted neuronal cells using low intensity blue light with high temporal precision. Since blue light is attenuated rapidly due to scattering and absorption in neural tissue, optogenetic treatment of neurological disorders may require stimulation of specific cell types in multiple regions of the brain. Further, restoration of certain neural functions (vision, and auditory etc) requires accurate spatio-temporal stimulation patterns rather than just precise temporal stimulation. In order to activate multiple regions of the central nervous system in 3D, here, we report development of an optogenetic prosthetic comprising of array of fibers coupled to independently-controllable LEDs. This design avoids direct contact of LEDs with the brain tissue and thus does not require electrical and heat isolation, which can non-specifically stimulate and damage the local brain regions. The intensity, frequency, and duty cycle of light pulses from each fiber in the array was controlled independently using an inhouse developed LabView based program interfaced with a microcontroller driving the individual LEDs. While the temporal profile of the light pulses was controlled by varying the current driving the LED, the beam profile emanating from each fiber tip could be sculpted by microfabrication of the fiber tip. The fiber array was used to stimulate neurons, expressing channelrhodopsin-2, in different locations within the brain or retina. Control of neural activity in the mice cortex, using the fiber-array based prosthetic, is evaluated from recordings made with multi-electrode array (MEA). We also report construction of a μLED array based prosthetic for spatio-temporal stimulation of cortex.

  19. Utilization of penile prosthesis and male incontinence prosthetics in Saudi Arabia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amjad Alwaal

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: There is an increased utilization of penile prosthetics in Saudi Arabia. The private sector performs the majority of penile prosthesis procedures, and most of them are of the semirigid type. The governmental sector is more likely to perform inflatable penile prosthesis and male incontinence device procedures. Male incontinence prosthetics' use is very limited in Saudi Arabia.

  20. Lightweight custom composite prosthetic components using an additive manufacturing-based molding technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leddy, Michael T; Belter, Joseph T; Gemmell, Kevin D; Dollar, Aaron M

    2015-01-01

    Additive manufacturing techniques are becoming more prominent and cost-effective as 3D printing becomes higher quality and more inexpensive. The idea of 3D printed prosthetics components promises affordable, customizable devices, but these systems currently have major shortcomings in durability and function. In this paper, we propose a fabrication method for custom composite prostheses utilizing additive manufacturing, allowing for customizability, as well the durability of professional prosthetics. The manufacturing process is completed using 3D printed molds in a multi-stage molding system, which creates a custom finger or palm with a lightweight epoxy foam core, a durable composite outer shell, and soft urethane gripping surfaces. The composite material was compared to 3D printed and aluminum materials using a three-point bending test to compare stiffness, as well as gravimetric measurements to compare weight. The composite finger demonstrates the largest stiffness with the lowest weight compared to other tested fingers, as well as having customizability and lower cost, proving to potentially be a substantial benefit to the development of upper-limb prostheses.

  1. OCT-based profiler for automating ocular surface prosthetic fitting (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mujat, Mircea; Patel, Ankit H.; Maguluri, Gopi N.; Iftimia, Nicusor V.; Patel, Chirag; Agranat, Josh; Tomashevskaya, Olga; Bonte, Eugene; Ferguson, R. Daniel

    2016-03-01

    The use of a Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Environment (PROSE) device is a revolutionary treatment for military patients that have lost their eyelids due to 3rd degree facial burns and for civilians who suffer from a host of corneal diseases. However, custom manual fitting is often a protracted painful, inexact process that requires multiple fitting sessions. Training for new practitioners is a long process. Automated methods to measure the complete corneal and scleral topology would provide a valuable tool for both clinicians and PROSE device manufacturers and would help streamline the fitting process. PSI has developed an ocular anterior-segment profiler based on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), which provides a 3D measure of the surface of the sclera and cornea. This device will provide topography data that will be used to expedite and improve the fabrication process for PROSE devices. OCT has been used to image portions of the cornea and sclera and to measure surface topology for smaller contact lenses [1-3]. However, current state-of-the-art anterior eye OCT systems can only scan about 16 mm of the eye's anterior surface, which is not sufficient for covering the sclera around the cornea. In addition, there is no systematic method for scanning and aligning/stitching the full scleral/corneal surface and commercial segmentation software is not optimized for the PROSE application. Although preliminary, our results demonstrate the capability of PSI's approach to generate accurate surface plots over relatively large areas of the eye, which is not currently possible with any other existing platform. Testing the technology on human volunteers is currently underway at Boston Foundation for Sight.

  2. Remote transient Lactobacillus animalis bacteremia causing prosthetic hip joint infection: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somayaji, R; Lynch, T; Powell, J N; Gregson, D

    2016-11-04

    Lactobacillus spp. are uncommon pathogens in immunocompetent hosts, and even rarer causes of prosthetic device infections. A case of chronic hip prosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by L. animalis is described. This occurred 5 years after a transient bacteremia with the same organism. Whole genome sequencing of both isolates proved this PJI infection resulted from this remote bacteremia. We document that prosthetic joint infections may be a consequence of bacteremia as much as 3 years before the onset of symptoms.

  3. Self-cleaning skin-like prosthetic polymer surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, John T [Clinton, TN; Ivanov, Ilia N [Knoxville, TN; Shibata, Jason [Manhattan Beach, CA

    2012-03-27

    An external covering and method of making an external covering for hiding the internal endoskeleton of a mechanical (e.g., prosthetic) device that exhibits skin-like qualities is provided. The external covering generally comprises an internal bulk layer in contact with the endoskeleton of the prosthetic device and an external skin layer disposed about the internal bulk layer. The external skin layer is comprised of a polymer composite with carbon nanotubes embedded therein. The outer surface of the skin layer has multiple cone-shaped projections that provide the external skin layer with superhydrophobicity. The carbon nanotubes are preferably vertically aligned between the inner surface and outer surface of the external skin layer in order to provide the skin layer with the ability to transmit heat. Superhydrophobic powders may optionally be used as part of the polymer composite or applied as a coating to the surface of the skin layer to enhance superhydrophobicity.

  4. A Prosthetic Hand Body Area Controller Based on Efficient Pattern Recognition Control Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benatti, Simone; Milosevic, Bojan; Farella, Elisabetta; Gruppioni, Emanuele; Benini, Luca

    2017-04-15

    Poliarticulated prosthetic hands represent a powerful tool to restore functionality and improve quality of life for upper limb amputees. Such devices offer, on the same wearable node, sensing and actuation capabilities, which are not equally supported by natural interaction and control strategies. The control in state-of-the-art solutions is still performed mainly through complex encoding of gestures in bursts of contractions of the residual forearm muscles, resulting in a non-intuitive Human-Machine Interface (HMI). Recent research efforts explore the use of myoelectric gesture recognition for innovative interaction solutions, however there persists a considerable gap between research evaluation and implementation into successful complete systems. In this paper, we present the design of a wearable prosthetic hand controller, based on intuitive gesture recognition and a custom control strategy. The wearable node directly actuates a poliarticulated hand and wirelessly interacts with a personal gateway (i.e., a smartphone) for the training and personalization of the recognition algorithm. Through the whole system development, we address the challenge of integrating an efficient embedded gesture classifier with a control strategy tailored for an intuitive interaction between the user and the prosthesis. We demonstrate that this combined approach outperforms systems based on mere pattern recognition, since they target the accuracy of a classification algorithm rather than the control of a gesture. The system was fully implemented, tested on healthy and amputee subjects and compared against benchmark repositories. The proposed approach achieves an error rate of 1.6% in the end-to-end real time control of commonly used hand gestures, while complying with the power and performance budget of a low-cost microcontroller.

  5. Development of a prototype over-actuated biomimetic prosthetic hand.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew R Williams

    Full Text Available The loss of a hand can greatly affect quality of life. A prosthetic device that can mimic normal hand function is very important to physical and mental recuperation after hand amputation, but the currently available prosthetics do not fully meet the needs of the amputee community. Most prosthetic hands are not dexterous enough to grasp a variety of shaped objects, and those that are tend to be heavy, leading to discomfort while wearing the device. In order to attempt to better simulate human hand function, a dexterous hand was developed that uses an over-actuated mechanism to form grasp shape using intrinsic joint mounted motors in addition to a finger tendon to produce large flexion force for a tight grip. This novel actuation method allows the hand to use small actuators for grip shape formation, and the tendon to produce high grip strength. The hand was capable of producing fingertip flexion force suitable for most activities of daily living. In addition, it was able to produce a range of grasp shapes with natural, independent finger motion, and appearance similar to that of a human hand. The hand also had a mass distribution more similar to a natural forearm and hand compared to contemporary prosthetics due to the more proximal location of the heavier components of the system. This paper describes the design of the hand and controller, as well as the test results.

  6. Development and preliminary evaluation of a new anatomically based prosthetic alignment method for below-knee prosthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tafti, Nahid; Karimlou, Masoud; Mardani, Mohammad Ali; Jafarpisheh, Amir Salar; Aminian, Gholam Reza; Safari, Reza

    2018-04-20

    The objectives of current study were to a) assess similarities and relationships between anatomical landmark-based angles and distances of lower limbs in unilateral transtibial amputees and b) develop and evaluate a new anatomically based static prosthetic alignment method. First sub-study assessed the anthropometrical differences and relationships between the lower limbs in the photographs taken from amputees. Data were analysed via paired t-test and regression analysis. Results show no significant differences in frontal and transverse planes. In the sagittal plane, the anthropometric parameters of the amputated limb were significantly correlated to the corresponding variables of the sound limb. The results served as bases for the development of a new prosthetic alignment method. The method was evaluated on a single subject study. Prosthetic alignment carried out by an experienced prosthetist was compared with such alignment adjusted by an inexperienced prosthetist but with the use of the developed method. In sagittal and frontal planes, the socket angle was tuned with respect to the shin angle, and the position of the prosthetic foot was tuned in relation to the pelvic landmarks. Further study is needed to assess the proposed method on a larger sample of amputees and prosthetists.

  7. Development and testing of new upper-limb prosthetic devices: research designs for usability testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnik, Linda

    2011-01-01

    The purposes of this article are to describe usability testing and introduce designs and methods of usability testing research as it relates to upper-limb prosthetics. This article defines usability, describes usability research, discusses research approaches to and designs for usability testing, and highlights a variety of methodological considerations, including sampling, sample size requirements, and usability metrics. Usability testing is compared with other types of study designs used in prosthetic research.

  8. Remote transient Lactobacillus animalis bacteremia causing prosthetic hip joint infection: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Somayaji

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lactobacillus spp. are uncommon pathogens in immunocompetent hosts, and even rarer causes of prosthetic device infections. Case presentation A case of chronic hip prosthetic joint infection (PJI caused by L. animalis is described. This occurred 5 years after a transient bacteremia with the same organism. Whole genome sequencing of both isolates proved this PJI infection resulted from this remote bacteremia. Conclusions We document that prosthetic joint infections may be a consequence of bacteremia as much as 3 years before the onset of symptoms.

  9. 42 CFR 421.210 - Designations of regional carriers to process claims for durable medical equipment, prosthetics...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas... based on sections 1834(a)(12) and 1834(h) of the Act, which authorize the Secretary to designate one... equipment (and related supplies) as defined in section 1861(n) of the Act; (2) Prosthetic devices (and...

  10. Cyborg beast: a low-cost 3d-printed prosthetic hand for children with upper-limb differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuniga, Jorge; Katsavelis, Dimitrios; Peck, Jean; Stollberg, John; Petrykowski, Marc; Carson, Adam; Fernandez, Cristina

    2015-01-20

    There is an increasing number of children with traumatic and congenital hand amputations or reductions. Children's prosthetic needs are complex due to their small size, constant growth, and psychosocial development. Families' financial resources play a crucial role in the prescription of prostheses for their children, especially when private insurance and public funding are insufficient. Electric-powered (i.e., myoelectric) and body-powered (i.e., mechanical) devices have been developed to accommodate children's needs, but the cost of maintenance and replacement represents an obstacle for many families. Due to the complexity and high cost of these prosthetic hands, they are not accessible to children from low-income, uninsured families or to children from developing countries. Advancements in computer-aided design (CAD) programs, additive manufacturing, and image editing software offer the possibility of designing, printing, and fitting prosthetic hands devices at a distance and at very low cost. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to describe a low-cost three-dimensional (3D)-printed prosthetic hand for children with upper-limb reductions and to propose a prosthesis fitting methodology that can be performed at a distance. No significant mean differences were found between the anthropometric and range of motion measurements taken directly from the upper limbs of subjects versus those extracted from photographs. The Bland and Altman plots show no major bias and narrow limits of agreements for lengths and widths and small bias and wider limits of agreements for the range of motion measurements. The main finding of the survey was that our prosthetic device may have a significant potential to positively impact quality of life and daily usage, and can be incorporated in several activities at home and in school. This investigation describes a low-cost 3D-printed prosthetic hand for children and proposes a distance fitting procedure. The Cyborg Beast

  11. New developments in prosthetic arm systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vujaklija I

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Ivan Vujaklija,1 Dario Farina,1 Oskar C Aszmann2 1Institute of Neurorehabilitation Systems, Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology Göttingen, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany; 2Christian Doppler Laboratory for Restoration of Extremity Function, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Abstract: Absence of an upper limb leads to severe impairments in everyday life, which can further influence the social and mental state. For these reasons, early developments in cosmetic and body-driven prostheses date some centuries ago, and they have been evolving ever since. Following the end of the Second World War, rapid developments in technology resulted in powered myoelectric hand prosthetics. In the years to come, these devices were common on the market, though they still suffered high user abandonment rates. The reasons for rejection were trifold – insufficient functionality of the hardware, fragile design, and cumbersome control. In the last decade, both academia and industry have reached major improvements concerning technical features of upper limb prosthetics and methods for their interfacing and control. Advanced robotic hands are offered by several vendors and research groups, with a variety of active and passive wrist options that can be articulated across several degrees of freedom. Nowadays, elbow joint designs include active solutions with different weight and power options. Control features are getting progressively more sophisticated, offering options for multiple sensor integration and multi-joint articulation. Latest developments in socket designs are capable of facilitating implantable and multiple surface electromyography sensors in both traditional and osseointegration-based systems. Novel surgical techniques in combination with modern, sophisticated hardware are enabling restoration of dexterous upper limb

  12. Advanced Prosthetic Gait Training Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    modules to train individuals to distinguish gait deviations (trunk motion and lower-limb motion). Each of these modules help trainers improve their...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-10-1-0870 TITLE: Advanced Prosthetic Gait Training Tool PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Karim Abdel-Malek CONTRACTING...study is to produce a computer-based Advanced Prosthetic Gait Training Tool to aid in the training of clinicians at military treatment facilities

  13. Nuclear Medicine in Diagnosis of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: An Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musso, Maria; Petrosillo, Nicola

    2015-01-01

    Over the past decades cardiovascular disease management has been substantially improved by the increasing introduction of medical devices as prosthetic valves. The yearly rate of infective endocarditis (IE) in patient with a prosthetic valve is approximately 3 cases per 1,000 patients. The fatality rate of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains stable over the years, in part due to the aging of the population. The diagnostic value of echocardiography in diagnosis is operator-dependent and its sensitivity can decrease in presence of intracardiac devices and valvular prosthesis. The modified Duke criteria are considered the gold standard for diagnosing IE; their sensibility is 80%, but in clinical practice their diagnostic accuracy in PVE is lower, resulting inconclusively in nearly 30% of cases. In the last years, these new imaging modalities have gained an increasing attention because they make it possible to diagnose an IE earlier than the structural alterations occurring. Several studies have been conducted in order to assess the diagnostic accuracy of various nuclear medicine techniques in diagnosis of PVE. We performed a review of the literature to assess the available evidence on the role of nuclear medicine techniques in the diagnosis of PVE. PMID:25695043

  14. Dynamic Facial Prosthetics for Sufferers of Facial Paralysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fergal Coulter

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundThis paper discusses the various methods and the materialsfor the fabrication of active artificial facial muscles. Theprimary use for these will be the reanimation of paralysedor atrophied muscles in sufferers of non-recoverableunilateral facial paralysis.MethodThe prosthetic solution described in this paper is based onsensing muscle motion of the contralateral healthy musclesand replicating that motion across a patient’s paralysed sideof the face, via solid state and thin film actuators. Thedevelopment of this facial prosthetic device focused onrecreating a varying intensity smile, with emphasis ontiming, displacement and the appearance of the wrinklesand folds that commonly appear around the nose and eyesduring the expression.An animatronic face was constructed with actuations beingmade to a silicone representation musculature, usingmultiple shape-memory alloy cascades. Alongside theartificial muscle physical prototype, a facial expressionrecognition software system was constructed. This formsthe basis of an automated calibration and reconfigurationsystem for the artificial muscles following implantation, soas to suit the implantee’s unique physiognomy.ResultsAn animatronic model face with silicone musculature wasdesigned and built to evaluate the performance of ShapeMemory Alloy artificial muscles, their power controlcircuitry and software control systems. A dual facial motionsensing system was designed to allow real time control overmodel – a piezoresistive flex sensor to measure physicalmotion, and a computer vision system to evaluate real toartificial muscle performance.Analysis of various facial expressions in real subjects wasmade, which give useful data upon which to base thesystems parameter limits.ConclusionThe system performed well, and the various strengths andshortcomings of the materials and methods are reviewedand considered for the next research phase, when newpolymer based artificial muscles are constructed

  15. A personalized 3D-printed prosthetic joint replacement for the human temporomandibular joint: From implant design to implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackland, David C; Robinson, Dale; Redhead, Michael; Lee, Peter Vee Sin; Moskaljuk, Adrian; Dimitroulis, George

    2017-05-01

    Personalized prosthetic joint replacements have important applications in cases of complex bone and joint conditions where the shape and size of off-the-shelf components may not be adequate. The objective of this study was to design, test and fabricate a personalized 3D-printed prosthesis for a patient requiring total joint replacement surgery of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The new 'Melbourne' prosthetic TMJ design featured a condylar component sized specifically to the patient and fixation screw positions that avoid potential intra-operative damage to the mandibular nerve. The Melbourne prosthetic TMJ was developed for a 58-year-old female recipient with end-stage osteoarthritis of the TMJ. The load response of the prosthesis during chewing and a maximum-force bite was quantified using a personalized musculoskeletal model of the patient's masticatory system developed using medical images. The simulations were then repeated after implantation of the Biomet Microfixation prosthetic TMJ, an established stock device. The maximum condylar stresses, screw stress and mandibular stress at the screw-bone interface were lower in the Melbourne prosthetic TMJ (259.6MPa, 312.9MPa and 198.4MPa, respectively) than those in the Biomet Microfixation device (284.0MPa, 416.0MPa and 262.2MPa, respectively) during the maximum-force bite, with similar trends also observed during the chewing bite. After trialing surgical placement and evaluating prosthetic TMJ stability using cadaveric specimens, the prosthesis was fabricated using 3D printing, sterilized, and implanted into the female recipient. Six months post-operatively, the prosthesis recipient had a normal jaw opening distance (40.0 mm), with no complications identified. The new design features and immediate load response of the Melbourne prosthetic TMJ suggests that it may provide improved clinical and biomechanical joint function compared to a commonly used stock device, and reduce risk of intra-operative nerve damage

  16. Prosthetic joint infection development of an evidence-based diagnostic algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mühlhofer, Heinrich M L; Pohlig, Florian; Kanz, Karl-Georg; Lenze, Ulrich; Lenze, Florian; Toepfer, Andreas; Kelch, Sarah; Harrasser, Norbert; von Eisenhart-Rothe, Rüdiger; Schauwecker, Johannes

    2017-03-09

    Increasing rates of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) have presented challenges for general practitioners, orthopedic surgeons and the health care system in the recent years. The diagnosis of PJI is complex; multiple diagnostic tools are used in the attempt to correctly diagnose PJI. Evidence-based algorithms can help to identify PJI using standardized diagnostic steps. We reviewed relevant publications between 1990 and 2015 using a systematic literature search in MEDLINE and PUBMED. The selected search results were then classified into levels of evidence. The keywords were prosthetic joint infection, biofilm, diagnosis, sonication, antibiotic treatment, implant-associated infection, Staph. aureus, rifampicin, implant retention, pcr, maldi-tof, serology, synovial fluid, c-reactive protein level, total hip arthroplasty (THA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and combinations of these terms. From an initial 768 publications, 156 publications were stringently reviewed. Publications with class I-III recommendations (EAST) were considered. We developed an algorithm for the diagnostic approach to display the complex diagnosis of PJI in a clear and logically structured process according to ISO 5807. The evidence-based standardized algorithm combines modern clinical requirements and evidence-based treatment principles. The algorithm provides a detailed transparent standard operating procedure (SOP) for diagnosing PJI. Thus, consistently high, examiner-independent process quality is assured to meet the demands of modern quality management in PJI diagnosis.

  17. Finite element analysis of the contact interface between trans-femoral stump and prosthetic socket.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Linlin; Zhu, Ming; Shen, Ling; Zheng, Feng

    2013-01-01

    Transfemoral amputees need prosthetic devices after amputation surgery, and the interface pressure between the residual limb and prosthetic socket has a significant effect on an amputee's satisfaction and comfort. The purpose of this study was to build a nonlinear finite element model to investigate the interface pressure between the above-knee residual limb and its prosthetic socket. The model was three-dimensional (3D) with consideration of nonlinear boundary conditions. Contact analysis was used to simulate the friction conditions between skin and the socket. The normal stresses up to 80.57 kPa at the distal end of the soft tissue. The longitudinal and circumferential shear stress distributions at the limb-socket interface were also simulated. This study explores the influences of load transfer between trans-femoral residual limb and its prosthetic socket.

  18. First-in-man demonstration of a fully implanted myoelectric sensors system to control an advanced electromechanical prosthetic hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasquina, Paul F; Evangelista, Melissa; Carvalho, A J; Lockhart, Joseph; Griffin, Sarah; Nanos, George; McKay, Patricia; Hansen, Morten; Ipsen, Derek; Vandersea, James; Butkus, Josef; Miller, Matthew; Murphy, Ian; Hankin, David

    2015-04-15

    Advanced motorized prosthetic devices are currently controlled by EMG signals generated by residual muscles and recorded by surface electrodes on the skin. These surface recordings are often inconsistent and unreliable, leading to high prosthetic abandonment rates for individuals with upper limb amputation. Surface electrodes are limited because of poor skin contact, socket rotation, residual limb sweating, and their ability to only record signals from superficial muscles, whose function frequently does not relate to the intended prosthetic function. More sophisticated prosthetic devices require a stable and reliable interface between the user and robotic hand to improve upper limb prosthetic function. Implantable Myoelectric Sensors (IMES(®)) are small electrodes intended to detect and wirelessly transmit EMG signals to an electromechanical prosthetic hand via an electro-magnetic coil built into the prosthetic socket. This system is designed to simultaneously capture EMG signals from multiple residual limb muscles, allowing the natural control of multiple degrees of freedom simultaneously. We report the status of the first FDA-approved clinical trial of the IMES(®) System. This study is currently in progress, limiting reporting to only preliminary results. Our first subject has reported the ability to accomplish a greater variety and complexity of tasks in his everyday life compared to what could be achieved with his previous myoelectric prosthesis. The interim results of this study indicate the feasibility of utilizing IMES(®) technology to reliably sense and wirelessly transmit EMG signals from residual muscles to intuitively control a three degree-of-freedom prosthetic arm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Role of radionuclide imaging for diagnosis of device and prosthetic valve infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarrazin, Jean-François; Philippon, François; Trottier, Mikaël; Tessier, Michel

    2016-01-01

    Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infection and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remain a diagnostic challenge. Cardiac imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with CIED infection or PVE. Over the past few years, cardiac radionuclide imaging has gained a key role in the diagnosis of these patients, and in assessing the need for surgery, mainly in the most difficult cases. Both 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and radiolabelled white blood cell single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (WBC SPECT/CT) have been studied in these situations. In their 2015 guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis, the European Society of Cardiology incorporated cardiac nuclear imaging as part of their diagnostic algorithm for PVE, but not CIED infection since the data were judged insufficient at the moment. This article reviews the actual knowledge and recent studies on the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT and WBC SPECT/CT in the context of CIED infection and PVE, and describes the technical aspects of cardiac radionuclide imaging. It also discusses their accepted and potential indications for the diagnosis and management of CIED infection and PVE, the limitations of these tests, and potential areas of future research. PMID:27721936

  20. An Evaluation of Dental Prosthetic Status and Prosthetic Needs ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    present cross‑sectional study aimed to evaluate the dental prosthetic status and prosthetic needs among eunuchs .... who consented to become part of the study guided us to the .... to the reason that our study population comprised of adults with low SES. ... Arora M, Schwarz E, Sivaneswaran S, Banks E. Cigarette smoking.

  1. Diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection with alpha-defensin using a lateral flow device: a multicentre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, P; Van Cauter, M; Driesen, R; Neyt, J; Cornu, O; Bellemans, J

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this current multicentre study is to analyse the presence of alpha-defensin proteins in synovial fluid using the Synovasure lateral flow device and to determine its diagnostic reliability and accuracy compared with the prosthetic joint infection (PJI) criteria produced by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS). A cohort of 121 patients comprising 85 total knee arthroplasties and 36 total hip arthroplasties was prospectively evaluated between May 2015 and June 2016 in three different orthopaedic centres. The tests were performed on patients with a chronically painful prosthesis undergoing a joint aspiration in a diagnostic pathway or during revision surgery. Based on the MSIS criteria, 34 patients (28%) would have had a PJI, and 87 patients had no PJI. Testing with the lateral flow device had a sensitivity of 97.1% (95% confidence intervals (CI) 84.5 to 99.9) and a specificity of 96.6% (95% CI 90.3 to 99.2). The positive predictive value was 91.7% (95% CI 77.7% to 98.3), and the negative predictive value was 98.8% (95% CI 93.6 to 99.9). Receiver operator characteristics analysis demonstrated an area under the curve for the Synovasure test of 0.97 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.00). Our findings suggest that the Synovasure test has an excellent diagnostic performance to confirm or reject the diagnosis of a PJI. The results are promising for the care of the painful or problematic knee and hip joint arthroplasty and the test should be considered as part of the diagnostic toolbox for PJIs. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1176-82. ©2017 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

  2. Method of making self-cleaning skin-like prosthetic polymer surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, John T.; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Shibata, Jason

    2017-06-06

    An external covering and method of making an external covering for hiding the internal endoskeleton of a mechanical (e.g., prosthetic) device that exhibits skin-like qualities is provided. The external covering generally comprises an internal bulk layer in contact with the endoskeleton of the prosthetic device and an external skin layer disposed about the internal bulk layer. The external skin layer is comprised of a polymer composite with carbon nanotubes embedded therein. The outer surface of the skin layer has multiple cone-shaped projections that provide the external skin layer with superhydrophobicity. The carbon nanotubes are preferably vertically aligned between the inner surface and outer surface of the external skin layer in order to provide the skin layer with the ability to transmit heat. Superhydrophobic powders may optionally be used as part of the polymer composite or applied as a coating to the surface of the skin layer to enhance superhydrophobicity.

  3. The efficacy of the Ankle Mimicking Prosthetic Foot prototype 4.0 during walking: Physiological determinants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Pauw, Kevin; Cherelle, Pierre; Roelands, Bart; Lefeber, Dirk; Meeusen, Romain

    2018-04-01

    Evaluating the effectiveness of a novel prosthetic device during walking is an important step in product development. To investigate the efficacy of a novel quasi-passive ankle prosthetic device, Ankle Mimicking Prosthetic Foot 4.0, during walking at different speeds, using physiological determinants in transtibial and transfemoral amputees. Nonrandomized crossover design for amputees. Six able-bodied subjects, six unilateral transtibial amputees, and six unilateral transfemoral amputees underwent a 6-min walk test at normal speed, followed by series of 2-min walking at slow, normal, and fast speeds. The intensity of effort and subjective measures were determined. Amputees performed all walking tests on a treadmill with current and novel prostheses. Shapiro-Wilk normality tests and parametric and nonparametric tests were conducted (p 4.0 is a novel quasi-passive ankle prosthesis with state-of-the-art technological parts. Subjective measures show the importance of this technology, but the intensity of effort during walking still remains higher compared to current passive prostheses, especially in transfemoral amputees.

  4. A new three-dimensional, print-on-demand temporomandibular prosthetic total joint replacement system: Preliminary outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitroulis, George; Austin, Stephen; Sin Lee, Peter Vee; Ackland, David

    2018-05-16

    The aim of this study is to present the preliminary clinical data on the OMX Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Prosthetic total joint replacement system. A prospective, cohort, clinical study was undertaken of consecutive adult patients with Category 5 end-stage joint disease who were implanted with the OMX TMJ prosthesis between May 2015 and April 2017. A total of 50 devices were implanted in 38 patients, with 12 patients receiving bilateral prosthetic joints. There were 31 females and 7 males in this cohort, who ranged in age from 20 to 66 years, with a mean of 43.8 years (±14.0 years). Ten of the 50 prosthetic joints (20%) were fully customized, while the remaining were patient matched using virtual planning software. Based on a mean follow-up period of 15.3 months (range 12-24 months) following the TMJ total joint replacement, preliminary results suggest the OMX TMJ prosthesis has made a positive impact on clinical outcomes, with a mean 74.4% reduction in joint pain levels and significant improvements (p < 0.05) in jaw function as measured by the visual analogue scales for mouth opening (30.8%), diet (77.1%), and function (59.2%). No device failures were reported during the study period. This study suggests that the print-on-demand OMX TMJ prosthesis, designed for rapid delivery of both patient-matched and fully customize devices, represents a safe, reliable and versatile implantable joint replacement system for the treatment of category 5 end-stage TMJ disease. Copyright © 2018 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Fused Filament Fabrication of Prosthetic Components for Trans-Humeral Upper Limb Prosthetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lathers, Steven M.

    Presented below is the design and fabrication of prosthetic components consisting of an attachment, tactile sensing, and actuator systems with Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique. The attachment system is a thermoplastic osseointegrated upper limb prosthesis for average adult trans-humeral amputation with mechanical properties greater than upper limb skeletal bone. The prosthetic designed has: a one-step surgical process, large cavities for bone tissue ingrowth, uses a material that has an elastic modulus less than skeletal bone, and can be fabricated on one system. FFF osseointegration screw is an improvement upon the current two-part osseointegrated prosthetics that are composed of a fixture and abutment. The current prosthetic design requires two invasive surgeries for implantation and are made of titanium, which has an elastic modulus greater than bone. An elastic modulus greater than bone causes stress shielding and overtime can cause loosening of the prosthetic. The tactile sensor is a thermoplastic piezo-resistive sensor for daily activities for a prosthetic's feedback system. The tactile sensor is manufactured from a low elastic modulus composite comprising of a compressible thermoplastic elastomer and conductive carbon. Carbon is in graphite form and added in high filler ratios. The printed sensors were compared to sensors that were fabricated in a gravity mold to highlight the difference in FFF sensors to molded sensors. The 3D printed tactile sensor has a thickness and feel similar to human skin, has a simple fabrication technique, can detect forces needed for daily activities, and can be manufactured in to user specific geometries. Lastly, a biomimicking skeletal muscle actuator for prosthetics was developed. The actuator developed is manufactured with Fuse Filament Fabrication using a shape memory polymer composite that has non-linear contractile and passive forces, contractile forces and strains comparable to mammalian skeletal muscle, reaction

  6. Virtual Control of Prosthetic Hand Based on Grasping Patterns and Estimated Force from Semg

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhu Gao-Ke

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Myoelectric prosthetic hands aim to serve upper limb amputees. The myoelectric control of the hand grasp action is a kind of real-time or online method. Thus it is of great necessity to carry on a study of online prosthetic hand electrical control. In this paper, the strategy of simultaneous EMG decoding of grasping patterns and grasping force was realized by controlling a virtual multi-degree-freedom prosthetic hand and a real one-degree-freedom prosthetic hand simultaneously. The former realized the grasping patterns from the recognition of the sEMG pattern. The other implemented the grasping force from sEMG force decoding. The results show that the control method is effective and feasible.

  7. Is the Prosthetic Homologue Necessary for Embodiment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dornfeld, Chelsea; Swanston, Michelle; Cassella, Joseph; Beasley, Casey; Green, Jacob; Moshayev, Yonatan; Wininger, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Embodiment is the process by which patients with limb loss come to accept their peripheral device as a natural extension of self. However, there is little guidance as to how exacting the prosthesis must be in order for embodiment to take place: is it necessary for the prosthetic hand to look just like the absent hand? Here, we describe a protocol for testing whether an individual would select a hand that looks like their own from among a selection of five hands, and whether the hand selection (regardless of homology) is consistent across multiple exposures to the same (but reordered) set of candidate hands. Pilot results using healthy volunteers reveals that hand selection is only modestly consistent, and that selection of the prosthetic homologue is atypical (61 of 192 total exposures). Our protocol can be executed in minutes, and makes use of readily available equipment and softwares. We present both a face-to-face and a virtual protocol, for maximum flexibility of implementation.

  8. Prevention of Prosthetic Dentistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eremin O.V.

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Prevention in prosthetic dentistry is not just a regular oral hygiene and the prevention of caries in the early stages of its development. The initial goal of orthopedic and dental should be the ability to convey to the patient's sense of pros-thetics that proteziruya one saved more. An example is included prosthetic dental arch defects with bridges or single artificial crowns on implants that will prevent movement of teeth and the continuity of the dentition

  9. Biologically inspired multi-layered synthetic skin for tactile feedback in prosthetic limbs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osborn, Luke; Nguyen, Harrison; Betthauser, Joseph; Kaliki, Rahul; Thakor, Nitish

    2016-08-01

    The human body offers a template for many state-of-the-art prosthetic devices and sensors. In this work, we present a novel, sensorized synthetic skin that mimics the natural multi-layered nature of mechanoreceptors found in healthy glabrous skin to provide tactile information. The multi-layered sensor is made up of flexible piezoresistive textiles that act as force sensitive resistors (FSRs) to convey tactile information, which are embedded within a silicone rubber to resemble the compliant nature of human skin. The top layer of the synthetic skin is capable of detecting small loads less than 5 N whereas the bottom sensing layer responds reliably to loads over 7 N. Finite element analysis (FEA) of a simplified human fingertip and the synthetic skin was performed. Results suggest similarities in behavior during loading. A natural tactile event is simulated by loading the synthetic skin on a prosthetic limb. Results show the sensors' ability to detect applied loads as well as the ability to simulate neural spiking activity based on the derivative and temporal differences of the sensor response. During the tactile loading, the top sensing layer responded 0.24 s faster than the bottom sensing layer. A synthetic biologically-inspired skin such as this will be useful for enhancing the functionality of prosthetic limbs through tactile feedback.

  10. Adapting to change: influence of a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee on gait adaptations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Prinsen, Erik Christiaan

    2016-01-01

    Advancement in prosthetic knee design have led to the introduction of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees (MPKs). MPKs incorporate sensors that are able to measure prosthetic loading, the knee angle, and knee angular velocity. Based on the sensor information, MPKs determine the optimal level

  11. Ten questions on prosthetic shoulder infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinder, Elizabeth M; Ong, Joshua Cy; Bale, R Stephen; Trail, Ian A

    2016-07-01

    Prosthetic shoulder infection can cause significant morbidity secondary to pain and stiffness. Symptoms may be present for years before diagnosis because clinical signs are often absent and inflammatory markers may be normal. An emerging common culprit, Propionibacterium acnes, is hard to culture and so prolonged incubation is necessary. A negative culture result does not always exclude infection and new synovial fluid biochemical markers such as α defensin are less sensitive than for lower limb arthroplasty. A structured approach is necessary when assessing patients for prosthetic shoulder joint infection. This includes history, examination, serum inflammatory markers, plain radiology and aspiration and/or biopsy. A classification for the likelihood of prosthetic shoulder infection has been described based on culture, pre-operative and intra-operative findings. Treatment options include antibiotic suppression, debridement with component retention, one-stage revision, two-stage revision and excision arthroplasty. Revision arthroplasty is associated with the best outcomes.

  12. Bruxism and prosthetic treatment: a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Anders; Omar, Ridwaan; Carlsson, Gunnar E

    2011-07-01

    Based on the findings from available research on bruxism and prosthetic treatment published in the dental literature, an attempt was made to draw conclusions about the existence of a possible relationship between the two, and its clinical relevance. MEDLINE/PubMed searches were conducted using the terms 'bruxism' and 'prosthetic treatment', as well as combinations of these and related terms. The few studies judged to be relevant were critically reviewed, in addition to papers found during an additional manual search of reference lists within selected articles. Bruxism is a common parafunctional habit, occurring both during sleep and wakefulness. Usually it causes few serious effects, but can do so in some patients. The etiology is multifactorial. There is no known treatment to stop bruxism, including prosthetic treatment. The role of bruxism in the process of tooth wear is unclear, but it is not considered a major cause. As informed by the present critical review, the relationship between bruxism and prosthetic treatment is one that relates mainly to the effect of the former on the latter. Bruxism may be included among the risk factors, and is associated with increased mechanical and/or technical complications in prosthodontic rehabilitation, although it seems not to affect implant survival. When prosthetic intervention is indicated in a patient with bruxism, efforts should be made to reduce the effects of likely heavy occlusal loading on all the components that contribute to prosthetic structural integrity. Failure to do so may indicate earlier failure than is the norm. Copyright © 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Neural-Network Control Of Prosthetic And Robotic Hands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckley, Theresa M.

    1991-01-01

    Electronic neural networks proposed for use in controlling robotic and prosthetic hands and exoskeletal or glovelike electromechanical devices aiding intact but nonfunctional hands. Specific to patient, who activates grasping motion by voice command, by mechanical switch, or by myoelectric impulse. Patient retains higher-level control, while lower-level control provided by neural network analogous to that of miniature brain. During training, patient teaches miniature brain to perform specialized, anthropomorphic movements unique to himself or herself.

  14. Consumer satisfaction with the services of prosthetics and orthotics facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosmans, Joline; Geertzen, Jan; Dijkstra, Pieter U

    2009-03-01

    Consumer satisfaction with the services provided in a prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) facility has seldom been studied. The aim of this study was to analyze consumer satisfaction regarding the services provided by 15 P&O facilities in The Netherlands. Consumers (n = 1,364) of these P&O facilities who were fitted with a prosthesis, orthopaedic shoes, an orthosis, or another device, were asked to rate the overall services provided and whether they were satisfied with the device provided and its delivery time. Additionally, they filled in a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire (see Appendix). Consumers gave the service provided by P&O facilities a mean overall rating of 8.1. The highest ratings were given by consumers fitted with a prosthesis (mean overall rating of services: 8.4). In total, 78% of the consumers were satisfied with the device provided and 93% with the delivery time. The results of our study showed that, on the SERVQUAL, 50% of the statements fulfilled the criteria for a satisfactory quality of the services. The overall consumer rating of the service provided by P&O facilities is high and depends on the device provided. The outcomes on the SERVQUAL were moderate. In future, it is important to study consumer satisfaction more extensively in order to improve the quality of P&O services in daily practice. Additionally, specific questionnaires need to be developed to measure all aspects of prosthetic and orthotic care, with the aim to improve the services.

  15. Prosthetic prescription in the Netherlands: An interview with clinical experts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Der Linde, H.; Geertzen, J.H.B.; Hofstad, C.J.; Van Limbeek, Jacques; Postema, K.

    2004-01-01

    In the process of guideline development for prosthetic prescription in the Netherlands the authors made a study of the daily clinical practice of lower limb prosthetics. Besides the evidence-based knowledge from literature the more implicit knowledge from clinical experts is of importance for

  16. 100 top-cited scientific papers in limb prosthetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eshraghi, Arezoo; Osman, Noor Azuan Abu; Gholizadeh, Hossein; Ali, Sadeeq; Shadgan, Babak

    2013-11-17

    Research has tremendously contributed to the developments in both practical and fundamental aspects of limb prosthetics. These advancements are reflected in scientific articles, particularly in the most cited papers. This article aimed to identify the 100 top-cited articles in the field of limb prosthetics and to investigate their main characteristics. Articles related to the field of limb prosthetics and published in the Web of Knowledge database of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) from the period of 1980 to 2012. The 100 most cited articles in limb prosthetics were selected based on the citation index report. All types of articles except for proceedings and letters were included in the study. The study design and level of evidence were determined using Sackett's initial rules of evidence. The level of evidence was categorized either as a systematic review or meta-analysis, randomized controlled trial, cohort study, case-control study, case series, expert opinion, or design and development. The top cited articles in prosthetics were published from 1980 to 2012 with a citation range of 11 to 90 times since publication. The mean citation rate was 24.43 (SD 16.7) times. Eighty-four percent of the articles were original publications and were most commonly prospective (76%) and case series studies (67%) that used human subjects (96%) providing level 4 evidence. Among the various fields, rehabilitation (47%), orthopedics (29%), and sport sciences (28%) were the most common fields of study. The study established that studies conducted in North America and were written in English had the highest citations. Top cited articles primarily dealt with lower limb prosthetics, specifically, on transtibial and transradial prosthetic limbs. Majority of the articles were experimental studies.

  17. GIANT PROSTHETIC VALVE THROMBUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prashanth Kumar

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Mechanical prosthetic valves are predisposed to bleeding, thrombosis & thromboembolic complications. Overall incidence of thromboembolic complications is 1% per year who are on oral anticoagulants, whereas bleeding complications incidence is 0.5% to 6.6% per year. 1, 2 Minimization of Scylla of thromboembolic & Charybdis of bleeding complication needs a balancing act of optimal antithrombotic therapy. We are reporting a case of middle aged male patient with prosthetic mitral valve presenting in heart failure. Patient had discontinued anticoagulants, as he had subdural hematoma in the past. He presented to our institute with a giant prosthetic valve thrombus.

  18. Robotic hand with locking mechanism using TCP muscles for applications in prosthetic hand and humanoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saharan, Lokesh; Tadesse, Yonas

    2016-04-01

    This paper presents a biomimetic, lightweight, 3D printed and customizable robotic hand with locking mechanism consisting of Twisted and Coiled Polymer (TCP) muscles based on nylon precursor fibers as artificial muscles. Previously, we have presented a small-sized biomimetic hand using nylon based artificial muscles and fishing line muscles as actuators. The current study focuses on an adult-sized prosthetic hand with improved design and a position/force locking system. Energy efficiency is always a matter of concern to make compact, lightweight, durable and cost effective devices. In natural human hand, if we keep holding objects for long time, we get tired because of continuous use of energy for keeping the fingers in certain positions. Similarly, in prosthetic hands we also need to provide energy continuously to artificial muscles to hold the object for a certain period of time, which is certainly not energy efficient. In this work we, describe the design of the robotic hand and locking mechanism along with the experimental results on the performance of the locking mechanism.

  19. Dutch evidence-based guidelines for amputation and prosthetics of the lower extremity : Rehabilitation process and prosthetics. Part 2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geertzen, Jan; van der Linde, Harmen; Rosenbrand, Kitty; Conradi, Marcel; Deckers, Jos; Koning, Jan; Rietman, Hans S.; van der Schaaf, Dick; van der Ploeg, Rein; Schapendonk, Johannes; Schrier, Ernst; Duijzentkunst, Rob Smit; Spruit-van Eijk, Monica; Versteegen, Gerbrig; Voesten, Harrie

    2015-01-01

    Background: A structured, multidisciplinary approach in the rehabilitation process after amputation is needed that includes a greater focus on the involvement of both (para)medics and prosthetists. There is considerable variation in prosthetic prescription concerning the moment of initial prosthesis

  20. A Mobile Motion Analysis System Using Intertial Sensors for Analysis of Lower Limb Prosthetics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mueller, John Kyle P [ORNL; Ericson, Milton Nance [ORNL; Farquhar, Ethan [ORNL; Lind, Randall F [ORNL; Evans III, Boyd Mccutchen [ORNL

    2011-01-01

    Soldiers returning from the global war on terror requiring lower leg prosthetics generally have different concerns and requirements than the typical lower leg amputee. These subjects are usually young, wish to remain active and often desire to return to active military duty. As such, they demand higher performance from their prosthetics, but are at risk for chronic injury and joint conditions in their unaffected limb. Motion analysis is a valuable tool in assessing the performance of new and existing prosthetic technologies as well as the methods in fitting these devices to both maximize performance and minimize risk of injury for the individual soldier. We are developing a mobile, low-cost motion analysis system using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and two custom force sensors that detect ground reaction forces and moments on both the unaffected limb and prosthesis. IMUs were tested on a robot programmed to simulate human gait motion. An algorithm which uses a kinematic model of the robot and an extended Kalman filter (EKF) was used to convert the rates and accelerations from the gyro and accelerometer into joint angles. Compared to encoder data from the robot, which was considered the ground truth in this experiment, the inertial measurement system had a RMSE of <1.0 degree. Collecting kinematic and kinetic data without the restrictions and expense of a motion analysis lab could help researchers, designers and prosthetists advance prosthesis technology and customize devices for individuals. Ultimately, these improvements will result in better prosthetic performance for the military population.

  1. Pregnancy after Prosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement: How Do We Monitor Prosthetic Valvular Function during Pregnancy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Sahasrabudhe

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. With modern medicine, many women after structural heart repair are deciding to experience pregnancy. There is a need for further study to identify normal echocardiographic parameters to better assess prosthetic valvular function in pregnancy. In addition, a multidisciplinary approach is essential in managing pregnant patients with complex cardiac conditions. Case. A 22-year-old nulliparous woman with an aortic valve replacement 18 months prior to her pregnancy presented to prenatal care at 20-week gestation. During her prenatal care, serial echocardiography showed a significant increase in the mean gradient across the prosthetic aortic valve. Multidisciplinary management and a serial echocardiography played an integral role in her care that resulted in a successful spontaneous vaginal delivery without complications. Conclusion. Further characterization of the normal echocardiographic parameters in pregnant patients with prosthetic valves is critical to optimize prenatal care for this patient population. This case report is novel in that serial echocardiograms were obtained throughout prenatal care, which showed significant changes across the prosthetic aortic valve. Teaching Points. (1 Further study is needed to identify normal echocardiographic parameters to best assess prosthetic valvular function in pregnancy. (2 Multidisciplinary management is encouraged to optimize prenatal care for women with prosthetic aortic valve replacements.

  2. Illusory movement perception improves motor control for prosthetic hands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marasco, Paul D.; Hebert, Jacqueline S.; Sensinger, Jon W.; Shell, Courtney E.; Schofield, Jonathon S.; Thumser, Zachary C.; Nataraj, Raviraj; Beckler, Dylan T.; Dawson, Michael R.; Blustein, Dan H.; Gill, Satinder; Mensh, Brett D.; Granja-Vazquez, Rafael; Newcomb, Madeline D.; Carey, Jason P.; Orzell, Beth M.

    2018-01-01

    To effortlessly complete an intentional movement, the brain needs feedback from the body regarding the movement’s progress. This largely non-conscious kinesthetic sense helps the brain to learn relationships between motor commands and outcomes to correct movement errors. Prosthetic systems for restoring function have predominantly focused on controlling motorized joint movement. Without the kinesthetic sense, however, these devices do not become intuitively controllable. Here we report a method for endowing human amputees with a kinesthetic perception of dexterous robotic hands. Vibrating the muscles used for prosthetic control via a neural-machine interface produced the illusory perception of complex grip movements. Within minutes, three amputees integrated this kinesthetic feedback and improved movement control. Combining intent, kinesthesia, and vision instilled participants with a sense of agency over the robotic movements. This feedback approach for closed-loop control opens a pathway to seamless integration of minds and machines. PMID:29540617

  3. Prosthetic vascular graft infection and prosthetic joint infection caused by Pseudomonas stutzeri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonares, Michael J; Vaisman, Alon; Sharkawy, Abdu

    2016-01-01

    Pseudomonas stutzeri is infrequently isolated from clinical specimens, and if isolated, more likely represents colonization or contamination rather than infection. Despite this, there are dozens of case reports which describe clinically significant P. stutzeri infections at variable sites. A 69-year-old man had a P. stutzeri infection of a prosthetic vascular graft infection, which he received in Panama City. He was successfully treated with a single antipseudomonal agent for 6 weeks and the removal of the infected vascular graft. A 70-year-old man had a P. stutzeri infection of a prosthetic joint, which was successfully treated with a single anti-pseudomonal agent for 6 weeks. There is only one other documented case of a prosthetic vascular graft infection secondary to P. stutzeri . There are 5 documented cases of P. stutzeri prosthetic joint infections. The previous cases were treated with antibiotics and variably, source control with the removal of prosthetic material. Most cases of P. stutzeri infection are due to exposure in health care settings. Immunocompromised states such as HIV or hematological and solid tumor malignancies are risk factors for P. stutzeri infection. Infections caused by P. stutzeri are far less frequent and less fatal than those caused by P. aeruginosa. The etiology of a P. stutzeri infection could be exposure to soil and water, but also contaminated material in the health care setting or an immunocompromised state. Iatrogenic infections that are secondary to health care tourism are a potential cause of fever in the returned traveler.

  4. ORAL HYGIENE OF PROSTHETIC DENTURE USER IN KODINGARENG ISLAND

    OpenAIRE

    NUR, NURUL KUSUMADEWI S.KG

    2008-01-01

    Objectives:to determine the level of oral hygiene for prosthetic denture user, especially for full-denture in Kodingareng Island. This researchincluded the distribution level of prosthetic denture user based on age and education.Methods: the method that used in this research is observational descriptive withcross sectional-studyas the research design. Variable result of the research determined in to 3, those are bad, middle, and good. Result:the highest percentage o...

  5. Swing Phase Control of Semi-Active Prosthetic Knee Using Neural Network Predictive Control With Particle Swarm Optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekkachai, Kittipong; Nilkhamhang, Itthisek

    2016-11-01

    In recent years, intelligent prosthetic knees have been developed that enable amputees to walk as normally as possible when compared to healthy subjects. Although semi-active prosthetic knees utilizing magnetorheological (MR) dampers offer several advantages, they lack the ability to generate active force that is required during some states of a normal gait cycle. This prevents semi-active knees from achieving the same level of performance as active devices. In this work, a new control algorithm for a semi-active prosthetic knee during the swing phase is proposed to reduce this gap. The controller uses neural network predictive control and particle swarm optimization to calculate suitable command signals. Simulation results using a double pendulum model show that the generated knee trajectory of the proposed controller is more similar to the normal gait than previous open-loop controllers at various ambulation speeds. Moreover, the investigation shows that the algorithm can be calculated in real time by an embedded system, allowing for easy implementation on real prosthetic knees.

  6. Psychometric evaluation of self-report outcome measures for prosthetic applications

    OpenAIRE

    Hafner, Brian J.; Morgan, Sara J.; Askew, Robert L.; Salem, Rana

    2016-01-01

    Documentation of clinical outcomes is increasingly expected in delivery of prosthetic services and devices. However, many outcome measures suitable for use in clinical care and research have not been psychometrically tested with prosthesis users. The aim of this study was to determine test-retest reliability, mode-of-administration (MoA) equivalence, standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) of standardized, self-report instruments that assess constructs of impo...

  7. Prosthetic rehabilitation of oral submucous fibrosis patients: A systematic review of published case reports and case series.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shankargouda Patil

    Full Text Available Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF is an insidious chronic condition characterized by restricted mouth opening. Prosthetic rehabilitation is challenging for OSF patients as obtaining a good impression requires adequate mouth opening. The aim of the present review is to systematically present the data from case reports published in the English-language literature.A comprehensive search of the literature databases (PubMed, Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar along with the references of published articles on prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients published to date was conducted. Keywords included a combination of 'Oral submucous fibrosis', 'prosthesis', 'dentures' and/or 'restricted mouth opening'. Citations from selected references and bibliographic linkages taken from similar cases were included in this review. The inclusion criteria selected for case reports on prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients, and cases of restricted mouth opening due to causes other than OSF were excluded from the study.A total of 21 cases were identified and analysed from 17 papers published in the English-language literature. Of these, 9 cases employed the sectional denture technique, 4 cases emphasized the need-based treatment approach in which conventional methods were modified, and 4 cases used mouth exercising devices. Finally, 1 case each involved, flexible denture, oral screen prosthesis, oral stents, surgery in conjunction with dentures.Prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients is a multifaceted approach and should be patient specific, although sectional dentures have achieved the best results.

  8. Prosthetic rehabilitation of oral submucous fibrosis patients: A systematic review of published case reports and case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Shankargouda; Sarode, Sachin Chakradhar; Sarode, Gargi S; Bhandi, Shilpa; Awan, Kamran Habib; Ferrari, Marco

    2017-01-01

    Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is an insidious chronic condition characterized by restricted mouth opening. Prosthetic rehabilitation is challenging for OSF patients as obtaining a good impression requires adequate mouth opening. The aim of the present review is to systematically present the data from case reports published in the English-language literature. A comprehensive search of the literature databases (PubMed, Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar) along with the references of published articles on prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients published to date was conducted. Keywords included a combination of 'Oral submucous fibrosis', 'prosthesis', 'dentures' and/or 'restricted mouth opening'. Citations from selected references and bibliographic linkages taken from similar cases were included in this review. The inclusion criteria selected for case reports on prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients, and cases of restricted mouth opening due to causes other than OSF were excluded from the study. A total of 21 cases were identified and analysed from 17 papers published in the English-language literature. Of these, 9 cases employed the sectional denture technique, 4 cases emphasized the need-based treatment approach in which conventional methods were modified, and 4 cases used mouth exercising devices. Finally, 1 case each involved, flexible denture, oral screen prosthesis, oral stents, surgery in conjunction with dentures. Prosthetic rehabilitation in OSF patients is a multifaceted approach and should be patient specific, although sectional dentures have achieved the best results.

  9. Isolated Lactobacillus chronic prosthetic knee infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, David M; Shekhel, Tatyana; Radelet, Matt; Miller, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    Lactobacillus is a gram-positive rod bacteria found primarily in the gastrointestinal and female genital tracts. Prosthetic infections in implants are being increasingly reported. The authors present a case of a 58-year-old patient with Lactobacillus septic prosthetic knee joint infection. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of chronic prosthetic knee infection with isolated Lactobacillus species. Lactobacillus has been most commonly implicated with bacteremia and endocarditis and rarely with pneumonia, meningitis, and endovascular infection, and a vast majority of the cases are reported in immunocompromised patients. In the current case, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, malnutrition, anemia, and liver failure were comorbid conditions, placing the patient at increased risk of infection. The findings suggest that further case series are necessary to establish the significance of Lactobacillus as an etiologic agent in chronic low-virulence, and potentially vancomycin-resistant, prosthetic joint infection. The need also exists for further research aimed at the risk of prosthetic joint infection with oral intake of certain probiotic foods and supplements. The goal of this case report is to bring to light the potential of this organism to be a cause of subtle chronic prosthetic joint infection.

  10. Computer Aided Facial Prosthetics Manufacturing System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng H.K.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Facial deformities can impose burden to the patient. There are many solutions for facial deformities such as plastic surgery and facial prosthetics. However, current fabrication method of facial prosthetics is high-cost and time consuming. This study aimed to identify a new method to construct a customized facial prosthetic. A 3D scanner, computer software and 3D printer were used in this study. Results showed that the new developed method can be used to produce a customized facial prosthetics. The advantages of the developed method over the conventional process are low cost, reduce waste of material and pollution in order to meet the green concept.

  11. Diagnostic performance of FDG PET or PET/CT in prosthetic infection after arthroplasty: a meta-analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, H.; Yuan, L.; Li, C.; Kan, Y.; Yang, J.; Hao, R.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of published data regarding the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) in prosthetic infection after arthroplasty. A comprehensive computer literature search of studies published through May 31, 2012 regarding PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection on a per prosthesis-based analysis were calculated. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to measure the accuracy of PET or PET/CT in patients with suspicious of prosthetic infection. Fourteen studies comprising 838 prosthesis with suspicious of prosthetic infection after arthroplasty were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] 82-90%) on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The pooled specificity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 86% (95% CI 83-89%) on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The area under the ROC curve was 0.93 on a per prosthesis-based analysis. In patients suspicious of prosthetic infection, FDG PET or PET/CT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. FDG PET or PET/CT are accurate methods in this setting. Nevertheless, possible sources of false positive results and influcing factors should kept in mind.

  12. Diagnostic performance of FDG PET or PET/CT in prosthetic infection after arthroplasty: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, H; Yuan, L; Li, C; Kan, Y; Hao, R; Yang, J

    2014-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of published data regarding the diagnostic performance of positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) in prosthetic infection after arthroplasty. A comprehensive computer literature search of studies published through May 31, 2012 regarding PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of PET or PET/CT in patients suspicious of prosthetic infection on a per prosthesis-based analysis were calculated. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to measure the accuracy of PET or PET/CT in patients with suspicious of prosthetic infection. Fourteen studies comprising 838 prosthesis with suspicious of prosthetic infection after arthroplasty were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] 82-90%) on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The pooled specificity of PET or PET/CT in detecting prosthetic infection was 86% (95% CI 83-89%) on a per prosthesis-based analysis. The area under the ROC curve was 0.93 on a per prosthesis-based analysis. In patients suspicious of prosthetic infection, FDG PET or PET/CT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. FDG PET or PET/CT are accurate methods in this setting. Nevertheless, possible sources of false positive results and influcing factors should kept in mind.

  13. The History of Nontraditional or Ectopic Placement of Reservoirs in Prosthetic Urology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perito, Paul; Wilson, Steven

    2016-04-01

    Reservoir placement during implantation of prosthetic urology devices has been problematic throughout the history of the surgical treatment of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. We thought it would be interesting to review the history of reservoir placement leading up to current surgical techniques. To provide an overview of the past and present techniques for reservoir placement and discuss the evolutionary process leading to safe and effective placement of prosthetic reservoirs. We reviewed data pertaining to inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reservoirs and pressure-regulating balloons (PRB) in a chronological fashion, spanning 25 years. Main outcomes included a historical review of techniques for IPP reservoir and PRB placement leading to the subsequent incremental improvements in safety and efficacy when performing penile implants and artificial urinary sphincters. Prosthetic urologic reservoirs have traditionally been placed in the retropubic space. Over the years, urologists have attempted use of alternative spaces including peritoneal, epigastric, "ectopic," posterior to transversalis, and high submuscular. Current advances in prosthetic urologic reservoir placement allow safe and effective abdominal wall placement of reservoirs. These novel approaches appear to be so effective that urologists may now be able to cease using the traditional retropubic space for reservoir placement, even in the case of virgin pelves. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Resource-efficient proces chains to manufacture patient-specific prosthetic fingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hagedorn-Hansen, D.

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The high cost of quality prostheses, together with the lack of trained prosthetists, makes it challenging to obtain prosthetic devices in developing communities. Modern 3D digitising techniques and additive manufacturing (AM technologies are gaining popularity in the bio-medical industry and, in the case of prosthesis production, reduce the need for a trained prosthetist. The objective of this research was to develop a new resource-efficient process chain for the manufacturing of prosthetic fingers using additive manufacturing technologies, and to compare it with the traditional (Sculptor process chain. Fused deposition modelling (FDM, open-source FDM, 3-dimensional printing (3DP, and stereolithography (SLA were evaluated in terms of their costs, time, material usage, and aesthetic quality. The surface qualities produced with the different additive manufacturing technologies were also compared. The results showed that 3DP was the preferred technology and was the best candidate for the production of prosthesis in terms of cost, quality, and time for developing communities. SLA produced the highest aesthetic quality prosthesis, but was the most expensive. It was concluded that using the additive manufacturing technology process chain to produce prosthetic fingers is faster and more cost effective than the traditional method.

  15. Prosthetic avian vocal organ controlled by a freely behaving bird based on a low dimensional model of the biomechanical periphery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ezequiel M Arneodo

    Full Text Available Because of the parallels found with human language production and acquisition, birdsong is an ideal animal model to study general mechanisms underlying complex, learned motor behavior. The rich and diverse vocalizations of songbirds emerge as a result of the interaction between a pattern generator in the brain and a highly nontrivial nonlinear periphery. Much of the complexity of this vocal behavior has been understood by studying the physics of the avian vocal organ, particularly the syrinx. A mathematical model describing the complex periphery as a nonlinear dynamical system leads to the conclusion that nontrivial behavior emerges even when the organ is commanded by simple motor instructions: smooth paths in a low dimensional parameter space. An analysis of the model provides insight into which parameters are responsible for generating a rich variety of diverse vocalizations, and what the physiological meaning of these parameters is. By recording the physiological motor instructions elicited by a spontaneously singing muted bird and computing the model on a Digital Signal Processor in real-time, we produce realistic synthetic vocalizations that replace the bird's own auditory feedback. In this way, we build a bio-prosthetic avian vocal organ driven by a freely behaving bird via its physiologically coded motor commands. Since it is based on a low-dimensional nonlinear mathematical model of the peripheral effector, the emulation of the motor behavior requires light computation, in such a way that our bio-prosthetic device can be implemented on a portable platform.

  16. Prosthetic implant treatment of the edentulous maxilla with overdenture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inversini, M

    2006-10-01

    The literature concerning the success of prosthetic implant treatment with maxillary overdenture is reviewed, and variables affecting treatment from the implant and prosthetic standpoint are analysed. Guidelines for the fabrication of maxillary overimplants comparable to those for mandibular overimplants are still lacking, as are evidence-based prosthetic design concepts. Individual methods and techniques have been described, but evaluation standards for the outcome of maxillary prosthetic-implant treatment are lacking or individually interpreted. The biomechanics involved in the proposed system are described, together with the advantages of telescopic crowns for the retention of removable partial prosthesis supported by maxillary implants. The positive influence, in terms of long-term prognosis, of the perio-protective design of removable partial prostheses supported by maxillary overimplants is also discussed. The proposed system not only provides stability, support and retention for removable partial prostheses supported by maxillary implants, but also enables implant survival rates to be improved, both for biomechanical reasons and due to improved oral hygiene. The simplification of fabrication procedures, repair, rebasing and re-operating also reduce the cost of follow-up and improve the cost/benefit ratio. However, additional studies are needed to clarify the number and most appropriate distribution of implants, as well as the most favourable prosthetic designs for maxillary overimplants.

  17. Future Research Opportunities in Peri-Prosthetic Joint Infection Prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berbari, Elie; Segreti, John; Parvizi, Javad; Berríos-Torres, Sandra I

    Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication of prosthetic joint arthroplasty. A better understanding and reversal of modifiable risk factors may lead to a reduction in the incidence of incisional (superficial and deep) and organ/space (e.g., PJI) surgical site infections (SSI). Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) published the Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection. This targeted update applies evidence-based methodology in drafting recommendations for potential strategies to reduce the risk of SSI both across surgical procedures and specifically in prosthetic joint arthroplasty. A panel of PJI content experts identified nine PJI prevention research opportunities based on both evidence gaps identified through the guideline development process (transfusion, immunosuppressive therapy, anticoagulation, orthopedic space suit, and biofilm) and expert opinion (anesthesia, operative room environment, glycemic control, and Staphylococcus aureus nasal screening and decolonization. This article offers a road map for PJI prevention research.

  18. The role of osteoblasts in peri-prosthetic osteolysis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Neill, S C

    2013-08-01

    Peri-prosthetic osteolysis and subsequent aseptic loosening is the most common reason for revising total hip replacements. Wear particles originating from the prosthetic components interact with multiple cell types in the peri-prosthetic region resulting in an inflammatory process that ultimately leads to peri-prosthetic bone loss. These cells include macrophages, osteoclasts, osteoblasts and fibroblasts. The majority of research in peri-prosthetic osteolysis has concentrated on the role played by osteoclasts and macrophages. The purpose of this review is to assess the role of the osteoblast in peri-prosthetic osteolysis. In peri-prosthetic osteolysis, wear particles may affect osteoblasts and contribute to the osteolytic process by two mechanisms. First, particles and metallic ions have been shown to inhibit the osteoblast in terms of its ability to secrete mineralised bone matrix, by reducing calcium deposition, alkaline phosphatase activity and its ability to proliferate. Secondly, particles and metallic ions have been shown to stimulate osteoblasts to produce pro inflammatory mediators in vitro. In vivo, these mediators have the potential to attract pro-inflammatory cells to the peri-prosthetic area and stimulate osteoclasts to absorb bone. Further research is needed to fully define the role of the osteoblast in peri-prosthetic osteolysis and to explore its potential role as a therapeutic target in this condition.

  19. Psycho-physiological assessment of a prosthetic hand sensory feedback system based on an auditory display: a preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Jose; Soma, Hirokazu; Sekine, Masashi; Yu, Wenwei

    2012-06-09

    Prosthetic hand users have to rely extensively on visual feedback, which seems to lead to a high conscious burden for the users, in order to manipulate their prosthetic devices. Indirect methods (electro-cutaneous, vibrotactile, auditory cues) have been used to convey information from the artificial limb to the amputee, but the usability and advantages of these feedback methods were explored mainly by looking at the performance results, not taking into account measurements of the user's mental effort, attention, and emotions. The main objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using psycho-physiological measurements to assess cognitive effort when manipulating a robot hand with and without the usage of a sensory substitution system based on auditory feedback, and how these psycho-physiological recordings relate to temporal and grasping performance in a static setting. 10 male subjects (26+/-years old), participated in this study and were asked to come for 2 consecutive days. On the first day the experiment objective, tasks, and experiment setting was explained. Then, they completed a 30 minutes guided training. On the second day each subject was tested in 3 different modalities: Auditory Feedback only control (AF), Visual Feedback only control (VF), and Audiovisual Feedback control (AVF). For each modality they were asked to perform 10 trials. At the end of each test, the subject had to answer the NASA TLX questionnaire. Also, during the test the subject's EEG, ECG, electro-dermal activity (EDA), and respiration rate were measured. The results show that a higher mental effort is needed when the subjects rely only on their vision, and that this effort seems to be reduced when auditory feedback is added to the human-machine interaction (multimodal feedback). Furthermore, better temporal performance and better grasping performance was obtained in the audiovisual modality. The performance improvements when using auditory cues, along with vision

  20. Psycho-physiological assessment of a prosthetic hand sensory feedback system based on an auditory display: a preliminary study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalez Jose

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prosthetic hand users have to rely extensively on visual feedback, which seems to lead to a high conscious burden for the users, in order to manipulate their prosthetic devices. Indirect methods (electro-cutaneous, vibrotactile, auditory cues have been used to convey information from the artificial limb to the amputee, but the usability and advantages of these feedback methods were explored mainly by looking at the performance results, not taking into account measurements of the user’s mental effort, attention, and emotions. The main objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using psycho-physiological measurements to assess cognitive effort when manipulating a robot hand with and without the usage of a sensory substitution system based on auditory feedback, and how these psycho-physiological recordings relate to temporal and grasping performance in a static setting. Methods 10 male subjects (26+/-years old, participated in this study and were asked to come for 2 consecutive days. On the first day the experiment objective, tasks, and experiment setting was explained. Then, they completed a 30 minutes guided training. On the second day each subject was tested in 3 different modalities: Auditory Feedback only control (AF, Visual Feedback only control (VF, and Audiovisual Feedback control (AVF. For each modality they were asked to perform 10 trials. At the end of each test, the subject had to answer the NASA TLX questionnaire. Also, during the test the subject’s EEG, ECG, electro-dermal activity (EDA, and respiration rate were measured. Results The results show that a higher mental effort is needed when the subjects rely only on their vision, and that this effort seems to be reduced when auditory feedback is added to the human-machine interaction (multimodal feedback. Furthermore, better temporal performance and better grasping performance was obtained in the audiovisual modality. Conclusions The performance

  1. Assessment of Myoelectric Controller Performance and Kinematic Behavior of a Novel Soft Synergy-Inspired Robotic Hand for Prosthetic Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fani, Simone; Bianchi, Matteo; Jain, Sonal; Pimenta Neto, José Simões; Boege, Scott; Grioli, Giorgio; Bicchi, Antonio; Santello, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Myoelectric artificial limbs can significantly advance the state of the art in prosthetics, since they can be used to control mechatronic devices through muscular activity in a way that mimics how the subjects used to activate their muscles before limb loss. However, surveys indicate that dissatisfaction with the functionality of terminal devices underlies the widespread abandonment of prostheses. We believe that one key factor to improve acceptability of prosthetic devices is to attain human likeness of prosthesis movements, a goal which is being pursued by research on social and human-robot interactions. Therefore, to reduce early abandonment of terminal devices, we propose that controllers should be designed so as to ensure effective task accomplishment in a natural fashion. In this work, we have analyzed and compared the performance of three types of myoelectric controller algorithms based on surface electromyography to control an underactuated and multi-degrees of freedom prosthetic hand, the SoftHand Pro. The goal of the present study was to identify the myoelectric algorithm that best mimics the native hand movements. As a preliminary step, we first quantified the repeatability of the SoftHand Pro finger movements and identified the electromyographic recording sites for able-bodied individuals with the highest signal-to-noise ratio from two pairs of muscles, i.e., flexor digitorum superficialis/extensor digitorum communis, and flexor carpi radialis/extensor carpi ulnaris. Able-bodied volunteers were then asked to execute reach-to-grasp movements, while electromyography signals were recorded from flexor digitorum superficialis/extensor digitorum communis as this was identified as the muscle pair characterized by high signal-to-noise ratio and intuitive control. Subsequently, we tested three myoelectric controllers that mapped electromyography signals to position of the SoftHand Pro. We found that a differential electromyography-to-position mapping ensured the

  2. Assessment of Myoelectric Controller Performance and Kinematic Behavior of a Novel Soft Synergy-inspired Robotic Hand for Prosthetic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Fani

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Myoelectric-artificial limbs can significantly advance the state of the art in prosthetics, since they can be used to control mechatronic devices through muscular activity in a way that mimics how the subjects used to activate their muscles before limb loss. However, surveys indicate that dissatisfaction with the functionality of terminal devices underlies the widespread abandonment of prostheses. We believe that one key factor to improve acceptability of prosthetic devices is to attain human-likeness of prosthesis movements, a goal which is being pursued by research on social and human-robot interactions. Therefore, to reduce early abandonment of terminal devices, we propose that controllers should be designed such as to ensure effective task accomplishment in a natural fashion. In this work, we have analyzed and compared the performance of three types of myoelectric controller algorithms based on surface electromyography to control an under-actuated and multi-degrees of freedom prosthetic hand, the SoftHand Pro. The goal of the present study was to identify the myoelectric algorithm that best mimics the native hand movements. As a preliminary step, we first quantified the repeatability of the SoftHand Pro finger movements and identified the electromyographic recording sites for able-bodied individuals with the highest signal-to-noise ratio from two pairs of muscles, i.e. flexor digitorum superficialis/extensor digitorum communis, and flexor carpi radialis/extensor carpi ulnaris. Able-bodied volunteers were then asked to execute reach-to-grasp movements, while electromyography signals were recorded from flexor digitorum superficialis/extensor digitorum communis as this was identified as the muscle pair characterized by high signal-to-noise ratio and intuitive control. Subsequently, we tested three myoelectric controllers that mapped electromyography signals to position of the SoftHand Pro. We found that a differential electromyography

  3. Development of inexpensive prosthetic feet for high-heeled shoes using simple shoe insole model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Margrit R; Tucker, Kerice A; Hansen, Andrew H

    2014-01-01

    The large majority of prosthetic feet are aimed at low-heeled shoes, with a few models allowing a heel height of up to 5 cm. However, a survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association indicates that most women wear heels over 5 cm; thus, current prosthetic feet limit most female prosthesis users in their choice. Some prosthetic foot components are heel-height adjustable; however, their plantar surface shapes do not change to match the insole shapes of the shoes with different heel heights. The aims of the study were therefore (1) to develop a model that allows prediction of insole shape for various heel height shoes in combination with different shoe sizes and (2) to develop and field-test low-cost prototypes of prosthetic feet whose insole shapes were based on the new model. An equation was developed to calculate insole shapes independent of shoe size. Field testing of prototype prosthetic feet fabricated based on the equation was successful and demonstrated the utility of the equation.

  4. A computational method for comparing the behavior and possible failure of prosthetic implants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nielsen, C.; Hollerbach, K.; Perfect, S.; Underhill, K.

    1995-05-01

    Prosthetic joint implants currently in use exhibit high Realistic computer modeling of prosthetic implants provides an opportunity for orthopedic biomechanics researchers and physicians to understand possible in vivo failure modes, without having to resort to lengthy and costly clinical trials. The research presented here is part of a larger effort to develop realistic models of implanted joint prostheses. The example used here is the thumb carpo-metacarpal (cmc) joint. The work, however, can be applied to any other human joints for which prosthetic implants have been designed. Preliminary results of prosthetic joint loading, without surrounding human tissue (i.e., simulating conditions under which the prosthetic joint has not yet been implanted into the human joint), are presented, based on a three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element analysis of three different joint implant designs.

  5. [Microbiological characteristics and patterns of resistance in prosthetic joint infections in a referral hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortega-Peña, Silvestre; Colín-Castro, Claudia; Hernández-Duran, Melissa; López-Jácome, Esaú; Franco-Cendejas, Rafael

    2015-01-01

    The prosthetic joint infection is the most feared and catastrophic complication for cause severe physical damage to patients and, generates high economic costs. To describe the microbiological characteristics and to determine the resistance pattern in prosthetic joint infections in a reference hospital in Mexico. Patients whose prosthetic devices were withdrawn due to suspicion of septic and aseptic loosening were included. Cultures were performed to identify microorganisms and susceptibility analysis. Of the 111 patients included, 55% were diagnosed with prosthetic joint infection, with the most frequent prosthesis being of the hip (43%). Positive cultures were obtained in 97% of the infected cases, of which 75% were monomicrobial infections. The most frequent bacterial species isolated were: Staphylococcus epidermidis (31%), Enterococcus faecalis (16%), Staphylococcus aureus (13%), and Escherichia coli (8%). The resistance patterns for the Staphylococcus genus were: oxacillin (79%), erythromycin (45%) and ciprofloxacin (37%). Enterococcus faecalis showed a high percentage of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin (86%), and fluoroquinolones (43%). The large majority (86%) of Escherichia coli were extended spectrum beta-lactamases positive, in addition to having high resistance to fluoroquinolones (86%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (86%) and gentamicin (72%). The microbiological characteristics found in prosthetic joint infections vary according to the hospitals. In this series, a high proportion of coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Enterococcus spp. were found, as well as a high bacterial resistance. Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  6. Pre-prosthetic surgery: Mandible

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veeramalai Naidu Devaki

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Pre-prosthetic surgery is that part of oral and maxillofacial surgery which restores oral function and facial form. This is concerned with surgical modification of the alveolar process and its surrounding structures to enable the fabrication of a well-fitting, comfortable, and esthetic dental prosthesis. The ultimate goal of pre-prosthetic surgery is to prepare a mouth to receive a dental prosthesis by redesigning and smoothening bony edges.

  7. Guide to prosthetic cardiac valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morse, D.; Steiner, R.M.; Fernandez, J.

    1985-01-01

    This book contains 10 chapters. Some of the chapter titles are: The development of artificial heart valves: Introduction and historical perspective; The radiology of prosthetic heart valves; The evaluation of patients for prosthetic valve implantation; Pathology of cardiac valve replacement; and Bioengineering of mechanical and biological heart valve substitutes

  8. Psychometric evaluation of self-report outcome measures for prosthetic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafner, Brian J; Morgan, Sara J; Askew, Robert L; Salem, Rana

    2016-01-01

    Documentation of clinical outcomes is increasingly expected in delivery of prosthetic services and devices. However, many outcome measures suitable for use in clinical care and research have not been psychometrically tested with prosthesis users. The aim of this study was to determine test-retest reliability, mode-of-administration (MoA) equivalence, standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) of standardized, self-report instruments that assess constructs of importance to people with lower limb loss. Prosthesis users (n = 201) were randomly assigned to groups based on MoA (i.e., paper, electronic, or mixed-mode). Participants completed two surveys 2 to 3 d apart. Instruments included the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire-Mobility Subscale, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, Quality of Life in Neurological Conditions-Applied Cognition/General Concerns, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Profile, and Socket Comfort Score. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated all instruments are appropriate for group-level comparisons and select instruments are suitable for individual-level applications. Several instruments showed evidence of possible floor and ceiling effects. All were equivalent across MoAs. SEM and MDC were quantified to facilitate interpretation of outcomes and change scores. These results can enhance clinicians' and researchers' ability to select, apply, and interpret scores from instruments administered to prosthesis users.

  9. Sensory feedback in upper limb prosthetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antfolk, Christian; D'Alonzo, Marco; Rosén, Birgitta; Lundborg, Göran; Sebelius, Fredrik; Cipriani, Christian

    2013-01-01

    One of the challenges facing prosthetic designers and engineers is to restore the missing sensory function inherit to hand amputation. Several different techniques can be employed to provide amputees with sensory feedback: sensory substitution methods where the recorded stimulus is not only transferred to the amputee, but also translated to a different modality (modality-matched feedback), which transfers the stimulus without translation and direct neural stimulation, which interacts directly with peripheral afferent nerves. This paper presents an overview of the principal works and devices employed to provide upper limb amputees with sensory feedback. The focus is on sensory substitution and modality matched feedback; the principal features, advantages and disadvantages of the different methods are presented.

  10. Rehand: Realistic electric prosthetic hand created with a 3D printer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshikawa, Masahiro; Sato, Ryo; Higashihara, Takanori; Ogasawara, Tsukasa; Kawashima, Noritaka

    2015-01-01

    Myoelectric prosthetic hands provide an appearance with five fingers and a grasping function to forearm amputees. However, they have problems in weight, appearance, and cost. This paper reports on the Rehand, a realistic electric prosthetic hand created with a 3D printer. It provides a realistic appearance that is same as the cosmetic prosthetic hand and a grasping function. A simple link mechanism with one linear actuator for grasping and 3D printed parts achieve low cost, light weight, and ease of maintenance. An operating system based on a distance sensor provides a natural operability equivalent to the myoelectric control system. A supporter socket allows them to wear the prosthetic hand easily. An evaluation using the Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (SHAP) demonstrated that an amputee was able to operate various objects and do everyday activities with the Rehand.

  11. Principal components analysis based control of a multi-dof underactuated prosthetic hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magenes Giovanni

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Functionality, controllability and cosmetics are the key issues to be addressed in order to accomplish a successful functional substitution of the human hand by means of a prosthesis. Not only the prosthesis should duplicate the human hand in shape, functionality, sensorization, perception and sense of body-belonging, but it should also be controlled as the natural one, in the most intuitive and undemanding way. At present, prosthetic hands are controlled by means of non-invasive interfaces based on electromyography (EMG. Driving a multi degrees of freedom (DoF hand for achieving hand dexterity implies to selectively modulate many different EMG signals in order to make each joint move independently, and this could require significant cognitive effort to the user. Methods A Principal Components Analysis (PCA based algorithm is used to drive a 16 DoFs underactuated prosthetic hand prototype (called CyberHand with a two dimensional control input, in order to perform the three prehensile forms mostly used in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs. Such Principal Components set has been derived directly from the artificial hand by collecting its sensory data while performing 50 different grasps, and subsequently used for control. Results Trials have shown that two independent input signals can be successfully used to control the posture of a real robotic hand and that correct grasps (in terms of involved fingers, stability and posture may be achieved. Conclusions This work demonstrates the effectiveness of a bio-inspired system successfully conjugating the advantages of an underactuated, anthropomorphic hand with a PCA-based control strategy, and opens up promising possibilities for the development of an intuitively controllable hand prosthesis.

  12. EFFICIENCY OF PROSTHETIC TREATMENT WITH POST RESECTION PROSTHESES WITH SOLID SUBSTITUTE PART

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Gerdzhikov

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study is to track the effectiveness of prosthetic treatment with post resection dentures with solid substitute part and their role in the restoration of damaged functions. Materials and methods: The study included 14 patients (9 men and 5 women with different size and location of defects in the upper jaw treated in the period 2010-2016 with post resection prostheses with a solid substitute part. The impressions were taken with irreversible hydrocolloid impression material. The prostheses were completed by heat-curing acrylic with low quantity residual monomer. The effectiveness of prosthetics was evaluated by the method of Mihaylov for both oral-nasal examination of the pressure with the device "Oronasopneumotest." For objectifying and assess the occlusal-articulation ratios was held computerized occlusal analysis with the system T-SCAN 8. Results: The results showed successful obturation and sealing of defects in all patients. It was found satisfactory recovery of the speaking function and normalization of occlusal-articulation ratios. Conclusion: The prosthetic treatment with post resection prostheses with a solid substitute part allows successful recovery of the lost speech and chewing functions, helping to restore self esteem and social rehabilitation of patients.

  13. The influence of environmental and personal factors on participation of lower-limb prosthetic users in low-income countries: prosthetists' perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kam, Season; Kent, Mallory; Khodaverdian, Alin; Daiter, Liane; Njelesani, Janet; Cameron, Debra; Andrysek, Jan

    2015-05-01

    To examine the environmental and personal factors in low-income countries (LICs) that influence prosthetic rehabilitation of adults with lower-limb (LL) amputations and their ability to participate in daily activities. In this qualitative descriptive study, 11 prosthetists participated in semi-structured interviews by telephone or Skype. Qualitative thematic analysis was guided by the International Classification of Function. Facilitating continuity of care, consideration of physical environments and usage, prosthetic quality including durability and socket fit, and minimizing the visibility of disability, were found to be important factors affecting the provision of prosthetic services in LICs. Environmental and personal factors must be considered when providing prosthetic rehabilitation for adults with LL amputations in LICs in order to optimize participation in activities. Results from this study provide new insights about some of the factors that influence the ability of individuals with LL amputations to rehabilitate to a level where they are able to participate in meaningful activities within their communities. There are unique environmental and personal components that can influence activity and participation of lower-limb (LL) prosthetic users in low-income countries (LICs). These components are often overlooked in the design of prosthetic devices and provision of prosthetic services. Continuity of care, condition of the post-surgical residuum, outdoor environments of common occupations, aesthetics and durability of prostheses, and user comfort should all be considered when providing prosthetic rehabilitation to adults with LL amputations in LICs to promote activity and participation. Results of our study can inform the practice of prosthetists in LICs by highlighting their contributions in enabling participation for LL prosthetic users. Our results can also inform the design of durable and comfortable prostheses and the provision of more appropriate

  14. Prosthetic status and prosthetic need among the patients attending various dental institutes of ahmedabad and gandhinagar district, gujarat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Vrinda R; Shah, Darshana N; Parmar, Chaitanya H

    2012-09-01

    The oral health being an integral part for the healthy living, necessity of disability limitation and rehabilitation in oral health has taken a paramount role. To assess the prosthetic status and to evaluate the prosthetic needs of the patients attending various institutes of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar district. A total of 510 (264 males and 246 females) subjects at various dental institutes were examined in the study. A survey proforma was prepared with the help of WHO oral health assessment form (1997). Prosthetic status and prosthetic treatment need was recorded. Out of 510, any type of Edentulousness was 322 (63 %). Among them, 254 (49.8 %) were partially edentulous while 68 (13.3 %) were completely edentulous. Only 69 (13 %) were having any prosthesis in upper arch while only 80 (16 %) were having any prosthesis in lower arch. Need for any type of prosthesis in upper and lower arch was 55 and 60 % in males and females, respectively. In lower social class group need of prosthesis in upper and lower arch was 62 and 63 %, respectively. It was found that prosthetic status and prosthetic treatment need increased with increase in age. Steps should be taken to overcome this disparity and more emphasis should be given to meet the felt need of the people through government and non government organizations to improve the oral health. The unmet prosthetic treatment need should be met to rehabilitate needy people so that their disability may be limited.

  15. A smartphone photogrammetry method for digitizing prosthetic socket interiors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez, Amaia; Lemaire, Edward

    2017-04-01

    Prosthetic CAD/CAM systems require accurate 3D limb models; however, difficulties arise when working from the person's socket since current 3D scanners have difficulties scanning socket interiors. While dedicated scanners exist, they are expensive and the cost may be prohibitive for a limited number of scans per year. A low-cost and accessible photogrammetry method for socket interior digitization is proposed, using a smartphone camera and cloud-based photogrammetry services. 15 two-dimensional images of the socket's interior are captured using a smartphone camera. A 3D model is generated using cloud-based software. Linear measurements were comparing between sockets and the related 3D models. 3D reconstruction accuracy averaged 2.6 ± 2.0 mm and 0.086 ± 0.078 L, which was less accurate than models obtained by high quality 3D scanners. However, this method would provide a viable 3D digital socket reproduction that is accessible and low-cost, after processing in prosthetic CAD software. Clinical relevance The described method provides a low-cost and accessible means to digitize a socket interior for use in prosthetic CAD/CAM systems, employing a smartphone camera and cloud-based photogrammetry software.

  16. Effects of a flat prosthetic foot rocker section on balance and mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Andrew; Nickel, Eric; Medvec, Joseph; Brielmaier, Steven; Pike, Alvin; Weber, Marilyn

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that the effective rocker shape of the physiologic ankle-foot system during standing and fore-aft swaying is much flatter than that used during walking, which indicates a more stable base of support for the standing/swaying activity. Previous work suggests that flat regions within the effective rocker shapes of prosthetic ankle-foot systems could provide enhanced stability for standing balance tasks. An experimental prosthetic foot was altered to provide three different flat region lengths within its effective rocker shape. It was hypothesized that longer flat regions of the effective rocker shape would lead to improved standing balance outcomes and reduced walking performance for unilateral transtibial prosthesis users. However, no significant changes were seen in the balance and mobility outcomes of 12 unilateral transtibial prosthesis users when using the three prosthetic foot conditions. Subjects in the study significantly preferred prosthetic feet with relatively low to moderate flat regions over those with long flat regions. All the subjects without loss of light touch or vibratory sensation selected the prosthetic foot with the shortest flat region. More work is needed to investigate the effects of prosthetic foot properties on balance and mobility of prosthesis users.

  17. A model to facilitate implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health into prosthetics and orthotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarl, Gustav; Ramstrand, Nerrolyn

    2017-09-01

    The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health is a classification of human functioning and disability and is based on a biopsychosocial model of health. As such, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health seems suitable as a basis for constructing models defining the clinical P&O process. The aim was to use International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to facilitate development of such a model. Proposed model: A model, the Prosthetic and Orthotic Process (POP) model, is proposed. The Prosthetic and Orthotic Process model is based on the concepts of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and comprises four steps in a cycle: (1) Assessment, including the medical history and physical examination of the patient. (2) Goals, specified on four levels including those related to participation, activity, body functions and structures and technical requirements of the device. (3) Intervention, in which the appropriate course of action is determined based on the specified goal and evidence-based practice. (4) Evaluation of outcomes, where the outcomes are assessed and compared to the corresponding goals. After the evaluation of goal fulfilment, the first cycle in the process is complete, and a broad evaluation is now made including overriding questions about the patient's satisfaction with the outcomes and the process. This evaluation will determine if the process should be ended or if another cycle in the process should be initiated. The Prosthetic and Orthotic Process model can provide a common understanding of the P&O process. Concepts of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health have been incorporated into the model to facilitate communication with other rehabilitation professionals and encourage a holistic and patient-centred approach in clinical practice. Clinical relevance The Prosthetic and Orthotic Process model can support the implementation

  18. Illusory movement perception improves motor control for prosthetic hands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marasco, Paul D; Hebert, Jacqueline S; Sensinger, Jon W; Shell, Courtney E; Schofield, Jonathon S; Thumser, Zachary C; Nataraj, Raviraj; Beckler, Dylan T; Dawson, Michael R; Blustein, Dan H; Gill, Satinder; Mensh, Brett D; Granja-Vazquez, Rafael; Newcomb, Madeline D; Carey, Jason P; Orzell, Beth M

    2018-03-14

    To effortlessly complete an intentional movement, the brain needs feedback from the body regarding the movement's progress. This largely nonconscious kinesthetic sense helps the brain to learn relationships between motor commands and outcomes to correct movement errors. Prosthetic systems for restoring function have predominantly focused on controlling motorized joint movement. Without the kinesthetic sense, however, these devices do not become intuitively controllable. We report a method for endowing human amputees with a kinesthetic perception of dexterous robotic hands. Vibrating the muscles used for prosthetic control via a neural-machine interface produced the illusory perception of complex grip movements. Within minutes, three amputees integrated this kinesthetic feedback and improved movement control. Combining intent, kinesthesia, and vision instilled participants with a sense of agency over the robotic movements. This feedback approach for closed-loop control opens a pathway to seamless integration of minds and machines. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  19. Factors Associated with Prosthetic Looseness in Lower Limb Amputees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phonghanyudh, Thong; Sutpasanon, Taweesak; Hathaiareerug, Chanasak; Devakula, M L Buddhibongsa; Kumnerddee, Wipoo

    2015-12-01

    To determine the factors associated with prosthetic looseness in lower limb amputees in Sisaket province. The present was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Subjects were lower limb amputees who previously obtained prostheses and required prosthetic replacements at the mobile prosthetic laboratory unit under the Prostheses Foundation of H.R.H. the Princess Mother at Khun Han Hospital, Sisaket province, in February 2013. Data including participant characteristics, prosthetic looseness data, and various variables were collected by direct semi-structured interview. Energy expenditures in physical activities were measured using the Thai version of the short format international physical activity questionnaire. Data between participants with and without prosthetic looseness were compared to determine prosthetic loosening associated factors. Among 101 participants enrolled, 33 (32.7%) had prosthetic looseness with average onset of 1.76 ± 1.67 years. Diabetes mellitus was the only significant factor associated with prosthetic looseness from both univariate and multivariate analyses (HR = 7.05, p = 0.002 and HR = 5.93, p = 0.007 respectively). Among the lower limb amputees in Sisaket province, diabetes mellitus was the only factor associated with prosthetic looseness. Therefore, diabetic screening should be supplemented in lower limb amputee assessment protocol. In addition, we recommend that amputees with diabetes mellitus should receive prosthesis check out at approximately

  20. “In vitro” Implantation Technique Based on 3D Printed Prosthetic Prototypes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarnita, D.; Boborelu, C.; Geonea, I.; Malciu, R.; Grigorie, L.; Tarnita, D. N.

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, Rapid Prototyping ZCorp 310 system, based on high-performance composite powder and on resin-high strength infiltration system and three-dimensional printing as a manufacturing method are used to obtain physical prototypes of orthopaedic implants and prototypes of complex functional prosthetic systems directly from the 3D CAD data. These prototypes are useful for in vitro experimental tests and measurements to optimize and obtain final physical prototypes. Using a new elbow prosthesis model prototype obtained by 3D printing, the surgical technique of implantation is established. Surgical implantation was performed on male corpse elbow joint.

  1. Consumer design priorities for upper limb prosthetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biddiss, Elaine; Beaton, Dorcas; Chau, Tom

    2007-11-01

    To measure consumer satisfaction with upper limb prosthetics and provide an enumerated list of design priorities for future developments. A self-administered, anonymous survey collected information on participant demographics, history of and goals for prosthesis use, satisfaction, and design priorities. The questionnaire was available online and in paper format and was distributed through healthcare providers, community support groups, and one prosthesis manufacturer; 242 participants of all ages and levels of upper limb absence completed the survey. Rates of rejection for myoelectric hands, passive hands, and body-powered hooks were 39%, 53%, and 50%, respectively. Prosthesis wearers were generally satisfied with their devices while prosthesis rejecters were dissatisfied. Reduced prosthesis weight emerged as the highest priority design concern of consumers. Lower cost ranked within the top five design priorities for adult wearers of all device types. Life-like appearance is a priority for passive/cosmetic prostheses, while improved harness comfort, wrist movement, grip control and strength are required for body-powered devices. Glove durability, lack of sensory feedback, and poor dexterity were also identified as design priorities for electric devices. Design priorities reflect consumer goals for prosthesis use and vary depending on the type of prosthesis used and age. Future design efforts should focus on the development of more light-weight, comfortable prostheses.

  2. Implant salvage in breast reconstruction with severe peri-prosthetic infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meybodi, Farid; Sedaghat, Negin; French, James; Keighley, Caitlin; Mitchell, David; Elder, Elisabeth

    2017-12-01

    Although treatment of mild peri-prosthetic infection in implant-based breast reconstruction results in high rates of resolution, successful management of severe peri-prosthetic infection remains a significant challenge. In this case series, a protocol utilizing a novel dressing - negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) - for the management of severe peri-prosthetic infection in breast reconstruction patients is described. This is an operative technique involving: (i) explantation of the breast prosthesis and application of the NPWTi dressing to the implant pocket; (ii) change of the NPWTi dressing; (iii) intraoperative fluid/tissue cultures; and (iv) reimplantation of the breast prosthesis when cultures yield no growth. This protocol was utilized in six cases of severe peri-prosthetic infection in five patients with immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer or risk-reducing surgery. Cultures of fluid/tissue grew typical and/or unusual organisms. Only one case did not yield an organism. The hospital length of stay upon completion of the protocol ranged from 7-16 days (mean, 12 days). Successful implant salvage was achieved in five of six cases. The protocol was aborted in one case to allow for completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. Early findings from this case series suggest that in cases of severe peri-prosthetic infection this novel operative protocol may result in successful implant salvage for breast reconstruction patients. Further studies are needed to more fully elaborate the role of NPWTi to achieve implant salvage in challenging cases of peri-prosthetic infection. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  3. Prosthetic prescription in the Netherlands : an observational study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Linde, H; Geertzen, JHB; Hofstad, CJ; Postema, K; Van Limbeek, Jacques

    2003-01-01

    Prosthetic prescription for lower limb amputees and the methodology used are primarily based on empirical knowledge. Clinical expertise plays an important role that can lead to an adequate prescription; however, a clear evidence based motivation for the choices made cannot be given. This can lead to

  4. Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs

    OpenAIRE

    Daly, Kevin J.; Ross, E. Raymond S.; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N.

    2006-01-01

    Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had e...

  5. Selected applications for current polymers in prosthetic dentistry - state of the art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawala, Maciej; Smardz, Joanna; Adamczyk, Lukasz; Grychowska, Natalia; Wieckiewicz, Mieszko

    2018-05-10

    Polymers are widely applied in medicine, including dentistry, i.e. in prosthodontics. The following paper is aimed at demonstrating the applications of selected modern polymers in prosthetic dentistry based on the reported literature. The study was conducted using the PubMed, SCOPUS and CINAHL databases in relation to documents published during 1999-2017. The following keywords were used: polymers with: prosthetic dentistry, impression materials, denture base materials, bite registration materials, denture soft liners, occlusal splint materials and 3D printing. Original papers and reviews which were significant from the modern clinical viewpoint and practical validity in relation to the possibility of using polymeric materials in prosthetic dentistry, were presented. Denture base materials were most commonly modified polymers. Modifications mainly concerned antimicrobial properties and reinforcement of the material structure by introducing additional fibers. Antimicrobial modifications were also common in case of relining materials. Polymeric materials have widely been used in prosthetic dentistry. Modifications of their composition allow achieving new, beneficial properties that affect quality of patients' life. Progress in science allows for a more methodologically-advanced research on the synthesis of new polymeric materials and incorporation of new substances into already known polymeric materials, that will require systematization and appropriate classification. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  6. 18F-FDG-PET/CT angiography in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis and cardiac device infection in adult patients with congenital heart disease and prosthetic material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizzi, María N; Dos-Subirà, L; Roque, Albert; Fernández-Hidalgo, Nuria; Cuéllar-Calabria, Hug; Pijuan Domènech, Antonia; Gonzàlez-Alujas, María T; Subirana-Domènech, M T; Miranda-Barrio, B; Ferreira-González, Ignacio; González-López, Juan J; Igual, Albert; Maisterra-Santos, Olga; García-Dorado, David; Castell-Conesa, Joan; Almirante, Benito; Escobar Amores, Manuel; Tornos, Pilar; Aguadé-Bruix, Santiago

    2017-12-01

    Infective endocarditis (IE) and cardiac device infection (CDI) are a major complication in the growing number of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) reaching adulthood. We aimed to evaluate the added value of 18 F-FDG-PET/CT angiography (PET/CTA) in the diagnosis of IE-CDI in adults with CHD and intravascular or intracardiac prosthetic material, in whom echocardiography (ECHO) and modified Duke Criteria (DC) have limitations because of the patients' complex anatomy. A prospective study was conducted in a referral center with multidisciplinary IE and CHD Units. PET/CTA and ECHO findings were compared in consecutive adult (≥18years) patients with CHD who have prosthetic material and suspected IE-CDI. The initial diagnosis using the DC and the diagnosis with the additional PET/CTA data (DC+PET/CTA) were compared with the final diagnostic consensus established by an expert team at three months. Between November-2012 and April-2017, 25 patients (15 men; median age 40years) were included. Cases were initially classified as definite in 8 (32%), possible in 14 (56%) and rejected in 3 (12%). DC+PET/CTA allowed reclassification of 12/14 (86%) cases initially identified as possible IE. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of DC at IE suspicion were 39.1%/83.3%/90.4%/25.5%/61.2%, respectively. The diagnostic performance increased significantly with addition of PET/CTA data: 87%/83.3%/95.4%/61.5%/85.1%, respectively. PET/CTA also provided an alternative diagnosis in 3 patients with rejected IE, and detected pulmonary embolisms in 3 patients. PET/CTA was a useful diagnostic tool in the complex group of adult patients with CHD who have cardiac or intravascular prosthetic material and suspected IE or CDI, providing added diagnostic value to the modified DC (increased sensitivity) and improving case classification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Development and marketing of a prosthetic urinary control valve system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenney, J. B., Jr.; Rabinowitz, R.; Rogers, D. W.; Harrison, H. N.

    1983-01-01

    An implantable prosthetic for the control of urinary incontinence was developed and marketed. Three phases are presented: bench development studies, animal trials, and human clinical trials. This work was performed under the direction of a Research Team at Rochester General Hospital (RGH). Bench trials were completed on prototype hardware and provided early verification of the device's ability to withstand repeated cyclic testing. Configurational variants were evaluated and a preferred design concept was established. Silicone rubber (medical grade) was selected as the preferred material for the prosthesis.

  8. Development of regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces for motor control of neuroprosthetic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemp, Stephen W. P.; Urbanchek, Melanie G.; Irwin, Zachary T.; Chestek, Cynthia A.; Cederna, Paul S.

    2017-05-01

    Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries suffered during amputation commonly results in debilitating neuropathic pain in the affected limb. Modern prosthetic technologies allow for intuitive, simultaneous control of multiple degrees of freedom. However, these state-of-the-art devices require separate, independent control signals for each degree of freedom, which is currently not possible. As a result, amputees reject up to 75% of myoelectric devices preferring instead to use body-powered artificial limbs which offer subtle sensory feedback. Without meaningful and intuitive sensory feedback, even the most advanced myoelectric prostheses remain insensate, burdensome, and are associated with enormous cognitive demand and mental fatigue. The ideal prosthetic device is one which is capable of providing intuitive somatosensory feedback essential for interaction with the environment. Critical to the design of such a bioprosthetic device is the development of a reliable biologic interface between human and machine. This ideal patient-prosthetic interface allows for transmission of both afferent somatosensory information and efferent motor signals for a closed-loop feedback system of neural control. Our lab has developed the Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) as a biologic nerve interface designed for stable integration of a prosthetic device with transected peripheral nerves in a residual limb. The RPNI is constructed by surgically implanting the distal end of a transected peripheral nerve into an autogenous muscle graft. Animal experiments in our lab have shown recording of motor signals from RPNI's implanted into both rodents and monkeys. Here, we achieve high amplitude EMG signals with a high signal to noise (SNR) ratio.

  9. Prosthetic Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... the household and community environments may lead to falls and injuries. This research aims to develop an ankle that can invert and evert and thereby control the center of pressure under the prosthetic foot; enhancing balance and stability of lower limb amputees. Foot-Ankle ...

  10. Second-site prosthetic joint infection in patients with multiple prosthetic joints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clesham, Kevin; Hughes, Andrew J; O' hEireamhoin, Sven; Fleming, Catherine; Murphy, Colin G

    2018-04-10

    Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are among the most serious complications in arthroplasty. A second-site PJI in patients with multiple prosthetic joints increases morbidity, with many requiring further revision procedures. We aimed to establish why some patients with multiple joints develop second-site infections. Our institution's arthroplasty database was reviewed from 2004 to 2017. All PJIs were identified, and all patients with more than one prosthetic joint in situ were included. We recorded risk factors, causative organisms, number of procedures and length of stay. Forty-four patients meeting the criteria were identified. Four patients (9.1%) developed second-site infection. Eight patients (18.2%) developed re-infection of the primary PJI. Positive MRSA carrier status and PJI of a total knee replacement were associated with an increased risk of a second episode of infection. Patients who developed further infection had more frequent admission and longer lengths of stay than isolated PJIs. Higher morbidity and use of hospital resources are associated with this cohort of patients. PJIs in total knee replacements and positive MRSA status are associated with higher rates of second infection. Identifying this vulnerable cohort of patients at an early stage is critical to ensure measures are taken to reduce the risks of further infection.

  11. Maxillofacial prosthetic rehalibilation of the oral cancer patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfaardt, J.F.; Monteith, B.D.

    1982-01-01

    The victim of orofacial cancer is frequently subjected to severe morphological and functional disturbance: a condition which the maxillofacial prosthetist can do much to alleviate through the use of various prosthetic devices. The successful rehabilitation of these patients, however, is often compromised by the presence of psychosocial and other problems, the solution of which extends beyond the limits of a single clinical discipline. The modern approach to orofacial cancer, therefore, is organised within the context of interdisciplinary co-operation: each phase of patient management being planed and executed according to the co-ordinated efforts of the various members of a head and neck cancer team

  12. Prosthetics / Limb Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... implant to encourage the sealing process. Implanting titanium prosthetic components avoids the need for a socket. But preventing bacterial invasion and infection is a key challenge, one that this research ...

  13. Review of Prosthetic Joint Infection from Listeria monocytogenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bader, Gilbert; Al-Tarawneh, Mohammed; Myers, James

    2016-12-01

    Prosthetic joint infection from Listeria monocytogenes is rare. We decided to shed light on this illness and review the reported cases to better understand its characteristics. We conducted a comprehensive review of the English literature using PubMed. We also included one case that we had managed. We found 25 cases of prosthetic joint infection from L. monocytogenes reported individually and a retrospective study of 43 cases of joint and bone listerial infection, including 34 with prosthetic joint infection, conducted in France. We have described their clinical and para-clinical features and tried to elaborate on the pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention. Prosthetic joint infection from L. monocytogenes is mainly late. Systemic inflammation may be absent. Although rare, it must be suspected in patients at high risk for both prosthetic joint and listerial infections. In addition, those patients must be instructed on appropriate preventive measures.

  14. Clinical characteristics, microbiology, and outcomes of prosthetic joint infection in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Jen-Chih; Sheng, Wang-Huei; Lo, Wan-Yu; Jiang, Ching-Chuan; Chang, Shan-Chwen

    2015-04-01

    Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total knee or hip replacement is a devastating complication associated with substantial morbidity and economic cost. The incidence of prosthetic joint infection is increasing as the use of mechanical joint replacement increases. The treatment approach to prosthetic joint infection is based on different clinical situations such as a patient's comorbidities, epidemic microbiology data, and surgical procedures. The aim of our study was to understand clinical characteristics of prosthetic joint infection, the microbiology of the prosthetic joint infection, and the outcomes of different treatment strategies during 2006-2011. We retrospectively collected cases of prosthetic joint infection in the National Taiwan University Hospital between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2011. The patients' characteristics, microbiology, outcomes, and factors associated with treatment success were recorded. One hundred and forty-four patients were identified as having PJI. Of these, 92 patients were entered into per-protocol analysis. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative organism (29.9%), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococci (16.7%), and Enterococci (9.7%). The overall treatment success rate was 50%. Patients who received a two-stage revision had a better outcome, compared to patients who underwent other types of surgeries (70% vs. 32.7%, respectively; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the two-stage revision was significantly associated with treatment success (odds ratio = 3.923, 95% confidence interval = 1.53-10.04). Our study demonstrates that Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative organisms in PJI. Performing two-stage revisions was significantly associated with a better outcome. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction. Case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moldovan, Maria-Sînziana; Bedeleanu, Daniela; Kovacs, Emese; Ciumărnean, Lorena; Molnar, Adrian

    2016-01-01

    Pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction, a complication of mechanical prosthetic valve replacement, is rare, with a slowly progressive evolution, but it can be acute, severe, requiring surgical reintervention. We present the case of a patient with a mechanical single disc aortic prosthesis, with moderate prosthesis-patient mismatch, minor pannus found on previous ultrasound examinations, who presented to our service with angina pain with a duration of 1 hour, subsequently interpreted as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) syndrome. Coronarography showed normal epicardial coronary arteries, an ample movement of the prosthetic disc, without evidence of coronary thromboembolism, and Gated Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) with Technetium (Tc)-99m detected no perfusion defects. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evidenced a dysfunctional prosthesis due to a subvalvular mass; transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) showed the interference of this mass, with a pannus appearance, with the closure of the prosthetic disc. Under conditions of repeated angina episodes, under anticoagulant treatment, surgery was performed, with the intraoperative confirmation of pannus and its removal. Postoperative evolution was favorable. This case reflects the diagnostic and therapeutic management problems of pannus-related prosthetic valve dysfunction.

  16. Passive prosthetic hands and tools: A literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maat, Bartjan; Smit, Gerwin; Plettenburg, Dick; Breedveld, Paul

    2018-02-01

    The group of passive prostheses consists of prosthetic hands and prosthetic tools. These can either be static or adjustable. Limited research and development on passive prostheses has been performed although many people use these prosthesis types. Although some publications describe passive prostheses, no recent review of the peer-reviewed literature on passive prostheses is available. Review the peer-reviewed literature on passive prostheses for replacement of the hand. Literature review. Four electronic databases were searched using a Boolean combination of relevant keywords. English-language articles relevant to the objective were selected. In all, 38 papers were included in the review. Publications on passive prosthetic hands describe their users, usage, functionality, and problems in activities of daily living. Publications on prosthetic tools mostly focus on sport, recreation, and vehicle driving. Passive hand prostheses receive little attention in prosthetic research and literature. Yet one out of three people with a limb deficiency uses this type of prosthesis. Literature indicates that passive prostheses can be improved on pulling and grasping functions. In the literature, ambiguous names are used for different types of passive prostheses. This causes confusion. We present a new and clear classification of passive prostheses. Clinical relevance This review provides information on the users of passive prosthetic hands and tools, their usage and the functionality. Passive prostheses receive very little attention and low appreciation in literature. Passive prosthetic hands and tools show to be useful to many unilateral amputees and should receive more attention and higher acceptance.

  17. Validation of the prosthetic esthetic index

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Özhayat, Esben B; Dannemand, Katrine

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: In order to diagnose impaired esthetics and evaluate treatments for these, it is crucial to evaluate all aspects of oral and prosthetic esthetics. No professionally administered index currently exists that sufficiently encompasses comprehensive prosthetic esthetics. This study aimed...... to validate a new comprehensive index, the Prosthetic Esthetic Index (PEI), for professional evaluation of esthetics in prosthodontic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The content, criterion, and construct validity; the test-retest, inter-rater, and internal consistency reliability; and the sensitivity...... furthermore distinguish between participants and controls, indicating sufficient sensitivity. CONCLUSION: The PEI is considered a valid and reliable instrument involving sufficient aspects for assessment of the professionally evaluated esthetics in prosthodontic patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE...

  18. The Persian version of satisfaction assessment module of Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadadi, Mohammad; Ghoseiri, Kamiar; Fardipour, Shima; Kashani, Reza Vahab; Asadi, Farnoosh; Asghari, Azizeh

    2016-01-01

    Orthotics and Prosthetics User's Survey (OPUS) was developed to measure patient satisfaction in Prosthetic and Orthotic (P&O) field. To translate the satisfaction assessment module of OPUS (OPUS-SM) into Persian language (Persian OPUS-SM) and investigate its psychometric properties. For cross-cultural adaptation of the OPUS-SM, the guideline suggested by the World Health Organization was recruited. A sample of 116 Persian-speaking people who received P&O devices and services, participated in this study. During the first session, participants filled out the Persian OPUS-SM and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) regarding their satisfaction from delivered devices and services. Drawing from the above sample of 116 participants, 41 participants retook the Persian OPUS-SM 5-7 days after their first time. The results of the first and second administration sessions were analyzed to assess internal consistency, test-retest reliability, item-subscale correlation, minimal detectable change, floor and ceiling effects, criterion validity, and dimensionality of the Persian OPUS-SM. The Cronbach's alphas of the Persian OPUS-SM were 0.71 and 0.89 for device and service satisfaction subscales, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.76 and 0.90 for device and service satisfaction subscales, respectively. The SEM and MDC for device satisfaction were 6.21 and ±17.21, respectively. The SEM and MDC for service satisfaction were 2.25 and ±6.22, respectively. There was a strong correlation between VAS and satisfaction subscales of the Persian OPUS-SM. Dimensionality assessment revealed that Persian OPUS-SM is a unidimensional measure. The adapted and translated Persian OPUS-SM is a reliable and validated measure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Candida infection of a prosthetic shoulder joint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lichtman, E.A.

    1983-09-01

    A heroin addict developed a Candida parapsilosis infection in a prosthetic shoulder joint. Radiographs showed loose fragments of cement with prosthetic loosening. The patient was treated with removal of the prosthesis and intravenous amphotericin B followed by oral ketoconazole.

  20. Candida infection of a prosthetic shoulder joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lichtman, E.A.; Veterans Administration Medical Center, New York

    1983-01-01

    A heroin addict developed a Candida parapsilosis infection in a prosthetic shoulder joint. Radiographs showed loose fragments of cement with prosthetic loosening. The patient was treated with removal of the prosthesis and intravenous amphotericin B followed by oral ketoconazole. (orig.)

  1. Management of Prosthetic Joint Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tande, Aaron J; Gomez-Urena, Eric O; Berbari, Elie F; Osmon, Douglas R

    2017-06-01

    Although uncommon, prosthetic joint infection is a devastating complication. This challenging condition requires a coordinated management approach to achieve good patient outcomes. This review details the general principles to consider when managing patients with prosthetic joint infection. The different medical/surgical treatment strategies and how to appropriately select a strategy are discussed. The data to support each strategy are presented, along with discussion of antimicrobial strategies in specific situations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of a 3D segmental prosthetic system for tricuspid valve annulus remodelling on the right coronary artery: a human cadaveric coronary angiography study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riki-Marishani, Mohsen; Gholoobi, Arash; Sazegar, Ghasem; Aazami, Mathias H; Hedjazi, Aria; Sajjadian, Maryam; Ebrahimi, Mahmoud; Aghaii-Zade Torabi, Ahmad

    2017-09-01

    A prosthetic system to repair secondary tricuspid valve regurgitation was developed. The conceptual engineering of the current device is based on 3D segmental remodelling of the tricuspid valve annulus in lieu of reductive annuloplasty. This study was designed to investigate the operational safety of the current prosthetic system with regard to the anatomical integrity of the right coronary artery (RCA) in fresh cadaveric human hearts. During the study period, from January to April 2016, the current prosthetic system was implanted on the tricuspid valve annulus in fresh cadaveric human hearts that met the study's inclusion criteria. The prepared specimens were investigated via selective coronary angiography of the RCA in the catheterization laboratory. The RCA angiographic anatomies were categorized as normal, distorted, kinked or occluded. Sixteen specimens underwent implantation of the current prosthetic system. The mean age of the cadaveric human hearts was 43.24 ± 15.79 years, with vehicle accident being the primary cause of death (59%). A dominant RCA was noticed in 62.5% of the specimens. None of the specimens displayed any injury, distortion, kinking or occlusion in the RCA due to the implantation of the prostheses. In light of the results of the present study, undertaken on fresh cadaveric human heart specimens, the current segmental prosthetic system for 3D remodelling of the tricuspid valve annulus seems to be safe vis-à-vis the anatomical integrity of the RCA. Further in vivo studies are needed to investigate the functional features of the current prosthetic system with a view to addressing the complex pathophysiology of secondary tricuspid valve regurgitation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  3. [Virtual Planning of Prosthetic Treatment of the Orbit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veit, Johannes A; Thierauf, Julia; Egner, Kornelius; Wiggenhauser, Paul Severin; Friedrich, Daniel; Greve, Jens; Schuler, Patrick J; Hoffmann, Thomas K; Schramm, Alexander

    2017-06-01

    Optimal positioning of bone-anchored implants in the treatment of patients with orbital prosthesis is challenging. The definition of implant axis as well as the positioning of the implants is important to prevent failures in prosthetic rehabilitation in these patients. We performed virtual planning of enossal implants at a base of a standard fan beam CT scan using the software CoDiagnostiX™ (DentalWings, Montréal, Canada). By 3D-printing a surgical guide for drilling and implant insertion was manufactured (Med-610™, Stratasys, Rehovot, Israel). An orbital exenteration was performed in a patient after shrinkage of the eyelids 20 years after enucleation and radiation of the orbit due to rhabdomyosarcoma. 4 Vistafix-3 implants (Cochlear™, Cochlea, Centennial, USA) were primarily inserted after resection with the help of the 3D-surgical guide. Prosthetic rehabilitation could be achieved as preplanned to a predictable result. The individual prosthesis of the orbit showed good functional and esthetic outcome. The virtual 3D-planning of endosseous implants for prosthetic orbital and periorbital reconstruction is easy to use and facilitates optimal placement of implants especially in posttherapeutically altered anatomic situations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  4. Prosthetic finger phalanges with lifelike skin compliance for low-force social touching interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ge Shuzhi

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prosthetic arms and hands that can be controlled by the user's electromyography (EMG signals are emerging. Eventually, these advanced prosthetic devices will be expected to touch and be touched by other people. As realistic as they may look, the currently available prosthetic hands have physical properties that are still far from the characteristics of human skins because they are much stiffer. In this paper, different configurations of synthetic finger phalanges have been investigated for their skin compliance behaviour and have been compared with the phalanges of the human fingers and a phalanx from a commercially available prosthetic hand. Methods Handshake tests were performed to identify which areas on the human hand experience high contact forces. After these areas were determined, experiments were done on selected areas using an indenting probe to obtain the force-displacement curves. Finite element simulations were used to compare the force-displacement results of the synthetic finger phalanx designs with that of the experimental results from the human and prosthetic finger phalanges. The simulation models were used to investigate the effects of (a varying the internal topology of the finger phalanx and (b varying different materials for the internal and external layers. Results and Conclusions During handshake, the high magnitudes of contact forces were observed at the areas where the full grasping enclosure of the other person's hand can be achieved. From these areas, the middle phalanges of the (a little, (b ring, and (c middle fingers were selected. The indentation experiments on these areas showed that a 2 N force corresponds to skin tissue displacements of more than 2 mm. The results from the simulation model show that introducing an open pocket with 2 mm height on the internal structure of synthetic finger phalanges increased the skin compliance of the silicone material to 235% and the polyurethane material to

  5. Theoretical study on the mechanics of the conjunct gnatoprothetic devices in the context of occlusive function rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popescu, M R; Trană, F; Manolea, H; Rauten, Ane-Marie; Șurlin, Petra; Dragomir, L P

    2014-01-01

    The partially intercalated edentation offers the practitioner the possibility of the functional rehabilitation of the dental arcades through conjunct gnato-prosthetic devices. The functions of the dento-maxilar device, disturbed by the presence of edentation, require a treatment approach so that, without pre-planning or estimating, the result can lead most of the times to failure in terms of functionality. Clinical evaluation associated with pre- and proprosthetic treatment can also impose, in some situations the evaluation of the dental units involved in prosthetic rehabilitation. The association and implementation of the prosthetic construction in the occlusive-articular ensemble, as well as the counterbalancing of the mastication forces per dental unit and whole interarch system, linked to the distribution of the forces at the level of the pillar teeth and prosthetic construction, represent the goal of this theoretical study.

  6. Graft-Sparing Strategy for Thoracic Prosthetic Graft Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchino, Gaku; Yoshida, Takeshi; Kakii, Bunpachi; Furui, Masato

    2018-04-01

     Thoracic prosthetic graft infection is a rare but serious complication with no standard management. We reported our surgical experience on graft-sparing strategy for thoracic prosthetic graft infection.  This study included patients who underwent graft-sparing surgery for thoracic prosthetic graft infection at Matsubara Tokushukai Hospital in Japan from January 2000 to October 2017.  There were 17 patients included in the analyses, with a mean age at surgery of 71.0 ± 10.5 years; 11 were men. In-hospital mortality was observed in five patients (29.4%).  Graft-sparing surgery for thoracic prosthetic graft infection is an alternative option particularly for early graft infection after hemiarch replacement. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. Coronary artery assessment by multidetector computed tomography in patients with prosthetic heart valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habets, Jesse; Mali, Willem P.T.M.; Budde, Ricardo P.J.; Brink, Renee B.A. van den; Uijlings, Ruben; Spijkerboer, Anje M.; Chamuleau, Steven A.J.

    2012-01-01

    Patients with prosthetic heart valves may require assessment for coronary artery disease. We assessed whether valve artefacts hamper coronary artery assessment by multidetector CT. ECG-gated or -triggered CT angiograms were selected from our PACS archive based on the presence of prosthetic heart valves. The best systolic and diastolic axial reconstructions were selected for coronary assessment. Each present coronary segment was scored for the presence of valve-related artefacts prohibiting coronary artery assessment. Scoring was performed in consensus by two observers. Eighty-two CT angiograms were performed on a 64-slice (n = 27) or 256-slice (n = 55) multidetector CT. Eighty-nine valves and five annuloplasty rings were present. Forty-three out of 1160 (3.7%) present coronary artery segments were non-diagnostic due to valve artefacts (14/82 patients). Valve artefacts were located in right coronary artery (15/43; 35%), left anterior descending artery (2/43; 5%), circumflex artery (14/43; 32%) and marginal obtuse (12/43; 28%) segments. All cobalt-chrome containing valves caused artefacts prohibiting coronary assessment. Biological and titanium-containing valves did not cause artefacts except for three specific valve types. Most commonly implanted prosthetic heart valves do not hamper coronary assessment on multidetector CT. Cobalt-chrome containing prosthetic heart valves preclude complete coronary artery assessment because of severe valve artefacts. circle Most commonly implanted prosthetic heart valves do not hamper coronary artery assessment circle Prosthetic heart valve composition determines the occurrence of prosthetic heart valve-related artefacts circle Bjoerk-Shiley and Sorin tilting disc valves preclude diagnostic coronary artery segment assessment. (orig.)

  8. Echocardiographic evaluation of heart valve prosthetic dysfunction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuriy Ivaniv

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Patients with replaced heart valve submitted to echocardiographic examination may have symptoms related either to valvular malfunction or ventricular dysfunction from different causes. Clinical examination is not reliable in a prosthetic valve evaluation and the main information regarding its function could be obtained using different cardiac ultrasound modalities. This review provides a description of echocardiographic and Doppler techniques useful in evaluation of prosthetic heart valves. For the interpretation of echocardiography there is a need in special knowledge of prosthesis types and possible reasons of prosthetic function deterioration. Echocardiography allows to reveal valve thrombosis, pannus formation, vegetation and such complications of infective endocarditis as valve ring abscess or dehiscence. Transthoracic echocardiography requires different section plane angles and unconventional views. Transesophageal echocardiography is more often used than in native valve examination due to better visualization of prosthetic valve structure and function. Three-dimensional echocardiography could provide more detailed visual information especially in the assessment of paravalvular regurgitation or valve obstruction.

  9. Prosthetic management of deciduous teeth

    OpenAIRE

    Bassil, Jean

    2015-01-01

    Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Medicina Dentária Introduction: Situations of single or multiple edentulous are not an exception during childhood. Prosthetic management is necessary in case of absence of replacing tooth or when its eruption is planned too far in time. Indications of prosthetic rehabilitation for children are multiple and rise from the etiologic factors caus...

  10. Novel implant for peri-prosthetic proximal tibia fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Ton; Chen, Bernard K; Wu, Xinhua; Pun, Chung Lun

    2018-03-01

    Repair of peri-prosthetic proximal tibia fractures is very challenging in patients with a total knee replacement or arthroplasty. The tibial component of the knee implant severely restricts the fixation points of the tibial implant to repair peri-prosthetic fractures. A novel implant has been designed with an extended flange over the anterior of tibial condyle to provide additional points of fixation, overcoming limitations of existing generic locking plates used for proximal tibia fractures. Furthermore, the screws fixed through the extended flange provide additional support to prevent the problem of subsidence of tibial component of knee implant. The design methodology involved extraction of bone data from CT scans into a flexible CAD format, implant design and structural evaluation and optimisation using FEM as well as prototype development and manufacture by selective laser melting 3D printing technology with Ti6Al4 V powder. A prototype tibia implant was developed based on a patient-specific bone structure, which was regenerated from the CT images of patient's tibia. The design is described in detail and being applied to fit up to 80% of patients, for both left and right sides based on the average dimensions and shape of the bone structure from a wide range of CT images. A novel tibial implant has been developed to repair peri-prosthetic proximal tibia fractures which overcomes significant constraints from the tibial component of existing knee implant. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Responsiveness of the Prosthetic Esthetic Scale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Øzhayat, Esben Boeskov

    2017-01-01

    Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the responsiveness of the Prosthetic Esthetic Index (PEI) in a population who received prosthetic replacements. Materials and methods Fifty-seven patients who received prosthetic replacement of at least one tooth by means of fixed or removable...... prosthesis were professionally esthetically evaluated using the PEI and the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) before and after treatment. The participants further evaluated their oral esthetics using the Oral Health Impact Profile Aesthetic (OHIP-Aes) and Orofacial Esthetic Index (OES). Responsiveness......-Aes and OES scores. The PEI was more consistent in responsiveness than the DAI. Conclusions The PEI shows sufficient responsiveness for use in longitudinal studies and for use as a follow-up measure in clinical practice. Clinical relevance The PEI can in a standardized manner monitor and document esthetic...

  12. Stiffness and hysteresis properties of some prosthetic feet

    OpenAIRE

    van Jaarsveld, H.W.L.; Grootenboer, H.J.; de Vries, J.; Koopman, Hubertus F.J.M.

    1990-01-01

    A prosthetic foot is an important element of a prosthesis, although it is not always fully recognized that the properties of the foot, along with the prosthetic knee joint and the socket, are in part responsible for the stability and metabolic energy cost during walking. The stiffness and the hysteresis, which are the topics of this paper, are not properly prescribed, but could be adapted to improve the prosthetic walking performance. The shape is strongly related to the cosmetic appearance a...

  13. Getting signals into the brain: visual prosthetics through thalamic microstimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pezaris, John S; Eskandar, Emad N

    2009-07-01

    Common causes of blindness are diseases that affect the ocular structures, such as glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and macular degeneration, rendering the eyes no longer sensitive to light. The visual pathway, however, as a predominantly central structure, is largely spared in these cases. It is thus widely thought that a device-based prosthetic approach to restoration of visual function will be effective and will enjoy similar success as cochlear implants have for restoration of auditory function. In this article the authors review the potential locations for stimulation electrode placement for visual prostheses, assessing the anatomical and functional advantages and disadvantages of each. Of particular interest to the neurosurgical community is placement of deep brain stimulating electrodes in thalamic structures that has shown substantial promise in an animal model. The theory of operation of visual prostheses is discussed, along with a review of the current state of knowledge. Finally, the visual prosthesis is proposed as a model for a general high-fidelity machine-brain interface.

  14. Enhanced ultrasound for advanced diagnostics, ultrasound tomography for volume limb imaging and prosthetic fitting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Brian W.

    2016-04-01

    Ultrasound imaging methods hold the potential to deliver low-cost, high-resolution, operator-independent and nonionizing imaging systems - such systems couple appropriate algorithms with imaging devices and techniques. The increasing demands on general practitioners motivate us to develop more usable and productive diagnostic imaging equipment. Ultrasound, specifically freehand ultrasound, is a low cost and safe medical imaging technique. It doesn't expose a patient to ionizing radiation. Its safety and versatility make it very well suited for the increasing demands on general practitioners, or for providing improved medical care in rural regions or the developing world. However it typically suffers from sonographer variability; we will discuss techniques to address user variability. We also discuss our work to combine cylindrical scanning systems with state of the art inversion algorithms to deliver ultrasound systems for imaging and quantifying limbs in 3-D in vivo. Such systems have the potential to track the progression of limb health at a low cost and without radiation exposure, as well as, improve prosthetic socket fitting. Current methods of prosthetic socket fabrication remain subjective and ineffective at creating an interface to the human body that is both comfortable and functional. Though there has been recent success using methods like magnetic resonance imaging and biomechanical modeling, a low-cost, streamlined, and quantitative process for prosthetic cup design and fabrication has not been fully demonstrated. Medical ultrasonography may inform the design process of prosthetic sockets in a more objective manner. This keynote talk presents the results of progress in this area.

  15. Design for a three-fingered hand. [robotic and prosthetic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crossley, F. R. E.

    1977-01-01

    This paper describes the construction of a prototype mechanical hand or 'end effector' for use on a remotely controlled robot, but with possible application as a prosthetic device. An analysis of hand motions is reported, from which it is concluded that the two most important manipulations (apart from grasps) are to be able to pick up a tool and draw it into a nested grip against the palm, and to be able to hold a pistol-grip tool such as an electric drill and pull the trigger. One of our models was tested and found capable of both these operations.

  16. Tomographic and echocardiographic diagnosis of mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sainz Gonzalez de la Penna, Benito; Ramos Gutierrez, Luis Benito; Gonzalez Artiles, Iovank

    2010-01-01

    Despite the progress achieved in the design of mechanical prosthetic valves, prosthetic valve thrombosis remains a frequent cause of morbidity, usually due to incorrect anticoagulation. A patient was presented with mitral prosthetic thrombosis one year after implantation, who had been diagnosed by transthoracic transesophageal echocardiography imaging and 64-slice computed tomography. Thrombolytic therapy was successful and led to the satisfactory evolution of the patient

  17. Control of non-linear actuator of artificial muscles for the use in low-cost robotics prosthetics limbs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anis Atikah, Nurul; Yeng Weng, Leong; Anuar, Adzly; Chien Fat, Chau; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Zainal Abidin, Izham

    2017-10-01

    Currently, the methods of actuating robotic-based prosthetic limbs are moving away from bulky actuators to more fluid materials such as artificial muscles. The main disadvantages of these artificial muscles are their high cost of manufacturing, low-force generation, cumbersome and complex controls. A recent discovery into using super coiled polymer (SCP) proved to have low manufacturing costs, high force generation, compact and simple controls. Nevertheless, the non-linear controls still exists due to the nature of heat-based actuation, which is hysteresis. This makes position control difficult. Using electrically conductive devices allows for very quick heating, but not quick cooling. This research tries to solve the problem by using peltier devices, which can effectively heat and cool the SCP, hence giving way to a more precise control. The peltier device does not actively introduce more energy to a volume of space, which the coiled heating does; instead, it acts as a heat pump. Experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of using peltier as an actuating method on different diameters of nylon fishing strings. Based on these experiments, the performance characteristics of the strings were plotted, which could be used to control the actuation of the string efficiently in the future.

  18. Prosthetic Consideration in Implant-supported Prosthesis: A Review of Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gowd, Manga Snigdha; Shankar, Thatapudi; Ranjan, Rajeev; Singh, Arpita

    2017-06-01

    Modern dentistry has changed tremendously with implant therapy. For the successful implant therapy, making a proper treatment plan considering both surgical and prosthetic part in mind is the key of success. Often practitioners tend to create a treatment plan overlooking the basic principles of prosthetic part. This present review has discussed various prosthetic consideration of implant-supported prosthesis. A step-by-step detailed prosthetic option with their indications has been discussed to help all dental implant practitioners in making of an optimal treatment plan for each case.

  19. Performance of optimised prosthetic ankle designs that are based on a hydraulic variable displacement actuator (VDA)

    OpenAIRE

    Gardiner, JD; Bari, AZ; Kenney, LPJ; Twiste, M; Moser, D; Zahedi, S; Howard, D

    2017-01-01

    Current energy storage and return (ESR) prosthetic\\ud feet only marginally reduce the cost of amputee locomotion\\ud compared to basic solid ankle cushioned heel (SACH) feet,\\ud possibly due to their lack of push-off at the end of stance. To our knowledge, a prosthetic ankle that utilises a hydraulic variable displacement actuator (VDA) to improve push-off performance has not previously been proposed. Therefore, here we report a design optimisation and simulation feasibility study for a VDA ba...

  20. Psychophysical testing of visual prosthetic devices: a call to establish a multi-national joint task force

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Joseph F., III; Ayton, Lauren N.

    2014-04-01

    Recent advances in the field of visual prostheses, as showcased in this special feature of Journal of Neural Engineering , have led to promising results from clinical trials of a number of devices. However, as noted by these groups there are many challenges involved in assessing vision of people with profound vision loss. As such, it is important that there is consistency in the methodology and reporting standards for clinical trials of visual prostheses and, indeed, the broader vision restoration research field. Two visual prosthesis research groups, the Boston Retinal Implant Project (BRIP) and Bionic Vision Australia (BVA), have agreed to work cooperatively to establish a multi-national Joint Task Force. The aim of this Task Force will be to develop a consensus statement to guide the methods used to conduct and report psychophysical and clinical results of humans who receive visual prosthetic devices. The overarching goal is to ensure maximum benefit to the implant recipients, not only in the outcomes of the visual prosthesis itself, but also in enabling them to obtain accurate information about this research with ease. The aspiration to develop a Joint Task Force was first promulgated at the inaugural 'The Eye and the Chip' meeting in September 2000. This meeting was established to promote the development of the visual prosthetic field by applying the principles of inclusiveness, openness, and collegiality among the growing body of researchers in this field. These same principles underlie the intent of this Joint Task Force to enhance the quality of psychophysical research within our community. Despite prior efforts, a critical mass of interested parties could not congeal. Renewed interest for developing joint guidelines has developed recently because of a growing awareness of the challenges of obtaining reliable measurements of visual function in patients who are severely visually impaired (in whom testing is inherently noisy), and of the importance of

  1. The role of vision processing in prosthetic vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Nick; He, Xuming; McCarthy, Chris; Horne, Lachlan; Kim, Junae; Scott, Adele; Lieby, Paulette

    2012-01-01

    Prosthetic vision provides vision which is reduced in resolution and dynamic range compared to normal human vision. This comes about both due to residual damage to the visual system from the condition that caused vision loss, and due to limitations of current technology. However, even with limitations, prosthetic vision may still be able to support functional performance which is sufficient for tasks which are key to restoring independent living and quality of life. Here vision processing can play a key role, ensuring that information which is critical to the performance of key tasks is available within the capability of the available prosthetic vision. In this paper, we frame vision processing for prosthetic vision, highlight some key areas which present problems in terms of quality of life, and present examples where vision processing can help achieve better outcomes.

  2. Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed HA

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with mechanical valve prostheses require a lifelong anticoagulant treatment. The combined use of Warfarin and low-dose aspirin appears to reduce the risk of valve thrombosis and systemic embolism at a low risk of bleeding. The management of women with prosthetic heart valves during pregnancy poses a particular challenge, as there are no available controlled clinical trials to provide guidelines for effective antithrombotic therapy. Oral anticoagulants, such as Warfarin, cause foetal embryopathy; unfractionated heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin have been reported to be ineffective in preventing thromboembolic complications.This article discusses the available data and the most recent guidelines in the antithrombotic management of patients with prosthetic valves, and antithrombotic therapy in various clinical situations such as pregnant women with prosthetic heart valves, and patients with prosthetic heart valves undergoing noncardiac surgery.

  3. Amputation and Prosthetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Amputation and Prosthetics Email to a friend * required ...

  4. The influence of staff training and education on prosthetic and orthotic service quality: A scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forghany, Saeed; Sadeghi-Demneh, Ebrahim; Trinler, Ursula; Onmanee, Pornsuree; Dillon, Michael P; Baker, Richard

    2018-06-01

    Education and training in prosthetics and orthotics typically comply with International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics standards based on three categories of prosthetic and orthotic professionals. This scoping study sought to describe the evidence base available to answer the question, How are prosthetic and orthotic services influenced by the training of staff providing them? Scoping review. A structured search of the peer-reviewed literature catalogued in major electronic databases yielded 3039 papers. Following review of title and abstract, 93 articles were considered relevant. Full-text review reduced this number to 25. Only two articles were identified as providing direct evidence of the effects of training and education on service provision. While both suggested that there was an impact, it is difficult to see how the more specific conclusions of either could be generalised. The other 23 articles provide a useful background to a range of issues including the specification of competencies that training programmes should deliver (3 articles), descriptions of a range of training programmes and the effects of training and education on student knowledge and skills. Although it is considered axiomatic, the service quality is dependent on practitioner education and training. There is insufficient evidence to establish whether levels of training and education in prosthetics and orthotics have an effect on the quality of prosthetic and orthotic services. Clinical relevance There is very little evidence about the effects of training and education of prosthetists and orthotists on service quality. While this is a somewhat negative finding, we feel that it is important to bring this to the attention of the prosthetics and orthotics community.

  5. Viability of Controlling Prosthetic Hand Utilizing Electroencephalograph (EEG) Dataset Signal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miskon, Azizi; A/L Thanakodi, Suresh; Raihan Mazlan, Mohd; Mohd Haziq Azhar, Satria; Nooraya Mohd Tawil, Siti

    2016-11-01

    This project presents the development of an artificial hand controlled by Electroencephalograph (EEG) signal datasets for the prosthetic application. The EEG signal datasets were used as to improvise the way to control the prosthetic hand compared to the Electromyograph (EMG). The EMG has disadvantages to a person, who has not used the muscle for a long time and also to person with degenerative issues due to age factor. Thus, the EEG datasets found to be an alternative for EMG. The datasets used in this work were taken from Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Project. The datasets were already classified for open, close and combined movement operations. It served the purpose as an input to control the prosthetic hand by using an Interface system between Microsoft Visual Studio and Arduino. The obtained results reveal the prosthetic hand to be more efficient and faster in response to the EEG datasets with an additional LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery attached to the prosthetic. Some limitations were also identified in terms of the hand movements, weight of the prosthetic, and the suggestions to improve were concluded in this paper. Overall, the objective of this paper were achieved when the prosthetic hand found to be feasible in operation utilizing the EEG datasets.

  6. The use of ceramic in prosthetic hip surgery. The state of the art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toni, A; Terzi, S; Sudanese, A; Tabarroni, M; Zappoli, F A; Stea, S; Giunti, A

    1995-01-01

    The authors review current knowledge regarding the use of ceramic materials in prosthetic hip surgery, both as constituents of prosthetic components, and as materials used to coat metallic surfaces. A review of the literature defines the advantages and disadvantages to using ceramic-polyethylene or ceramic-ceramic combinations, based on the possibility that alumina coating may favor localized bone demineralization, and on the first promising clinical results of the use of hydroxyapatite coating.

  7. Pre-prosthetic surgical alterations in maxillectomy to enhance the prosthetic prognoses as part of rehabilitation of oral cancer patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Fattah, H; Zaghloul, A; Pedemonte, E; Escuin, T

    2012-03-01

    After maxillectomy, prosthetic restoration of the resulting defect is an essential step because it signals the beginning of patient's rehabilitation. The obturator used to restore the defect should be comfortable, restore adequate speech, deglutition, mastication, and be cosmetically acceptable, success will depend on the size and location of the defect and the quantity and integrity of the remaining structures, in addition to pre-prosthetic surgical preparation of defect site. Preoperative cooperation between the oncologist surgeon and the maxillofacial surgeon may allow obturation of a resultant defect by preservation of the premaxilla or the tuberosity on the defect side and maintaining the alveolar bone or teeth adjacent to the defect. This study evaluates the importance of pre-prosthetic surgical alterations at the time maxillectomy on the enhancement of the prosthetic prognoses as part of the rehabilitation of oral cancer patient. The study was carried out between 2003- 2008, on 66 cancer patients(41 male-25 female) age ranged from 33 to 72 years, at National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, whom underwent maxillectomy surgery to remove malignant tumor as a part of cancer treatment. Patients were divided in two groups. Group A: Resection of maxilla followed by preprosthetic surgical preparation. Twenty-four cancer patients (13 male - 11 female). Group B: Resection of maxilla without any preprosthetic surgical preparation. Forty-two cancer patients (28 male-14 female). Outcome variables measured included facial contour and aesthetic results, speech understandability, ability to eat solid foods, oronasal separation, socializing outside the home, and return-to-work status. Flap success and donor site morbidity were also studied. To improve the prosthetic restoration of maxillary defect resulting maxillary resection as part treatment of maxillofacial tumor depends on the close cooperation between prosthodontist and surgeon, by combination of pre-prosthetic

  8. Rotationplasty with vascular reconstruction for prosthetic knee joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiki, Masahide; Miyamoto, Shimpei; Nakatani, Fumihiko; Kawai, Akira; Sakuraba, Minoru

    2015-01-01

    Rotationplasty is used most often as a function-preserving salvage procedure after resection of sarcomas of the lower extremity; however, it is also used after infection of prosthetic knee joints. Conventional vascular management during rotationplasty is to preserve and coil major vessels, but recently, transection and reanastomosis of the major vessels has been widely performed. However, there has been little discussion regarding the optimal vascular management of rotationplasty after infection of prosthetic knee joints because rotationplasty is rarely performed for this indication. We reviewed four patients who had undergone resection of osteosarcomas of the femur, placement of a prosthetic knee joint, and rotationplasty with vascular reconstruction from 2010 to 2013. The mean interval between prosthetic joint replacement and rotationplasty was 10.4 years and the mean interval between the diagnosis of prosthesis infection and rotationplasty was 7.9 years. Rotationplasty was successful in all patients; however, in one patient, arterial thrombosis developed and necessitated urgent surgical removal and arterial reconstruction. All patients were able to walk independently with a prosthetic limb after rehabilitation. Although there is no consensus regarding the most appropriate method of vascular management during rotationplasty for revision of infected prosthetic joints, vascular transection and reanastomosis is a useful option.

  9. A photogrammetry-based system for 3D surface reconstruction of prosthetics and orthotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guang-kun; Gao, Fan; Wang, Zhi-gang

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study is to develop an innovative close range digital photogrammetry (CRDP) system using the commercial digital SLR cameras to measure and reconstruct the 3D surface of prosthetics and orthotics. This paper describes the instrumentation, techniques and preliminary results of the proposed system. The technique works by taking pictures of the object from multiple view angles. The series of pictures were post-processed via feature point extraction, point match and 3D surface reconstruction. In comparison with the traditional method such as laser scanning, the major advantages of our instrument include the lower cost, compact and easy-to-use hardware, satisfactory measurement accuracy, and significantly less measurement time. Besides its potential applications in prosthetics and orthotics surface measurement, the simple setup and its ease of use will make it suitable for various 3D surface reconstructions.

  10. Rapid prototyping prosthetic hand acting by a low-cost shape-memory-alloy actuator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soriano-Heras, Enrique; Blaya-Haro, Fernando; Molino, Carlos; de Agustín Del Burgo, José María

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this article is to develop a new concept of modular and operative prosthetic hand based on rapid prototyping and a novel shape-memory-alloy (SMA) actuator, thus minimizing the manufacturing costs. An underactuated mechanism was needed for the design of the prosthesis to use only one input source. Taking into account the state of the art, an underactuated mechanism prosthetic hand was chosen so as to implement the modifications required for including the external SMA actuator. A modular design of a new prosthesis was developed which incorporated a novel SMA actuator for the index finger movement. The primary objective of the prosthesis is achieved, obtaining a modular and functional low-cost prosthesis based on additive manufacturing executed by a novel SMA actuator. The external SMA actuator provides a modular system which allows implementing it in different systems. This paper combines rapid prototyping and a novel SMA actuator to develop a new concept of modular and operative low-cost prosthetic hand.

  11. Successful thrombolysis of aortic prosthetic valve thrombosis during ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Successful thrombolysis of aortic prosthetic valve thrombosis during first trimester of pregnancy. A Shukla, AP Raval, R Shah. Abstract. Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis during pregnancy is life-threatening. Standard surgical treatment using cardiopulmonary bypass carries high maternal and fetal complications. Here we ...

  12. Welding of Prosthetic Alloys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciechowska M.

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the techniques of joining metal denture elements, used in prosthetic dentistry: the traditional soldering technique with a gas burner and a new technique of welding with a laser beam; the aim of the study was to make a comparative assessment of the quality of the joints in view of the possibility of applying them in prosthetic structures. Fractographic examinations were conducted along with tensile strength and impact strength tests, and the quality of the joints was assessed compared to the solid metal. The experiments have shown that the metal elements used to make dentures, joined by the technique which employs a laser beam, have better strength properties than those achieved with a gas burner.

  13. DeviceNet-based device-level control in SSRF

    CERN Document Server

    Leng Yong Bin; Lu Cheng Meng; Miao Hai Feng; Liu Song Qiang; Shen Guo Bao

    2002-01-01

    The control system of Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is an EPICS-based distributed system. One of the key techniques to construct the system is the device-level control. The author describes the design and implementation of the DeviceNet-based device controller. A prototype of the device controller was tested in the experiments of magnet power supply and the result showed a precision of 3 x 10 sup - sup 5

  14. Undergraduate prosthetics and orthotics teaching methods: A baseline for international comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminian, Gholamreza; O'Toole, John M; Mehraban, Afsoon Hassani

    2015-08-01

    Education of Prosthetics and Orthotics is a relatively recent professional program. While there has been some work on various teaching methods and strategies in international medical education, limited publication exists within prosthetics and orthotics. To identify the teaching and learning methods that are used in Bachelor-level prosthetics and orthotics programs that are given highest priority by expert prosthetics and orthotics instructors from regions enjoying a range of economic development. Mixed method. The study partly documented by this article utilized a mixed method approach (qualitative and quantitative methods) within which each phase provided data for other phases. It began with analysis of prosthetics and orthotics curricula documents, which was followed by a broad survey of instructors in this field and then a modified Delphi process. The expert instructors who participated in this study gave high priority to student-centered, small group methods that encourage critical thinking and may lead to lifelong learning. Instructors from more developed nations placed higher priority on student's independent acquisition of prosthetics and orthotics knowledge, particularly in clinical training. Application of student-centered approaches to prosthetics and orthotics programs may be preferred by many experts, but there appeared to be regional differences in the priority given to different teaching methods. The results of this study identify the methods of teaching that are preferred by expert prosthetics and orthotics instructors from a variety of regions. This treatment of current instructional techniques may inform instructor choice of teaching methods that impact the quality of education and improve the professional skills of students. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

  15. Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Review Resources AT Education Blind Rehab Chiropractic Service Polytrauma/TBI Prosthetics & Sensory Aids Recreation Therapy More Health ... Military Sexual Trauma PTSD Research (MIRECC) Military Exposures Polytrauma Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Injury Telehealth Womens Health Issues ...

  16. Prosthetic considerations for orthodontic implant site development in the adult patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holst, Alexandra I; Nkenke, Emeka; Blatz, Markus B; Geiselhöringer, Hans; Holst, Stefan

    2009-11-01

    Proper site development is a key factor for long-term clinical success of dental implants. Whereas surgical and restorative techniques have been refined to ensure predictable functional and esthetic outcome, individual clinical prerequisites do not always allow proper placement of implants when prosthetic and material properties are considered. Orthodontic tooth movement may be a viable and nonsurgical site development treatment option. With the introduction and advancements of minimal invasive and less visible orthodontic appliances, a growing number of adult patients are willing to obtain orthodontic treatment. The spectrum of modern appliances is broad and ranges from clear aligners to lingual brackets. Skeletal anchorage devices such as orthodontic mini-implants often eliminate unpopular external anchorage devices (ie, headgear) in adult patients, This article discusses the selection of an appropriate pretreatment approach by taking patient-specific criteria into account.

  17. Stiffness and hysteresis properties of some prosthetic feet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Jaarsveld, H.W.L.; Grootenboer, H.J.; de Vries, J.; Koopman, Hubertus F.J.M.

    1990-01-01

    A prosthetic foot is an important element of a prosthesis, although it is not always fully recognized that the properties of the foot, along with the prosthetic knee joint and the socket, are in part responsible for the stability and metabolic energy cost during walking. The stiffness and the

  18. Case study: survey of patient satisfaction with prosthesis quality and design among below-knee prosthetic leg socket users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohd Hawari, Nurhanisah; Jawaid, Mohammad; Md Tahir, Paridah; Azmeer, Raja Ahmad

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this case study was to explore patient satisfaction with the quality of prosthetic leg sockets intended for persons with lower limb amputations. A qualitative study based on in-depth interviews, preceded by a questionnaire session, was carried out with patients from the Rehabilitation Center and Hospital in Malaysia. Twelve out-patient and in-patient amputees with lower limb amputations, specifically below-knee amputations, were chosen randomly. The analysis of patients' narratives aimed to identify the functional and esthetic characteristics of currently used prosthetic leg sockets and any problems related to them. The obtained results indicated that out of the 12 participants, 41.7% and 25% were satisfied and somewhat satisfied with their current prosthetic sockets. Durability and comfort were rated by the participants as the most important characteristics of prosthetic sockets, with 83.3%. As regards the esthetic appearance of the socket, 66.7% of the respondents considered that the most important feature was the material from which the socket was fabricated. Thus, we conclude that current satisfaction levels with the quality of prosthetic sockets among amputees in Malaysia are suitable, prosthesis being preferred by many amputees. The results can be used to direct future research on cosmesis and functionality of prosthetic socket design. Implications for Rehabilitation Case study will help participants to get cost effective prosthetic leg socket. Develop prosthetic leg socket comfortable as comparative to existing one. Help Malaysian government to make policy to develop local prosthetic leg socket at affordable price.

  19. Successful Management of Prosthetic Valve Brucella Endocarditis with Antibiotherapy Alone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Pedro Fonseca

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To report a case of mechanical aortic prosthesis Brucella endocarditis successfully treated with antibiotics alone. Materials and methods: We describe a clinical case and present a review of the literature. Results: A 60-year-old female farmer with a mechanical aortic prosthetic valve presented with low back pain and fever. She was diagnosed with prosthetic valve Brucella mellitensis endocarditis and was cured with antibiotic therapy alone. Few cases of successfully treated prosthetic valve Brucella endocarditis without surgery have been reported. Conclusion: Prosthetic valve Brucella endocarditis usually requires surgical valve replacement. However, selected patients may be successfully treated with antibiotic therapy alone.

  20. Prosthetic valve endocarditis 7 months after transcatheter aortic valve implantation diagnosed with 3D TEE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cenk Sarı

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI was introduced as an alternative treatment for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis for whom surgery would be high-risk. Prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis is a serious complication of surgical AVR (SAVR with high morbidity and mortality. According to recent cases, post-TAVI prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE seems to occur very rarely. We present the case of a 75-year-old woman who underwent TAVI (Edwards Saphien XT with an uneventful postoperative stay. She was diagnosed with endocarditis using three dimensional (3D echocardiography on the TAVI device 7 months later and she subsequently underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. Little experience of the interpretation of transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE and the clinical course and effectiveness of treatment strategies in post-TAVI endocarditis exists. We report a case of PVE in a TAVI patient which was diagnosed with three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE.

  1. Cost analysis of debridement and retention for management of prosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peel, T N; Dowsey, M M; Buising, K L; Liew, D; Choong, P F M

    2013-02-01

    Prosthetic joint infection remains one of the most devastating complications of arthroplasty. Debridement and retention of the prosthesis is an attractive management option in carefully selected patients. Despite this, there are no data investigating the cost of this management modality for prosthetic joint infections. The aim of this case-control study was to calculate the cost associated with debridement and retention for management of prosthetic joint infection compared with primary joint replacement surgery without prosthetic joint infection. From 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2010, there were 21 prosthetic joint infections matched to 42 control patients. Controls were matched to cases according to the arthroplasty site, age and sex. Cases had a greater number of unplanned readmissions (100% vs. 7.1%; p prosthetic joint infection the total cost, including index operation and costs of management of the prosthetic joint infection, was 3.1 times the cost of primary arthoplasty; the mean cost for cases was Australian dollars (AUD) $69,414 (±29,869) compared with $22,085 (±8147) (p prosthetic joint infections will also increase, placing significant burden on the health system. Our study adds significantly to the growing body of evidence highlighting the substantial costs associated with prosthetic joint infection. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  2. Fifteen years of follow-up of a removable prosthetic design to maintain two remaining molars in a patient with mandibular reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming-Lun Hsu

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This clinical report describes a long-term prosthetic solution for a patient who had undergone mandibular reconstruction with a fibular graft, leaving only two right molars. The only retention device for the removable prosthesis design included a telescoping system with an O-ring application, but without fibula graft involvement. This prosthesis design was motivated by the altered bony and muscular architecture resulting in an increased maxillomandibular space and thick soft tissue in the denture-bearing area. This case demonstrates that appropriate denture design, consistent recall maintenance, and oral hygiene motivation minimized periodontal destruction and maximized prosthetic use for the patient despite the unfavorable loading conditions.

  3. [Localized purpura revealing vascular prosthetic graft infection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boureau, A S; Lescalie, F; Cassagnau, E; Clairand, R; Connault, J

    2013-07-01

    Prosthetic graft infection after vascular reconstruction is a rare but serious complication. We report a case of infection occurring late after implantation of an iliofemoral prosthetic vascular graft. The Staphylococcus aureus infection was revealed by vascular purpura localized on the right leg 7 years after implantation of a vascular prosthesis. This case illustrates an uncommonly late clinical manifestation presenting as an acute infection 7 years after the primary operation. In this situation, the presentation differs from early infection, which generally occurs within the first four postoperative months. Diagnosis and treatment remain a difficult challenge because prosthetic graft infection is a potentially life-threatening complication. Morbidity and mortality rates are high. Here we detail specific aspects of the clinical and radiological presentation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Salmonella Typhimurium gastroenteritis leading to chronic prosthetic vascular graft infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullinan, Milo; Clarke, Michael; Dallman, Tim; Peart, Steven; Wilson, Deborah; Weiand, Daniel

    2017-08-01

    Introduction. It is estimated up to 6 % of prosthetic vascular grafts become infected. Staphylococcus aureus is predominant in early infection and coagulase-negative staphylococci are predominant in late infections. Enterobacteriaceae cause 14-40 % of prosthetic vascular graft infections. This is, to our knowledge the first reported case of Salmonella gastroenteritis causing chronic prosthetic vascular graft infection (PVGI). Case presentation. A 57 years old lady presented with signs and symptoms of prosthetic vascular graft infection. Three years earlier, she had undergone a prosthetic axillo-femoral bypass graft for critical limb ischaemia. The infected prosthetic vascular graft was removed and Salmonella Typhimurium was isolated on culture. In the intervening period, Salmonella Typhimurium was isolated from a faecal specimen, collected during an episode of acute gastroenteritis. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the respective Salmonella Typhimurium isolates differed by only a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Salmonella Typhimurium was not isolated on culture of a faecal specimen collected five days following cessation of antimicrobial therapy. Six months after removal of the prosthetic graft, the patient remains under follow-up for her peripheral vascular disease, which currently requires no further surgical intervention. Conclusion. This case has clear implications for the management of chronic PVGI. It is vital to collect high-quality surgical specimens for microbiological analysis and empirical choices of antibiotics are unlikely to cover all potential pathogens. It may also be prudent to enquire about a history of acute gastroenteritis when assessing patients presenting with chronic PVGI.

  5. Measuring the Impact of Cognitive Prosthetics on the Daily Life of People with Dementia and Their Carers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiland, Franka; Dröes, Rose-Marie; Sävenstedt, Stefan

    Assistive technologies to support persons with dementia and their carers are used increasingly often. However, little is known about the effectiveness of most assistive devices. Much technology is put on the market without having been properly tested with potential end-users. To increase the chance that an assistive device is well accepted and useful for the target group, it is important, especially in the case of disabled persons, to involve potential users in the development process and to evaluate the impact of using the device on them before implementing it in the daily care and support. When evaluating the impact, decisions have to be made regarding the selection of measuring instruments. Important considerations in the selection process are the underlying domains to be addressed by the assistive technology, the target group and the availability of standardized instruments with good psychometric properties. In this chapter the COGKNOW project is used as a case example to explain how the impact of cognitive prosthetics on the daily lives of people with dementia and their carers can be measured. In COGKNOW a cognitive prosthetic device is being developed to improve the quality of life and autonomy of persons with dementia and to help them to remember and remind, to have social contact, to perform daily activities and to enhance feelings of safety. For all these areas, potential measuring instruments are described. Besides (standardized) measuring instruments, other data collection methods are used as well, such as semi-structured interviews and observations, diaries and in situ measurement. Within the COGKNOW project a first uncontrolled small-scale impact measurement takes place during the development process of the assistive device. However, it is recommended to perform a larger randomized controlled study as soon as the final product is ready to evaluate the impact of the device on persons with dementia and carers before it is released on the market.

  6. METHODOLOGY OF PROSTHETIC TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH MAXILLECTOMY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Gerdzhikov

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the described method is to present the main stages in the prosthetic treatment with hollow bulb obturator, which provides optimum defect hermetization and restoration of the damaged functions. Materials and methods: The clinical case, described is on a 70-years-old patient with edentulous jaws and maxillary defect in the right half of the upper jaw. The preliminary impressions were taken with irreversible hydrocolloid impression material, and the final impressions were taken with additive silicone material. The occlusion height and the centric relations were registered as the classical technique. After the successful trial denture appointment, the surface of the plaster master model was covered by isolation polish. After this procedure, the master model was covered by even wax layer with 5mm thickness. It was designed to be thinner in the area of the resection line. The designed cavity was filled in with silicone impression material and covered with the folio. The base plate with the arranged teeth was fixed to the model, packed in the cuvette and finished from heat-cured acrylic resin with low quantity of residual monomer. After the polymerization process, the silicone material was removed, and the obturators cap was fixed to the denture’s base plate with cold cured acrylic resin. The obturator and the complete denture of the mandible were adjusted and articulated in patient’s mouth in the final clinical stage. Results: The applied prosthetic method allowed successful defect hermetization and helped for the restoration of the speech, feeding and patient’s self-esteem. Conclusion: Prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with maxillary resection is possible only with the application of specific treatment methods.

  7. A Prosthetic Foot Emulator to Optimize Prescription of Prosthetic Feet in Veterans and Service Members with Leg Amputations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    mobility, prosthetic foot preference and walking ability after two weeks of use in the home and community setting. No exclusions based on sex , race...2012 Page 17 of 33 Data collection Photos and video recording With the participant’s explicit consent, we may take video and photos during portions of...this study, for documentation and use in research publications. All videos and photos will exclue the participant’s face and identifying marks will

  8. Provision of Prosthetic Services Following Lower Limb Amputation in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arifin, Nooranida; Hasbollah, Hasif Rafidee; Hanafi, Muhammad Hafiz; Ibrahim, Al Hafiz; Rahman, Wan Afezah Wan Abdul; Aziz, Roslizawati Che

    2017-01-01

    The incidence of lower limb amputation is high across the globe and continues to be a major threat to morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the provision of high quality and effective prosthetics services have been known as an essential component for a successful rehabilitation outcome. In Malaysia, amputation prevalence has been increasing in which several main components of service delivering aspects (such as service intervention, prosthetic personnel) should be anticipated to accommodate for the increasing demand. This article highlights the hurdles experienced in providing prosthetic services in Malaysia from multiple aspects such as financial burden to acquire the prosthesis and lack of expertise to produce quality prosthesis. This paramount issues consequently justify for the urgency to carry out national level survey on the current statistics of lower limb amputation and to ascertain the available workforce to provide a quality prosthetics services. Only with accurate and current information from the national survey, strategies and policies aimed at enhancing the outcome from prosthetics services can be achieved. PMID:29386978

  9. Prosthetic Status and Prosthetic Need Among the Patients Attending Various Dental Institutes of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar District, Gujarat

    OpenAIRE

    Shah, Vrinda R.; Shah, Darshana N.; Parmar, Chaitanya H.

    2012-01-01

    The oral health being an integral part for the healthy living, necessity of disability limitation and rehabilitation in oral health has taken a paramount role. To assess the prosthetic status and to evaluate the prosthetic needs of the patients attending various institutes of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar district. A total of 510 (264 males and 246 females) subjects at various dental institutes were examined in the study. A survey proforma was prepared with the help of WHO oral health assessment ...

  10. Mechanical design and performance specifications of anthropomorphic prosthetic hands: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belter, Joseph T; Segil, Jacob L; Dollar, Aaron M; Weir, Richard F

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we set forth a detailed analysis of the mechanical characteristics of anthropomorphic prosthetic hands. We report on an empirical study concerning the performance of several commercially available myoelectric prosthetic hands, including the Vincent, iLimb, iLimb Pulse, Bebionic, Bebionic v2, and Michelangelo hands. We investigated the finger design and kinematics, mechanical joint coupling, and actuation methods of these commercial prosthetic hands. The empirical findings are supplemented with a compilation of published data on both commercial and prototype research prosthetic hands. We discuss numerous mechanical design parameters by referencing examples in the literature. Crucial design trade-offs are highlighted, including number of actuators and hand complexity, hand weight, and grasp force. Finally, we offer a set of rules of thumb regarding the mechanical design of anthropomorphic prosthetic hands.

  11. An experimental apparatus to simulate body-powered prosthetic usage: Development and preliminary evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fan; Rodriguez, Johanan; Kapp, Susan

    2016-06-01

    Harness fitting in the body-powered prosthesis remains more art than science due to a lack of consistent and quantitative evaluation. The aim of this study was to develop a mechanical, human-body-shaped apparatus to simulate body-powered upper limb prosthetic usage and evaluate its capability of quantitative examination of harness configuration. The apparatus was built upon a torso of a wooden mannequin and integrated major mechanical joints to simulate terminal device operation. Sensors were used to register cable tension, cable excursion, and grip force simultaneously. The apparatus allowed the scapula to move up to 127 mm laterally and the load cell can measure the cable tension up to 445 N. Our preliminary evaluation highlighted the needs and importance of investigating harness configurations in a systematic and controllable manner. The apparatus allows objective, systematic, and quantitative evaluation of effects of realistic harness configurations and will provide insightful and working knowledge on harness fitting in upper limb amputees using body-powered prosthesis. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

  12. Telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mladenović, Dragan; Tosić, Goran; Zivković, Dusan; Djindjić, Natasa; Mladenović, Lidija; Mladenović, Sanja; Marković, Ivana

    2013-09-01

    In the management of edentulous spaces, there is a permanent need of a dentist-prosthetician in charge to consult other specialists. Modern telemedicine, based on powerful computer and telecomunication systems, offers an adequate answer to these challenges, being able to transfer and obtain clinical data and consultation information over large distances. Using smartphone or a computer, the teleconsultant acces the system, downloads and review the data and photographs and gave suggestions. The system then enables direct, real time contact with the consultant, chat, or directs them to contact each other by phone. We presented telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement in 3 cases with different teleconsultation requirements: the first case for prosthetic rehabilitation of his upper teeth, the second one for prosthetic management of his partial edentulousness and "a growth on his gums" in the vestibular region of the frontal teeth and the third one for prosthetic management of total edentulousness of her upper jaw. We used the system of telemedicine in dentistry, established at the Faculty of Medicine in Kosovska Mitrovica. The operation was based on the computer application system XPA3 Online, computer networking and mobile smartphone network. All consultations were succefull with no need for further procedures in regional center. The use of a mobile smartphone has brought about the mobility and availability of teleconsultant specialists in an extent never seen before. Prostheticians are thus able to offer better service to their patients and improve the quality of management of partially or totally edentulous patients, especially in rural areas.

  13. Local signaling from a retinal prosthetic in a rodent retinitis pigmentosa model in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fransen, James W.; Pangeni, Gobinda; Pardue, Machelle T.; McCall, Maureen A.

    2014-08-01

    Objective. In clinical trials, retinitis pigmentosa patients implanted with a retinal prosthetic device show enhanced spatial vision, including the ability to read large text and navigate. New prosthetics aim to increase spatial resolution by decreasing pixel/electrode size and limiting current spread. To examine spatial resolution of a new prosthetic design, we characterized and compared two photovoltaic array (PVA) designs and their interaction with the retina after subretinal implantation in transgenic S334ter line 3 rats (Tg S334ter-3). Approach. PVAs were implanted subretinally at two stages of degeneration and assessed in vivo using extracellular recordings in the superior colliculus (SC). Several aspects of this interaction were evaluated by varying duration, irradiance and position of a near infrared laser focused on the PVA. These characteristics included: activation threshold, response linearity, SC signal topography and spatial localization. The major design difference between the two PVA designs is the inclusion of local current returns in the newer design. Main results. When tested in vivo, PVA-evoked response thresholds were independent of pixel/electrode size, but differ between the new and old PVA designs. Response thresholds were independent of implantation age and duration (⩽7.5 months). For both prosthesis designs, threshold intensities were within established safety limits. PVA-evoked responses require inner retina synaptic transmission and do not directly activate retinal ganglion cells. The new PVA design evokes local retinal activation, which is not found with the older PVA design that lacks local current returns. Significance. Our study provides in vivo evidence that prosthetics make functional contacts with the inner nuclear layer at several stages of degeneration. The new PVA design enhances local activation within the retina and SC. Together these results predict that the new design can potentially harness the inherent processing within

  14. Adaptive sports technology and biomechanics: prosthetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Luigi, Arthur Jason; Cooper, Rory A

    2014-08-01

    With the technologic advances in medicine and an emphasis on maintaining physical fitness, the population of athletes with impairments is growing. It is incumbent upon health care practitioners to make every effort to inform these individuals of growing and diverse opportunities and to encourage safe exercise and athletic participation through counseling and education. Given the opportunities for participation in sports for persons with a limb deficiency, the demand for new, innovative prosthetic designs is challenging the clinical and technical expertise of the physician and prosthetist. When generating a prosthetic prescription, physicians and prosthetists should consider the needs and preferences of the athlete with limb deficiency, as well as the functional demands of the chosen sporting activity. The intent of this article is to provide information regarding the current advancements in the adaptive sports technology and biomechanics in the field of prosthetics, and to assist clinicians and their patients in facilitating participation in sporting activities. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Periprosthetic joint infection: are patients with multiple prosthetic joints at risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, S Mehdi; Casper, David S; Restrepo, Camilo; Zmistowski, Benjamin; Parvizi, Javad; Sharkey, Peter F

    2012-06-01

    Patients who present with a periprosthetic joint infection in a single joint may have multiple prosthetic joints. The risk of these patients developing a subsequent infection in another prosthetic joint is unknown. Our purposes were (1) to identify the risk of developing a subsequent infection in another prosthetic joint and (2) to describe the time span and organism profile to the second prosthetic infection. We retrospectively identified 55 patients with periprosthetic joint infection who had another prosthetic joint in place at the time of presentation. Of the 55 patients, 11 (20%) developed a periprosthetic joint infection in a second joint. The type of organism was the same as the first infection in 4 (36%) of 11 patients. The time to developing a second infection averaged 2.0 years (range, 0-6.9 years). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Uncemented allograft-prosthetic composite reconstruction of the proximal femur

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Min

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Allograft-prosthetic composite can be divided into three groups names cemented, uncemented, and partially cemented. Previous studies have mainly reported outcomes in cemented and partially cemented allograft-prosthetic composites, but have rarely focused on the uncemented allograft-prosthetic composites. The objectives of our study were to describe a surgical technique for using proximal femoral uncemented allograft-prosthetic composite and to present the radiographic and clinical results. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients who underwent uncemented allograft-prosthetic composite reconstruction of the proximal femur after bone tumor resection were retrospectively evaluated at an average followup of 24.0 months. Clinical records and radiographs were evaluated. Results: In our series, union occurred in all the patients (100%; range 5-9 months. Until the most recent followup, there were no cases with infection, nonunion of the greater trochanter, junctional bone resorption, dislocation, allergic reaction, wear of acetabulum socket, recurrence, and metastasis. But there were three periprosthetic fractures which were fixed using cerclage wire during surgery. Five cases had bone resorption in and around the greater trochanter. The average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS score and Harris hip score (HHS were 26.2 points (range 24-29 points and 80.6 points (range 66.2-92.7 points, respectively. Conclusions: These results showed that uncemented allograft-prosthetic composite could promote bone union through compression at the host-allograft junction and is a good choice for proximal femoral resection. Although this technology has its own merits, long term outcomes are yet not validated.

  17. Prosthetic valve endocarditis 7 months after transcatheter aortic valve implantation diagnosed with 3D TEE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarı, Cenk; Durmaz, Tahir; Karaduman, Bilge Duran; Keleş, Telat; Bayram, Hüseyin; Baştuğ, Serdal; Özen, Mehmet Burak; Bayram, Nihal Akar; Bilen, Emine; Ayhan, Hüseyin; Kasapkara, Hacı Ahmet; Bozkurt, Engin

    2016-01-01

    Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was introduced as an alternative treatment for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis for whom surgery would be high-risk. Prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis is a serious complication of surgical AVR (SAVR) with high morbidity and mortality. According to recent cases, post-TAVI prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) seems to occur very rarely. We present the case of a 75-year-old woman who underwent TAVI (Edwards Saphien XT) with an uneventful postoperative stay. She was diagnosed with endocarditis using three dimensional (3D) echocardiography on the TAVI device 7 months later and she subsequently underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. Little experience of the interpretation of transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and the clinical course and effectiveness of treatment strategies in post-TAVI endocarditis exists. We report a case of PVE in a TAVI patient which was diagnosed with three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE). Copyright © 2016 Hellenic Cardiological Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Bulletin of Prosthetics Research. Rehabilitative Engineering Research and Development, Volume 18, Number 2, Fall 1981,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-01-01

    of 140 beats per minute Upper limb prosthetic terminal devices have remained un- could either crutch walk at 60 meters per minute or run at 134...Responses During Binaural Stimulation, TN. Decker and S.W. Howe; J. Functional Effectiveness of a Myo-Electric Prosthesis Compared Acoust. Soc. Amer., 69(4...were whether the aid(s) should be fitted monaurally, binaurally or fitted with hearing aids. Of these, roughly 9,000 were CROS. About 95 percent of

  19. Surgical-prosthetic treatment of large mandibular cysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Džambas Ljubiša D.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a combined surgical-prosthetic procedure of reconstructing mandibular bone defect in a 53 year old patient, following enucleation of a mandibular cyst (Cystectomy Partsch II. After a thorough diagnostic evaluation, a surgical procedure was planned with the particular attention to the nature of the disease, patient’s condition, size and extension of the cyst, tissue loss, and the possibilities of prosthetic management of a mandibular bone defect with partial postresection dental prosthesis. It is of great importance to point to the significance of teamwork of a maxillofacial surgeon and a specialist in prosthodontics. This kind of cooperation provided very effective and less risky soft tissue, as well as bone tissue regeneration (osteogenesis. The patient’s recovery was fast, and he could return to his daily activities and work without significant changes regarding quality of life after surgery and prosthetic treatment.

  20. Prosthetics in Paediatric Dentistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vulićević Zoran

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Premature loss of teeth in children may lead to both functional and esthetic problems. Missing teeth in both anterior and posterior regions may cause malfunctions in mastication and proper pronunciation. If the missing teeth are not replaced, further complications may occur, including adjacent tooth migration, loss of alveolar bone, and irregular occlusion. Considering the sensitive nature of children, loss of teeth may cause the development of insecurities and low self esteem problems. Due to dynamic nature of growth in children and adolescents, prosthetic appliances must not hinder development of orofacial system, and must meet adequate esthetic and functional standards. Dental prosthetic appliances in paediatrics must be planned with respect to the special conditions that led to tooth loss or damage. Multi-disciplinary approach is needed, under constant supervision of paediatric dentist and orthodontist, as well as regular checkups with clinical and radiographical examinations.

  1. Custom-made laser-welded titanium implant prosthetic abutment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iglesia-Puig, Miguel A

    2005-10-01

    A technique to create an individually modified implant prosthetic abutment is described. An overcasting is waxed onto a machined titanium abutment, cast in titanium, and joined to it with laser welding. With the proposed technique, a custom-made titanium implant prosthetic abutment is created with adequate volume and contour of metal to support a screw-retained, metal-ceramic implant-supported crown.

  2. Prosthetic Rehabilitation in Children: An Alternative Clinical Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nádia Carolina Teixeira Marques

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Complete and partial removable dentures have been used successfully in numerous patients with oligodontia and/or anodontia. However, there is little information in the literature regarding the principles and guidelines to prosthetic rehabilitation for growing children. This case report describes the management of a young child with oligodontia as well as the treatment planning and the prosthetic rehabilitation technique.

  3. Mesofluidic controlled robotic or prosthetic finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lind, Randall F; Jansen, John F; Love, Lonnie J

    2013-11-19

    A mesofluidic powered robotic and/or prosthetic finger joint includes a first finger section having at least one mesofluidic actuator in fluid communication with a first actuator, a second mesofluidic actuator in fluid communication with a second actuator and a second prosthetic finger section pivotally connected to the first finger section by a joint pivot, wherein the first actuator pivotally cooperates with the second finger to provide a first mechanical advantage relative to the joint point and wherein the second actuator pivotally cooperates with the second finger section to provide a second mechanical advantage relative to the joint point.

  4. Prosthetic Rehabilitation by Palatal Hollow Bulb Obturator with Cast Metal Denture Base: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Francis

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Prosthetic reconstruction of partial maxillectomy defects is a challenging procedure that requires multidisciplinary expertise to achieve an acceptable function, speech and esthetics. This procedure improves the quality of life for the patient as a normal individual. Obturation of the defect depends on its volume and position of remaining hard and soft tissues which determine the retention, stability and support for the prosthesis. The prosthesis should be simple to handle, easy to maintain, biocompatible, light in weight and convenient for future adjustments. This case report describes a clinical case of partial maxillectomy which was successfully rehabilitated with a definitive closed hollow bulb obturator and cast metal denture base.

  5. Innovating transformative medical devices and growing the local medical device manufacturing sector

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Bunn, Tony

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available . The 4IR is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields, including robotics, genomics, biosensors and wearables, AI, the internet of things, quantum computing, big data predictive analytics, 3D printing/additive manufacturing... of personalized prosthetics and products • Personalized devices and technologies for precision medicine Secure Airway Clamp for safer Anaesthesia MANDIBULAR IMPLANTS PATIENT 2 PATIENT 1 PATIENT 3 PATIENT CT SCAN 3D PRINTED TITANIUM IMPLANT PROPOSED...

  6. Pre prosthetic reconstruction of alveolar ridge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prabhuji Munivenkatappa Lakshmaiahenkatesh

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Dento-alveolar bony defects are common and occur due to a variety of causes, such as, pulpal pathology, traumatic tooth extraction, advanced periodontal disease, implant failure, tumor or congenital anomalies. These defects often cause a significant problem in dental treatment and rehabilitation. Many techniques exist for effective soft and hard tissue augmentation. The approach is largely based on the extent of the defect and specific procedures to be performed for the implant or prosthetic rehabilitation. This article presents case reports of soft and hard tissue ridge augmentation.

  7. Telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mladenović Dragan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. In the management of edentulous spaces, there is a permanent need of a dentist-prosthetician in charge to consult other specialists. Modern telemedicine, based on powerful computer and telecomunication systems, offers an adequate answer to these challenges, being able to transfer and obtain clinical data and consultation information over large distances. Using smartphone or a computer, the teleconsultant acces the system, downloads and review the data and photographs and gave suggestions. The system then enables direct, real time contact with the consultant, chat, or directs them to contact each other by phone. Case report. We presented telemedicine consulting in the patient preparation and planning of prosthetic tooth replacement in 3 cases with different teleconsultation requirements: the first case for prosthetic rehabilitation of his upper teeth, the second one for prosthetic management of his partial edentulousness and “a growth on his gums” in the vestibular region of the frontal teeth and the third one for prosthetic management of total edentulousness of her upper jaw. We used the system of telemedicine in dentistry, established at the Faculty of Medicine in Kosovska Mitrovica. The operation was based on the computer application system XPA3 Online, computer networking and mobile smartphone network. All consultations were succefull with no need for further procedures in regional center. Conclusion. The use of a mobile smartphone has brought about the mobility and availability of teleconsultant specialists in an extent never seen before. Prostheticians are thus able to offer better service to their patients and improve the quality of management of partially or totally edentulous patients, especially in rural areas.

  8. Interface Prostheses With Classifier-Feedback-Based User Training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Yinfeng; Zhou, Dalin; Li, Kairu; Liu, Honghai

    2017-11-01

    It is evident that user training significantly affects performance of pattern-recognition-based myoelectric prosthetic device control. Despite plausible classification accuracy on offline datasets, online accuracy usually suffers from the changes in physiological conditions and electrode displacement. The user ability in generating consistent electromyographic (EMG) patterns can be enhanced via proper user training strategies in order to improve online performance. This study proposes a clustering-feedback strategy that provides real-time feedback to users by means of a visualized online EMG signal input as well as the centroids of the training samples, whose dimensionality is reduced to minimal number by dimension reduction. Clustering feedback provides a criterion that guides users to adjust motion gestures and muscle contraction forces intentionally. The experiment results have demonstrated that hand motion recognition accuracy increases steadily along the progress of the clustering-feedback-based user training, while conventional classifier-feedback methods, i.e., label feedback, hardly achieve any improvement. The result concludes that the use of proper classifier feedback can accelerate the process of user training, and implies prosperous future for the amputees with limited or no experience in pattern-recognition-based prosthetic device manipulation.It is evident that user training significantly affects performance of pattern-recognition-based myoelectric prosthetic device control. Despite plausible classification accuracy on offline datasets, online accuracy usually suffers from the changes in physiological conditions and electrode displacement. The user ability in generating consistent electromyographic (EMG) patterns can be enhanced via proper user training strategies in order to improve online performance. This study proposes a clustering-feedback strategy that provides real-time feedback to users by means of a visualized online EMG signal input as well

  9. Sport prostheses and prosthetic adaptations for the upper and lower limb amputees: an overview of peer reviewed literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bragaru, Mihai; Dekker, Rienk; Geertzen, Jan H B

    2012-09-01

    Sport prostheses are used by both upper- and lower-limb amputees while participating in sports and other physical activities. Although the number of these devices has increased over the past decade, no overview of the peer reviewed literature describing them has been published previously. Such an overview will allow specialists to choose appropriate prostheses based on available scientific evidence rather than on personal experience or preference. To provide an overview of the sport prostheses as they are described by the papers published in peer reviewed literature. Literature review. Four electronic databases were searched using free text and Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms. Papers were included if they concerned a prosthesis or a prosthetic adaptation used in sports. Papers were excluded if they did not originate from peer reviewed sources, if they concerned prostheses for body parts other than the upper or lower limbs, if they concerned amputations distal to the wrist or ankle, or if they were written in a language other than English. Twenty-four papers were included in this study. The vast majority contained descriptive data and consisted of expert opinions and technical notes. Data concerning the energy efficiency, technical characteristics and special mechanical properties of prostheses or prosthetic adaptations for sports, other than running, are scarce.

  10. The influence of standards and clinical guidelines on prosthetic and orthotic service quality: a scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghi-Demneh, Ebrahim; Forghany, Saeed; Onmanee, Pornsuree; Trinler, Ursula; Dillon, Michael P; Baker, Richard

    2017-06-20

    Standards and guidelines are an integral part of prosthetic and orthotic service delivery in the developed world underpinned by an assumption that they lead to improved services. Implementing them has a cost, however, and that cost needs to be justified, particularly in resource-limited environments. This scoping review thus asks the question, "What is the evidence of the impact of standards and guidelines on service delivery outcomes in prosthetics and orthotics?" A structured search of three electronic databases (Medline, Scopus and Web of Science) followed by manual searching of title, abstract and full text, yielded 29 articles. Four categories of papers were identified: Descriptions and Commentaries (17 papers), Guideline Development (7), Guideline Testing (2) and Standards implementation (3). No articles were explicitly designed to assess the impact of standards and guidelines on service delivery outcomes in prosthetics and orthotics. Studies tended to be commentaries on or descriptions of guideline development, testing or implementation of standards. The literature is not sufficiently well developed to warrant the cost and effort of a systematic review. Future primary research should seek to demonstrate whether and how guidelines and standards improve the outcomes for people that require prostheses, orthoses and other assistive devices. Implications for Rehabilitation International Standards and Clinical Guidelines are now an integral part of clinical service provision in prosthetics and orthotics in the developed world. Complying with standards and guidelines has a cost and, particularly in resource-limited environments, it should be possible to justify this in terms of the resulting benefits. This scoping review concludes that there have been no previous studies designed to directly quantify the effects of implementing standards and guidelines on service delivery.

  11. Embodied prosthetic arm stabilizes body posture, while unembodied one perturbs it.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imaizumi, Shu; Asai, Tomohisa; Koyama, Shinichi

    2016-10-01

    Senses of ownership (this arm belongs to me) and agency (I am controlling this arm) originate from sensorimotor system. External objects can be integrated into the sensorimotor system following long-term use, and recognized as one's own body. We examined how an (un)embodied prosthetic arm modulates whole-body control, and assessed the components of prosthetic embodiment. Nine unilateral upper-limb amputees participated. Four frequently used their prosthetic arm, while the others rarely did. Their postural sway was measured during quiet standing with or without their prosthesis. The frequent users showed greater sway when they removed the prosthesis, while the rare users showed greater sway when they fitted the prosthesis. Frequent users reported greater everyday feelings of postural stabilization by prosthesis and a larger sense of agency over the prosthesis. We suggest that a prosthetic arm maintains or perturbs postural control, depending on the prosthetic embodiment, which involves sense of agency rather than ownership. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. One-year incidence of prosthetic joint infection in total hip arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gundtoft, P H; Pedersen, A B; Schønheyder, H C

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the trend of Prosthetic Joint Infections (PJI) following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the antimicrobial resistance of the bacteria causing these infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified a population-based cohort of patients in the Danish Hip Arthroplasty...

  13. Fixed prosthetic treatment in patients with cleft lip and palate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bajevska Jagoda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The prosthetic treatment of patients with cleft palate includes various treatment options such as fixed partial dentures, removable partial prosthesis, etc. The type of prosthetic appliance is determined by the oral health of each individual and the circumstances. We presented three adult patients with the cleft lip and palate subjected to prosthetic treatment. Case report. From the possible prosthetic solutions according to the conditions in the oral cavity and the circumstances, fixed partial dentures veneered with composite or ceramic were chosen. A proper relationship between the teeth was reached with the fixed partial dentures, and function established, the phonetics improved and satisfying aesthetics effect accomplished improving the profile appearance of the patient’s face. Plastic surgery of the nose was performed after that. Conclusion. Multidisclipinary treatment is necessary for favourable long-term outcome in cleft lip and palate patients.

  14. Agreement between pre-operative and intra-operative bacteriological samples in 85 chronic peri-prosthetic infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matter-Parrat, V; Ronde-Oustau, C; Boéri, C; Gaudias, J; Jenny, J-Y

    2017-04-01

    Whether pre-operative microbiological sampling contributes to the management of chronic peri-prosthetic infection remains controversial. We assessed agreement between the results of pre-operative and intra-operative samples in patients undergoing single-stage prosthesis exchange to treat chronic peri-prosthetic infection. Agreement between pre-operative and intra-operative samples exceeds 75% in patients undergoing single-stage exchange of a hip or knee prosthesis to treat chronic peri-prosthetic infection. This single-centre retrospective study included 85 single-stage prosthesis exchange procedures in 82 patients with chronic peri-prosthetic infection at the hip or knee. Agreement between pre-operative and intra-operative sample results was evaluated. Changes to the initial antibiotic regimen made based on the intra-operative sample results were recorded. Of 149 pre-operative samples, 109 yielded positive cultures, in 75/85 cases. Of 452 intra-operative samples, 354 yielded positive cultures, in 85/85 cases. Agreement was complete in 54 (63%) cases and partial in 9 (11%) cases; there was no agreement in the remaining 22 (26%) cases. The complete agreement rate was significantly lower than 75% (P=0.01). The initial antibiotic regimen was inadequate in a single case. Pre-operative sampling may contribute to the diagnosis of peri-prosthetic infection but is neither necessary nor sufficient to confirm the diagnosis and identify the causative agent. The spectrum of the initial antibiotic regimen cannot be safely narrowed based on the pre-operative sample results. We suggest the routine prescription of a probabilistic broad-spectrum antibiotic regimen immediately after the prosthesis exchange, even when a pathogen was identified before surgery. IV, retrospective study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  15. Prosthetic Mitral Valve Leaflet Escape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Darae; Hun, Sin Sang; Cho, In-Jeong; Shim, Chi-Young; Ha, Jong-Won; Chung, Namsik; Ju, Hyun Chul; Sohn, Jang Won

    2013-01-01

    Leaflet escape of prosthetic valve is rare but potentially life threatening. It is essential to make timely diagnosis in order to avoid mortality. Transesophageal echocardiography and cinefluoroscopy is usually diagnostic and the location of the missing leaflet can be identified by computed tomography (CT). Emergent surgical correction is mandatory. We report a case of fractured escape of Edward-Duromedics mitral valve 27 years after the surgery. The patient presented with symptoms of acute decompensated heart failure and cardiogenic shock. She was instantly intubated and mechanically ventilated. After prompt evaluation including transthoracic echocardiography and CT, the escape of the leaflet was confirmed. The patient underwent emergent surgery for replacement of the damaged prosthetic valves immediately. Eleven days after the surgery, the dislodged leaflet in iliac artery was removed safely and the patient recovered well. PMID:23837121

  16. Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

    2011-03-15

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, triaxially textured, single-crystal or single-crystal-like, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  17. A Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach to designing a prosthetic myoelectric hand

    OpenAIRE

    Erika Sofía Olaya Escobar; Carlos Julio Cortés Rodríguez; Óscar Germán Duarte Velasco

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) model based on computing with words. It is specifically used in the House of Quality (HOQ) construction phase. It illustrates the methodology employed in designing a prosthetic myoelectric hand.

  18. Post-operative orbital imaging: a focus on implants and prosthetic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, Ashok; Mankad, Kshitij; Poitelea, Cornelia; Verity, David H.; Davagnanam, Indran

    2014-01-01

    Accurate interpretation of orbital imaging in the presence of either orbital implants requires a sound knowledge of both the surgical approach used and the imaging characteristics of the implanted devices themselves. In this article, the radiological appearance of the various devices used in ophthalmology, and their relationship to other orbital structures, is reviewed. In addition, the intended anatomical location, function of these devices, and clinical indications for their use are provided. (orig.)

  19. The evidence-base for elevated vacuum in lower limb prosthetics: Literature review and professional feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gholizadeh, H; Lemaire, E D; Eshraghi, A

    2016-08-01

    An optimal suspension system can improve comfort and quality of life in people with limb loss. To guide practice on prosthetic vacuum suspension systems, assessment of the current evidence and professional opinion are required. PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were explored to find related articles. Search terms were amputees, artificial limb, prosthetic suspension, prosthetic liner, vacuum, and prosthesis. The results were refined by vacuum socket or vacuum assisted suspension or sub-atmospheric suspension. Study design, research instrument, sample size, and outcome measures were reviewed. An online questionnaire was also designed and distributed worldwide among professionals and prosthetists (www.ispoint.org, OANDP-L, LinkedIn, personal email). 26 articles were published from 2001 to March 2016. The number of participants averaged 7 (SD=4) for transtibial and 6 (SD=6) for transfemoral amputees. Most studies evaluated the short-term effects of vacuum systems by measuring stump volume changes, gait parameters, pistoning, interface pressures, satisfaction, balance, and wound healing. 155 professionals replied to the questionnaire and supported results from the literature. Elevated vacuum systems may have some advantages over the other suspension systems, but may not be appropriate for all people with limb loss. Elevated vacuum suspension could improve comfort and quality of life for people with limb loss. However, future investigations with larger sample sizes are needed to provide strong statistical conclusions and to evaluate long-term effects of these systems. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Ontology-Based Device Descriptions and Device Repository for Building Automation Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dibowski Henrik

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Device descriptions play an important role in the design and commissioning of modern building automation systems and help reducing the design time and costs. However, all established device descriptions are specialized for certain purposes and suffer from several weaknesses. This hinders a further design automation, which is strongly needed for the more and more complex building automation systems. To overcome these problems, this paper presents novel Ontology-based Device Descriptions (ODDs along with a layered ontology architecture, a specific ontology view approach with virtual properties, a generic access interface, a triple store-based database backend, and a generic search mask GUI with underlying query generation algorithm. It enables a formal, unified, and extensible specification of building automation devices, ensures their comparability, and facilitates a computer-enabled retrieval, selection, and interoperability evaluation, which is essential for an automated design. The scalability of the approach to several ten thousand devices is demonstrated.

  1. Image segmentation for enhancing symbol recognition in prosthetic vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horne, Lachlan; Barnes, Nick; McCarthy, Chris; He, Xuming

    2012-01-01

    Current and near-term implantable prosthetic vision systems offer the potential to restore some visual function, but suffer from poor resolution and dynamic range of induced phosphenes. This can make it difficult for users of prosthetic vision systems to identify symbolic information (such as signs) except in controlled conditions. Using image segmentation techniques from computer vision, we show it is possible to improve the clarity of such symbolic information for users of prosthetic vision implants in uncontrolled conditions. We use image segmentation to automatically divide a natural image into regions, and using a fixation point controlled by the user, select a region to phosphenize. This technique improves the apparent contrast and clarity of symbolic information over traditional phosphenization approaches.

  2. A novel vacuum assisted closure therapy model for use with percutaneous devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Saranne J; Nichols, Francesca R; Brunker, Lucille B; Bachus, Kent N

    2014-06-01

    Long-term maintenance of a dermal barrier around a percutaneous prosthetic device remains a common clinical problem. A technique known as Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) uses negative pressure to facilitate healing of impaired and complex soft tissue wounds. However, the combination of using negative pressure with percutaneous prosthetic devices has not been investigated. The goal of this study was to develop a methodology to apply negative pressure to the tissues surrounding a percutaneous device in an animal model; no tissue healing outcomes are presented. Specifically, four hairless rats received percutaneous porous coated titanium devices implanted on the dorsum and were bandaged with a semi occlusive film dressing. Two of these animals received NPWT; two animals received no NPWT and served as baseline controls. Over a 28-day period, both the number of dressing changes required between the two groups as well as the pressures were monitored. Negative pressures were successfully applied to the periprosthetic tissues in a clinically relevant range with a manageable number of dressing changes. This study provides a method for establishing, maintaining, and quantifying controlled negative pressures to the tissues surrounding percutaneous devices using a small animal model. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Prosthesis use in adult acquired major upper-limb amputees: patterns of wear, prosthetic skills and the actual use of prostheses in activities of daily life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Østlie, Kristin; Lesjø, Ingrid Marie; Franklin, Rosemary Joy; Garfelt, Beate; Skjeldal, Ola Hunsbeth; Magnus, Per

    2012-11-01

    To describe patterns of prosthesis wear and perceived prosthetic usefulness in adult acquired upper-limb amputees (ULAs). To describe prosthetic skills in activities of daily life (ADL) and the actual use of prostheses in the performance of ADL tasks. To estimate the influence of prosthetic skills on actual prosthesis use and the influence of background factors on prosthetic skills and actual prosthesis use. Cross-sectional study analysing population-based questionnaire data (n = 224) and data from interviews and clinical testing in a referred/convenience sample of prosthesis-wearing ULAs (n = 50). Effects were analysed using linear regression. 80.8% wore prostheses. 90.3% reported their most worn prosthesis as useful. Prosthetic usefulness profiles varied with prosthetic type. Despite demonstrating good prosthetic skills, the amputees reported actual prosthesis use in only about half of the ADL tasks performed in everyday life. In unilateral amputees, increased actual use was associated with sufficient prosthetic training and with the use of myoelectric vs cosmetic prostheses, regardless of amputation level. Prosthetic skills did not affect actual prosthesis use. No background factors showed significant effect on prosthetic skills. Most major ULAs wear prostheses. Individualised prosthetic training and fitting of myoelectric rather than passive prostheses may increase actual prosthesis use in ADL.

  4. An Approach for Pattern Recognition of EEG Applied in Prosthetic Hand Drive

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Dong Zhang

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available For controlling the prosthetic hand by only electroencephalogram (EEG, it has become the hot spot in robotics research to set up a direct communication and control channel between human brain and prosthetic hand. In this paper, the EEG signal is analyzed based on multi-complicated hand activities. And then, two methods of EEG pattern recognition are investigated, a neural prosthesis hand system driven by BCI is set up, which can complete four kinds of actions (arm’s free state, arm movement, hand crawl, hand open. Through several times of off-line and on-line experiments, the result shows that the neural prosthesis hand system driven by BCI is reasonable and feasible, the C-support vector classifiers-based method is better than BP neural network on the EEG pattern recognition for multi-complicated hand activities.

  5. Distal anastomotic vein adjunct usage in infrainguinal prosthetic bypasses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPhee, James T; Goodney, Philip P; Schanzer, Andres; Shaykevich, Shimon; Belkin, Michael; Menard, Matthew T

    2013-04-01

    Single-segment saphenous vein remains the optimal conduit for infrainguinal revascularization. In its absence, prosthetic conduit may be used. Existing data regarding the significance of anastomotic distal vein adjunct (DVA) usage with prosthetic grafts are based on small series. This is a retrospective cohort analysis derived from the regional Vascular Study Group of New England as well as the Brigham and Women's hospital database. A total of 1018 infrainguinal prosthetic bypass grafts were captured in the dataset from 73 surgeons at 15 participating institutions. Propensity scoring and 3:1 matching was performed to create similar exposure groups for analysis. Outcome measures of interest included: primary patency, freedom from major adverse limb events (MALEs), and amputation free survival at 1 year as a function of vein patch utilization. Time to event data were compared with the log-rank test; multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the adjusted association between vein cuff usage and the primary end points. DVA was defined as a vein patch, cuff, or boot in any configuration. Of the 1018 bypass operations, 94 (9.2%) had a DVA whereas 924 (90.8%) did not (no DVA). After propensity score matching, 88 DVAs (25%) and 264 no DVAs (75%) were analyzed. On univariate analysis of the matched cohort, the DVA and no DVA groups were similar in terms of mean age (70.0 vs 69.0; P = .55), male sex (58.0% vs 58.3%; P > .99), and preoperative characteristics such as living at home (93.2% vs 94.3%; P = .79) and independent ambulatory status (72.7% vs 75.7%; P = .64). The DVA and no DVA groups had similar rates of major comorbidities such as hypertension chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and dialysis dependence (P > .05 for all). Likewise, they had similar rates of distal origin grafts (13.6% vs 12.5%; P = .85), critical limb ischemia indications (P = .53), and prior arterial bypass (58% vs 47%; P = .08

  6. Detection of a prosthetic aortic valvular abscess with indium-111-labeled leukocytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oates, E.; Sarno, R.C.

    1988-10-01

    An unsuspected annular abscess at the base of a prosthetic aortic valve in a patient with endocarditis was identified by indium-111-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy alone. This highly sensitive and specific technique expediently demonstrated the surgically proven inflammatory focus.

  7. Detection of a prosthetic aortic valvular abscess with indium-111-labeled leukocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oates, E.; Sarno, R.C.

    1988-01-01

    An unsuspected annular abscess at the base of a prosthetic aortic valve in a patient with endocarditis was identified by indium-111-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy alone. This highly sensitive and specific technique expediently demonstrated the surgically proven inflammatory focus

  8. Intra-prosthetic breast MR virtual navigation: a preliminary study for a new evaluation of silicone breast implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moschetta, Marco; Telegrafo, Michele; Capuano, Giulia; Rella, Leonarda; Scardapane, Arnaldo; Angelelli, Giuseppe; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio

    2013-10-01

    To assess the contribute of intra-prosthetic MRI virtual navigation for evaluating breast implants and detecting implant ruptures. Forty-five breast implants were evaluated by MR examination. Only patients with a clinical indication were assessed. A 1.5-T device equipped with a 4-channel breast coil was used by performing axial TSE-T2, axial silicone-only, axial silicone suppression and sagittal STIR images. The obtained dicom files were also analyzed by using virtual navigation software. Two blinded radiologists evaluated all MR and virtual images. Eight patients for a total of 13 implants underwent surgical replacement. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for both imaging strategies. Intra-capsular rupture was diagnosed in 13 out of 45 (29%) implants by using MRI. Basing on virtual navigation, 9 (20%) cases of intra-capsular rupture were diagnosed. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV values of 100%, 86%, 89%, 62% and 100%, respectively, were found for MRI. Virtual navigation increased the previous values up to 100%, 97%, 98%, 89% and 100%. Intra-prosthetic breast MR virtual navigation can represent an additional promising tool for the evaluation of breast implants being able to reduce false positives and to provide a more accurate detection of intra-capsular implant rupture signs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. PLANNING OF IMPLANTO‐PROSTHETIC STRUCTURES IN TOTAL EDENTATION ACCORDING TO BIOMECHANICAL CRITERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. VASILE

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Scope of the study: Analysis of the biomechanical aspects of the implanto‐prosthetic structures for planning the treatment in cases of total edentation.Materials and method: The study was performed in the Clinics of Prosthetics and Oral Implantology, Military Emergency Hospital of Sibiu, on a group of mandibularly totally edentated patients. Planning of the implanto‐pros‐ thetic treatment had in view the peculiarities of total man‐ dibular edentation and observance of the biomechanical principles. Selection of the type of occlusion restoration considered the presence of parafunctions and the nature of the antagonistic arch. Special attention was paid to the direction and intensity of the forces acting in the region of the future prosthetic work. When bruxism was manifested, its preimplantary removal was compulsory.Results and discussion: In fixed prosthetic restaurati‐ ons applied on implants, distribuition of forces obviously depend on the quality of osteo‐acceptance, as well, and also on the elasticity degree of the prosthetic work. In the case of mobilized prosthetic restorations supported on implants, rigidization of implants from the anterior region of the mandible may be obtained by means of a bar. In decreasing order of their elasticity, the materials employed are: acrylate, composites, noble and seminoble alloys, other metals, ceramics. Ceramics confers maximum stability to implants, yet without redeeming the forces. For amortizing the forces and for a progressive charging of the implants, it is recommended that the first (temporary prosthetic restorations should be made of either acrylate or compo‐ sites.Conclusions. Observance of the occlusological princi‐ ples in cases of occlusal reconstruction represents the determining element which assures the osteo‐acceptance of implants and the integrity of prosthetic restaurations.

  10. Methodology for designing and manufacturing complex biologically inspired soft robotic fluidic actuators: prosthetic hand case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson-Bean, E; Das, R; McDaid, A

    2016-10-31

    We present a novel methodology for the design and manufacture of complex biologically inspired soft robotic fluidic actuators. The methodology is applied to the design and manufacture of a prosthetic for the hand. Real human hands are scanned to produce a 3D model of a finger, and pneumatic networks are implemented within it to produce a biomimetic bending motion. The finger is then partitioned into material sections, and a genetic algorithm based optimization, using finite element analysis, is employed to discover the optimal material for each section. This is based on two biomimetic performance criteria. Two sets of optimizations using two material sets are performed. Promising optimized material arrangements are fabricated using two techniques to validate the optimization routine, and the fabricated and simulated results are compared. We find that the optimization is successful in producing biomimetic soft robotic fingers and that fabrication of the fingers is possible. Limitations and paths for development are discussed. This methodology can be applied for other fluidic soft robotic devices.

  11. Vascular complications of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Kevin J; Ross, E Raymond S; Norris, Heather; McCollum, Charles N

    2006-10-01

    Five consecutive cases of prosthetic inter-vertebral disc displacement with severe vascular complications on revisional surgery are described. The objective of this case report is to warn spinal surgeons that major vascular complications are likely with anterior displacement of inter-vertebral discs. We have not been able to find a previous report on vascular complications associated with anterior displacement of prosthetic inter-vertebral discs. In all five patients the prosthetic disc had eroded into the bifurcation of the inferior vena cava and the left common iliac vein. In three cases the aortic bifurcation was also involved. The fibrosis was so severe that dissecting out the arteries and veins to provide access to the relevant disc proved impossible. Formal division of the left common iliac vein and artery with subsequent repair was our solution. Anterior inter-vertebral disc displacement was associated with severe vascular injury. Preventing anterior disc displacement is essential in disc design. In the event of anterior displacement, disc removal should be planned with a Vascular Surgeon.

  12. A Quality Function Deployment (QFD approach to designing a prosthetic myoelectric hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika Sofía Olaya Escobar

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a Quality Function Deployment (QFD model based on computing with words. It is specifically used in the House of Quality (HOQ construction phase. It illustrates the methodology employed in designing a prosthetic myoelectric hand.

  13. Initial Clinical Evaluation of the Modular Prosthetic Limb

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Briana N. Perry

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL was examined for its feasibility and usability as an advanced, dexterous upper extremity prosthesis with surface electromyography (sEMG control in with two individuals with below-elbow amputations. Compared to currently marketed prostheses, the MPL has a greater number of sequential and simultaneous degrees of motion, as well as wrist modularity, haptic feedback, and individual digit control. The MPL was successfully fit to a 33-year-old with a trans-radial amputation (TR01 and a 30-year-old with a wrist disarticulation amputation (TR02. To preserve anatomical limb length, we adjusted the powered degrees of freedom of wrist motion between users. Motor training began with practicing sEMG and pattern recognition control within the virtual integration environment (VIE. Prosthetic training sessions then allowed participants to complete a variety of activities of daily living with the MPL. Training and Motion Control Accuracy scores quantified their ability to consistently train and execute unique muscle-to-motion contraction patterns. Each user also completed one prosthetic functional metric—the Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (SHAP for TR01 and the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JHFT for TR02. Haptic feedback capabilities were integrated for TR01. TR01 achieved 95% accuracy at 84% of his VIE sessions. He demonstrated improved scores over a year of prosthetic training sessions, ultimately achieving simultaneous control of 13 of the 17 (76% attempted motions. His performance on the SHAP improved from baseline to final assessment with an increase in number of tasks achieved. TR01 also used vibrotactile sensors to successfully discriminate between hard and soft objects being grasped by the MPL hand. TR02 demonstrated 95% accuracy at 79% of his VIE sessions. He demonstrated improved scores over months of prosthetic training sessions, however there was a significant drop in scores initially following a mid

  14. Structural Integration and Control of Peerless Human-like Prosthetic Hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Ankit; Muthu, P.; Karthikraj, V.; Latha, S.

    2018-04-01

    Limb damage can create severe disturbance in movement and operative abilities wherein the prosthetic rehabilitation has the potential to replace function and enhance the quality of life. This paper presents a humanlike prosthetic hand using such unique design concept of hand model using artificial bones, ligaments, and tendons controlled using Arduino. Amongst various platforms available, Arduino is known for its adaptability, adoration and low cost. The design of prosthetic hand has a unique structure with all carpal, metacarpal, and phalanges which are bones of the hand. These bones are attached to each other following the pattern of human hand using the polymeric rubber as a functioning ligament. Furthermore, this structure of finger is driven by tendons attached to all fingers and passes through the ligaments working as pulley resulting in more degrees of freedom. The motor can twitch the tendons to achieve the action of fingers. Thus the servos, controlled by an Arduino, are used to regulate the movement mechanism of the prosthetic hand.

  15. Differentiation between solid-ankle cushioned heel and energy storage and return prosthetic foot based on step-to-step transition cost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wezenberg, Daphne; Cutti, Andrea G; Bruno, Antonino; Houdijk, Han

    2014-01-01

    Decreased push-off power by the prosthetic foot and inadequate roll-over shape of the foot have been shown to increase the energy dissipated during the step-to-step transition in human walking. The aim of this study was to determine whether energy storage and return (ESAR) feet are able to reduce the mechanical energy dissipated during the step-to-step transition. Fifteen males with a unilateral lower-limb amputation walked with their prescribed ESAR foot (Vari-Flex, Ossur; Reykjavik, Iceland) and with a solid-ankle cushioned heel foot (SACH) (1D10, Ottobock; Duderstadt, Germany), while ground reaction forces and kinematics were recorded. The positive mechanical work on the center of mass performed by the trailing prosthetic limb was larger (33%, p = 0.01) and the negative work performed by the leading intact limb was lower (13%, p = 0.04) when walking with the ESAR foot compared with the SACH foot. The reduced step-to-step transition cost coincided with a higher mechanical push-off power generated by the ESAR foot and an extended forward progression of the center of pressure under the prosthetic ESAR foot. Results can explain the proposed improvement in walking economy with this kind of energy storing and return prosthetic foot.

  16. The effects of common footwear on stance-phase mechanical properties of the prosthetic foot-shoe system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Matthew J; Scham, Joel; Orendurff, Michael

    2018-04-01

    Prosthetic feet are prescribed based on their mechanical function and user functional level. Subtle changes to the stiffness and hysteresis of heel, midfoot, and forefoot regions can influence the dynamics and economy of gait in prosthesis users. However, the user's choice of shoes may alter the prosthetic foot-shoe system mechanical characteristics, compromising carefully prescribed and rigorously engineered performance of feet. Observe the effects of footwear on the mechanical properties of the prosthetic foot-shoe system including commonly prescribed prosthetic feet. Repeated-measures, Mechanical characterization. The stiffness and energy return was measured using a hydraulic-driven materials test machine across combinations of five prosthetic feet and four common shoes as well as a barefoot condition. Heel energy return decreased by an average 4%-9% across feet in all shoes compared to barefoot, with a cushioned trainer displaying the greatest effect. Foot designs that may improve perceived stability by providing low heel stiffness and rapid foot-flat were compromised by the addition of shoes. Shoes altered prosthesis mechanical characteristics in the sagittal and frontal planes, suggesting that shoe type should be controlled or reported in research comparing prostheses. Understanding of how different shoes could alter certain gait-related characteristics of prostheses may aid decisions on footwear made by clinicians and prosthesis users. Clinical relevance Shoes can alter function of the prosthetic foot-shoe system in unexpected and sometimes undesirable ways, often causing similar behavior across setups despite differences in foot design, and prescribing clinicians should carefully consider these effects on prosthesis performance.

  17. Gonococcal Prosthetic Joint Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gassiep, Ian; Gilpin, Bradley; Douglas, Joel; Siebert, David

    2017-01-01

    Neisseria gonorrhoea is a common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Disseminated gonococcal infection is an infrequent presentation and rarely can be associated with septic arthritis. Incidence of this infection is rising, both internationally and in older age groups. We present the first documented case of N. gonorrhoea prosthetic joint infection which was successfully treated with laparoscopic debridement and antimicrobial therapy.

  18. Current standard rules of combined anteversion prevent prosthetic impingement but ignore osseous contact in total hip arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Markus; Woerner, Michael; Craiovan, Benjamin; Voellner, Florian; Worlicek, Michael; Springorum, Hans-Robert; Grifka, Joachim; Renkawitz, Tobias

    2016-12-01

    In this prospective study of 135 patients undergoing cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) we asked whether six current definitions of combined anteversion prevent impingement and increase postoperative patient individual impingement-free range-of-motion (ROM). Implant position was measured by an independent, external institute on 3D-CT performed six weeks post-operatively. Post-operative ROM was calculated using a CT-based algorithm detecting osseous and/or prosthetic impingement by virtual hip movement. Additionally, clinical ROM was evaluated pre-operatively and one-year post-operatively by a blinded observer. Combined component position of cup and stem according to the definitions of Ranawat, Widmer, Dorr, Hisatome and Yoshimine inhibited prosthetic impingement in over 90 %, while combined osseous and prosthetic impingement still occurred in over 40 % of the cases. The recommendations by Jolles, Widmer, Dorr, Yoshimine and Hisatome enabled higher flexion (p ≤ 0.001) and internal rotation (p ≤ 0.006). Clinically, anteversion rules of Widmer and Yoshimine provided one-year post-operatively statistically but not clinically relevant higher internal rotation (p ≤0.034). Standard rules of combined anteversion detect prosthetic but fail to prevent combined osseous and prosthetic impingement in THA. Future models will have to account for the patient-individual anatomic situation to ensure impingement-free ROM.

  19. Design and Evaluation of a Prosthetic Knee Joint Using the Geared Five-Bar Mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yuanxi; Ge, Wenjie; Zheng, Jia; Dong, Dianbiao

    2015-11-01

    This paper presents the mechanical design, dynamics analysis and ankle trajectory analysis of a prosthetic knee joint using the geared five-bar mechanism. Compared with traditional four-bar or six-bar mechanisms, the geared five-bar mechanism is better at performing diverse movements and is easy to control. This prosthetic knee joint with the geared five-bar mechanism is capable of fine-tuning its relative instantaneous center of rotation and ankle trajectory. The centrode of this prosthetic knee joint, which is mechanically optimized according to the centrode of human knee joint, is better in the bionic performance than that of a prosthetic knee joint using the four-bar mechanism. Additionally, the stability control of this prosthetic knee joint during the swing and stance phase is achieved by a motor. By adjusting the gear ratio of this prosthetic knee joint, the ankle trajectories of both unilateral and bilateral amputees show less deviations from expected than that of the four-bar knee joint.

  20. Reduced prosthetic stiffness lowers the metabolic cost of running for athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Owen N; Taboga, Paolo; Grabowski, Alena M

    2017-04-01

    Inspired by the springlike action of biological legs, running-specific prostheses are designed to enable athletes with lower-limb amputations to run. However, manufacturer's recommendations for prosthetic stiffness and height may not optimize running performance. Therefore, we investigated the effects of using different prosthetic configurations on the metabolic cost and biomechanics of running. Five athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations each performed 15 trials on a force-measuring treadmill at 2.5 or 3.0 m/s. Athletes ran using each of 3 different prosthetic models (Freedom Innovations Catapult FX6, Össur Flex-Run, and Ottobock 1E90 Sprinter) with 5 combinations of stiffness categories (manufacturer's recommended and ± 1) and heights (International Paralympic Committee's maximum competition height and ± 2 cm) while we measured metabolic rates and ground reaction forces. Overall, prosthetic stiffness [fixed effect (β) = 0.036; P = 0.008] but not height ( P ≥ 0.089) affected the net metabolic cost of transport; less stiff prostheses reduced metabolic cost. While controlling for prosthetic stiffness (in kilonewtons per meter), using the Flex-Run (β = -0.139; P = 0.044) and 1E90 Sprinter prostheses (β = -0.176; P = 0.009) reduced net metabolic costs by 4.3-4.9% compared with using the Catapult prostheses. The metabolic cost of running improved when athletes used prosthetic configurations that decreased peak horizontal braking ground reaction forces (β = 2.786; P = 0.001), stride frequencies (β = 0.911; P < 0.001), and leg stiffness values (β = 0.053; P = 0.009). Remarkably, athletes did not maintain overall leg stiffness across prosthetic stiffness conditions. Rather, the in-series prosthetic stiffness governed overall leg stiffness. The metabolic cost of running in athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations is influenced by prosthetic model and stiffness but not height. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We measured the

  1. Clinical Effectiveness of Using Aesthetic Fixed Prosthetic Appliances with Combined Occlusal Surface

    OpenAIRE

    Andrii Biben; Zinovii Ozhohan

    2017-01-01

    The objective of the research was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of using aesthetic fixed prosthetic appliances with combined occlusal surface. Materials and methods. The study included 30 patients who were divided into 2 groups: Group I included 20 patients with combined occlusal surface of the crowns; Group II included 22 patients with ceramic occlusal surface of the crowns. The patients were observed 3, 6 and 12 months after prosthetic repair. Results. 6 months after prosthet...

  2. Clinical Presentation, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Hematogenous Prosthetic Joint Infection in Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tande, Aaron J; Palraj, Bharath Raj; Osmon, Douglas R; Berbari, Elie F; Baddour, Larry M; Lohse, Christine M; Steckelberg, James M; Wilson, Walter R; Sohail, M Rizwan

    2016-02-01

    Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is a life-threatening condition that may lead to metastatic infection, including prosthetic joint infection. To assess clinical factors associated with hematogenous prosthetic joint infection, we retrospectively reviewed all patients with a joint arthroplasty in place at the time of a first episode of S. aureus bacteremia over a 5-year period at our institution. Patients with postsurgical prosthetic joint infection without hematogenous prosthetic joint infection were excluded. There were 85 patients (143 arthroplasties) with either no prosthetic joint infection (n = 50; 58.8%) or hematogenous prosthetic joint infection in at least one arthroplasty (n = 35; 41.2%). The odds of hematogenous prosthetic joint infection was significantly increased among patients with community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia (odds ratio [OR] 18.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.64-infinity; P = .001), as compared with nosocomial S. aureus bacteremia, in which there were no patients with hematogenous prosthetic joint infection. After adjusting for S. aureus bacteremia classification, the presence of ≥3 joint arthroplasties in place was associated with a nearly ninefold increased odds of hematogenous prosthetic joint infection as compared with those with 1-2 joint arthroplasties in place (OR 8.55; 95% CI 1.44-95.71; P = .012). All but one joint with prosthetic joint infection demonstrated at least one clinical feature suggestive of infection. There were 4 additional S. aureus prosthetic joint infections diagnosed during a median of 3.4 years of follow-up post hospitalization for S. aureus bacteremia. Prosthetic joint infection is frequent in patients with existing arthroplasties and concomitant S. aureus bacteremia, particularly with community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia and multiple prostheses. In contrast, occult S. aureus prosthetic joint infection without clinical features suggestive of prosthetic joint infection at the time of S. aureus bacteremia

  3. Role of radionuclide imaging for diagnosis of device and prosthetic valve infections

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jean-Fran?ois Sarrazin; Fran?ois Philippon; Mika?l Trottier; Michel Tessier

    2016-01-01

    Cardiovascular implantable electronic device(CIED) infection and prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE) remain a diagnostic challenge.Cardiac imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with CIED infection or PVE.Over the past few years,cardiac radionuclide imaging has gained a key role in the diagnosis of these patients,and in assessing the need for surgery,mainly in the most difficult cases.Both 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT) and radiolabelled white blood cell single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography(WBC SPECT/CT) have been studied in these situations.In their 2015 guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis,the European Society of Cardiology incorporated cardiac nuclear imaging as part of their diagnostic algorithm for PVE,but not CIED infection since the data were judged insufficient at the moment.This article reviews the actual knowledge and recent studies on the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT and WBC SPECT/CT in the context of CIED infection and PVE,and describes the technical aspects of cardiac radionuclide imaging.It also discusses their accepted and potential indications for the diagnosis and management of CIED infection and PVE,the limitations of these tests,and potential areas of future research.

  4. Biomechanical characteristics, patient preference and activity level with different prosthetic feet: a randomized double blind trial with laboratory and community testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raschke, Silvia U; Orendurff, Michael S; Mattie, Johanne L; Kenyon, David E A; Jones, O Yvette; Moe, David; Winder, Lorne; Wong, Angie S; Moreno-Hernández, Ana; Highsmith, M Jason; J Sanderson, David; Kobayashi, Toshiki

    2015-01-02

    Providing appropriate prosthetic feet to those with limb loss is a complex and subjective process influenced by professional judgment and payer guidelines. This study used a small load cell (Europa™) at the base of the socket to measure the sagittal moments during walking with three objective categories of prosthetic feet in eleven individuals with transtibial limb loss with MFCL K2, K3 and K4 functional levels. Forefoot stiffness and hysteresis characteristics defined the three foot categories: Stiff, Intermediate, and Compliant. Prosthetic feet were randomly assigned and blinded from participants and investigators. After laboratory testing, participants completed one week community wear tests followed by a modified prosthetics evaluation questionnaire to determine if a specific category of prosthetic feet was preferred. The Compliant category of prosthetic feet was preferred by the participants (P=0.025) over the Stiff and Intermediate prosthetic feet, and the Compliant and Intermediate feet had 15% lower maximum sagittal moments during walking in the laboratory (P=0.0011) compared to the Stiff feet. The activity level of the participants did not change significantly with any of the wear tests in the community, suggesting that each foot was evaluated over a similar number of steps, but did not inherently increase activity. This is the first randomized double blind study in which prosthetic users have expressed a preference for a specific biomechanical characteristic of prosthetic feet: those with lower peak sagittal moments were preferred, and specifically preferred on slopes, stairs, uneven terrain, and during turns and maneuvering during real world use. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  5. A mechanism to compensate undesired stiffness in joints of prosthetic hands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, G.; Plettenbrug, D.H.; Van der Helm, F.C.T.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Cosmetic gloves that cover a prosthetic hand have a parasitic positive stiffness that counteracts the flexion of a finger joint. Objectives: Reducing the required input torque to move a finger of a prosthetic hand by compensating the parasitic stiffness of the cosmetic glove. Study

  6. Granulicatella adiacens prosthetic hip joint infection after dental treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aweid, Osama; Sundararajan, Sabapathy; Teferi, Abraham

    2016-06-01

    Granulicatella adiacens is a Gram-positive bacteria and a normal component of oral flora. It is also found in dental plaques, endodontic abscesses and can rarely cause more serious infections. We describe a prosthetic hip joint infection in an 81-year-old fit and healthy man due to Granulicatella adiacens who underwent a prolonged dental intervention two days earlier without antibiotic prophylaxis. The infection was successfully treated with surgical intervention and a combination of antibiotics. The patient eventually succumbed to severe community-acquired pneumonia two months later. Current guidelines recommend avoidance of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental treatment in patients who have no co-morbidities and no prior operation on the index prosthetic joint. This case report indicates that infections of prosthetic joints may be associated with dental procedures even in fit and healthy patients without the recognized risk factors.

  7. [Tuberculous prosthetic knee joint infection: a case report and literature review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lara-Oya, A; Liébana-Martos, M C; Rodríguez-Granger, J; Sampedro-Martínez, A; Aliaga-Martínez, L; Gutierrez-Fernández, J; Navarro-Marí, J M

    2016-08-01

    Prosthetic late infection occurs in the second month after surgery in the context of haematogenous spread from another source. Prosthetic mycobacterial infection is a rare complication whose clinical management is not standardized. Patient of 77 years with no personal history except for diabetes and a prosthetic replacement of right knee with osteoarthritis three years ago. Patient goes to hospital emergency box for 6 months pain in the right knee with mechanical inflammatory signs but no fever associated. After their return within 5 days and clinical worsening is reporting growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in knee aspirate and antitubercular treatment is established for 9 months. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging studies also confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis spondylitis in the clinical context of the patients. After surgery, M. tuberculosis was again isolated from intraoperative samples and therefore the patient received another batch of treatment for 9 months. After a year of monitoring, the development was acceptable but few months later, the patient died for cardiovascular causes. In the literature review, 15 publications with a total of 17 clinical cases of prosthetic infection by M. tuberculosis were found from 1980 to 2014. Prosthetic tuberculous arthritis, although it is a rare presentation, it should be noted, especially in patients with predisposing conditions with a history of tuberculosis infection.

  8. Fuzzy linguistic hedges for the selection of manufacturing process for prosthetic sockets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richa Pandey

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a comparison is presented between two prime methods of producing prosthetic sockets by using the fuzzy linguistic hedges approach on the qualitative feedback of Indian prosthetic users. Recent trends indicate that the Indian manufacturers have tried to adopt the newer technologies like reverse engineering (RE approach to achieve the desired goals. However, the satisfaction of the user is of utmost importance for the unique and customized products for rehabilitation. In order to analyze the effectiveness of the manufacturing approaches, user case studies are taken, based on the linguistic feedbacks, and a comparative study is conducted. Thirteen users from four different manufacturing units are taken for study and sockets made by conventional as well as RE are experimented. Fuzzy membership functions are constructed using the linguistic hedges based on the user feedbacks. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP is applied to arrive at a decision to select the manufacturing process for user satisfaction and manufacturing excellence.

  9. In vitro activity of ceftaroline against staphylococci from prosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kyung-Hwa; Greenwood-Quaintance, Kerryl E; Patel, Robin

    2016-02-01

    We tested the in vitro activity of ceftaroline by Etest against staphylococci recovered from patients with prosthetic joint infection, including 97 Staphylococcus aureus isolates (36%, oxacillin resistant) and 74 Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates (74%, oxacillin resistant). Ceftaroline inhibited all staphylococci at ≤0.5 μg/mL. The ceftaroline MIC(90/50) values for methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, methicillin-susceptible S. epidermidis, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis were 0.19/0.125, 0.094/0.047, 0.5/0.38, and 0.38/0.19 μg/mL, respectively. Based on these in vitro findings, ceftaroline should be further evaluated as a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of prosthetic joint infection caused by methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Comparison of using different bridge prosthetic designs for partial defect restoration through mathematical modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Styranivska, Oksana; Kliuchkovska, Nataliia; Mykyyevych, Nataliya

    2017-01-01

    To analyze the stress-strain states of bone and abutment teeth during the use of different prosthetic designs of fixed partial dentures with the use of relevant mathematical modeling principles. The use of Comsol Multiphysics 3.5 (Comsol AB, Sweden) software during the mathematical modeling of stress-strain states provided numerical data for analytical interpretation in three different clinical scenarios with fixed dentures and different abutment teeth and demountable prosthetic denture with the saddle-shaped intermediate part. Microsoft Excel Software (Microsoft Office 2017) helped to evaluate absolute mistakes of stress and strain parameters of each abutment tooth during three modeled scenarios and normal condition and to summarize data into the forms of tables. In comparison with the fixed prosthetic denture supported by the canine, first premolar, and third molar, stresses at the same abutment teeth with the use of demountable denture with the saddle-shaped intermediate part decreased: at the mesial abutment tooth by 2.8 times, at distal crown by 6.1 times, and at the intermediate part by 11.1 times, respectively, the deformation level decreased by 3.1, 1.9, and 1.4 times at each area. The methods of mathematical modeling proved that complications during the use of fixed partial dentures based on the overload effect of the abutment teeth and caused by the deformation process inside the intermediate section of prosthetic construction.

  11. Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Staphylococcus capitis: report of 4 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wada Yuko

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Although Staphylococcus capitis is considered to be a rare causative organism for prosthetic valve endocarditis, we report 4 such cases that were encountered at our hospital over the past 2 years. Case 1 was a 79-year-old woman who underwent aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve and presented with fever 24 days later. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed an annular abscess in the aorto-mitral continuity and mild perivalvular regurgitation. We performed emergency surgery 5 days after the diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis was made. Case 2 was a 79-year-old woman presenting with fever 40 days after aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Transesophageal echocardiography showed vegetation on the valve, and she underwent urgent surgery 2 days after prosthetic valve endocarditis was diagnosed. In case 3, a 76-year-old man presented with fever 53 days after aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Vegetation on the prosthetic leaflet could be seen by transesophageal echocardiography. He underwent emergency surgery 2 days after the diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis was made. Case 4 was a 68-year-old woman who collapsed at her home 106 days after aortic and mitral valve replacement with bioprosthetic valves. Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support was started immediately after massive mitral regurgitation due to prosthetic valve detachment was revealed by transesophageal echocardiography. She was transferred to our hospital by helicopter and received surgery immediately on arrival. In all cases, we re-implanted another bioprosthesis after removal of the infected valve and annular debridement. All patients recovered without severe complications after 2 months of antibiotic treatment, and none experienced re-infection during 163 to 630 days of observation. Since the time interval between diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis and valve re-replacement ranged from 0 to 5 days, early surgical removal

  12. LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT HEPARIN TREATMENT FAILURE IN PREVENTION OF PROSTHETIC MITRAL VALVE THROMBOSIS

    OpenAIRE

    David Šuran; Vojko Kanič; Tatjana Golob Gulič; Husam Franjo Naji; Robert Lipovec

    2009-01-01

    Background Prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PHVT) represents a dangerous postoperative complication following prosthetic heart valve replacement. Incidence varies according to different data from 0.5–4 % per year following mitral or aortic valve replacement in spite of adequate oral anticoagulation with coumarins. Case report We are presenting a case of prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis as a result of 6-month lowmolecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (nadroparine) treatment failure. Our pat...

  13. Obtention of a prosthetic group for labelling of radioiodinated proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Josefina da S.; Colturato, Maria Tereza; Araujo, Elaine B. de

    2000-01-01

    Antibodies and peptides labeled with radionuclides has been extensively used in radioimmunotherapy and radioimmunodetection. The principal problem with the use of radioiodinated proteins is the in vivo dehalogenation. The use of prosthetic groups for indirect labeling of proteins with radioiodine has showed to be useful on labeling proteins with greater in vivo stability. A procedure is described for the preparation of an radioiodinated prosthetic group (N-succinimidyl 4-radioiodine-benzoate-SIB), using procedure described by Stocklin et al, with the iodination of p-bromo-benzoic acid and subsequent reaction with TSTU. Preliminary labeling results showed that the prosthetic group can be obtained in a good yield. The coupling of the SIB to the protein will be studied using human IgG as protein model. (author)

  14. A qualitative study of the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ennion, Liezel; Johannesson, Anton

    2018-04-01

    There is a known shortage of rehabilitation staff in rural settings and a sharp increase in the number of lower limb amputations being performed. A lack of adequate pre-prosthetic rehabilitation will result in worse physical and psychological outcomes for a person with a lower limb amputation, and they will not be eligible to be fitted with a prosthesis. To explore therapists' experiences with providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in a rural setting. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to collect and analyse data. Data were collected from 17 purposively sampled therapists in five district hospitals in a rural community in South Africa. Data were collected in two rounds of focus groups to explore the challenges of providing pre-prosthetic rehabilitation in rural South Africa. The main themes identified in the study were (1) a lack of government health system support, (2) poor socioeconomic circumstances of patients and (3) cultural factors that influence rehabilitation. These themes all negatively influence the therapists' ability to follow up patients for pre-prosthetic rehabilitation after discharge from hospital. A lack of adequate pre-prosthetic rehabilitation is a substantial barrier to prosthetic fitting in rural South Africa. Patients who do not receive pre-prosthetic rehabilitation have a poorly shaped residuum or other complications such as knee or hip joint contractures which disqualifies them from being referred to prosthetic services. Therapists involved in this study identified the most important barriers to patients having access to prosthetic services. Clinical relevance Pre-prosthetic rehabilitation provides care of the residuum; maintenance or improvement of physical strength, joint range of motion and referral to a prosthetist. By exploring the challenges known to exist in this service, we can identify potential ways to reduce these barriers and improve the lives of those who use it.

  15. Prosthetic design directives: Low-cost hands within reach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, G K; Rosendo, A; Stopforth, R

    2017-07-01

    Although three million people around the world suffer from the lack of one or both upper limbs 80% of this number is located within developing countries. While prosthetic prices soar with technology 3D printing and low cost electronics present a sensible solution for those that cannot afford expensive prosthetics. The electronic and control design of a low-cost prosthetic hand, the Touch Hand II, is discussed. This paper shows that sensorless techniques can be used to reduce design complexities, costs, and provide easier access to the electronics. A closing and opening finite state machine (COFSM) was developed to handle the actuated digit joint control state and a supervisory switching control scheme, used for speed and grip strength control. Three torque and speed settings were created to be preset for specific grasps. The hand was able to replicate ten frequently used grasps and grip some common objects. Future work is necessary to enable a user to control it with myoelectric signals (MESs) and to solve operational problems related to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

  16. Anaerobic prosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Neel B; Tande, Aaron J; Patel, Robin; Berbari, Elie F

    2015-12-01

    In an effort to improve mobility and alleviate pain from degenerative and connective tissue joint disease, an increasing number of individuals are undergoing prosthetic joint replacement in the United States. Joint replacement is a highly effective intervention, resulting in improved quality of life and increased independence [1]. By 2030, it is predicted that approximately 4 million total hip and knee arthroplasties will be performed yearly in the United States [2]. One of the major complications associated with this procedure is prosthetic joint infection (PJI), occurring at a rate of 1-2% [3-7]. In 2011, the Musculoskeletal Infectious Society created a unifying definition for prosthetic joint infection [8]. The following year, the Infectious Disease Society of America published practice guidelines that focused on the diagnosis and management of PJI. These guidelines focused on the management of commonly encountered organisms associated with PJI, including staphylococci, streptococci and select aerobic Gram-negative bacteria. However, with the exception of Propionibacterium acnes, management of other anaerobic organisms was not addressed in these guidelines [1]. Although making up approximately 3-6% of PJI [9,10], anaerobic microorganisms cause devastating complications, and similar to the more common organisms associated with PJI, these bacteria also result in significant morbidity, poor outcomes and increased health-care costs. Data on diagnosis and management of anaerobic PJI is mostly derived from case reports, along with a few cohort studies [3]. There is a paucity of published data outlining factors associated with risks, diagnosis and management of anaerobic PJI. We therefore reviewed available literature on anaerobic PJI by systematically searching the PubMed database, and collected data from secondary searches to determine information on pathogenesis, demographic data, clinical features, diagnosis and management. We focused our search on five commonly

  17. A clinical survey about commercial games in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imam, Bita; Miller, William C; Finlayson, Heather C; Eng, Janice J; Jarus, Tal

    2018-06-01

    Despite the popularity of commercial games in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation, data about their prevalence of use as well as therapists' perspectives about these games are still lacking. To learn about the prevalence of use of commercial games in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation and therapists' perspectives about these games. Cross-sectional. An online survey was sent to physical and occupational therapists across prosthetic rehabilitation facilities in Canada. The survey had questions about the use of commercial games and therapists' perspectives. Data were collected from 82 therapists. Overall, 46.3% (38/82) reported that they use commercial games; of those, 94.7% (36/38) used the Nintendo Wii Fit. The most reported perceived benefits were the Wii Fit helping to improve weight shifting ( n = 76/82, 92.7%) and balance ( n = 75/82, 91.5%), and being motivating and complementing traditional therapy ( n = 75/82, 91.5%). The most reported perceived barriers/challenges were lack of time and familiarity with the games ( n = 58/82, 70.7%). Commercial games, particularly the Wii Fit, are commonly used in lower prosthetic rehabilitation in Canada. Most of the queried therapists view the Wii Fit positively. Knowledge translation activities and developing standard treatment protocols would be helpful in minimizing the barriers identified in this study. Clinical relevance The Wii Fit is prevalent in lower limb prosthetic rehabilitation in Canada and it is viewed positively by therapists as having the potential to improve balance and weight bearing, making rehabilitation more motivating, and complementing traditional therapy. Future studies should investigate the efficacy of the Wii Fit in prosthetic rehabilitation.

  18. Quality Assessment of Prosthetic Rehabilitation Using Aesthetic Fixed Restorations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zinovii Ozhohan

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the research was to study and assess the quality of prosthetic treatment using aesthetic fixed restorations. Materials and methods. The study included 79 patients without a comorbidity who underwent prosthetic rehabilitation. All the patients were divided into 3 groups: Group I included 25 patients with metal-plastic restorations; Group II comprised 34 patients with porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations; Group III consisted of 20 patients with a combined occlusal surface of prosthetic restorations. The patients were observed 6 months after prosthetic repair. Only patients with single molar and premolar crowns were examined. Bridge prostheses were not taken into account in order to eliminate the effect of masticatory force redistribution on the abutment crowns. Results. In Group I, 11 (44% patients were satisfied with the results of prosthetic treatment. In Group II, 25 (78.12% patients reported that they were satisfied with their treatment. In Group III, there were 17 (85% patients satisfied with their outcome. However, the patients’ complaints are often subjective and do not fully reflect the objective state of the dentoalveolar system. An objective examination revealed that in indirect restorations, marginal periodontium pathology is typical. Conclusions. Aesthetic fixed restorations with a combined occlusal surface have demonstrated good clinical results, even at long-term follow-up. Combining positive properties of two different construction materials, namely zirconium dioxide and ceramics, they reduce the risk of complications such as marginal periodontium pathology and chipping along the occlusal surface as well as contribute to minimal abrasion of the occlusal surfaces of the antagonistic teeth. We cannot recommend metal-plastic restorations due to their low clinical effectiveness, poor aesthetic qualities as well as a high level of marginal periodontium pathology.

  19. Strength evaluation of prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerschutz, Maria J; Haynes, Michael L; Nixon, Derek; Colvin, James M

    2012-01-01

    A prosthesis encounters loading through forces and torques exerted by the person with amputation. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 10328 was designed to test most lower-limb prosthetic components. However, this standard does not include prosthetic sockets. We measured static failure loads of prosthetic sockets using a modified ISO 10328 and then compared them with the criteria set by this standard for other components. Check socket (CS) strengths were influenced by thickness, material choice, and fabrication method. Copolymer socket (CP) strengths depended on thickness and fabrication methods. A majority of the CSs and all of the CPs failed to pass the ISO 10328 ductile loading criterion. In contrast, the strengths of definitive laminated sockets (DLs) were influenced more by construction material and technique. A majority of the DLs failed to pass the ISO 10328 brittle loading criterion. Analyzing prosthetic sockets from a variety of facilities demonstrated that socket performance varies considerably between and within facilities. The results from this article provide a foundation for understanding the quality of prosthetic sockets, some insight into possible routes for improving the current care delivered to patients, and a comparative basis for future technology.

  20. Automated hexahedral mesh generation from biomedical image data: applications in limb prosthetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zachariah, S G; Sanders, J E; Turkiyyah, G M

    1996-06-01

    A general method to generate hexahedral meshes for finite element analysis of residual limbs and similar biomedical geometries is presented. The method utilizes skeleton-based subdivision of cross-sectional domains to produce simple subdomains in which structured meshes are easily generated. Application to a below-knee residual limb and external prosthetic socket is described. The residual limb was modeled as consisting of bones, soft tissue, and skin. The prosthetic socket model comprised a socket wall with an inner liner. The geometries of these structures were defined using axial cross-sectional contour data from X-ray computed tomography, optical scanning, and mechanical surface digitization. A tubular surface representation, using B-splines to define the directrix and generator, is shown to be convenient for definition of the structure geometries. Conversion of cross-sectional data to the compact tubular surface representation is direct, and the analytical representation simplifies geometric querying and numerical optimization within the mesh generation algorithms. The element meshes remain geometrically accurate since boundary nodes are constrained to lie on the tubular surfaces. Several element meshes of increasing mesh density were generated for two residual limbs and prosthetic sockets. Convergence testing demonstrated that approximately 19 elements are required along a circumference of the residual limb surface for a simple linear elastic model. A model with the fibula absent compared with the same geometry with the fibula present showed differences suggesting higher distal stresses in the absence of the fibula. Automated hexahedral mesh generation algorithms for sliced data represent an advancement in prosthetic stress analysis since they allow rapid modeling of any given residual limb and optimization of mesh parameters.

  1. Safety and effectiveness considerations for clinical studies of visual prosthetic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Ethan D.

    2007-03-01

    With the advent of new designs of visual prostheses for the blind, FDA is faced with developing guidance for evaluating their engineering, safety and patient performance. Visual prostheses are considered significant risk medical devices, and their use in human clinical trials must be approved by FDA under an investigation device exemption (IDE). This paper contains a series of test topics and design issues that sponsors should consider in order to assess the safety and efficacy of their device. The IDE application includes a series of pre-clinical and clinical data sections. The pre-clinical section documents laboratory, animal and bench top performance tests of visual prostheses safety and reliability to support a human clinical trial. The materials used in constructing the implant should be biocompatible, sterile, corrosion resistant, and able to withstand any forces exerted on it during normal patient use. The clinical data section is composed of items related to patient-related evaluation of device performance. This section documents the implantation procedure, trial design, statistical analysis and how visual performance is assessed. Similar to cochlear implants, a visual prosthesis is expected to last in the body for many years, and good pre-clinical and clinical testing will help ensure its safety, durability and effectiveness.

  2. Computed Tomography of Prosthetic Heart Valves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Habets, J.

    2012-01-01

    Prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction is an infrequent but potentially life-threatening disease with a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Patients with PHV dysfunction clinically can present with symptoms of congestive heart failure (dyspnea, fatigue, edema), fever, angina pectoris, dizziness

  3. Evaluation of 3D printed anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramakrishnan, Tyagi; Schlafly, Millicent; Reed, Kyle B

    2017-07-01

    This case study compares a transfemoral amputee's gait while using the existing Ossur Total Knee 2000 and our novel 3D printed anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee. The anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee is 3D printed out of a carbon-fiber and nylon composite that has a gear-mesh coupling with a hard-stop weight-actuated locking mechanism aided by a cross-linked four-bar spring mechanism. This design can be scaled using anatomical dimensions of a human femur and tibia to have a unique fit for each user. The transfemoral amputee who was tested is high functioning and walked on the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) at a self-selected pace. The motion capture and force data that was collected showed that there were distinct differences in the gait dynamics. The data was used to perform the Combined Gait Asymmetry Metric (CGAM), where the scores revealed that the overall asymmetry of the gait on the Ossur Total Knee was more asymmetric than the anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee. The anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee had higher peak knee flexion that caused a large step time asymmetry. This made walking on the anatomically scalable transfemoral prosthetic knee more strenuous due to the compensatory movements in adapting to the different dynamics. This can be overcome by tuning the cross-linked spring mechanism to emulate the dynamics of the subject better. The subject stated that the knee would be good for daily use and has the potential to be adapted as a running knee.

  4. The radiology of prosthetic heart valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steiner, R.M.; Flicker, S.

    1985-01-01

    The development of prosthetic heart valves in the late 1950s ushered in a new era in the treatment of heart disease. The radiologist has an important role to play preoperatively in the diagnosis of valvular heart disease. Radiology is valuable in identification of the implanted prosthetic valve and recognition of complications associated with valve implantation. Radiologists must be familiar with the imaging techniques best suited to evaluate the function of the valve prosthesis in question. In this chapter the authors discuss the radiographic approach to the evaluation of the status of patients for valve replacement and the imaging problems peculiar to the types of valves in current use. The relative value of plain-film radiography, fluoroscopy, videorecording and cinerecording, and aortography is addressed, as well as the potential value of magnetic resonance imaging and subsecond dynamic computed tomography

  5. Re-operation for aortic and mitral prosthetic dysfunctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaul, T K; Sastry, M R; Mercer, J L; Meade, J B

    1985-01-01

    The overall incidence of re-operation and prosthetic valve endocarditis was low in the present series as mechanical prostheses were used predominantly. The prosthetic dysfunctions were less frequent following the primary implantation with Bjork Shiley prostheses, but high operative risk was associated with the clotted Bjork Shiley prostheses. We also had unusual experience of strut fracture and sticking of Bjork Shiley discs in the closed position in both aortic and mitral positions. The early deaths were nil since the use of cardioplegic protection. Intra-operative bleeding due to adhesions can be minimised by using synthetic or heterologous pericardium during the primary operation.

  6. Does integrating research into the prosthetics and orthotics undergraduate curriculum enhance students' clinical practice? An interview study on students' perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Qaroot, Bashar S; Sobuh, Mohammad

    2016-06-01

    Problem-based learning (where rather than feeding students the knowledge, they look for it themselves) has long been thought of as an ideal approach in teaching because it would encourage students to acquire knowledge from an undetermined medium of wrong and right answers. However, the effect of such approach in the learning experience of prosthetics and orthotics students has never been investigated. This study explores the implications of integrating problem-based learning into teaching on the students' learning experience via implementing a research-informed clinical practice module into the curriculum of last year prosthetics and orthotics undergraduate students at the University of Jordan (Amman, Jordan). Qualitative research pilot study. Grounded theory approach was used based on the data collected from interviewing a focus group of four students. Students have identified a number of arguments from their experience in the research-informed clinical practice where, generally speaking, students described research-informed clinical practice as a very good method of education. Integrating problem-based learning into teaching has many positive implications. In particular, students pointed out that their learning experience and clinical practice have much improved after the research-informed clinical practice. Findings from this investigation demonstrate that embedding problem-based learning into prosthetics and orthotics students' curriculum has the potential to enhance students' learning experience, particularly students' evidence-based practice. This may lead to graduates who are more knowledgeable and thus who can offer the optimal patient care (i.e. clinical practice). © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

  7. Experiences of providing prosthetic and orthotic services in Sierra Leone--the local staff's perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnusson, Lina; Ahlström, Gerd

    2012-01-01

    In Sierra Leone, West Africa, there are many people with disabilities in need of rehabilitation services after a long civil war. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of prosthetic and orthotic service delivery in Sierra Leone from the local staff's perspective. Fifteen prosthetic and orthotic technicians working at all the rehabilitation centres providing prosthetic and orthotic services in Sierra Leone were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to latent content analysis. One main theme emerged: sense of inability to deliver high-quality prosthetic and orthotic services. This main theme was generated from eight sub-themes: Desire for professional development; appraisals of work satisfaction and norms; patients neglected by family; limited access to the prosthetic and orthotic services available; problems with materials and machines; low public awareness concerning disabilities; marginalisation in society and low priority on the part of government. The findings illustrated traditional beliefs about the causes of disability and that the public's attitude needs to change to include and value people with disabilities. Support from international organisations was considered necessary as well as educating more prosthetic and orthotic staff to a higher level.

  8. International normalized ratio self-management lowers the risk of thromboembolic events after prosthetic heart valve replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eitz, Thomas; Schenk, Soren; Fritzsche, Dirk; Bairaktaris, Andreas; Wagner, Otto; Koertke, Heinrich; Koerfer, Reiner

    2008-03-01

    Although prosthetic valves are durable and easy to implant, the need for lifetime warfarin-based anticoagulation restricts their exclusive usage. We investigated if anticoagulation self-management improves outcome in a single-center series. Between 1994 and 1998, 765 patients with prosthetic valve replacements were prospectively enrolled and randomized to receive conventional anticoagulation management by their primary physician (group 1, n = 295) or to pursue anticoagulation self-management (group 2, n = 470). A study head office was implemented to coordinate and monitor anticoagulation protocols, international normalized ratios (INR), and adverse events. Patients were instructed on how to obtain and test their own blood samples and to adjust warfarin dosages according to the measured INR (target range, 2.5 to 4). Mean INR values were slightly yet significantly smaller in group 1 than in group 2 (2.8 +/- 0.7 vs 3.0 +/- .6, p events were similar in both groups. Time-related multivariate analysis identified INR self-management and higher INR as independent predictors for better outcome. Anticoagulation self-management can improve INR profiles up to 2 years after prosthetic valve replacement and reduce adverse events. Current indications of prosthetic rather than biologic valve implantations may be extended if the benefit of INR self-management is shown by future studies with longer follow-up.

  9. Capnocytophaga canimorsus: a rare case of conservatively treated prosthetic valve endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalava-Karvinen, Päivi; Grönroos, Juha O; Tuunanen, Helena; Kemppainen, Jukka; Oksi, Jarmo; Hohenthal, Ulla

    2018-05-01

    We describe a rare case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by the canine bacterium Capnocytophaga canimorsus in a male aged 73 years. The diagnosis of infective endocarditis was unequivocal, as it blood cultures were positive for C. canimorsus and vegetations were detected on transesophageal echocardiography; the modified Duke criteria were fulfilled. PET-CT showed intense 18 F-FDG uptake of the prosthetic valve area. The patient was treated with antibiotics alone (no surgery), and is now on life-long suppressive antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge, this is the third reported case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by C. canimorsus and the first one to have been treated conservatively. © 2018 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Streamline-based microfluidic device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Yu-Chong (Inventor); Zheng, Siyang (Inventor); Kasdan, Harvey (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention provides a streamline-based device and a method for using the device for continuous separation of particles including cells in biological fluids. The device includes a main microchannel and an array of side microchannels disposed on a substrate. The main microchannel has a plurality of stagnation points with a predetermined geometric design, for example, each of the stagnation points has a predetermined distance from the upstream edge of each of the side microchannels. The particles are separated and collected in the side microchannels.

  11. Mitral Prosthetic Valve Obstruction and Its Complications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajesh Rajan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Prosthetic Valve Obstruction (PVO is a serious complication which is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This could result from thrombus formation, development of pannus, or a combination of both. Patients with this complication often present with symptoms and signs of heart failure, systemic embolism, acute cardiovascular collapse, and sudden death. Transesophageal echocardiography and cine fluoroscopy play a vital role in diagnosis of this potentially lethal condition. Herein, we reported a 56-year-old male patient who presented with severe heart failure and was found to have obstructed ATS27 bileaflet mitral prosthetic valve. Thrombolysis and redo surgery are two important options for treating this condition although guidelines for choosing between the two are not very definite.

  12. Improvement of disintegrable properties of bone prosthetic phosphate cements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneda, Mitsumasa

    2007-01-01

    The author added a viscoelastic binder or bio-disintegrable polymer filler in αDT-cement (DTC) base, which consisting of α-tricalcium phosphate, tetracalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate anhydrous, in order to examine whether disintegrable properties of the bone prosthetic materials could be improved. The additive for the former binder was hydroxypropyl-cellulose and the latter filler, poly-(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) and they were mixed in various proportions with the base. At both sides of the cranial coronary suture of Japanese white rabbit, cavities (4 in total) were made at anteroposterior sites where those prosthetic cements were filled. At 1, 2 and 4 weeks later, the operated bone region was dissected out, its soft X-ray image was taken by the machine OMC603 (OHMICRON), and three-dimensional (3D) micro-focused XCT images, by Shimadzu SMX-130CT-SV. The trabecular thickness, bone volume and tissue volume ratio were calculated from the latter images by the trabecular structural measure software TRI/3Dbon (ROTAC). Disintegration rate of the cements was tested in water. Disintegrable properties were found to affect osteogenesis by giving the space for it, and thereby the choice of the ratio of the binder and disintegrable filler in the DTC makes it possible to design the most suitable cement needed. (R.T.)

  13. DME Prosthetics Orthotics, and Supplies Fee Schedule

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics-Orthotics, and Supplies Fee Schedule. The list contains the fee schedule amounts, floors, and ceilings for all procedure codes...

  14. Secure Microprocessor-Controlled Prosthetic Leg for Elderly Amputees: Preliminary Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Krut

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We introduce a new prosthetic leg design, adapted to elderly trans-femoral amputees. Technical progress in prosthesis design mainly concerns active individuals. An important number of elderly amputees are not very mobile, tire easily, present reduced muscle strength, and have difficulties managing their balance. Therefore, the needs and characteristics of this specific population are very different from those of younger ones and the prosthetic solutions are not adapted. Our artificial knee has been designed to fulfill the specific requirements of this population in terms of capabilities, transfer assistance, security, intuitiveness, simplicity of use, and types of physical activity to be performed. We particularly focused our efforts on ensuring safe and secure stand-to-sit transfers. We developed an approach to control the different states of the prosthetic joint (blocked, free, resistant, associated with different physical activities. Amputee posture and motion are observed through a single multi-axis force sensor embedded in the prosthesis. The patient behaves naturally, while the controller analyses his movements in order to detect his intention to sit down. The detection algorithm is based on a reference pattern, calibrated individually, to which the sensor data are compared, and submitted to a set of tests allowing the discrimination of the intention to sit down from other activities. Preliminary validation of the system has been performed in order to verify the applicability of the prosthesis to different tasks: walking, standing, sitting down, standing up, picking up an object from a chair, slope and stair climbing.

  15. Occlusion properties of prosthetic contact lenses for the treatment of amblyopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Randall S; McChesney, Megan E; McCluer, Craig A; Schatz, Martha P

    2008-12-01

    The efficacy of opaque contact lenses as occlusion therapy for amblyopia has been established in the literature. Prosthetic contact lenses use similar tints to improve cosmesis in scarred or deformed eyes and may be an alternative in occlusion therapy. To test this idea, we determined the degree of vision penalization elicited by prosthetic contact lenses and their effect on peripheral fusion. We tested 19 CIBA Vision DuraSoft 3 Prosthetic soft contact lenses with varying iris prints, underprints, and opaque pupil sizes in 10 volunteers with best-corrected Snellen distance visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye. Snellen visual acuity and peripheral fusion using the Worth 4-Dot test at near were measured on each subject wearing each of the 19 lenses. Results were analyzed with 3-factor analysis of variance. Mean visual acuity through the various lenses ranged from 20/79 to 20/620. Eight lenses allowed preservation of peripheral fusion in 50% or more of the subjects tested. Iris print pattern and opaque pupil size were significant factors in determining visual acuity (p occlusion with prosthetic contact lenses a viable therapy for amblyopia. The degree of penalization can be varied and different iris print patterns and pupil sizes, using peripheral fusion, can be preserved with some lenses. Prosthetic contact lenses can be more cosmetically appealing and more tolerable than other amblyopia treatment modalities. These factors may improve compliance in occlusion therapy.

  16. Leukocyte and bacteria imaging in prosthetic joint infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AWJM Glaudemans

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available There has been a significant increase in the number of joint prosthesis replacements worldwide. Although relatively uncommon, complications can occur with the most serious being an infection. Various radiological and nuclear imaging techniques are available to diagnose prosthetic joint infections (PJI. In this review article, we describe the pathophysiology of PJI, the principles of nuclear medicine imaging and the differences between Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT and Positron Emission Tomography (PET. The value of nuclear medicine techniques for clinical practice is also discussed.Then we provide an overview of the most often used radionuclide imaging techniques that may be helpful in diagnosing prosthetic joint infection: the 67Ga-citrate, labelled white blood cells in vitro and in vivo (monoclonal antibodies directed against specific targets on the leukocytes, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG. We describe their working methods, the pitfalls, and the interpretation criteria. Furthermore, we review recent advances in imaging bacteria, a molecular imaging method that holds promises for the detection of occult infections. We conclude proposing two diagnostic flow-charts, based on data in the literature, that could help the clinicians to choose the best nuclear imaging method when they have a patient with suspicion of or with proven PJI.

  17. Bolometric Device Based on Fluxoid Quantization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonetti, Joseph A.; Kenyon, Matthew E.; Leduc, Henry G.; Day, Peter K.

    2010-01-01

    The temperature dependence of fluxoid quantization in a superconducting loop. The sensitivity of the device is expected to surpass that of other superconducting- based bolometric devices, such as superconducting transition-edge sensors and superconducting nanowire devices. Just as important, the proposed device has advantages in sample fabrication.

  18. Prosthetic Hip Loosening Due to Brucellar Infection: Case Report and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anis Tebourbi

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Context: Brucellosis is actually considered to be the commonest zoonotic infection worldwide; conversely prosthetic infection due to brucella is extremely rare. Although diagnostic is easily achieved, management of such situations is extremely challenging. Aims: To report the case of prosthetic hip loosening due to brucellar infection, discuss management manners and to summarize data about 19 cases reported in the literature. Methods: We report the case of a 73-year-old woman with brucellar prosthetic hip loosening treated with 2-stage exchange of the prosthesis and prolonged double antibiotherapy Results: At two years follow up the patient is pain free with total functional recovery and no clinical and radiographic signs of prosthetic loosening Conclusions: Brucella should be evocated as a cause of total joint arthroplasty infection especially in patients from endemic regions and with occupational exposure. Antibiotic treatment alone can be followed if there are no signs of implant loosening. Tow stage revision should be considered in other cases.

  19. Embedded System for Prosthetic Control Using Implanted Neuromuscular Interfaces Accessed Via an Osseointegrated Implant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastinu, Enzo; Doguet, Pascal; Botquin, Yohan; Hakansson, Bo; Ortiz-Catalan, Max

    2017-08-01

    Despite the technological progress in robotics achieved in the last decades, prosthetic limbs still lack functionality, reliability, and comfort. Recently, an implanted neuromusculoskeletal interface built upon osseointegration was developed and tested in humans, namely the Osseointegrated Human-Machine Gateway. Here, we present an embedded system to exploit the advantages of this technology. Our artificial limb controller allows for bioelectric signals acquisition, processing, decoding of motor intent, prosthetic control, and sensory feedback. It includes a neurostimulator to provide direct neural feedback based on sensory information. The system was validated using real-time tasks characterization, power consumption evaluation, and myoelectric pattern recognition performance. Functionality was proven in a first pilot patient from whom results of daily usage were obtained. The system was designed to be reliably used in activities of daily living, as well as a research platform to monitor prosthesis usage and training, machine-learning-based control algorithms, and neural stimulation paradigms.

  20. Effects of alignment on the roll-over shapes of prosthetic feet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Andrew

    2008-12-01

    Recent work suggests that a prosthetic ankle-foot component's roll-over shape - the effective rocker it conforms to between initial contact and opposite initial contact (the 'roll-over' interval of walking) - is closely linked to its final alignment in the prosthesis (as determined by a skilled prosthetist using heuristic techniques). If true, this information may help to determine the appropriate alignment for a lower limb prosthesis before it is built, or a priori. Knowledge is needed for future models that will incorporate the roll-over shape including the relative effect of alignment on the roll-over shape's radius of curvature and arc length. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypotheses that: (i) Changes in prosthesis alignment alter the position and orientation of a foot's roll-over shape in prosthesis-based coordinates, and (ii) these changes occur without changing the radius of curvature or arc length of the roll-over shape. To examine the hypotheses, this study examined the effects of nine alignment settings on the roll-over shapes of two prosthetic feet. The idea that alignment changes move and rotate roll-over shapes of prosthetic feet in prosthesis coordinates is supported by this work, but the hypothesis that the radius of curvature and arc length do not change for different alignments is not strongly supported by the data. A revised approach is presented that explains some of the changes to the roll-over shape parameters due to changes in rotational alignment.

  1. Fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis with mycotic aneurysm: Case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandão, Mariana; Almeida, Jorge; Ferraz, Rita; Santos, Lurdes; Pinho, Paulo; Casanova, Jorge

    2016-09-01

    Fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis is an extremely severe form of infective endocarditis, with poor prognosis and high mortality despite treatment. Candida albicans is the most common etiological agent for this rare but increasingly frequent condition. We present a case of fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis due to C. albicans following aortic and pulmonary valve replacement in a 38-year-old woman with a history of surgically corrected tetralogy of Fallot, prior infective endocarditis and acute renal failure with need for catheter-based hemodialysis. Antifungal therapy with liposomal amphotericin B was initiated prior to cardiac surgery, in which the bioprostheses were replaced by homografts, providing greater resistance to recurrent infection. During hospitalization, a mycotic aneurysm was diagnosed following an episode of acute arterial ischemia, requiring two vascular surgical interventions. Despite the complications, the patient's outcome was good and she was discharged on suppressive antifungal therapy with oral fluconazole for at least a year. The reported case illustrates multiple risk factors for fungal endocarditis, as well as complications and predictors of poor prognosis, demonstrating its complexity. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Fifteen years of follow-up of a removable prosthetic design to maintain two remaining molars in a patient with mandibular reconstruction

    OpenAIRE

    Ming-Lun Hsu; Jacqueline Chia-Hsuan Wu; Ling-Ming Yu

    2012-01-01

    This clinical report describes a long-term prosthetic solution for a patient who had undergone mandibular reconstruction with a fibular graft, leaving only two right molars. The only retention device for the removable prosthesis design included a telescoping system with an O-ring application, but without fibula graft involvement. This prosthesis design was motivated by the altered bony and muscular architecture resulting in an increased maxillomandibular space and thick soft tissue in the den...

  3. Bonding strength of glass-ceramic trabecular-like coatings to ceramic substrates for prosthetic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qiang; Baino, Francesco; Pugno, Nicola M; Vitale-Brovarone, Chiara

    2013-04-01

    A new approach based on the concepts of quantized fracture mechanics (QFM) is presented and discussed in this paper to estimate the bonding strength of trabecular-like coatings, i.e. glass-ceramic scaffolds mimicking the architecture of cancellous bone, to ceramic substrates. The innovative application of glass-derived scaffolds as trabecular-like coatings is proposed in order to enhance the osteointegration of prosthetic ceramic devices. The scaffolds, prepared by polymeric sponge replication, are joined to alumina substrates by a dense glass-ceramic coating (interlayer) and the so-obtained 3-layer constructs are investigated from micro-structural, morphological and mechanical viewpoints. In particular, the fracture strengths of three different crack propagation modes, i.e. glass-derived scaffold fracture, interface delamination or mixed fracture, are predicted in agreement with those of experimental mechanical tests. The approach proposed in this work could have interesting applications towards an ever more rational design of bone tissue engineering biomaterials and coatings, in view of the optimization of their mechanical properties for making them actually suitable for clinical applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Investigational Clinical Trial of a Prototype Optoelectronic Computer-Aided Navigation Device for Dental Implant Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jokstad, Asbjørn; Winnett, Brenton; Fava, Joseph; Powell, David; Somogyi-Ganss, Eszter

    New digital technologies enable real-time computer-aided (CA) three-dimensional (3D) guidance during dental implant surgery. The aim of this investigational clinical trial was to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a prototype optoelectronic CA-navigation device in comparison with the conventional approach for planning and effecting dental implant surgery. Study participants with up to four missing teeth were recruited from the pool of patients referred to the University of Toronto Graduate Prosthodontics clinic. The first 10 participants were allocated to either a conventional or a prototype device study arm in a randomized trial. The next 10 participants received implants using the prototype device. All study participants were restored with fixed dental prostheses after 3 (mandible) or 6 (maxilla) months healing, and monitored over 12 months. The primary outcome was the incidence of any surgical, biologic, or prosthetic adverse events or device-related complications. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of positioning of implants not considered suitable for straightforward prosthetic restoration (yes/no); the perception of the ease of use of the prototype device by the two oral surgeons, recorded by use of a Likert-type questionnaire; and the clinical performance of the implant and superstructure after 1 year in function. Positioning of the implants was appraised on periapical radiographs and clinical photographs by four independent blinded examiners. Peri-implant bone loss was measured on periapical radiographs by a blinded examiner. No adverse events occurred related to placing any implants. Four device-related complications led to a switch from using the prototype device to the conventional method. All implants placed by use of the prototype device were in a position considered suitable for straightforward prosthetic restoration (n = 21). The qualitative evaluation by the surgeons was generally positive, although ergonomic challenges were identified

  5. A novel polymeric prosthetic heart valve: design, manufacture, and testing

    OpenAIRE

    Brubert, Jacob

    2016-01-01

    In this thesis a flexible leaflet polymeric prosthetic aortic heart valve was designed, manufactured, and tested. The prosthesis was designed with the aim of overcoming the need for anticoagulant therapy, which is required for current mechanical prostheses; while also having lifelong durability, which current bioprosthetic heart valves are not able to achieve. Inspired by the anisotropic architecture of collagen in the natural valve, a shortlist of polystyrene based block copolymers (BCPs), w...

  6. [Guided and computer-assisted implant surgery and prosthetic: The continuous digital workflow].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual, D; Vaysse, J

    2016-02-01

    New continuous digital workflow protocols of guided and computer-assisted implant surgery improve accuracy of implant positioning. The design of the future prosthesis is based on the available prosthetic space, gingival height and occlusal relationship with the opposing and adjacent teeth. The implant position and length depend on volume, density and bone quality, gingival height, tooth-implant and implant-implant distances, implant parallelism, axis and type of the future prosthesis. The crown modeled on the software will therefore serve as a guide to the future implant axis and not the reverse. The guide is made by 3D printing. The software determines surgical protocol with the drilling sequences. The unitary or plural prosthesis, modeled on the software and built before surgery, is loaded directly after implant placing, if needed. These protocols allow for a full continuity of the digital workflow. The software provides the surgeon and the dental technician a total freedom for the prosthetic-surgery guide design and the position of the implants. The prosthetic project, occlusal and aesthetic, taking the bony and surgical constraints into account, is optimized. The implant surgery is simplified and becomes less "stressful" for the patient and the surgeon. Guided and computer-assisted surgery with continuous digital workflow is becoming the technique of choice to improve the accuracy and quality of implant rehabilitation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Differential contributions of specimen types, culturing, and 16S rRNA sequencing in diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Lone Heimann; Khalid, Vesal; Xu, Yijuan

    2018-01-01

    to variations in specimen sampling. In this prospective, multidisciplinary study of hip or knee prosthetic failures, we assessed the contributions of different specimen types, extended culture incubations, and 16S rRNA sequencing for diagnosing prosthetic joint infections (PJI). Project specimens included joint...... fluid (JF), bone biopsy specimens (BB), soft-tissue biopsy specimens (STB), and swabs (SW) from the prosthesis, collected in situ, and sonication fluid collected from prosthetic components (PC). Specimens were cultured for 6 (conventional) or 14 days, and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed at study...... completion. Of the 156 patients enrolled, 111 underwent 114 surgical revisions (cases) due to indications of either PJI (n = 43) or AF (n = 71). Conventional tissue biopsy cultures confirmed PJI in 28/43 (65%) cases and refuted AF in 3/71 (4%) cases; one case was not evaluable. Based on these results, minor...

  8. Amputation rehabilitation and prosthetic restoration. From surgery to community reintegration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esquenazi, Alberto

    The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature related to the advances that have taken place in the management and rehabilitation care of limb amputation. Prostheses for the lower and upper limb amputee have changed greatly over the past several years, with advances in components, socket fabrication and fitting techniques, suspension systems and sources of power and electronic controls. Higher levels of limb amputation can now be fitted with functional prostheses, which allow more patients to achieve independent life styles. This is of particular importance for the multi-limb amputee. The rehabilitation of more traditional lower limb levels of amputation have also greatly benefited from the technological advances including energy storing feet, electronic control hydraulic knees, ankle rotators and shock absorbers to mention a few. For the upper limb amputee, myoelectric and proportional controlled terminal devices and elbow joints are now used routinely in some rehabilitation facilities. Experimental prosthetic fitting techniques and devices such as the use of osseo-implantation for suspension of the prosthesis, tension control hands or electromagnetic fluids for knee movement control will also be briefly discussed in this paper. It is possible to conclude from this review that many advances have occurred that have greatly impacted the functional outcomes of patients with limb amputation.

  9. Assembling markets for wind power. An inquiry into the making of market devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pallesen, T.

    2013-04-15

    This project studies the making of a market for wind power in France. Markets for wind power, as well as markets for other renewable energies, are often referred to as 'political markets: On the one hand, wind power has the potential to reduce CO{sub 2}-emissions and thus stall the effects of electricity generation on climate change; and on the other hand, as an economic good, wind power is said to suffer from 'disabilities', such as high costs, fluctuating and unpredictable generation, etc. Therefore, because of its performance as a good, it is argued that the survival of wind power in the market is premised on different instruments, some of which I will refer to as 'prosthetic devices'. This thesis inquires into two such prosthetic devices: The feed-in tariff and the wind power development zones (ZDE) as they are negotiated and practiced in France, and the ways in which they affect the making of markets for wind power. In this thesis, it is argued that while the two devices frame the price of wind power and the location of turbines, they also affect and address questions of costs, profitability, and efficiency; and as such, they may be investigated as market devices. (Author)

  10. Tensile strength and impact resistance properties of materials used in prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerschutz, Maria J; Haynes, Michael L; Nixon, Derek M; Colvin, James M

    2011-01-01

    Prosthetic sockets serve as the interface between people with amputations and their prostheses. Although most materials used to make prosthetic sockets have been used for many years, knowledge of these materials' properties is limited, especially after they are subjected to fabrication processes. This study evaluated tensile and impact properties of the current state-of-the-art materials used to fabricate prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets. Thermolyn Rigid and Orfitrans Stiff check socket materials produced significantly lower tensile strength and impact resistance than polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). Copolymer socket materials exhibited greater resistance to impact forces than the check socket materials but lower tensile strengths than PETG. The heated molding processes, for the check socket and copolymer materials, reduced both tensile strength and elongation at break. Definitive laminated sockets were sorted according to fabrication techniques. Nyglass material had significantly higher elongation, indicating a more ductile material than carbon-based laminations. Carbon sockets with pigmented resin had higher tensile strength and modulus at break than nonpigmented carbon sockets. Elongation at yield and elongation at break were similar for both types of carbon-based laminations. The material properties determined in this study provide a foundation for understanding and improving the quality of prosthetic sockets using current fabrication materials and a basis for evaluating future technologies.

  11. In vitro adherence of bacteria to prosthetic grafting materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brewer, A.R.; Stromberg, B.V.

    1990-01-01

    Adherence of bacteria to prosthetic grafting material is thought to play an important role in the ultimate development of prosthetic infections. To evaluate the role of bacterial adherence in the initiation and colonization of prosthetic materials, Proplast II, Gore-Tex, and silicone were evaluated for adherence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Bacteria were radiolabeled and incubated with the study material. Adherence was determined by scintillation. Adherence to Proplast II and Gore-Tex reached a maximum at approximately 45 minutes of incubation and demonstrated a detachment phenomenon with E. coli. Similar results were noted with S. aureus, but with a maximal attachment at approximately 30 minutes. Interestingly, bacterial attachment to silicone continued to increase throughout the time of the incubation. In addition, adherence of S. aureus was at a faster rate than E. coli. Attachment of bacteria is a multifactorial process. However, the PTFE graft demonstrates a slower rate of attachment, lower total number of attached bacteria, and faster detachment. The importance of this phenomenon may help explain the foreign body effect of increased susceptibility to infection of foreign materials

  12. Exophiala (Wangiella dermatitidis Prosthetic Aortic Valve Endocarditis and Prosthetic Graft Infection in an Immune Competent Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay S. Berger

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Exophiala (Wangiella dermatitidis is an emerging dematiaceous fungus associated with high mortality rates and is a rare cause of endocarditis. We describe the first case of E. dermatitidis endocarditis of a prosthetic aortic valve and aortic graft in an immune competent patient with no clear risk factors of hematological acquisition.

  13. Combined computed tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis: a case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartoletti, Michele; Tumietto, Fabio; Fasulo, Giovanni; Giannella, Maddalena; Cristini, Francesco; Bonfiglioli, Rachele; Raumer, Luigi; Nanni, Cristina; Sanfilippo, Silvia; Di Eusanio, Marco; Scotton, Pier Giorgio; Graziosi, Maddalena; Rapezzi, Claudio; Fanti, Stefano; Viale, Pierluigi

    2014-01-13

    The diagnosis of prosthetic valve endocarditis is challenging. The gold standard for prosthetic valve endocarditis diagnosis is trans-esophageal echocardiography. However, trans-esophageal echocardiography may result in negative findings or yield images difficult to differentiate from thrombus in patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis. Combined computed tomography and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is a potentially promising diagnostic tool for several infectious conditions and it has also been employed in patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis but data are still scant. We reviewed the charts of 6 patients with prosthetic aortic valves evaluated for suspicion of prosthetic valve endocarditis, at two different hospital, over a 3-year period. We found 3 patients with early-onset PVE cases and blood cultures yielding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus lugdunensis, respectively; and 3 late-onset cases in the remaining 3 patients with isolation in the blood of Streptococcus bovis, Candida albicans and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Initial trans-esophageal echocardiography was negative in all the patients, while fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed images suspicious for prosthetic valve endocarditis. In 4 out of 6 patients valve replacement was done with histology confirming the prosthetic valve endocarditis diagnosis. After an adequate course of antibiotic therapy fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed resolution of prosthetic valve endocarditis in all the patients. Our experience confirms the potential role of fluoroseoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the diagnosis and follow-up of prosthetic valve endocarditis.

  14. Rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection of prosthetic knee joints: A report of two cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Manyoung; Ha, Chul-Won; Jang, Jae Won; Park, Yong-Beom

    2017-08-01

    Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause prosthetic knee joint infections in rare cases. Infections with rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (RGNTM) are difficult to treat due to their aggressive clinical behavior and resistance to antibiotics. Infections of a prosthetic knee joint by RGNTM have rarely been reported. A standard of treatment has not yet been established because of the rarity of the condition. In previous reports, diagnoses of RGNTM infections in prosthetic knee joints took a long time to reach because the condition was not suspected, due to its rarity. In addition, it is difficult to identify RGNTM in the lab because special identification tests are needed. In previous reports, after treatment for RGNTM prosthetic infections, knee prostheses could not be re-implanted in all cases but one, resulting in arthrodesis or resection arthroplasty; this was most likely due to the aggressiveness of these organisms. In the present report, two cases of prosthetic knee joint infection caused by RGNTM (Mycobacterium abscessus) are described that were successfully treated, and in which prosthetic joints were finally reimplanted in two-stage revision surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Quality of life after maxillectomy and prosthetic obturator rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chigurupati, Radhika; Aloor, Neelam; Salas, Richard; Schmidt, Brian L

    2013-08-01

    Surgical resection of midface neoplasms and subsequent reconstruction have been shown to have significant negative effects on quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this pilot study was to assess individuals' health-related QOL after maxillectomy and reconstruction with a prosthetic obturator. The QOL of 25 of 43 patients who underwent maxillectomy and prosthetic obturator reconstruction at the University of California-San Francisco was assessed using 3 questionnaires: University of Washington Quality of Life version 4 (UWQOL), Obturator Functioning Scale (OFS), and Mental Health Inventory (MHI). The response rate to the QOL questionnaires was 92% (23 of 25 patients). Time elapsed from maxillectomy and prosthetic obturator reconstruction to the QOL survey response ranged from 0.3 to 6.6 years (mean, 2.7 years; standard deviation [SD], 1.9 years). The post-treatment mean QOL scores were 77.3 (SD, 13.6) for UWQOL, 72.0 (SD, 12.6) for OFS, and 4.5 (SD, 0.9) for Mental Health Inventory. Individuals who received adjuvant radiation scored lower for speech and appearance (OFS, P = .05, P = .03, respectively) as well as for saliva and overall QOL (UWQOL, P = .02, P = .08, respectively). There was a strong correlation between QOL scores in OFS and UWQOL questionnaires (r = 0.78, P maxillectomy and prosthetic obturator reconstruction. There is further need for a multicenter trial with a larger sample to identify how factors affecting QOL of patients after maxillectomy might influence the choice of reconstruction. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A Statistical Perspective on Running with Prosthetic Lower-Limbs: An Advantage or Disadvantage?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Hassani

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Technological developments have led to the increased use of carbon fiber and prosthetic lower-limbs in running events at the Paralympic Games. This study aims to exploit a series of statistical techniques in order to prepare a response to the vital question of whether utilizing prosthetic feet can affect an athletes ability when running competitively at the Paralympics Games by comparing both within and between different classifications. The study also considers the differences between running on biological limbs and prosthetic lower-limbs from a mechanical point of view. The results from the male 100 m, 200 m and 400 m at the 2012 London Paralympic Games have been the source of this investigation. The investigation provides statistical evidence to propose that the number of prosthetic limbs used and the structure of such limbs have a significant impact on the outcome of track events at the Paralympic Games.

  17. Diagnostic flowcharts in osteomyelitis, spondylodiscitis and prosthetic joint infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jutte, P.; Lazzeri, E.; Sconfienza, L. M.; Cassar-Pullicino, V.; Trampuz, A.; Petrosillo, N.; Signore, A.

    2014-01-01

    Infections of the bone, spine and prosthetic joints are serious and complex conditions to diagnose and to treat. Structured diagnostic workup may very well improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis, thereby improving the outcome since treatment may very well be more successful and less harmful if timely management is started. Literature shows no uniform advise on diagnosis. The EANM organized a consensus meeting with representatives from the involved disciplines in order to develop common flowcharts for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis, spondylodiscitis and prosthetic joint infections. In this report the proceedings of this consensus meeting, including the proposed flowcharts for diagnosis, are published.

  18. Mobility function of a prosthetic knee joint with an automatic stance phase lock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrysek, Jan; Klejman, Susan; Torres-Moreno, Ricardo; Heim, Winfried; Steinnagel, Bryan; Glasford, Shane

    2011-06-01

    There is a need for a prosthetic knee joint design that is technologically and functionally appropriate for use in developing countries. To develop and clinically evaluate a new type of stance phase controlled prosthetic knee joint that provides stance phase stability without inhibiting swing phase flexion. A crossover repeated measures study design comparing the new knee joint to the participant's conventional low- or high-end prosthetic knee joint. The new knee joint was fitted to fourteen individuals aged 15 to 67 years with unilateral lower limb amputations. Walk tests were performed to measure walking speed. Energy expenditure was estimated using the physiological cost index (PCI). Walking speeds with the new knee joint were on average 0.14 m/s faster than conventional low-end knees (p < 0.0001), but 0.07 m/s slower than conventional high-end prosthetic knees (p = 0.008). The PCI was similar across all three knee joint technologies (p = 0.276). Mobility function with the new knee joint, in terms of walking speed, was more closely matched to high-end than low-end prosthetic knee joints. Therefore, given its relatively simple design, the new stance phase control mechanism may offer a functional and cost effective solution for active transfemoral amputees. This paper describes a new type of prosthetic knee joint mechanism that is intended to be cost-effective while providing high-level stance phase function to active individuals with a transfemoral amputation. Initial clinical testing suggests that the new knee joint may have some functional advantages over existing technologies in this category.

  19. Prosthetics socket that incorporates an air splint system focusing on dynamic interface pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razak, Nasrul Anuar Abd; Osman, Noor Azuan Abu; Gholizadeh, Hossein; Ali, Sadeeq

    2014-08-01

    The interface pressure between the residual limb and prosthetic socket has a significant effect on an amputee's satisfaction and comfort. This paper presents the design and performance of a new prosthetic socket that uses an air splint system. The air splint prosthetic socket system was implemented by combining the air splint with a pressure sensor that the transhumeral user controls through the use of a microcontroller. The modular construction of the system developed allows the FSR pressure sensors that are placed inside the air splint socket to determine the required size and fitting for the socket used. Fifteen transhumeral amputees participated in the study. The subject's dynamic pressure on the socket that's applied while wearing the air splint systems was recorded using F-socket transducers and microcontroller analysis. The values collected by the F-socket sensor for the air splint prosthetic socket system were determined accordingly by comparing the dynamic pressure applied using statically socket. The pressure volume of the air splint fluctuated and was recorded at an average of 38 kPa (2.5) to 41 kPa (1.3) over three hours. The air splint socket might reduce the pressure within the interface of residual limb. This is particularly important during the daily life activities and may reduce the pain and discomfort at the residual limb in comparison to the static socket. The potential development of an auto-adjusted socket that uses an air splint system as the prosthetic socket will be of interest to researchers involved in rehabilitation engineering, prosthetics and orthotics.

  20. Development of inexpensive prosthetic feet for high-heeled shoes using simple shoe insole model

    OpenAIRE

    Margrit R. Meier, PhD; Kerice A. Tucker, BSc; Andrew H. Hansen, PhD

    2014-01-01

    The large majority of prosthetic feet are aimed at low-heeled shoes, with a few models allowing a heel height of up to 5 cm. However, a survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association indicates that most women wear heels over 5 cm; thus, current prosthetic feet limit most female prosthesis users in their choice. Some prosthetic foot components are heel-height adjustable; however, their plantar surface shapes do not change to match the insole shapes of the shoes with different heel height...

  1. A global perspective on mechanical prosthetic heart valve thrombosis: Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gürsoy, Mustafa Ozan; Kalçık, Macit; Yesin, Mahmut; Karakoyun, Süleyman; Bayam, Emrah; Gündüz, Sabahattin; Özkan, Mehmet

    2016-01-01

    Prosthetic valve thrombosis is one of the major causes of primary valve failure, which can be life-threatening. Multimodality imaging is necessary for determination of leaflet immobilization, cause of underlying pathology (thrombus versus pannus or both), and whether thrombolytic therapy attempt in the patient would be successful or surgery is needed. Current guidelines for the management of prosthetic valve thrombosis lack definitive class I recommendations due to lack of randomized controlled trials, and usually leave the choice of treatment to the clinician’s experience. In this review, we aimed to summarize the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis. PMID:28005024

  2. Echocardiographic Evaluation of Tricuspid Prosthetic Valves: An Update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Maragiannis, MD, FASE, FACC

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This review focuses on the diagnostic value of novel echocardiographic techniques and the clinical application of recently described algorithms to assess tricuspid prosthetic valve function.

  3. Prosthetic hip joint infection due to Campylobacter fetus.

    OpenAIRE

    Bates, C J; Clarke, T C; Spencer, R C

    1994-01-01

    A case of postoperative prosthetic hip joint infection due to Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus is described. Difficulties in isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of this organism are discussed.

  4. Experimental measurement of flexion-extension movement in normal and corpse prosthetic elbow joint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    TarniŢă, Daniela; TarniŢă, DănuŢ Nicolae

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a comparative experimental study of flexion-extension movement in healthy elbow and in the prosthetic elbow joint fixed on an original experimental bench. Measurements were carried out in order to validate the functional morphology and a new elbow prosthesis type ball head. The three-dimensional (3D) model and the physical prototype of our experimental bench used to test elbow endoprosthesis at flexion-extension and pronation-supination movements is presented. The measurements were carried out on a group of nine healthy subjects and on the prosthetic corpse elbow, the experimental data being obtained for flexion-extension movement cycles. Experimental data for the two different flexion-extension tests for the nine subjects and for the corpse prosthetic elbow were acquired using SimiMotion video system. Experimental data were processed statistically. The corresponding graphs were obtained for all subjects in the experimental group, and for corpse prosthetic elbow for both flexion-extension tests. The statistical analysis has proved that the flexion angles of healthy elbows were significantly close to the values measured at the prosthetic elbow fixed on the experimental bench. The studied elbow prosthesis manages to re-establish the mobility for the elbow joint as close to the normal one.

  5. The effect of prosthetic foot push-off on mechanical loading associated with knee osteoarthritis in lower extremity amputees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgenroth, David C; Segal, Ava D; Zelik, Karl E; Czerniecki, Joseph M; Klute, Glenn K; Adamczyk, Peter G; Orendurff, Michael S; Hahn, Michael E; Collins, Steven H; Kuo, Art D

    2011-10-01

    Lower extremity amputation not only limits mobility, but also increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis of the intact limb. Dynamic walking models of non-amputees suggest that pushing-off from the trailing limb can reduce collision forces on the leading limb. These collision forces may determine the peak knee external adduction moment (EAM), which has been linked to the development of knee OA in the general population. We therefore hypothesized that greater prosthetic push-off would lead to reduced loading and knee EAM of the intact limb in unilateral transtibial amputees. Seven unilateral transtibial amputees were studied during gait under three prosthetic foot conditions that were intended to vary push-off. Prosthetic foot-ankle push-off work, intact limb knee EAM and ground reaction impulses for both limbs during step-to-step transition were measured. Overall, trailing limb prosthetic push-off work was negatively correlated with leading intact limb 1st peak knee EAM (slope=-.72±.22; p=.011). Prosthetic push-off work and 1st peak intact knee EAM varied significantly with foot type. The prosthetic foot condition with the least push-off demonstrated the largest knee EAM, which was reduced by 26% with the prosthetic foot producing the most push-off. Trailing prosthetic limb push-off impulse was negatively correlated with leading intact limb loading impulse (slope=-.34±.14; p=.001), which may help explain how prosthetic limb push-off can affect intact limb loading. Prosthetic feet that perform more prosthetic push-off appear to be associated with a reduction in 1st peak intact knee EAM, and their use could potentially reduce the risk and burden of knee osteoarthritis in this population. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Prosthetic memory and post-memory: cultural encounters with the past in designing a museum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mălina Ciocea

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper1 investigates the sources of representations on the communist period and the type of engagement with the past in an experiential museum, in the context of the National Network of Romanian Museums’ project for a laboratory-museum of Romanian Communism. Our analysis of focus-groups in October-November 2012 explores the public’s expectations in terms of museum experience and engagement with objects and the potential of an experiential museum to facilitate deliberation about the past. We use the conceptual framework of recent studies on postmemory (Hirsch, 2008 and prosthetic memory (Landsberg, 2004, 2009 to focus on ways of building the experiential archive needed to produce prosthetic memory. We consider that such an analysis is relevant for two interconnected problems: the bidirectional relationship between a projected museum of communism and a prospective public, and the methodological insights available for investigating this relation. With regard to the first problem, this paper makes a case for treating museums as a memory device rather than a lieu de memoire and analyses the role of the museum in relation to cultural memory. With regard to the second problem, it offers an example of conducting research on prospective publics which departs from traditional marketing approaches, adopting theoretical insights and analytical categories from specific conceptualizations in the field of memory studies.

  7. Prosthetic valves in adult patients with congenital heart disease : Rationale and design of the Dutch PROSTAVA study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Freling, H. G.; van Slooten, Y. J.; van Melle, J. P.; Mulder, B. J. M.; van Dijk, A. P. J.; Hillege, H. L.; Post, M. C.; Sieswerda, G. Tj; Jongbloed, M. R. M.; Willems, T. P.; Pieper, P. G.

    2012-01-01

    Data on long-term complications in adult patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD) and a prosthetic valve are scarce. Moreover, the influence of prosthetic valves on quality of life (QoL) and functional outcome in ACHD patients with prosthetic valves has not been studied. The primary objective

  8. Advances for prosthetic technology from historical perspective to current status to future application

    CERN Document Server

    LeMoyne, Robert

    2016-01-01

    This book focuses on the advances in transtibial prosthetic technology and targets research in the evolution of the powered prosthesis such as the BiOM, which was derived from considerable research and development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The concept of the book spans the historical evolution of prosthetic applications from passive to new and futuristic robotic prosthetic technologies.  The author describes the reasons for amputation, surgical procedures, and an historical perspective of the prosthesis for the lower limb. He also addresses the phases and sub-phases of gait and compensatory mechanisms arising for a transtibial prosthesis and links the compensatory mechanisms to long-term morbidities.  The general technologies for gait analysis central to prosthetic design and the inherent biomechanics foundations for analysis are also explored.  The book reports on recent-past to current-term applications with passive elastic prostheses.  The core of the book deals with futuristic robo...

  9. Mechanical design of a shape memory alloy actuated prosthetic hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Laurentis, Kathryn J; Mavroidis, Constantinos

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents the mechanical design for a new five fingered, twenty degree-of-freedom dexterous hand patterned after human anatomy and actuated by Shape Memory Alloy artificial muscles. Two experimental prototypes of a finger, one fabricated by traditional means and another fabricated by rapid prototyping techniques, are described and used to evaluate the design. An important aspect of the Rapid Prototype technique used here is that this multi-articulated hand will be fabricated in one step, without requiring assembly, while maintaining its desired mobility. The use of Shape Memory Alloy actuators combined with the rapid fabrication of the non-assembly type hand, reduce considerably its weight and fabrication time. Therefore, the focus of this paper is the mechanical design of a dexterous hand that combines Rapid Prototype techniques and smart actuators. The type of robotic hand described in this paper can be utilized for applications requiring low weight, compactness, and dexterity such as prosthetic devices, space and planetary exploration.

  10. Dynamic tracking of prosthetic valve motion and deformation from bi-plane x-ray views: feasibility study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatt, Charles R.; Wagner, Martin; Raval, Amish N.; Speidel, Michael A.

    2016-03-01

    Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) requires navigation and deployment of a prosthetic valve within the aortic annulus under fluoroscopic guidance. To support improved device visualization in this procedure, this study investigates the feasibility of frame-by-frame 3D reconstruction of a moving and expanding prosthetic valve structure from simultaneous bi-plane x-ray views. In the proposed method, a dynamic 3D model of the valve is used in a 2D/3D registration framework to obtain a reconstruction of the valve. For each frame, valve model parameters describing position, orientation, expansion state, and deformation are iteratively adjusted until forward projections of the model match both bi-plane views. Simulated bi-plane imaging of a valve at different signal-difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR) levels was performed to test the approach. 20 image sequences with 50 frames of valve deployment were simulated at each SDNR. The simulation achieved a target registration error (TRE) of the estimated valve model of 0.93 +/- 2.6 mm (mean +/- S.D.) for the lowest SDNR of 2. For higher SDNRs (5 to 50) a TRE of 0.04 mm +/- 0.23 mm was achieved. A tabletop phantom study was then conducted using a TAVR valve. The dynamic 3D model was constructed from high resolution CT scans and a simple expansion model. TRE was 1.22 +/- 0.35 mm for expansion states varying from undeployed to fully deployed, and for moderate amounts of inter-frame motion. Results indicate that it is feasible to use bi-plane imaging to recover the 3D structure of deformable catheter devices.

  11. Multimodality Imaging Assessment of Prosthetic Heart Valves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Suchá, D.; Symersky, Petr; Tanis, W; Mali, Willem P Th M; Leiner, Tim; van Herwerden, LA; Budde, Ricardo P J

    Echocardiography and fluoroscopy are the main techniques for prosthetic heart valve (PHV) evaluation, but because of specific limitations they may not identify the morphological substrate or the extent of PHV pathology. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have

  12. A Flexible Microcontroller-Based Data Acquisition Device

    OpenAIRE

    Hercog, Darko; Gergič, Bojan

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a low-cost microcontroller-based data acquisition device. The key component of the presented solution is a configurable microcontroller-based device with an integrated USB transceiver and a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). The presented embedded DAQ device contains a preloaded program (firmware) that enables easy acquisition and generation of analogue and digital signals and data transfer between the device and the application running on a PC via USB bus. This d...

  13. Prosthetic Joint Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tande, Aaron J.

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a tremendous burden for individual patients as well as the global health care industry. While a small minority of joint arthroplasties will become infected, appropriate recognition and management are critical to preserve or restore adequate function and prevent excess morbidity. In this review, we describe the reported risk factors for and clinical manifestations of PJI. We discuss the pathogenesis of PJI and the numerous microorganisms that can cause this devastating infection. The recently proposed consensus definitions of PJI and approaches to accurate diagnosis are reviewed in detail. An overview of the treatment and prevention of this challenging condition is provided. PMID:24696437

  14. Radiological visualization of prosthetic heart valves in situ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffmeister, H.M.; Pirschel, J.

    1986-01-01

    To determine the radiographic appearance of prosthetic heart valves 15 different models were investigated in situ. Fluoroscopy with detail radiographs and standard chest-radiographs were used for identification of the specific type of the prosthesis, for determination of details of the valve apparatus and for evaluation of the motion of the valve disc/ball. - Fluoroscopy and routine radiographs provided sufficient information to identify all prosthetic heart valves with exception of the Xenomedica bioprosthesis. If radiopaque material was used for the valve disc/ball, fluoroscopic assessment of the function of the valve was possible. Thus, in most types of disc or ball valves the opening/closing of the valve can be visualized, whereas in bioprosthesis a radiological determination of the mechanical function is not possible. (orig.) [de

  15. Factors influencing the cost of prosthetic joint infection treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peel, T N; Cheng, A C; Lorenzo, Y P; Kong, D C M; Buising, K L; Choong, P F M

    2013-11-01

    Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is associated with significant costs to the healthcare system. Current literature examines the cost of specific treatment modalities without assessing other cost drivers for PJI. To examine the overall cost of the treatment of PJI and to identify factors associated with management costs. The costs of treatment of prosthetic joint infections were examined in 139 patients across 10 hospitals over a 3-year period (January 2006 to December 2008). Cost calculations included hospitalization costs, surgical costs, hospital-in-the-home costs and antibiotic therapy costs. Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to model factors associated with total cost. The median cost of treating prosthetic joint infection per patient was Australian $34,800 (interquartile range: 20,305, 56,929). The following factors were associated with increased treatment costs: septic revision arthroplasty (67% increase in treatment cost; P = 0.02), hypotension at presentation (70% increase; P = 0.03), polymicrobial infections (41% increase; P = 0.009), surgical treatment with one-stage exchange (100% increase; P = 0.002) or resection arthroplasty (48% increase; P = 0.001) were independently associated with increased treatment costs. Culture-negative prosthetic joint infections were associated with decreased costs (29% decrease in treatment cost; P = 0.047). Treatment failure was associated with 156% increase in treatment costs. This study identifies clinically important factors influencing treatment costs that may be of relevance to policy-makers, particularly in the setting of hospital reimbursement and guiding future research into cost-effective preventive strategies. Copyright © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Increased risk of prosthetic joint infection associated with esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy with biopsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho-Prabhu, Nayantara; Oxentenko, Amy S; Osmon, Douglas R; Baron, Todd H; Hanssen, Arlen D; Wilson, Walter R; Steckelberg, James M; Baddour, Larry M; Harmsen, William S; Mandrekar, Jay; Berbari, Elie F

    2013-02-01

    There are no prospective data regarding the risk of prosthetic joint infection following routine gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. We wanted to determine the risk of prosthetic hip or knee infection following gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures in patients with joint arthroplasty. We conducted a prospective, single-center, case-control study at a single, tertiary-care referral center. Cases were defined as adult patients hospitalized for prosthetic joint infection of the hip or knee between December 1, 2001 and May 31, 2006. Controls were adult patients with hip or knee arthroplasties but without a diagnosis of joint infection, hospitalized during the same time period at the same orthopedic hospital. The main outcome measure was the odds ratio (OR) of prosthetic joint infection after gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures performed within 2 years before admission. 339 cases and 339 controls were included in the study. Of these, 70 cases (21%) cases and 82 controls (24%) had undergone a gastrointestinal endoscopic procedure in the preceding 2 years. Among gastrointestinal procedures that were assessed, esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy was associated with an increased risk of prosthetic joint infection (OR = 3, 95% CI: 1.1-7). In a multivariable analysis adjusting for sex, age, joint age, immunosuppression, BMI, presence of wound drain, prior arthroplasty, malignancy, ASA score, and prothrombin time, the OR for infection after EGD with biopsy was 4 (95% CI: 1.5-10). EGD with biopsy was associated with an increased risk of prosthetic joint infection in patients with hip or knee arthroplasties. This association will need to be confirmed in other epidemiological studies and adequately powered prospective clinical trials prior to recommending antibiotic prophylaxis in these patients.

  17. Prosthetic Leg Control in the Nullspace of Human Interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregg, Robert D; Martin, Anne E

    2016-07-01

    Recent work has extended the control method of virtual constraints, originally developed for autonomous walking robots, to powered prosthetic legs for lower-limb amputees. Virtual constraints define desired joint patterns as functions of a mechanical phasing variable, which are typically enforced by torque control laws that linearize the output dynamics associated with the virtual constraints. However, the output dynamics of a powered prosthetic leg generally depend on the human interaction forces, which must be measured and canceled by the feedback linearizing control law. This feedback requires expensive multi-axis load cells, and actively canceling the interaction forces may minimize the human's influence over the prosthesis. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a method for projecting virtual constraints into the nullspace of the human interaction terms in the output dynamics. The projected virtual constraints naturally render the output dynamics invariant with respect to the human interaction forces, which instead enter into the internal dynamics of the partially linearized prosthetic system. This method is illustrated with simulations of a transfemoral amputee model walking with a powered knee-ankle prosthesis that is controlled via virtual constraints with and without the proposed projection.

  18. Ergonomic workplace assessment in orthotic and prosthetic workshops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmani Nodooshan, H; Koohi Booshehri, S; Daneshmandi, H; Choobineh, A R

    2016-10-17

    In Iranian orthotic and prosthetic workshops, the majority of activities are carried out by manpower and the tasks are labor-intensive. In these workshops, ergonomic aspects of working conditions are seldom considered. This study was conducted in orthotic and prosthetic workshops with the objectives of determination of prevalence rate of MSDs among employees and assessment of ergonomics working conditions. In this cross-sectional study, all employees (n = 42; 29 males and 13 females) in 11 active orthotic and prosthetic production centers of Shiraz city participated. Data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and observational technique by an ergonomics checklist for assessment of working conditions. The means (SD) of age and job tenure (years) in the study individuals were 37.26 (10.21) and 12.8 (9.39), respectively. The most prevalent MSD symptoms in the past 12 months were reported in the lower back (42.9%), shoulders (40.5%) and knees (40.5%). Working conditions assessment showed that the main ergonomic problems in the workshops studied originated from awkward working posture, improper workstation design, poorly designed hand tools and incorrect manual material handling. Any interventional program for working conditions improvement should, therefore, focus on these areas.

  19. The relevance of aortic endograft prosthetic infection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cernohorsky, Paul; Reijnen, Michel M. P. J.; Tielliu, Ignace F. J.; van Sterkenburg, Steven M. M.; van den Dungen, Jan J. A. M.; Zeebregts, Clark J.

    Background: Vascular prosthetic graft infection is a severe complication after open aortic aneurysm repair. Reports of infected endografts are scarce. General treatment consensus with infected graft material is that it should be removed completely. The objective of this study was to describe the

  20. Good quality of life outcomes after treatment of prosthetic joint infection with debridement and prosthesis retention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aboltins, Craig; Dowsey, Michelle; Peel, Trish; Lim, Wen K; Choong, Peter

    2016-05-01

    Patients treated for early prosthetic joint infection (PJI) with surgical debridement and prosthesis retention have a rate of successful infection eradication that is similar to patients treated with the traditional approach of prosthesis exchange. It is therefore important to consider other outcomes after prosthetic joint infection treatment that may influence management decisions, such as quality of life (QOL). Our aim was to describe infection cure rates and quality of life for patients with prosthetic joint infection treated with debridement and prosthesis retention and to determine if treatment with this approach was a risk factor for poor quality of life outcomes. Prospectively collected pre and post-arthroplasty data were available for 2,134 patients, of which PJI occurred in 41. For patients treated for prosthetic joint infection, the 2-year survival free of treatment failure was 87% (95%CI 84-89). Prosthetic joint infection cases treated with debridement and retention had a similar improvement from pre-arthroplasty to 12-months post-arthroplasty as patients without PJI in QOL according to the SF-12 survey. Prosthetic joint infection treated with debridement and retention was not a risk factor for poor quality of life on univariate or multivariate analysis. Prosthetic joint infection treated with debridement and prosthesis retention results in good cure rates and quality of life. Further studies are required that directly compare quality of life for different surgical approaches for prosthetic joint infection to better inform management decisions. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:898-902, 2016. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Identification of critical zones in the flow through prosthetic heart valves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, A.; Ledesma, R.; Zenit, R.; Pulos, G.

    2008-11-01

    The hemodynamic properties of prosthetic heart valves can cause blood damage and platelet activation due to the non- physiological flow patterns. Blood recirculation and elevated shear stresses are believed to be responsible for these complications. The objective of this study is to identify and quantify the conditions for which recirculation and high stress zones appear. We have performed a comparative study between a mechanical monoleaflet and biological valve. In order to generate the flow conditions to test the prosthesis, we have built a hydraulic circuit which reproduces the human systemic circulation, on the basis of the Windkessel model. This model is based on an electrical analogy which consists of an arterial resistance and compliance. Using PIV 3D- Stereo measurements, taken downstream from the prosthetic heart valves, we have reconstructed the full phase-averaged tridimensional velocity field. Preliminary results show that critical zones are more prominent in mechanical prosthesis, indicating that valves made with bio-materials are less likely to produce blood trauma. This is in accordance with what is generally found in the literature.

  2. Overview: Mechanism and Control of a Prosthetic Arm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulkarni, Tushar; Uddanwadiker, Rashmi

    2015-09-01

    Continuous growth in industrialization and lack of awareness in safety parameters the cases of amputations are growing. The search of safer, simpler and automated prosthetic arms for managing upper limbs is expected. Continuous efforts have been made to design and develop prosthetic arms ranging from simple harness actuated to automated mechanisms with various control options. However due the cost constraints, the automated prosthetic arms are still out of the reach of needy people. Recent data have shown that there is a wide scope to develop a low cost and light weight upper limb prosthesis. This review summarizes the various designs methodologies, mechanisms and control system developed by the researchers and the advances therein. Educating the patient to develop acceptability to prosthesis and using the same for the most basic desired functions of human hand, post amputation care and to improve patient's independent life is equally important. In conclusion it can be interpreted that there is a wide scope in design in an adaptive mechanism for opening and closing of the fingers using other methods of path and position synthesis. Simple mechanisms and less parts may optimize the cost factor. Reduction in the weight of the prosthesis may be achieved using polymers used for engineering applications. Control system will remain never ending challenge for the researchers, but it is essential to maintain the simplicity from the patients perspective.

  3. Dynamic elasticity measurement for prosthetic socket design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yujin; Kim, Junghoon; Son, Hyeryon; Choi, Youngjin

    2017-07-01

    The paper proposes a novel apparatus to measure the dynamic elasticity of human limb in order to help the design and fabrication of the personalized prosthetic socket. To take measurements of the dynamic elasticity, the desired force generated as an exponential chirp signal in which the frequency increases and amplitude is maintained according to time progress is applied to human limb and then the skin deformation is recorded, ultimately, to obtain the frequency response of its elasticity. It is referred to as a Dynamic Elasticity Measurement Apparatus (DEMA) in the paper. It has three core components such as linear motor to provide the desired force, loadcell to implement the force feedback control, and potentiometer to record the skin deformation. After measuring the force/deformation and calculating the dynamic elasticity of the limb, it is visualized as 3D color map model of the limb so that the entire dynamic elasticity can be shown at a glance according to the locations and frequencies. For the visualization, the dynamic elasticities measured at specific locations and frequencies are embodied using the color map into 3D limb model acquired by using 3D scanner. To demonstrate the effectiveness, the visualized dynamic elasticities are suggested as outcome of the proposed system, although we do not have any opportunity to apply the proposed system to the amputees. Ultimately, it is expected that the proposed system can be utilized to design and fabricate the personalized prosthetic socket in order for releasing the wearing pain caused by the conventional prosthetic socket.

  4. Acinetobacter Prosthetic Joint Infection Treated with Debridement and High-Dose Tigecycline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vila, Andrea; Pagella, Hugo; Amadio, Claudio; Leiva, Alejandro

    2016-12-01

    Prosthesis retention is not recommended for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter prosthetic joint infection due to its high failure rate. Nevertheless, replacing the prosthesis implies high morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Although tigecycline is not approved for the treatment of prosthetic joint infection due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, its appropriate use may preclude prosthesis exchange. Since the area under the curve divided by the minimum inhibitory concentration is the best pharmacodynamic predictor of its efficacy, we used tigecycline at high dose, in order to optimize its efficacy and achieve implant retention in 3 patients who refused prosthesis exchange. All patients with prosthetic joint infections treated at our Institution are prospectively registered in a database. Three patients with early prosthetic joint infection of total hip arthroplasty due to multidrug resistant A. baumannii were treated with debridement, antibiotics and implant retention, using a high maintenance dose of tigecycline (100 mg every 12 hours). The cases were retrospectively reviewed. All patients signed informed consent for receiving off-label use of tigecycline. Tigecycline was well tolerated, allowing its administration at high maintenance dose for a median of 40 days (range 30-60). Two patients were then switched to minocycline at standard doses for a median of 3.3 months in order to complete treatment. Currently, none of the patients showed relapse. Increasing the dose of tigecycline could be considered as a means to better attain pharmacodynamic targets in patients with severe or difficult-to-treat infections. Tigecycline at high maintenance dose might be useful when retention of the implant is attempted for treatment for prosthetic joint infections due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter. Although this approach might be promising, off-label use of tigecycline should be interpreted cautiously until prospective data are available. Tigecycline is

  5. Evaluation of prosthetic heart valves by transesophageal echocardiography: problems, pitfalls, and timing of echocardiography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Brink, Renee B. A.

    2006-01-01

    Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is especially suitable for examination of prosthetic valves because of the proximity of the esophagus to the heart and absence of interference with lungs and ribs. This article reviews normal and abnormal morphologic characteristics of prosthetic valves such as

  6. Detection and identification of microbes in prosthetic joint infections by culture and molecular methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Yijuan; Schønheyder, Henrik Carl; Ehrlich, Garth

    , indicating biofilm formation. In conclusion, this study indicated that to improve the microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections molecular methods may be useful supplements to routine cultures, and the current intraoperative sampling strategy needs to be optimized.......Bacterial biofilms have been observed in many device-related infections including orthopedic implants. This mode of growth makes the infection difficult to treat and constitutes a challenge to current sampling procedures and culture practices to obtain a reliable diagnosis. The aim of the study...... uncovered many more species including known pathogens and species not previously reported in orthopedic infections, and polymicrobial communities were commonly observed. Additionally the molecular findings suggested the bacterial composition and yield varied depending on the position and type of samples...

  7. CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION AND ESTIMATION OF IATROGENIC PROSTHETIC FACTORS – SEMIOLOGY AND SYMPTOMATOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. LUCA

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The principles lying at the basis of a balanced dental occlusion cannot be analyzed separately, but only if considering the teeth (and, implicitly, dental occlusion as integrated into the masticatory system, which includes the masticatory muscles, the temporo-mandibu‑ lary joint and the maxillary bones. Scope: The scope of the present study was to correlate and establish the interde‑ pendence between the morpholgically-incorrect prosthetic works and the tissular and functional damages suffered by the neighbouring structures, as a result of some incor‑ rectly-made prosthetic works. Also, the study aims at iden‑ tifying the factors and limits responsible for a prolongued maintenance of such irreversible pathological modificati‑ ons within an asymptomatic zone for the patient. Materials and method: The working hypothesis of the present inves‑ tigation started from the analysis of the various objective signs, versus the morphology of the incorrectly performed prosthetic works. The study, initiated as early as 2009, in a private stomatological clinics (DentEstet, Bucuresti, includes a number of 500 patients (250 women and 250 men, selected among the patients having addressed the stomatological office from various reasons (not always related to the prosthetic pathology of the cases here under investigation. Included in the study have been only the patients with fixed prosthetic works associated with one or several of the previously described objective signs, potentially induced by the iatrogeneicity of the prosthetic works. Results: The pathological effects of the iatrogenic works here under analysis, upon both the antagonistic and prosthetic support teeth, may be clinically identified during a minute examination performed prior to produ‑ cing irreversible final effects (abrasions, fractures, dental mobility, etc.. Such noxious effects of the iatrogenic pros‑ thetic works appear as a false masticatory comfort and as a

  8. Value-based purchasing of medical devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obremskey, William T; Dail, Teresa; Jahangir, A Alex

    2012-04-01

    Health care in the United States is known for its continued innovation and production of new devices and techniques. While the intention of these devices is to improve the delivery and outcome of patient care, they do not always achieve this goal. As new technologies enter the market, hospitals and physicians must determine which of these new devices to incorporate into practice, and it is important these devices bring value to patient care. We provide a model of a physician-engaged process to decrease cost and increase review of physician preference items. We describe the challenges, implementation, and outcomes of cost reduction and product stabilization of a value-based process for purchasing medical devices at a major academic medical center. We implemented a physician-driven committee that standardized and utilized evidence-based, clinically sound, and financially responsible methods for introducing or consolidating new supplies, devices, and technology for patient care. This committee worked with institutional finance and administrative leaders to accomplish its goals. Utilizing this physician-driven committee, we provided access to new products, standardized some products, decreased costs of physician preference items 11% to 26% across service lines, and achieved savings of greater than $8 million per year. The implementation of a facility-based technology assessment committee that critically evaluates new technology can decrease hospital costs on implants and standardize some product lines.

  9. Pre-operative Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: A Risk Factor For Prosthetic Joint Infection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weale, R; El-Bakri, F; Saeed, Kordo

    2018-04-13

    Infection is a rare complication following implantation of prosthetic material into a joint. The impact of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) before elective operations and the subsequent risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) are not well understood. • Assess the prevalence of ASB amongst patients undergoing total arthroplasty of the hip and knee. • Determine the rates of PJI diagnosed within two years of the arthroplasty and if ASB is an independent risk factor for developing PJI. Patients who had total/unicondylar knee or total hip arthroplasty were retrospectively reviewed over a five-year period. Pre-operative urine samples within one year of surgery were analysed and those with ASB identified. Primary outcome was prosthetic joint infection (PJI) within the first postoperative year. 5542 patients were included. 4368 had a pre-operative urine culture recorded. The prevalence of ASB was 140 of 4368 (3.2%). The overall PJI rate was 56 of 5542 (1.01%). Of those with a PJI, 33 had a pre-operative urine sample recorded. The infection rate in the ASB group was 5% (7 of 140), in the no-ASB group it was 0.61% (26 of 4228) and in the group without a urine sample it was 1.96% (23 of 1174) (p value prosthetic joint, suggestive the relationship is unlikely causal. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Prosthetics & Orthotics Manufacturing Initiative (POMI)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-21

    suspension system, socket- ankle /knee interface, etc.) associated with a complete prosthetic system. More specific, the purpose of these deliverables was...strap. The waist belt consists of an adjustable belt utilizing polypropylene buckles and a 2‖ elastic suspension strap which descends to the anchor ...Superior View. Step 8: The suspension component consists of a 1’ anchor strap with a buckle and a 5’ – 6’ long shoulder strap with hook and

  11. Single-stage revision for fungal peri-prosthetic joint infection: a single-centre experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klatte, T O; Kendoff, D; Kamath, A F; Jonen, V; Rueger, J M; Frommelt, L; Gebauer, M; Gehrke, T

    2014-04-01

    Fungal peri-prosthetic infections of the knee and hip are rare but likely to result in devastating complications. In this study we evaluated the results of their management using a single-stage exchange technique. Between 2001 and 2011, 14 patients (ten hips, four knees) were treated for a peri-prosthetic fungal infection. One patient was excluded because revision surgery was not possible owing to a large acetabular defect. One patient developed a further infection two months post-operatively and was excluded from the analysis. Two patients died of unrelated causes. After a mean of seven years (3 to 11) a total of ten patients were available for follow-up. One patient, undergoing revision replacement of the hip, had a post-operative dislocation. Another patient, undergoing revision replacement of the knee, developed a wound infection and required revision 29 months post-operatively following a peri-prosthetic femoral fracture. The mean Harris hip score increased to 74 points (63 to 84; p prosthetic infection is feasible, with an acceptable rate of a satisfactory outcome.

  12. Aerogel Use as a Skin Protective Liner In Space Suits and Prosthetic Limbs Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberson, Luke Bennett

    2014-01-01

    Existing materials for prosthetic liners tend to be thick and airtight, causing perspiration to accumulate inside the liner and potentially causing infection and injury. The purpose of this project was to examine the suitability of aerogel for prosthetic liner applications for use in space suits and orthopedics. Three tests were performed on several types of aerogel to assess the properties of each material, and our initial findings demonstrated that these materrials would be excellent candidates for liner applications for prosthetics and space suits. The project is currently on hold until additional funding is obtained for application testing at the VH Hospitals in Tampa

  13. EEG Mind Controlled Smart Prosthetic Arm – A Comprehensive Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taha Beyrouthy

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the field of prosthetics has seen many accomplishments especially with the integration of technological advancements. In this paper, different arm types (robotic, surgical, bionic, prosthetic and static are analyzed in terms of resistance, usage, flexibility, cost and potential. Most of these techniques have some problems; they are extremely expensive, hard to install and maintain and may require surgery. Therefore, our work introduces the initial design of an EEG mind controlled smart prosthetic arm. The arm is controlled by the brain commands, obtained from an electroencephalography (EEG headset, and equipped with a network of smart sensors and actuators that give the patient intelligent feedback about the surrounding environment and the object in contact. This network provides the arm with normal hand functionality, smart reflexes and smooth movements. Various types of sensors are used including temperature, pressure, ultrasonic proximity sensors, accelerometers, potentiometers, strain gauges and gyroscopes. The arm is completely 3D printed built from various lightweight and high strength materials that can handle high impacts and fragile elements as well. Our project requires the use of nine servomotors installed at different places in the arm. Therefore, the static and dynamic modes of servomotors are analyzed. The total cost of the project is estimated to be relatively cheap compared to other previously built arms. Many scenarios are analyzed corresponding to the actions that the prosthetic arm can perform, and an algorithm is created to match these scenarios. Experimental results show that the proposed EEG Mind-controlled Arm is a promising alternative for current solutions that require invasive and expensive surgical procedures.

  14. The Role of Virtual Articulator in Prosthetic and Restorative Dentistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aljanakh, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Virtual reality is a computer based technology linked with the future of dentistry and dental practice. The virtual articulator is one such application in prosthetic and restorative dentistry based on virtual reality that will significantly reduce the limitations of the mechanical articulator, and by simulation of real patient data, allow analyses with regard to static and dynamic occlusion as well as to jaw relation. It is the purpose of this article to present the concepts and strategies for a future replacement of the mechanical articulator by a virtual one. Also, a brief note on virtual reality haptic system has been highlighted along with newly developed touch enabled virtual articulator. PMID:25177664

  15. Successful Thrombolysis of Aortic Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Arun Kumar Agnihotri

    patients with valvular heart disease). Endorsed by the Society of Cardiovascular. Anesthesiologists, Society for Cardiovascular. Angiography and Interventions, and Society of. Thoracic Surgeons. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52(13):e1-142. 5. Elkayam U, Bitar F. Valvular heart disease and pregnancy. Part II: prosthetic valves.

  16. Consumer satisfaction in prosthetics and orthotics facilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geertzen, J.H.B.; Gankema, H.G.J.; Groothoff, J.W.; Dijkstra, P.U.

    The aim of this study was to assess consumer/patient satisfaction with the services of the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) facilities in the north of the Netherlands, using a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire. In this questionnaire, consumer interests and experiences are assessed on a 5-point Likert

  17. Prosthetic hand sensor placement: Analysis of touch perception during the grasp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirković Bojana

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Humans rely on their hands to perform everyday tasks. The hand is used as a tool, but also as the interface to “sense” the world. Current prosthetic hands are based on sophisticated multi-fingered structures, and include many sensors which counterpart natural proprioceptors and exteroceptors. The sensory information is used for control, but not sent to the user of the hand (amputee. Grasping without sensing is not good enough. This research is part of the development of the sensing interface for amputees, specifically addressing the analysis of human perception while grasping. The goal is to determine the small number of preferred positions of sensors on the prosthetic hand. This task has previously been approached by trying to replicate a natural sensory system characteristic for healthy humans, resulting in a multitude of redundant sensors and basic inability to make the patient aware of the sensor readings on the subconscious level. We based our artificial perception system on the reported sensations of humans when grasping various objects without seeing the objects (obstructed visual feedback. Subjects, with no known sensory deficits, were asked to report on the touch sensation while grasping. The analysis included objects of various sizes, weights, textures and temperatures. Based on this data we formed a map of the preferred positions for the sensors that is appropriate for five finger human-like robotic hand. The final map was intentionally minimized in size (number of sensors.

  18. Prosthetic valve obstruction: Redo surgery or fibrinolysis?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avinash Inamdar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of surgery versus fibrinolytic therapy in patients with prosthetic valve obstruction. Materials and Methods: We compared 15 patients of prosthetic valve thrombosis treated by surgical line of management and another 15 patients treated by thrombolysis. All patients were initially assessed by clinical evaluation and diagnosis confirmed by transthoracic and transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography. Depending on hemodynamic stability, pannus, or thrombus on transesophageal echocardiography, the patients were assigned surgical or medical line of management. Results: Patients mortality rate was 40% in fibrinolytic group and 13.33% in surgical group. Recurrence was 40% in fibrinolytic group while there was no recurrence till date in surgery group. Complications were more in fibrinolytic group as opposed to surgery group patient. Conclusion: From our experience, we conclude that redo surgery is effective and definitive treatment, especially in patients with stable hemodynamic conditions.

  19. An evaluation of prosthetic status and treatment needs among institutionalized elderly individuals of Delhi, India

    OpenAIRE

    Nisha Yadav; Roma Yadav; Meetika Pahuja; Sanchit Pardhan; Sahiba Miglani; Tamanna Malik

    2017-01-01

    Context: Oral health is essential for elderly person's general health and well-being. The most common oral problem in elderly is tooth loss which results due to periodontal diseases and caries. Prosthetic status is very important as it is related to dietary intake and maintaining nutritional status. Hence, to promote the oral health of the elderly, we need to know their prosthetic status and need. Aims: The aim of this study is to find the prosthetic status and need of 65–74 years old elderly...

  20. Substrate structures for InP-based devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wanlass, M.W.; Sheldon, P.

    1990-01-01

    A substrate structure for an InP-based semiconductor device having an InP based film is described. The substrate structure includes a substrate region having a lightweight bulk substrate and an upper GaAs layer. An interconnecting region is disposed between the substrate region and the InP-based device. The interconnecting region includes a compositionally graded intermediate layer substantially lattice-matched at the opposite end to the InP=based film. The interconnecting region further includes a dislocation mechanism disposed between the GaAs layer and the InP-based film in cooperation with the graded intermediate layer, the buffer mechanism blocking and inhibiting propagation of threading dislocations between the substrate region, and the InP-based device

  1. Development of high impedance measurement system for water leakage detection in implantable neuroprosthetic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousif, Aziz; Kelly, Shawn K

    2016-08-01

    There has been a push for a greater number of channels in implantable neuroprosthetic devices; but, that number has largely been limited by current hermetic packaging technology. Microfabricated packaging is becoming reality, but a standard testing system is needed to prepare these devices for clinical trials. Impedance measurements of electrodes built into the packaging layers may give an early warning of device failure and predict device lifetime. Because the impedance magnitudes of such devices can be on the order of gigaohms, a versatile system was designed to accommodate ultra-high impedances and allow future integrated circuit implementation in current neural prosthetic technologies. Here we present the circuitry, control software, and preliminary testing results of our designed system.

  2. Smart Prosthetic Hand Technology - Phase 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-01

    functional magnetic resonance imaging (f- MRI ) was used to analyze the reciprocal adaptation between the human brain and the prosthetic hand by the...Schmidt PC. Influence of compacted hydrophobic and hydrophilic colloidal silicon dioxide on tableting properties of pharmaceutical excipients. Drug Dev...nanoparticles, and manganese nanoparticles) in magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) in the detection and staging of cancer [2]. 2.1 Iron Oxide

  3. Immediate effects of a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint: a comparative biomechanical evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellmann, Malte; Schmalz, Thomas; Ludwigs, Eva; Blumentritt, Siegmar

    2012-03-01

    To investigate the immediate biomechanical effects after transition to a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint. Intervention cross-over study with repeated measures. Only prosthetic knee joints were changed. Motion analysis laboratory. Men (N=11; mean age ± SD, 36.7±10.2y; Medicare functional classification level, 3-4) with unilateral transfemoral amputation. Two microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joints: C-Leg and a new prosthetic knee joint, Genium. Static prosthetic alignment, time-distance parameters, kinematic and kinetic parameters, and center of pressure. After a half-day training and an additional half-day accommodation, improved biomechanical outcomes were demonstrated by the Genium: lower ground reaction forces at weight acceptance during level walking at various velocities, increased swing phase flexion angles during walking on a ramp, and level walking with small steps. Maximum knee flexion angle during swing phase at various velocities was nearly equal for Genium. Step-over-step stair ascent with the Genium knee was more physiologic as demonstrated by a more equal load distribution between the prosthetic and contralateral sides and a more natural gait pattern. When descending stairs and ramps, knee flexion moments with the Genium tended to increase. During quiet stance on a decline, subjects using Genium accepted higher loading of the prosthetic side knee joint, thus reducing same side hip joint loading as well as postural sway. In comparision to the C-Leg, the Genium demonstrated immediate biomechanical advantages during various daily ambulatory activities, which may lead to an increase in range and diversity of activity of people with above-knee amputations. Results showed that use of the Genium facilitated more natural gait biomechanics and load distribution throughout the affected and sound musculoskeletal structure. This was observed during quiet stance on a decline, walking on level ground, and walking up and down ramps and

  4. Prosthetic joint infection caused by Pasteurella multocida: a case series and review of literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honnorat, Estelle; Seng, Piseth; Savini, Hélène; Pinelli, Pierre-Olivier; Simon, Fabrice; Stein, Andreas

    2016-08-20

    Pasteurella multocida is a well-recognized zoonotic agent following dog or cat bites or scratches. Nevertheless, prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida are rarely reported. We report here a series of six cases of prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida managed at a referral centre for the treatment of bone and joint infection in southern France. We also reviewed the 26 cases reported in literature. The mean age of our cases was 74 years [±8.2, range 63-85]. In majority of our cases (5 cases) were associated with knee prostheses and one case with a hip prosthesis. Most of cases occurred after cat or dog scratches or licks or contact. Diagnoses of prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida were made by positive cultures of surgical biopsies or needle aspiration. Mean time delay between prosthetic joint implantation and infection onset was 7.6 years (±5.12 years, range 2-17). Local inflammation, which occurred in all six cases, was the most frequent clinical symptom, followed by pain in five cases, fever and swollen joints in four cases, and a fistula with purulent discharge inside the wound in two cases. The mean time of antibiotic therapy was 8 months. Surgical treatment with prosthesis removal was performed in three cases. Six of our cases were in remission without apparent relapse at 3 years after end of treatment. Prosthetic joint infections caused by P. multocida usually occur after animal scratches or bites, but can occasionally occur after a short animal lick. These infections are usually resulting from a contiguous infection and localized in the knee. An early antibiotic therapy after surgical debridement could avoid prosthetic withdrawal, notably in elderly patients. Patients with prosthetic joints should be warned that animals are potential sources of serious infection and urgent medical advice should be sought if they are bitten or scratched.

  5. Systematic variation of prosthetic foot spring affects center-of-mass mechanics and metabolic cost during walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelik, Karl E; Collins, Steven H; Adamczyk, Peter G; Segal, Ava D; Klute, Glenn K; Morgenroth, David C; Hahn, Michael E; Orendurff, Michael S; Czerniecki, Joseph M; Kuo, Arthur D

    2011-08-01

    Lower-limb amputees expend more energy to walk than non-amputees and have an elevated risk of secondary disabilities. Insufficient push-off by the prosthetic foot may be a contributing factor. We aimed to systematically study the effect of prosthetic foot mechanics on gait, to gain insight into fundamental prosthetic design principles. We varied a single parameter in isolation, the energy-storing spring in a prototype prosthetic foot, the controlled energy storage and return (CESR) foot, and observed the effect on gait. Subjects walked on the CESR foot with three different springs. We performed parallel studies on amputees and on non-amputees wearing prosthetic simulators. In both groups, spring characteristics similarly affected ankle and body center-of-mass (COM) mechanics and metabolic cost. Softer springs led to greater energy storage, energy return, and prosthetic limb COM push-off work. But metabolic energy expenditure was lowest with a spring of intermediate stiffness, suggesting biomechanical disadvantages to the softest spring despite its greater push-off. Disadvantages of the softest spring may include excessive heel displacements and COM collision losses. We also observed some differences in joint kinetics between amputees and non-amputees walking on the prototype foot. During prosthetic push-off, amputees exhibited reduced energy transfer from the prosthesis to the COM along with increased hip work, perhaps due to greater energy dissipation at the knee. Nevertheless, the results indicate that spring compliance can contribute to push-off, but with biomechanical trade-offs that limit the degree to which greater push-off might improve walking economy. © 2011 IEEE

  6. X-ray micro-diffraction analysis of reconstructed bone at Zr prosthetic surface with sub-micrometre spatial resolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cedola, A; Stanic, V; Burghammer, M; Lagomarsino, S; Rustichelli, F; Giardino, R; Aldini, N Nicoli; Fini, M; Komlev, V; Fonzo, S Di

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the present investigation is to demonstrate the power of the x-ray micro-diffraction technique in biological studies. In particular the reported experiment concerns the study of the interface between a Zr prosthetic device implanted in a rat femur and the newly-formed bone, with a spatial resolution of 0.5 μm. The obtained results give interesting information on the Zr deformation and on the crystallographic phase, the grain size and the orientation of the new bone. Moreover the study reveals a marked difference in the structure of the reconstructed bone with respect to the native bone, which cannot be appreciated with other techniques. (note)

  7. The Prosthetic Experience Between Body and Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergaard, Morten

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, I argue that a prosthetic aesthetic instigated by experimental art practices operate with and within a ‘second nature’ – in-between science and art. Drawing on theories from Dewey and Edelman and examples from Da Vinci, Brancusi, Man Ray, Dali and Stelarc, I am calling...

  8. Aortic allografts in treatment of aortic valve and ascending aorta prosthetic endocarditis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.V. Spiridonov

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim – to assess short- and long-term results of aortic root replacement using aortic allografts in patients with prosthetic endocarditis. Materials and methods. Since February 2009 until June 2016 aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement using aortic allografts was performed in 26 patients with prosthetic endocarditis. In 50 % of cases at initial operation aortic valve replacement was performed, in another 50 % of cases – aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement. Echocardiography was performed 10 days, 3, 6 and 12 months, 2, 3 and 5 years after surgery. Analysis of long-term results included all cases of deaths, prosthesis-related complications and recurrence of endocarditis. Results. 30-day mortality was 23.1 %. Extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO was used only in 5 patients (19.2 %. Four patients were weaned from ECMO. We did not observe any allograft-related complications. During follow-up period there were no cases of reoperation due to structural allograft failure. Relapse of infection occurred in 1 patient (3.8 % four years after the operation and led to lethal outcome. Conclusion. Reoperations using allografts are an effective surgical treatment of prosthetic endocarditis. In majority of cases prosthetic endocarditis was caused by gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus. In 84.6 % of cases it was associated with destruction of paravalvular structures and abscesses formation. Heart failure was a causative factor of different complications in these patients, which required ECMO in 19.2 % of patients. In 80 % of cases patients were weaned from ECMO. Allografts using for the treatment of prosthetic endocarditis is associated with high resistance to infection and with a significant rate of freedom from recurrence of endocarditis within 3 years after surgery.

  9. Characterization of microbes in prosthetic joint specimens by culture-independent molecular methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Yijuan; Rudkjøbing, Vibeke Børsholt; Simonsen, Ole

    Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most challenging complications of joint alloplasty. Formation of biofilm is a prominent feature of PJIs and constitutes a challenge to current sampling procedures and culture practices to obtain a reliable diagnosis. The aim of the study was to inves......Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most challenging complications of joint alloplasty. Formation of biofilm is a prominent feature of PJIs and constitutes a challenge to current sampling procedures and culture practices to obtain a reliable diagnosis. The aim of the study...... was to investigate the microbial diversity in surgical samples (eg. synovial fluid, periprosthetic tissue, removed prosthesis) from 22 prosthetic patients using a range of culture-independent molecular methods including broad range 16S rRNA gene PCR, cloning, phylogeny, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and fluorescence...

  10. Graphene-based energy devices

    CERN Document Server

    Yusoff, A Rashid bin Mohd

    2015-01-01

    This first book dedicated to the topic provides an up-to-date account of the many opportunities graphene offers for robust, workable energy generation and storage devices. Following a brief overview of the fundamentals of graphene, including the main synthesis techniques, characterization methods and properties, the first part goes on to deal with graphene for energy storage applications, such as lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors and hydrogen storage. The second part is concerned with graphene-based energy-generation devices, in particular conventional as well as microbial and enzymatic f

  11. Secure-Network-Coding-Based File Sharing via Device-to-Device Communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to increase the efficiency and security of file sharing in the next-generation networks, this paper proposes a large scale file sharing scheme based on secure network coding via device-to-device (D2D communication. In our scheme, when a user needs to share data with others in the same area, the source node and all the intermediate nodes need to perform secure network coding operation before forwarding the received data. This process continues until all the mobile devices in the networks successfully recover the original file. The experimental results show that secure network coding is very feasible and suitable for such file sharing. Moreover, the sharing efficiency and security outperform traditional replication-based sharing scheme.

  12. A survey of prosthetic eye wearers to investigate mucoid discharge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pine K

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Keith Pine1, Brian Sloan2, Joanna Stewart3, Robert J Jacobs11Department of Optometry and Vision Science, 2Department of Ophthalmology, New Zealand National Eye Centre, 3Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandBackground: This study aimed to better understand the causes and treatments of mucoid discharge associated with prosthetic eye wear by reviewing the literature and surveying anophthalmic patients.Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 429 prosthetic eye wearers who used visual analog scales to self-measure their discharge experience for four discharge characteristics: frequency, color, volume, and viscosity. These characteristics were analyzed with age, ethnicity, years wearing a prosthesis, eye loss cause, removal and cleaning regimes, hand-washing behavior, age of current prosthesis, and professional repolishing regimes as explanatory variables. Eighteen ocularists’ Web sites containing comments on the cause and treatment of discharge were surveyed.Results: Associations were found between discharge frequency and cleaning regimes with more frequent cleaning accompanying more frequent discharge. Color was associated with years of wearing and age, with more years of wearing and older people having less colored discharge. Volume was associated with cleaning regimes with more frequent cleaners having more volume. Viscosity was associated with cleaning regimes and years of wearing with more frequent cleaning and shorter wearing time accompanying more viscous discharge. No associations were found between discharge characteristics and ethnicity, eye loss cause, hand washing, age of current prosthesis, or repolishing regimes. Forty-seven percent of ocularists’ Web sites advised that discharge was caused by surface deposits on the prosthesis, 29% by excessive handling of the prosthesis, and 24% by other causes.Conclusions: A standardized treatment

  13. Brain Computer Interface-Controlling Devices Utilizing The Alpha Brain Waves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohan Hundia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This paper describes the development and testing of an interface system whereby one can control external devices by voluntarily controlling alpha waves that is through eye movement. Such a system may be used for the control of prosthetics robotic arms and external devices like wheelchairs using the alpha brain waves and the Mu rhythm. The response generated through the movement of the eye detecting and controlling the amplitude of the alpha brain waves is interfaced and processed to control Robotic systems and smart home control. In order to measure the response of alpha waves over different lobes of the brain initially I measured these signals over 32 regions using silver chloride plated electrodes. By the opening and the closure of the eyes and the movement in the up-down left-right directions and processing these movements measuring them over the occipital region I was able to differentiate the amplitude of the alpha waves generated due to these several movements. In the First session testing period subjects were asked to close and open their eyes and they were able to control limited movements of a Robot and a prosthetic arm. In the Second 2session the movement of the eyes was also considered left-right up-down along with the opening and closure during this time span they were able to control more dimensions of the robot several devices at the same time using different eye movements.

  14. Impact of depressive symptoms on prosthetic status--results of the study of health in Pomerania (SHIP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samietz, Stefanie A; Kindler, Stefan; Schwahn, Christian; Polzer, Ines; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Kocher, Thomas; Grabe, Hans Jörgen; Mundt, Torsten; Biffar, Reiner

    2013-05-01

    Previous investigations have confirmed that every fifth dental patient suffers from clinically significant depressive symptoms. However, the putative impact of depressive symptoms on the prosthetic status has not been addressed in these studies. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and prosthetic status based on data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0). Data from 2,135 participants aged 30 to 59 years were analyzed. A classification (six classes regarding the number and position of missing teeth per jaw) was used to identify the degree of prosthetic status (no/suboptimal/optimal tooth replacement). The presence of depressive symptoms was assessed with a modified version of von Zerssen's complaints scale. Screening for lifetime diagnoses of mental disorders was performed with the Composite International Diagnostic-Screener (CID-S). Multivariable logistic regressions including several confounders were calculated. A significant protective dose-response effect of depressive symptoms on prosthetic status was found only in men for the lower jaw [0-1 depressive symptoms: odds ratio (OR) = 3.84, 95 % confidence interval (CI, 1.65-8.92), p < 0.01; 2-3: OR = 2.87 (CI, 1.22-6.74), p < 0.05; reference, ≥8; adjusted for age, school education, smoking status, household income, marital status, living without a partner, risky alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, and physical activity]. There was no such association in women or for the upper jaw. The analyses using the CID-S confirmed these results. In the lower jaw, men with depressive symptoms had a better prosthetic status than men without depressive symptoms suggesting a higher level of concern regarding their personal health. If dentists might have an opportunity to identify men with depressive symptoms they can provide a wide range of treatment options that may enhance patients' self-esteem and contribute to the patient' well-being. Furthermore, depressive

  15. Carbon Nanotube Paper-Based Electroanalytical Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youngmi Koo

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Here, we report on carbon nanotube paper-based electroanalytical devices. A highly aligned-carbon nanotube (HA-CNT array, grown using chemical vapor deposition (CVD, was processed to form bi-layered paper with an integrated cellulose-based Origami-chip as the electroanalytical device. We used an inverse-ordered fabrication method from a thick carbon nanotube (CNT sheet to a thin CNT sheet. A 200-layered HA-CNT sheet and a 100-layered HA-CNT sheet are explored as a working electrode. The device was fabricated using the following methods: (1 cellulose-based paper was patterned using a wax printer, (2 electrical connection was made using a silver ink-based circuit printer, and (3 three electrodes were stacked on a 2D Origami cell. Electrochemical behavior was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS and cyclic voltammetry (CV. We believe that this platform could attract a great deal of interest for use in various chemical and biomedical applications.

  16. Prosthetic management of an ocular defect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siddesh Kumar Chintal

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The disfigurement associated with the loss of an eye can cause significant physical and emotional problems. Various treatment modalities are available, one of which is implants. Although implant has a superior outcome, it may not be advisable in all patients due to economic factors. The present article describes the prosthetic management of an ocular defect with a custom-made ocular prosthesis.

  17. LEUKOCYTE AND BACTERIA IMAGING IN PROSTHETIC JOINT INFECTION

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glaudemans, Andor W. J. M.; Galli, Filippo; Pacilio, Marta; Signore, Alberto

    2013-01-01

    There has been a significant increase in the number of joint prosthesis replacements worldwide. Although relatively uncommon, complications can occur with the most serious being an infection. Various radiological and nuclear imaging techniques are available to diagnose prosthetic joint infections

  18. Esthetic, functional, and prosthetic outcomes with implant-retained finger prostheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydin, Cemal; Nemli, Secil Karakoca; Yilmaz, Handan

    2013-04-01

    Traumatic amputation of fingers results in a serious impairment of hand function and affects the psychological status of the patients. The implant-retained finger prostheses are an alternative treatment. The aim of this case report is to represent the use of osseointegrated implants for retention of finger prostheses in a patient with amputated thumb and index finger. Dental implants were placed in the residual bone of the fingers using two-stage surgery. Custom-made attachments were used to provide retention between implants and silicone prostheses. Prosthetic fingernails were made of composite resin material. After 6 months, implants were clinically successful, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance and the function of the prostheses. The complications of broken prosthetic nail and mild discoloration were observed. Reconstruction of amputated fingers with implant-retained prosthesis is a worthwhile treatment providing esthetic, functional, and psychological benefits, although some complications might be experienced. Clinical relevance Implant-retained finger prostheses are an acceptable treatment modality for patients with amputated fingers. Evaluating implant prognosis, functional results and prosthetic results of the patients are necessary to address the benefits and complications of the treatment.

  19. The effects of a controlled energy storage and return prototype prosthetic foot on transtibial amputee ambulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Ava D; Zelik, Karl E; Klute, Glenn K; Morgenroth, David C; Hahn, Michael E; Orendurff, Michael S; Adamczyk, Peter G; Collins, Steven H; Kuo, Arthur D; Czerniecki, Joseph M

    2012-08-01

    The lack of functional ankle musculature in lower limb amputees contributes to the reduced prosthetic ankle push-off, compensations at other joints and more energetically costly gait commonly observed in comparison to non-amputees. A variety of energy storing and return prosthetic feet have been developed to address these issues but have not been shown to sufficiently improve amputee biomechanics and energetic cost, perhaps because the timing and magnitude of energy return is not controlled. The goal of this study was to examine how a prototype microprocessor-controlled prosthetic foot designed to store some of the energy during loading and return it during push-off affects amputee gait. Unilateral transtibial amputees wore the Controlled Energy Storage and Return prosthetic foot (CESR), a conventional foot (CONV), and their previously prescribed foot (PRES) in random order. Three-dimensional gait analysis and net oxygen consumption were collected as participants walked at constant speed. The CESR foot demonstrated increased energy storage during early stance, increased prosthetic foot peak push-off power and work, increased prosthetic limb center of mass (COM) push-off work and decreased intact limb COM collision work compared to CONV and PRES. The biological contribution of the positive COM work for CESR was reduced compared to CONV and PRES. However, the net metabolic cost for CESR did not change compared to CONV and increased compared to PRES, which may partially reflect the greater weight, lack of individualized size and stiffness and relatively less familiarity for CESR and CONV. Controlled energy storage and return enhanced prosthetic push-off, but requires further design modifications to improve amputee walking economy. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. A neurorobotic platform for locomotor prosthetic development in rats and mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Zitzewitz, Joachim; Asboth, Leonie; Fumeaux, Nicolas; Hasse, Alexander; Baud, Laetitia; Vallery, Heike; Courtine, Grégoire

    2016-04-01

    Objectives. We aimed to develop a robotic interface capable of providing finely-tuned, multidirectional trunk assistance adjusted in real-time during unconstrained locomotion in rats and mice. Approach. We interfaced a large-scale robotic structure actuated in four degrees of freedom to exchangeable attachment modules exhibiting selective compliance along distinct directions. This combination allowed high-precision force and torque control in multiple directions over a large workspace. We next designed a neurorobotic platform wherein real-time kinematics and physiological signals directly adjust robotic actuation and prosthetic actions. We tested the performance of this platform in both rats and mice with spinal cord injury. Main Results. Kinematic analyses showed that the robotic interface did not impede locomotor movements of lightweight mice that walked freely along paths with changing directions and height profiles. Personalized trunk assistance instantly enabled coordinated locomotion in mice and rats with severe hindlimb motor deficits. Closed-loop control of robotic actuation based on ongoing movement features enabled real-time control of electromyographic activity in anti-gravity muscles during locomotion. Significance. This neurorobotic platform will support the study of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of locomotor prosthetics and rehabilitation using high-resolution genetic tools in rodent models.

  1. Current antibiotic management of prosthetic joint infections in Italy: the 'Udine strategy'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassetti, Matteo; Cadeo, Barbara; Villa, Giovanni; Sartor, Assunta; Cainero, Vanni; Causero, Araldo

    2014-09-01

    The rate of prosthetic joint infections followed and cured at our institution is constantly increasing, in line with epidemiological data from the recent literature. This is probably related to the greater number of knee and hip prostheses implanted every year. For intermediate and late infections, only the two-stage approach is applied, as this demonstrates the best outcome in our experience. Particular attention is paid to microbiological isolation of the pathogen: multiple samples of tissue are collected during the interventions, and kept in culture for a longer period of time than usual. Sonication of prosthetic devices is used to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the microbiological cultures. Histological examination influences surgical choices either towards implantation of a new prosthesis or replacement of the spacer. An empirical antibiotic backbone of a glycopeptide/lipopeptide and rifampicin is chosen, due to the leading role of Gram-positive bacteria in this setting and the high incidence of methicillin resistance in our centre (>30%), followed by an antibiotic regimen containing linezolid. If specific risk factors are present, an anti-Gram-negative drug is added to the regimen. Duration of therapy depends upon the approach that is chosen, usually being 6 weeks when the prosthesis is removed. Despite at the moment being limited by its small sample size, data from our experience confirms that our empirical approach may represent a valid choice during the early phase of treatment, by keeping linezolid for a step-down therapy of shorter duration (4 weeks). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices on {110} oriented substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit

    2014-08-05

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices on {110} textured substrates are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  3. [100] or [110] aligned, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit

    2015-03-24

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, [100] or [110] textured, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  4. Impact of pannus formation on hemodynamic dysfunction of prosthetic aortic valve: pannus extent and its relationship to prosthetic valve motion and degree of stenosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Hyun Jung; Ha, Hojin; Kang, Joon-Won; Kim, Jeong A; Song, Jae-Kwan; Kim, Hwa Jung; Lim, Tae-Hwan; Yang, Dong Hyun

    2018-02-19

    Although pannus is an important cause of prosthetic valve dysfunction, the minimum pannus size that can induce hemodynamic dysfunction has not yet been determined. This study investigated the correlation between the limitation of motion (LOM) of the prosthetic valve and pannus extent and determined the pannus extent that could induce severe aortic stenosis. This study included 49 patients who underwent mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) and showed pannus on cardiac computed tomography (CT). Pannus width, ratio of pannus width to valve diameter, pannus area, effective orifice area, encroachment ratio by pannus, pannus involvement angle and percent LOM of mechanical valves were evaluated on CT. Transvalvular peak velocity (TPV) and transvalvular pressure gradient (TPG) were measured by transesophageal echocardiography to determine the degree of aortic stenosis. The relationship between percent LOM of the prosthetic valve and pannus extent and the cut-off of pannus extent required to induce severe aortic stenosis were evaluated. The mean interval between AVR and pannus formation was 11 years and was longer in patients with than without severe aortic stenosis (14.0 vs. 7.3 years). On CT, the percent LOM of the prosthetic valve was significantly associated with the extent of pannus only in patients with pannus involvement angle > 180° (r = 0.55-0.68, P Pannus width, effective orifice area, and encroachment ratio were significantly associated with increased TPV and TPG (r = 0.51-0.62, P Pannus width > 3.5 mm, pannus width/valve inner diameter > 0.15, and encroachment ratio > 0.14 were significantly associated with severe aortic stenosis (TPV > 4 m/s; mean TPG ≥ 35 mmHg), with c-indices of 0.74-079 (P pannus extent parameters are good indicators of significant hemodynamic changes with increased TPV and mean TPG.

  5. The clinical significance of perivalvular pannus in prosthetic mitral valves: Can cardiac CT be helpful?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Suyon; Suh, Young Joo; Han, Kyunghwa; Kim, Jin Young; Kim, Young Jin; Chang, Byung-Chul; Choi, Byoung Wook

    2017-12-15

    The clinical significance of pannus in the prosthetic mitral valve (MV) is not well documented. To investigate the clinical significance of pannus on cardiac computed tomography (CT) in patients with a prosthetic MV. A total of 130 patients with previous MV replacement who underwent cardiac CT were retrospectively included in this study. The presence of pannus, paravalvular leak (PVL) around the prosthetic MV and limitation of motion (LOM) of the MV were analyzed using CT. Between patients with MV pannus and those without pannus, CT, echocardiographic, and redo-surgery findings were compared. The diagnostic performance of CT and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for the detection of MV pannus was also compared, using surgical findings as a standard reference. MV pannus was observed on cardiac CT in 32.3% of the study population. Patients with MV pannus detected on CT more commonly had LOM (28.2% vs. 15.2%) and less frequently had PVL of the prosthetic MV (16.7% vs. 25%) than patients without MV pannus (P>0.05). Prosthetic valve obstruction (PVO) due prosthetic MV pannus requiring redo-surgery was present in only five patients (11.9%). Cardiac CT detected MV pannus with sensitivity of 65.2% and specificity of 80.9% and showed better diagnostic performance than TEE (Ppannus can frequently be seen on cardiac CT. However, its clinical significance should be assessed with careful consideration, because PVO due to MV pannus is relatively uncommon, and pannus can be seen in patients without any clinical problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. An evaluation of prosthetic status and treatment needs among institutionalized elderly individuals of Delhi, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nisha Yadav

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Oral health is essential for elderly person's general health and well-being. The most common oral problem in elderly is tooth loss which results due to periodontal diseases and caries. Prosthetic status is very important as it is related to dietary intake and maintaining nutritional status. Hence, to promote the oral health of the elderly, we need to know their prosthetic status and need. Aims: The aim of this study is to find the prosthetic status and need of 65–74 years old elderly residing in old age homes of Delhi, India. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 464 residents of 20 old age homes of Delhi, India. Material and Methods: Residents with age group of 64–75 were included in the study. The prosthetic status with treatment need was recorded using the World Health Organization Oral Health Assessment Form (1997. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test and t-test were used to find significance of variables. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Full removable dentures were worn by 7.30% of participants with predominance in upper arch, and one bridge was seen in 9.10% of participants with predominance in lower arch. Full removable denture was required in 25.20% of participants. Most of participants required multiunit prosthesis in both upper as well as lower arch (42.20% and 36.20%, respectively. Conclusion: The present study underlines a considerable need for dental treatment in elderly as the prosthetic status of participants was poor, and prosthetic needs were high.

  7. Prosthetic Smart Socket Technology to Improve Patient Interaction, Usability, Comfort, Fit and Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    impact on society beyond science and technology ? Nothing to report at this time. 5. CHANGES/PROBLEMS: Changes in approach and reasons for...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0785 TITLE: Prosthetic Smart Socket Technology to Improve Patient Interaction, Usability, Comfort, Fit and Function...2016 - 29 Sep 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Prosthetic Smart Socket Technology to Improve Patient Interaction, Usability, Comfort, Fit and Function 5a

  8. From satisfaction to expectation: the patient's perspective in lower limb prosthetic care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Linde, Harmen; Hofstad, Cheriel J; Geertzen, Jan H B; Postema, Klaas; Van Limbeek, Jacques

    2007-07-15

    To obtain information about the wishes and experiences of patients with a lower limb amputation with regard to prosthetic prescription and their exchange of information with the healthcare providers. Cross-sectional questionnaire. Outpatient clinic of a Rehabilitation Centre. A random sample of patients with a lower limb amputation (n = 81). In analogy with the QUOTE questionnaire a focus group technique was used. Prosthetic users formulated 24 specific items, which were of importance according to them. The items were divided into 4 categories: (i) service demand, (ii) prosthetic prescription, (iii) information, (iv) insurance aspects. The questionnaire consisted of two sets (A and B) of 24 items rating importance of items and experience in everyday practice. To identify different dimensions within the 24 items, a factor analysis in SPSS was performed for lists A and B followed by a varimax rotation. Impact factors were calculated by multiplying the mean score of importance on an item with the percentage of patients that experienced this item as negative. A total of 113 questionnaires were sent by e-mail with a response of 73%. The outcomes of the questionnaires resulted in 2 sets of information: One concerning the importance of several items in the process of prosthetic prescription, the other the experience of the prosthetic user about those items. By multiplying the scores on importance by the percentage of negative experience per item (impact score) points of improvement for clinical practice were formulated. A discrepancy between the needs of patients and what they experience in their contacts with clinical professionals as the most important dimension was noticed. A questionnaire with specific items for a homogeneous target group is a good method to formulate points of improvement for clinical practice in healthcare.

  9. A novel four-bar linkage prosthetic knee based on magnetorheological effect: principle, structure, simulation and control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lei; Wang, Dai-Hua; Fu, Qiang; Yuan, Gang; Hu, Lei-Zi

    2016-11-01

    In this paper, the principle and structure of the four-bar linkage prosthetic knee based on the magnetorheological effect (FLPKME) are proposed and realized by individually integrating the upper and lower link rods of the four-bar linkage with the piston rod and the outer cylinder of the magnetorheological (MR) damper. The integrated MR damper, in which the MR fluid is operated in the shear mode, has a double-ended structure. The prototype of the FLPKME is designed and fabricated. Utilizing the developed FLPKME, the lower limb prosthesis is developed, modeled, and simulated. On these bases, the control algorithm for the FLPKME is developed. A test platform for the FLPKME is developed and the performance of the FLPKME with seven constant currents and controlled currents by the control algorithm developed in this paper are experimentally tested. The results show that the FLPKME with a constant current of 1.6 A possesses the basic stable gait, and the FLPKME with the controlled currents by the control algorithm developed in this paper is able to track the motions well and to imitate the natural motions of a healthy human knee joint.

  10. Multi-Disciplinary Antimicrobial Strategies for Improving Orthopaedic Implants to Prevent Prosthetic Joint Infections in Hip and Knee

    Science.gov (United States)

    Getzlaf, Matthew A.; Lewallen, Eric A.; Kremers, Hilal M.; Jones, Dakota L.; Bonin, Carolina A.; Dudakovic, Amel; Thaler, Roman; Cohen, Robert C.; Lewallen, David G.; van Wijnen, Andre J.

    2016-01-01

    Like any foreign object, orthopaedic implants are susceptible to infection when introduced into the human body. Without additional preventative measures, the absolute number of annual prosthetic joint infections will continue to rise, and may exceed the capacity of health care systems in the near future. Bacteria are difficult to eradicate from synovial joints due to their exceptionally diverse taxonomy, complex mechanistic attachment capabilities, and tendency to evolve antibiotic resistance. When a primary orthopaedic implant fails from prosthetic joint infection, surgeons are generally challenged by limited options for intervention. In this review, we highlight the etiology and taxonomic groupings of bacteria known to cause prosthetic joint infections, and examine their key mechanisms of attachment. We propose that antimicrobial strategies should focus on the most harmful bacteria taxa within the context of occurrence, taxonomic diversity, adhesion mechanisms, and implant design. Patient-specific identification of organisms that cause prosthetic joint infections will permit assessment of their biological vulnerabilities. The latter can be targeted using a range of antimicrobial techniques that exploit different colonization mechanisms including implant surface attachment, biofilm formation, and/or hematogenous recruitment. We anticipate that customized strategies for each patient, joint, and prosthetic component will be most effective at reducing prosthetic joint infections, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant and polymicrobial bacteria. PMID:26449208

  11. Secure-Network-Coding-Based File Sharing via Device-to-Device Communication

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Lei; Wang, Qing

    2017-01-01

    In order to increase the efficiency and security of file sharing in the next-generation networks, this paper proposes a large scale file sharing scheme based on secure network coding via device-to-device (D2D) communication. In our scheme, when a user needs to share data with others in the same area, the source node and all the intermediate nodes need to perform secure network coding operation before forwarding the received data. This process continues until all the mobile devices in the netw...

  12. Obstructed bi-leaflet prosthetic mitral valve imaging with real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimbo, Mai; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Kimura, Shunsuke; Terada, Mai; Iino, Takako; Iino, Kenji; Ito, Hiroshi

    2015-01-01

    Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D-TEE) can provide unique visualization and better understanding of the relationship among cardiac structures. Here, we report the case of an 85-year-old woman with an obstructed mitral prosthetic valve diagnosed promptly by RT3D-TEE, which clearly showed a leaflet stuck in the closed position. The opening and closing angles of the valve leaflets measured by RT3D-TEE were compatible with those measured by fluoroscopy. Moreover, RT3D-TEE revealed, in the ring of the prosthetic valve, thrombi that were not visible on fluoroscopy. RT3D-TEE might be a valuable diagnostic technique for prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Graphene devices based on laser scribing technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Yan-Cong; Wei, Yu-Hong; Pang, Yu; Li, Yu-Xing; Wang, Dan-Yang; Li, Yu-Tao; Deng, Ning-Qin; Wang, Xue-Feng; Zhang, Hai-Nan; Wang, Qian; Yang, Zhen; Tao, Lu-Qi; Tian, He; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tian-Ling

    2018-04-01

    Graphene with excellent electronic, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties has great potential applications. The current devices based on graphene grown by micromechanical exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and thermal decomposition of silicon carbide are still expensive and inefficient. Laser scribing technology, a low-cost and time-efficient method of fabricating graphene, is introduced in this review. The patterning of graphene can be directly performed on solid and flexible substrates. Therefore, many novel devices such as strain sensors, acoustic devices, memory devices based on laser scribing graphene are fabricated. The outlook and challenges of laser scribing technology have also been discussed. Laser scribing may be a potential way of fabricating wearable and integrated graphene systems in the future.

  14. Can we close large prosthetic space with orthodontics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesko, Mauro Elias; Skupien, Jovito Adiel; Valentini, Fernanda; Pereira-Cenci, Tatiana

    2013-01-01

    For years, the treatment for the replacement of a missing tooth was a fixed dental prosthesis. Currently, implants are indicated to replace missing teeth due to high clinical success and with the advantage of not performing preparations in the adjacent tooth. Another option for space closure is the use of orthodontics associated to miniscrews for anchorage allowing better control of the orthodontic biomechanics and especially making possible closure of larger prosthetic spaces. Thus, this article describes two cases with indications and discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using orthodontics for prosthetic spaces closure. The cases herein presented show that it is possible to close an space when there are available teeth in the adjacent area. It can be concluded that when a malocclusion is present there will be a strong trend to indicate space closure by orthodontic movement as it preserves natural teeth and seems a more physiological approach.

  15. Energy-Based Devices in Treatment of Acne Vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handler, Marc Z; Bloom, Bradley S; Goldberg, David J

    2016-05-01

    Acne vulgaris is a chronic dermatologic complaint with a multifactorial cause. Traditionally, antibiotics and retinoids have been used to manage the condition; patient compliance has been an ongoing issue. A variety of energy-based devices have been reported to be effective in the treatment of acne vulgaris. To review and summarize the current literature specific to treatment of acne vulgaris with energy-based devices. A review of the current literature of energy-based devices used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Although limited randomized controlled trials for the treatment of acne have been performed, significant clinical improvement of acne vulgaris, especially of inflammatory lesions, has been demonstrated with a variety of energy-based devices. Newer approaches may lead to even better results.

  16. Toward flexible polymer and paper-based energy storage devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nyholm, Leif [Department of Materials Chemistry, The Aangstroem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 538, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Nystroem, Gustav; Mihranyan, Albert; Stroemme, Maria [Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Aangstroem Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2011-09-01

    All-polymer and paper-based energy storage devices have significant inherent advantages in comparison with many currently employed batteries and supercapacitors regarding environmental friendliness, flexibility, cost and versatility. The research within this field is currently undergoing an exciting development as new polymers, composites and paper-based devices are being developed. In this report, we review recent progress concerning the development of flexible energy storage devices based on electronically conducting polymers and cellulose containing composites with particular emphasis on paper-based batteries and supercapacitors. We discuss recent progress in the development of the most commonly used electronically conducting polymers used in flexible device prototypes, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy storage devices, as well as the two main approaches used in the manufacturing of paper-based charge storage devices. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  17. [Prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with parodontitis based upon the use of 3D-technologies--clinical case example].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riakhovskiĭ, A N

    2011-01-01

    Clinical case of prosthetic rehabilitation of patient (female) with generalized parodontitis complicated by defects and deformations of dentitions was offered. Using 3D-technologies position of teeth was corrected with the help of a series of temporary transparent splints-modifiers with subsequent guy splintage and esthetic 3D-planning of front teeth forms. Teeth forms correction was made by composite using preliminary prepared templet.

  18. A Control Strategy with Tactile Perception Feedback for EMG Prosthetic Hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changcheng Wu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available To improve the control effectiveness and make the prosthetic hand not only controllable but also perceivable, an EMG prosthetic hand control strategy was proposed in this paper. The control strategy consists of EMG self-learning motion recognition, backstepping controller with stiffness fuzzy observation, and force tactile representation. EMG self-learning motion recognition is used to reduce the influence on EMG signals caused by the uncertainty of the contacting position of the EMG sensors. Backstepping controller with stiffness fuzzy observation is used to realize the position control and grasp force control. Velocity proportional control in free space and grasp force tracking control in restricted space can be realized by the same controller. The force tactile representation helps the user perceive the states of the prosthetic hand. Several experiments were implemented to verify the effect of the proposed control strategy. The results indicate that the proposed strategy has effectiveness. During the experiments, the comments of the participants show that the proposed strategy is a better choice for amputees because of the improved controllability and perceptibility.

  19. Prosthetic joint infection caused by Granulicatella adiacens: a case series and review of literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quénard, Fanny; Seng, Piseth; Lagier, Jean-Christophe; Fenollar, Florence; Stein, Andreas

    2017-06-23

    Bone and joint infection involving Granulicatella adiacens is rare, and mainly involved in cases of bacteremia and infectious endocarditis. Here we report three cases of prosthetic joint infection involving G. adiacens that were successfully treated with surgery and prolonged antimicrobial treatment. We also review the two cases of prosthetic joint infection involving G. adiacens that are reported in the literature. Not all five cases of prosthetic joint infection caused by G. adiacens were associated with bacteremia or infectious endocarditis. Dental care before the onset of infection was observed in two cases. The median time delay between arthroplasty implantation and the onset of infection was of 4 years (ranging between 2 and 10 years). One of our cases was identified with 16srRNA gene sequencing, one case with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and one case with both techniques. Two literature cases were diagnosed by 16srRNA gene sequencing. All five cases were cured after surgery including a two-stage prosthesis exchange in three cases, a one-stage prosthesis exchange in one case, and debridement, antibiotics, irrigation, and retention of the prosthesis in one case, and prolonged antimicrobial treatment. Prosthetic joint infection involving G. adiacens is probably often dismissed due to difficult culture or misdiagnosis, in particular in the cases of polymicrobial infection. Debridement, antibiotics, irrigation, and retention of the prosthesis associated with prolonged antimicrobial treatment (≥ 8 weeks) should be considered as a treatment strategy for prosthetic joint infection involving G. adiacens.

  20. Remote media vision-based computer input device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arabnia, Hamid R.; Chen, Ching-Yi

    1991-11-01

    In this paper, we introduce a vision-based computer input device which has been built at the University of Georgia. The user of this system gives commands to the computer without touching any physical device. The system receives input through a CCD camera; it is PC- based and is built on top of the DOS operating system. The major components of the input device are: a monitor, an image capturing board, a CCD camera, and some software (developed by use). These are interfaced with a standard PC running under the DOS operating system.

  1. Success rates for initial eradication of peri-prosthetic knee infection treated with a two-stage procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminski, Andrzej; Citak, Mustafa; Schildhauer, Thomas Armin; Fehmer, Tobias

    2014-01-01

    In Germany, rates of primary total knee arthroplasty procedures and exchange arthroplasty procedures continue to rise. Late-onset peri-prosthetic infection constitutes a serious complication whose management may be dependent upon the spectrum of micro-organisms involved. The aim of this study was to provide a retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of initial eradication measures performed as part of a two-stage procedure. Between 2002 and 2008, a total of 328 patients who had received a first-time diagnosis of chronic peri-prosthetic knee infection following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) subsequently underwent surgery at our clinic. The surgical approach consisted of a two-stage procedure, with the initial procedure consisting of the removal of the prosthesis and radical debridement, followed by insertion of an antibiotic-loaded static spacer. The effectiveness of the procedure was assessed after six weeks, with each patient undergoing a number of clinical and laboratory-based tests, including knee joint aspiration. Staphylococcus aureus strains were responsible for 68% (n=223) of the total number of cases of peri-prosthetic knee infection. 19% of cases (n=62) showed evidence of gram-negative bacteria, while MRSA accounted for 15% (n=49) of cases. Six weeks after completion of the above-named treatment regimen, eradication of infection was considered successful in 289 patients (88.1%). Eradication was unsuccessful in 22% of MRSA infections (n=11) and 7% of MSSA infections (n=23). The treatment regimen outlined in this report is capable of achieving satisfactory results in the management of late-onset peri-prosthetic knee infection, with one exception: patients with infections caused by MRSA showed high failure rates.

  2. A Flexible Microcontroller-Based Data Acquisition Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darko Hercog

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a low-cost microcontroller-based data acquisition device. The key component of the presented solution is a configurable microcontroller-based device with an integrated USB transceiver and a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter (ADC. The presented embedded DAQ device contains a preloaded program (firmware that enables easy acquisition and generation of analogue and digital signals and data transfer between the device and the application running on a PC via USB bus. This device has been developed as a USB human interface device (HID. This USB class is natively supported by most of the operating systems and therefore any installation of additional USB drivers is unnecessary. The input/output peripheral of the presented device is not static but rather flexible, and could be easily configured to customised needs without changing the firmware. When using the developed configuration utility, a majority of chip pins can be configured as analogue input, digital input/output, PWM output or one of the SPI lines. In addition, LabVIEW drivers have been developed for this device. When using the developed drivers, data acquisition and signal processing algorithms as well as graphical user interface (GUI, can easily be developed using a well-known, industry proven, block oriented LabVIEW programming environment.

  3. A flexible microcontroller-based data acquisition device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hercog, Darko; Gergič, Bojan

    2014-06-02

    This paper presents a low-cost microcontroller-based data acquisition device. The key component of the presented solution is a configurable microcontroller-based device with an integrated USB transceiver and a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). The presented embedded DAQ device contains a preloaded program (firmware) that enables easy acquisition and generation of analogue and digital signals and data transfer between the device and the application running on a PC via USB bus. This device has been developed as a USB human interface device (HID). This USB class is natively supported by most of the operating systems and therefore any installation of additional USB drivers is unnecessary. The input/output peripheral of the presented device is not static but rather flexible, and could be easily configured to customised needs without changing the firmware. When using the developed configuration utility, a majority of chip pins can be configured as analogue input, digital input/output, PWM output or one of the SPI lines. In addition, LabVIEW drivers have been developed for this device. When using the developed drivers, data acquisition and signal processing algorithms as well as graphical user interface (GUI), can easily be developed using a well-known, industry proven, block oriented LabVIEW programming environment.

  4. The cochlear implant and possibilities for narrowing the remaining gaps between prosthetic and normal hearing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blake S. Wilson

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The cochlear implant has become the standard of care for severe or worse losses in hearing and indeed has produced the first substantial restoration of a lost or absent human sense using a medical intervention. However, the devices are not perfect and many efforts to narrow the remaining gaps between prosthetic and normal hearing are underway. Objective: To assess the present status of cochlear implants and to describe possibilities for improving them. Results: The present-day devices work well in quiet conditions for the great majority of users. However, not all users have high levels of speech reception in quiet and nearly all users struggle with speech reception in typically noisy acoustic environments. In addition, perception of sounds more complex than speech, such as most music, is generally poor unless residual hearing at low frequencies can be stimulated acoustically in conjunction with the electrical stimuli provided by the implant. Possibilities for improving the present devices include increasing the spatial specificity of neural excitation by reducing masking effects or with new stimulus modes; prudent pruning of interfering or otherwise detrimental electrodes from the stimulation map; a further relaxation in the criteria for implant candidacy, based on recent evidence from persons with high levels of residual hearing and to allow many more people to benefit from cochlear implants; and “top down” or “brain centric” approaches to implant designs and applications. Conclusions: Progress in the development of the cochlear implant and related treatments has been remarkable but room remains for improvements. The future looks bright as there are multiple promising possibilities for improvements and many talented teams are pursuing them. Keywords: Auditory prosthesis, Cochlear implant, Cochlear prosthesis, Deafness, Neural prosthesis

  5. [Intra-prosthetic dislocation of the Bousquet dual mobility socket].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecuire, F; Benareau, I; Rubini, J; Basso, M

    2004-05-01

    The Bousquet system is a dual mobility head-polyethylene polyethylene-metal cup socket. The polyethylene insert retaining the femoral head moves in the noncemented metal cup, increasing both mobility and stability. Between 1989 and 1997, seven cases of intra-prosthetic dislocation (six patients) were observed. The femoral head escaped from the polyethylene insert due to wear. On the average, this complication occurred ten Years after implantation. Risk of dislocation was high in six of the seven hips. All patients had a large sized stem screwed into the femoral neck. There was a characteristic radiological aspect with loss of the concentric head metal cup configuration. The head was applied against the upper wall of the metal cup. Surgical replacement was undertaken early in six patients by simply changing the insert without modifying the other stable components. Outcome remained good at three to eight Years. One patient underwent late surgery. The insert and the cup were replaced with a classical implant. Functional outcome was good but recurrent dislocation occurred. At mid-term, intra-prosthetic dislocation of dual mobility sockets appears to be exceptional. Dislocation results from polyethylene wear leading to failure of the insert to retain the prosthetic head. Wear is favored by direct phenomena (direct contact between neck and insert which can occur early if there is a small difference in the head and neck diameters) or indirect phenomena (factors limiting polyethylene metal-cup mobility). Surgical treatment is necessary. If undertaken early, replacement with a modular head and insert can be sufficient if the prosthesis has not loosened but the metal cup may have to be replaced in the event of metal-metal contact between the head and the cup. Prosthesis loosening, wear of the metal cup, or an identified cause of dislocation imply replacing the failing implants. Implantation of the dual mobility system is particularly interesting for patients with a high risk

  6. Extrinsic mechanism obstructing the opening of a prosthetic mitral valve: an unusual case of suture entrapment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozkan, Mehmet; Astarcioglu, Mehmet Ali; Karakoyun, Suleyman; Balkanay, Mehmet

    2012-02-01

    Obstruction to a prosthetic cardiac valve is a well-recognized complication of cardiac valve replacement. Malfunction of the mobile component of a prosthetic valve to open or close correctly may occur in consequence of intrinsic or extrinsic causes (thrombus, vegetation, entrapment of left ventricular myocardium, suture entanglement, and pannus formation) that may result prosthetic valve stenosis and/or insufficiency. In the case we report a 48-year-old female with valve dysfunction occurred early after surgery, as one valve leaflet was only able to partially open due to suture entrapment. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Prosthetic Management of Patients Presenting with Juvenile ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eighteen were referred for prosthetic replacement. Their age ranged between 18 and 36 years. A total of 24 removable partial dentures were fabricated, 17[70.8%] were kennedy class III type, of which 11[64.7%] had the bounded saddle located in the anterior segment. Majority 8[44.4%] of the patients had 2-4 teeth replaced ...

  8. Model-based engineering for medical-device software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Arnab; Jetley, Raoul; Jones, Paul L; Zhang, Yi

    2010-01-01

    This paper demonstrates the benefits of adopting model-based design techniques for engineering medical device software. By using a patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) infusion pump as a candidate medical device, the authors show how using models to capture design information allows for i) fast and efficient construction of executable device prototypes ii) creation of a standard, reusable baseline software architecture for a particular device family, iii) formal verification of the design against safety requirements, and iv) creation of a safety framework that reduces verification costs for future versions of the device software. 1.

  9. Progress of Terahertz Devices Based on Graphene

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Mai-Xia Fu; Yan Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Graphene is a one-atom-thick planar sheet of sp2-hybridized orbital bonded honeycomb carbon crystal. Its gapless and linear energy spectra of electrons and holes lead to the unique carrier transport and optical properties, such as giant carrier mobility and broadband flat optical response. As a novel material, graphene has been regarded to be extremely suitable and competent for the development of terahertz (THz) optical devices. In this paper, the fundamental electronic and optic properties of graphene are described. Based on the energy band structure and light transmittance properties of graphene, many novel graphene based THz devices have been proposed, including modulator, generator, detector, and imaging device. This progress has been reviewed. Future research directions of the graphene devices for THz applications are also proposed.

  10. Carbon Based Transistors and Nanoelectronic Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouhi, Nima

    Carbon based materials (carbon nanotube and graphene) has been extensively researched during the past decade as one of the promising materials to be used in high performance device technology. In long term it is thought that they may replace digital and/or analog electronic devices, due to their size, near-ballistic transport, and high stability. However, a more realistic point of insertion into market may be the printed nanoelectronic circuits and sensors. These applications include printed circuits for flexible electronics and displays, large-scale bendable electrical contacts, bio-membranes and bio sensors, RFID tags, etc. In order to obtain high performance thin film transistors (as the basic building block of electronic circuits) one should be able to manufacture dense arrays of all semiconducting nanotubes. Besides, graphene synthesize and transfer technology is in its infancy and there is plenty of room to improve the current techniques. To realize the performance of nanotube and graphene films in such systems, we need to economically fabricate large-scale devices based on these materials. Following that the performance control over such devices should also be considered for future design variations for broad range of applications. Here we have first investigated carbon nanotube ink as the base material for our devices. The primary ink used consisted of both metallic and semiconducting nanotubes which resulted in networks suitable for moderate-resistivity electrical connections (such as interconnects) and rfmatching circuits. Next, purified all-semiconducting nanotube ink was used to fabricate waferscale, high performance (high mobility, and high on/off ratio) thin film transistors for printed electronic applications. The parameters affecting device performance were studied in detail to establish a roadmap for the future of purified nanotube ink printed thin film transistors. The trade of between mobility and on/off ratio of such devices was studied and the

  11. Pseudotumor of the Hip due to Fungal Prosthetic Joint Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Artiaco

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Pseudotumors associated with total hip arthroplasty have been associated with metal-on-metal and metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasties due to a granulomatous foreign-body reaction to methyl methacrylate, polyethylene, or metal ion release, but they have not been related to prosthetic joint infections. In this paper, we report an unusual case of Candida albicans total hip arthroplasty infection, causing a large inflammatory pseudotumor of the hip joint. Fungal periprosthetic joint infections are a rare clinical entity and difficult to diagnose, and a pseudotumor may be part of their clinical presentation. They should be suspected in immunodeficient host patients when clinical symptoms of prosthetic joint infections are observed.

  12. Retrieval of a leaflet escaped in a Tri-technologies bileaflet mechanical prosthetic valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cianciulli, Tomás F; Lax, Jorge A; Saccheri, María C; Guidoin, Robert; Salvado, César M; Fernández, Adrián J; Prezioso, Horacio A

    2008-01-01

    The escape of the prosthetic heart valve disc is one of the causes of prosthetic dysfunction that requires emergency surgery. The removal of the embolized disc should be carried out because of the risk of a progressive extrusion on the aortic wall. Several imaging techniques can be used for the detection of the missing disc localization. In this report we describe a 32-year-old man who underwent mitral valve replacement with a Tri-technologies bileaflet valve three years ago, and was admitted in cardiogenic shock. Transesophageal echocardiography showed acute-onset massive mitral regurgitation. The patient underwent emergency replacement of the prosthetic valve. Only one of the two leaflets remained in the removed prosthetic valve. The missing leaflet could not be found within the cardiac cavity. The abdominal fluoroscopic study and plain radiography were unable to detect the escaped leaflet. The abdominal computed tomography scan and the ultrasound showed the escaped leaflet in the terminal portion of the aortic bifurcation. To retrieve the embolized disc laparotomy and aortotomy were performed three months later. The escaped leaflet shows a fracture of one of the pivot systems caused by structural failure. This kind of failure mode is usually the result of high stress concentration.

  13. Prosthetic joint infection due to Lysobacter thermophilus diagnosed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

    OpenAIRE

    B Dhawan; S Sebastian; R Malhotra; A Kapil; D Gautam

    2016-01-01

    We report the first case of prosthetic joint infection caused by Lysobacter thermophilus which was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Removal of prosthesis followed by antibiotic treatment resulted in good clinical outcome. This case illustrates the use of molecular diagnostics to detect uncommon organisms in suspected prosthetic infections.

  14. Scintigraphic detection of prosthetic joint and soft tissue sepsis secondary to tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeiger, L.S.; Watters, W.; Sherk, H.

    1984-01-01

    In a 40-year-old Hispanic woman with pain and swelling in the left knee with a prosthesis, the combination of Ga-67 citrate and Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) scans was used to indicate that there was a septic prosthetic joint. At surgery, the joint was infected and a foreign body was found. Cultures positive for tuberculosis were found also. The presence of an incongruent Ga-67 and Tc-99m (MDP) scan pattern suggests infection of the prosthetic joint, as in the following case

  15. Simulation Techniques and Prosthetic Approach Towards Biologically Efficient Artificial Sense Organs- An Overview

    OpenAIRE

    Neogi, Biswarup; Ghosal, Soumya; Mukherjee, Soumyajit; Das, Achintya; Tibarewala, D. N.

    2011-01-01

    An overview of the applications of control theory to prosthetic sense organs including the senses of vision, taste and odor is being presented in this paper. Simulation aspect nowadays has been the centre of research in the field of prosthesis. There have been various successful applications of prosthetic organs, in case of natural biological organs dis-functioning patients. Simulation aspects and control modeling are indispensible for knowing system performance, and to generate an original a...

  16. Cellphone-based devices for bioanalytical sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vashist, Sandeep Kumar; Mudanyali, Onur; Schneider, E.Marion; Zengerle, Roland; Ozcan, Aydogan

    2014-01-01

    During the last decade, there has been a rapidly growing trend toward the use of cellphone-based devices (CBDs) in bioanalytical sciences. For example, they have been used for digital microscopy, cytometry, read-out of immunoassays and lateral flow tests, electrochemical and surface plasmon resonance based bio-sensing, colorimetric detection and healthcare monitoring, among others. Cellphone can be considered as one of the most prospective devices for the development of next-generation point-of-care (POC) diagnostics platforms, enabling mobile healthcare delivery and personalized medicine. With more than 6.5 billion cellphone subscribers worldwide and approximately 1.6 billion new devices being sold each year, cellphone technology is also creating new business and research opportunities. Many cellphone-based devices, such as those targeted for diabetic management, weight management, monitoring of blood pressure and pulse rate, have already become commercially-available in recent years. In addition to such monitoring platforms, several other CBDs are also being introduced, targeting e.g., microscopic imaging and sensing applications for medical diagnostics using novel computational algorithms and components already embedded on cellphones. This manuscript aims to review these recent developments in CBDs for bioanalytical sciences along with some of the challenges involved and the future opportunities. PMID:24287630

  17. Indium-granulocyte scanning in the painful prosthetic joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pring, D.J.; Henderson, R.G.; Keshavarzian, A.; Rivett, A.G.; Krausz, T.; Coombs, R.R.; Lavender, J.P.

    1986-01-01

    The value of indium-111-labeled granulocyte scanning to determine the presence of infection was assessed in 50 prosthetic joints (41 of which were painful) in 40 patients. Granulocytes were obtained from the patients' blood and labeled in plasma with indium 111 tropolonate. Abnormal accumulation of indium 111 in the region of the prosthesis was noted. Proven infection occurred in 11 prostheses, and all of the infections were detected by indium-111-labeled granulocyte scanning. Nineteen were not infected (including nine asymptomatic controls) and only two produced false-positive scans. This represents a specificity of 89.5%, sensitivity of 100%, and overall accuracy of 93.2%. These results compare favorably with plain radiography. There was no radiologic evidence of infection in three of the infected prostheses, and 10 of the noninfected prostheses had some radiologic features that suggested sepsis. We conclude that indium-granulocyte scanning can reliably detect or exclude infection in painful prosthetic joints and should prove useful in clinical management

  18. Innovative energy absorbing devices based on composite tubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Chandrashekhar

    Analytical and experimental study of innovative load limiting and energy absorbing devices are presented here. The devices are based on composite tubes and can be categorized in to two groups based upon the energy absorbing mechanisms exhibited by them, namely: foam crushing and foam fracturing. The device based on foam crushing as the energy absorbing mechanism is composed of light weight elastic-plastic foam filling inside an angle ply composite tube. The tube is tailored to have a high Poisson’s ratio (>20). Upon being loaded the device experiences large transverse contraction resulting in rapid decrease in diameter. At a certain axial load the foam core begins to crush and energy is dissipated. This device is termed as crush tube device. The device based upon foam shear fracture as the energy absorbing mechanism involves an elastic-plastic core foam in annulus of two concentric extension-twist coupled composite tubes with opposite angles of fibers. The core foam is bonded to the inner and outer tube walls. Upon being loaded axially, the tubes twist in opposite directions and fracture the core foam in out of plane shear and thus dissipate the energy stored. The device is termed as sandwich core device (SCD). The devices exhibit variations in force-displacement characteristics with changes in design and material parameters, resulting in wide range of energy absorption capabilities. A flexible matrix composite system was selected, which was composed of high stiffness carbon fibers as reinforcements in relatively low stiffness polyurethane matrix, based upon large strain to failure capabilities and large beneficial elastic couplings. Linear and non-linear analytical models were developed encapsulating large deformation theory of the laminated composite shells (using non-linear strain energy formulation) to the fracture mechanics of core foam and elastic-plastic deformation theory of the foam filling. The non-linear model is capable of including material and

  19. CT Assessment of the axial deviation of the femoral and tibial prosthetic components in total knee arthroplasty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rimondi, E.; Molinari, M.; Moio, A.; Busacca, M.; Trentani, F.; Trentani, P.; Tigani, D.; Nigrosoli, M.

    2000-01-01

    CT assessment of the axial deviation of the femoral and tibial prosthetic components in total knee arthroplasty. From January to July 1999, 17 patients, 10 males and 7 females, mean age 66 years (standard deviation plus or minus 4) were examined after total knee arthroplasty. Exclusion criteriawere prosthesis loosening and severe (equal or superior to 7'' varus o valgus deviation. All patients were examined with knee radiography in the standing position completed by axial projection of patella and by CT scanning. It was used a modification of Berger technique and carried out comparative CT scans extended lower limbs and acquisitions perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the knee, from the femoral supracondylar region down to the plane crossing the distal end of the tibial prosthetic component. Reference lines were then drawn electronically on given scanning planes to reckon the axial deviation of the femoral and tibial prosthetic components. Six patients, one female and 5 males with normal rotational values of femoral and tibial prosthetic components presented no clinical symptoms. Eight patients, 4 females and 4 males, with abnormal values presented the following clinical symptoms: medial impingement, (incomplete) dislocation patella, and lateral instability. One female patient with a normal rotational value of femoral prosthetic component and an altered value of tibial prosthetic component presented medial impingement. Finally two patients, one female and one male, were absolutely asymptomatic although the rotational values of the two prosthetic components were beyond the normal range. Total knee arthroplasty is presently a standard treatment for many conditions involving this joint. There are several possible postoperative complications, namely fractures, dislocations (a)septic losening and femoropatellar instability. The latter condition is the most frequent complication among implant failures and is caused by bad orientation of the femoral and tibial

  20. Orthodontic space closure versus prosthetic replacement of missing upper lateral incisors in patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oosterkamp, Barbara C M; Dijkstra, Pieter U; Remmelink, Hendrik J; van Oort, Robert P; Sandham, Andrew

    2010-11-01

    To compare dental aesthetics and function of orthodontic space closure versus prosthetic replacement of upper lateral incisors in patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate. The predominant mode of prosthetic replacement was resin-bonded bridges. The retrospective study group consisted of 17 patients treated with orthodontic space closure (13 men, four women; median age, 27.1 years; interquartile range, 20.6 to 33.3 years) and 10 patients treated with prosthetic replacement (five men, five women; median age, 27.7 years; interquartile range, 20.9 to 39.7 years). Dental aesthetics were evaluated by the patients and by a professional panel. Mandibular function was evaluated by means of the mandibular function impairment questionnaire. The level of mandibular impairment was calculated using the Function Impairment Rating Scale. With respect to dental aesthetics, no significant differences between patients treated with orthodontic space closure and prosthetic replacement were found. With respect to function, the level of mandibular impairment was significantly higher in patients treated with prosthetic replacement compared with patients treated with orthodontic space closure, as indicated by high scores on specific masticatory functions. Orthodontic space closure and prosthetic replacement in bilateral cleft lip and palate patients produce similar results in terms of aesthetics. In terms of function, prosthetic replacement results in significantly more impairment of specific masticatory functions.

  1. Comparative study of radiography and scintigraphy for loosening and infection of prosthetic hip replacement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Mi Sook; Lee, Sun Wha; Choi, Woo Suk; Lim, Joo Won; Song, Han Joon; Ahn, Chi Yul

    1987-01-01

    Prosthetic hip replacement is associated with certain complications which result in a painful hip. Many of these, e. g. prosthetic dislocation, fracture, trochanteric avulsion, and heterotopic calcification are easily diagnosed by conventional radiography. However, radiographic evaluation for infection and/pr loosening of prosthesis as major complications requiring reoperation often contributes little to the resolution of the diagnostic problem. The authors made a comparative study of plain radiography and scintigraphy of 39 cases performed revision at Kyung Hee University Hospital from Sep. '81-to Aug. '86. The results were as follows: 1. In 39 revised prosthetic hip replacement, 26 cases (67%) of loosening without infection and 11 cases (28%) of infection were proven. 2. In loosening of prosthesis, plain radiography showed true positive rate of 76% and true negative rate of 60%, and scintigraphy showed true positive rate of 75% and true negative rate of 95%. 3. In infection of prosthesis, plain radiography revealed true positive rate of 55% and true negative rate of 96%, and scintigraphy revealed true positive rate of 100% and true negative rate of 83%. 4. Scintigraphy and plain radiography were useful as complementary procedure in evaluating and differentiating loosening and/or infection of prosthetic component

  2. Silicon based light-emitting materials and devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Weide

    1999-01-01

    Silicon based light-emitting materials and devices are the key to optoelectronic integration. Recently, there has been significant progress in materials engineering methods. The author reviews the latest developments in this area including erbium doped silicon, porous silicon, nanocrystalline silicon and Si/SiO 2 superlattice structures. The incorporation of these different materials into devices is described and future device prospects are assessed

  3. Tactile Sensing Reflexes for Advanced Prosthetic Hands

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    Jeremy A. Fishel, Member, IEEE Figure 1. A) Custom NumaTac prosthetic fingertip sensor core and foam; B) Ottobock VariPlus Speed hand installed with two...oal – H ardw are P rototype D evelopm ent R   Identify alternatives for outcom e m easures R   E xplore sensor design param eters C Y16 G oals – C

  4. Prosthetic joint infection due to Lysobacter thermophilus diagnosed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B Dhawan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the first case of prosthetic joint infection caused by Lysobacter thermophilus which was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Removal of prosthesis followed by antibiotic treatment resulted in good clinical outcome. This case illustrates the use of molecular diagnostics to detect uncommon organisms in suspected prosthetic infections.

  5. Validation of a numerical 3-D fluid-structure interaction model for a prosthetic valve based on experimental PIV measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guivier-Curien, Carine; Deplano, Valérie; Bertrand, Eric

    2009-10-01

    A numerical 3-D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model of a prosthetic aortic valve was developed, based on a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software program using an Arbitrary Eulerian Lagrangian (ALE) formulation. To make sure of the validity of this numerical model, an equivalent experimental model accounting for both the geometrical features and the hydrodynamic conditions was also developed. The leaflet and the flow behaviours around the bileaflet valve were investigated numerically and experimentally by performing particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. Through quantitative and qualitative comparisons, it was shown that the leaflet behaviour and the velocity fields were similar in both models. The present study allows the validation of a fully coupled 3-D FSI numerical model. The promising numerical tool could be therefore used to investigate clinical issues involving the aortic valve.

  6. [Surgery guided by customized devices: reconstruction with a free fibula flap].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schouman, T; Bertolus, C; Chaine, C; Ceccaldi, J; Goudot, P

    2014-02-01

    The reconstruction of jaws with a free fibula flap can be anticipated virtually. The simulation can be transferred to the operating theater using customized devices obtained from computer-assisted design and manufacturing in a complete digital workflow. Several alternatives are available, from cutting guides to customized titanium osteosynthesis plates, to obtain the best accuracy and reproducibility of reconstruction. Moreover, these new processes allow integrating prosthetic planning concomitantly with reconstruction. We present the virtual three-dimensional planning method for jaw reconstruction with a free fibula flap and the various alternatives of surgery guided by customized devices provided by this planning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Significance of angular mismatch between vertebral endplate and prosthetic endplate in lumbar total disc replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chong Suh; Chung, Sung Soo; Oh, Sung Kyun; You, Je Wook

    2011-05-01

    A retrospective study. To determine whether angular mismatch between the vertebral endplate and prosthetic endplate during lumbar total disc replacement (L-TDR) affects the radiological and clinical outcomes. A prosthesis anchored to the vertebral body by using a large central keel carries an inherent risk of angular mismatch between the vertebral endplate and prosthetic endplate at a segment with a greater degree of lordosis, such as L5-S1. Theoretically, this angular mismatch can cause several problems, such as segmental hyperlordosis, anterior positioning of the upper prosthesis, posterior prosthetic edge subsidence, decreased range of motion (ROM), and a poor clinical outcome. This study evaluated 64 prosthetic levels of 56 patients who were implanted with L-TDR between June 2002 and February 2006. There were 38 and 26 prosthetic levels at the L4-5 and L5-S1, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 25.6 (12 to 49) months. The angle of mismatch between the lower endplate of the upper vertebral body and the upper prosthetic plate, segmental flexion/extension ROM, segmental lordosis angle at extension, distance from the posterior wall of the vertebral body to the posterior prosthetic edge were measured by obtaining radiographs. Clinically, the Visual Analogue Scale and Oswestry Disability Index were also evaluated. The angular mismatches between the upper vertebra and prosthesis at L4-5 and L5-S1 were 1.6 degree and 5.6 degree, respectively (P body to the posterior edge of the prosthesis in L5-S1 were 6.8 degree (4 to 13), 12.8 degree (8 to 17), and 3.8 mm (1 to 6 mm) in patients with an angular mismatch of 0.05). Angular mismatch was more common in L5-S1 than in L4-5. L-TDR at the most lordotic level, L5-S1, and implantation of an upper prosthesis with a mismatched angle seem to be the causes of a reduced segmental ROM, increased segmental lordosis, and anterior malpositioning of the prosthesis. However, these changes do not affect the clinical outcomes of

  8. Differential contributions of specimen types, culturing, and 16S rRNA sequencing in diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Lone Heimann; Khalid, Vesal; Xu, Yijuan

    2018-01-01

    Prosthetic joint failure is mainly caused by infection, aseptic failure (AF), and mechanical problems. Infection detection has been improved with modified culture methods and molecular diagnostics. However, comparisons between modified and conventional microbiology methods are difficult due...... to variations in specimen sampling. In this prospective, multidisciplinary study of hip or knee prosthetic failures, we assessed the contributions of different specimen types, extended culture incubations, and 16S rRNA sequencing for diagnosing prosthetic joint infections (PJI). Project specimens included joint...... fluid (JF), bone biopsy specimens (BB), soft-tissue biopsy specimens (STB), and swabs (SW) from the prosthesis, collected in situ, and sonication fluid collected from prosthetic components (PC). Specimens were cultured for 6 (conventional) or 14 days, and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed at study...

  9. Diagnostic evaluation of left-sided prosthetic heart valve dysfunction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Habets, Jesse; Budde, Ricardo P.; Symersky, Petr; van den Brink, Renee B.; de Mol, Bas A.; Mali, Willem P.; van Herwerden, Lex A.; Chamuleau, Steven A.

    Prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, complication. In clinical practice, PHV dysfunction poses a diagnostic dilemma. Echocardiography and fluoroscopy are the imaging techniques of choice and are routinely used in daily practice. However, these

  10. Diagnostic evaluation of left-sided prosthetic heart valve dysfunction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Habets, Jesse; Budde, Ricardo P.; Symersky, Petr; van den Brink, Renee B.; de Mol, Bas A.; Mali, Willem P.; van Herwerden, Lex A.; Chamuleau, Steven A.

    2011-01-01

    Prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction is a rare, but potentially life-threatening, complication. In clinical practice, PHV dysfunction poses a diagnostic dilemma. Echocardiography and fluoroscopy are the imaging techniques of choice and are routinely used in daily practice. However, these

  11. Prosthetic model, but not stiffness or height, affects the metabolic cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Owen N; Taboga, Paolo; Grabowski, Alena M

    2017-07-01

    Running-specific prostheses enable athletes with lower limb amputations to run by emulating the spring-like function of biological legs. Current prosthetic stiffness and height recommendations aim to mitigate kinematic asymmetries for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations. However, it is unclear how different prosthetic configurations influence the biomechanics and metabolic cost of running. Consequently, we investigated how prosthetic model, stiffness, and height affect the biomechanics and metabolic cost of running. Ten athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations each performed 15 running trials at 2.5 or 3.0 m/s while we measured ground reaction forces and metabolic rates. Athletes ran using three different prosthetic models with five different stiffness category and height combinations per model. Use of an Ottobock 1E90 Sprinter prosthesis reduced metabolic cost by 4.3 and 3.4% compared with use of Freedom Innovations Catapult [fixed effect (β) = -0.177; P Run (β = -0.139; P = 0.002) prostheses, respectively. Neither prosthetic stiffness ( P ≥ 0.180) nor height ( P = 0.062) affected the metabolic cost of running. The metabolic cost of running was related to lower peak (β = 0.649; P = 0.001) and stance average (β = 0.772; P = 0.018) vertical ground reaction forces, prolonged ground contact times (β = -4.349; P = 0.012), and decreased leg stiffness (β = 0.071; P running. Instead, an optimal prosthetic model, which improves overall biomechanics, minimizes the metabolic cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The metabolic cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations depends on prosthetic model and is associated with lower peak and stance average vertical ground reaction forces, longer contact times, and reduced leg stiffness. Metabolic cost is unrelated to prosthetic stiffness, height, and stride kinematic symmetry. Unlike nonamputees who decrease leg stiffness with

  12. Technology that Touches Lives: Teleconsultation to Benefit Persons with Upper Limb Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynsay R. Whelan

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available While over 1.5 million individuals are living with limb loss in the United States (Ziegler-Graham et al., 2008, only 10% of these individuals have a loss that affects an upper limb. Coincident with the relatively low incidence of upper limb loss, is a shortage of the community-based prosthetic rehabilitation experts that can help prosthetic users to more fully integrate their devices into their daily routines. This article describes how expert prosthetists and occupational therapists at Touch Bionics, a manufacturer of advanced upper limb prosthetic devices, employ Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP videoconferencing software telehealth technologies to engage in remote consultation with users of prosthetic devices and/or their local practitioners. The Touch Bionics staff provide follow-up expertise to local prosthetists, occupational therapists, and other health professionals. Contrasted with prior telephone-based consultations, the video-enabled approach provides enhanced capabilities to benefit persons with upper limb loss.  Currently, the opportunities for Touch Bionics occupational therapists to fully engage in patient-based services delivered through telehealth technologies are significantly reduced by their need to obtain and maintain professional licenses in multiple states.

  13. Torsion based universal MEMS logic device

    KAUST Repository

    Ilyas, Saad; Carreno, Armando Arpys Arevalo; Bayes, Ernesto; Foulds, Ian G.; Younis, Mohammad I.

    2015-01-01

    In this work we demonstrate torsion based complementary MEMS logic device, which is capable, of performing INVERTER, AND, NAND, NOR, and OR gates using one physical structure within an operating range of 0-10 volts. It can also perform XOR and XNOR with one access inverter using the same structure with different electrical interconnects. The paper presents modeling, fabrication and experimental calculations of various performance features of the device including lifetime, power consumption and resonance frequency. The fabricated device is 535 μm by 150 μm with a gap of 1.92 μm and a resonant frequency of 6.51 kHz. The device is capable of performing the switching operation with a frequency of 1 kHz.

  14. Torsion based universal MEMS logic device

    KAUST Repository

    Ilyas, Saad

    2015-10-28

    In this work we demonstrate torsion based complementary MEMS logic device, which is capable, of performing INVERTER, AND, NAND, NOR, and OR gates using one physical structure within an operating range of 0-10 volts. It can also perform XOR and XNOR with one access inverter using the same structure with different electrical interconnects. The paper presents modeling, fabrication and experimental calculations of various performance features of the device including lifetime, power consumption and resonance frequency. The fabricated device is 535 μm by 150 μm with a gap of 1.92 μm and a resonant frequency of 6.51 kHz. The device is capable of performing the switching operation with a frequency of 1 kHz.

  15. Production of radioiodinated prosthetic group for indirect protein labeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Josefina da Silva

    2001-01-01

    Monoclonal antibodies and their fragments and, more recently, radiolabeled peptides have been extensively studied in order to develop radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapy in Nuclear Medicine. The radioiodination of proteins can be done by a direct method, with radioiodine being incorporated in to a tyrosine residue of the protein by electrophilic substitution. The main problem in the use of radioiodinated proteins, is that they are often dehalogenated in vivo by the action of specific enzymes, probably because of the structural similarity between iodophenyl groups and thyroid hormones. Several protein radioiodination methods have been developed in order to minimize this in vivo dehalogenation using prosthetic groups for indirect labeling. In this case, the radioiodine is first incorporated in to the prosthetic group that is subsequently attached to a terminal amino group or to a ε-amino group of lysine residue. The aim of this work is to obtain a radioiodinated prosthetic group for indirect labeling of proteins. The prosthetic group selected was the N-succinimidyl-4-radioiodine benzoate (SIB), obtained by the iodination of the p-bromobenzoic acid followed by the reaction with TSTU (0-(N-succinimidyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl uronium tetrafluoroborate) The results of these studies showed that the p-radio iodobenzoic acid was obtained with a radiochemical purity greater than 92% and a labeling yield of about 65%. Some reaction parameters were studied like temperature, time and Cu Cl mass (cataliser). The SIB was quantitatively obtained from p-radio iodobenzoic acid, using basic medium and after removing the water from the reaction using an nitrogen stream. The kinetic of this reaction is very fast with complete consumption of the p-radioiodebenzoic acid after 5 minutes. The coupling of the SIB prosthetic group to the protein was studied using Human Immunoglobulin (IgG) as a protein model. In a comparative way, the same protein was used on direct labeling

  16. Design, Sensing and Control of a Robotic Prosthetic Eye for Natural Eye Movement

    OpenAIRE

    J. J. Gu; M. Meng; A. Cook; P. X. Liu

    2006-01-01

    Loss of an eye is a tragedy for a person, who may suffer psychologically and physically. This paper is concerned with the design, sensing and control of a robotic prosthetic eye that moves horizontally in synchronization with the movement of the natural eye. Two generations of robotic prosthetic eye models have been developed. The first generation model uses an external infrared sensor array mounted on the frame of a pair of eyeglasses to detect the natural eye movement and to feed the contro...

  17. Tensile strength and impact resistance properties of materials used in prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets

    OpenAIRE

    Maria J. Gerschutz, PhD; Michael L. Haynes, MS; Derek M. Nixon, BS; James M. Colvin, MS

    2011-01-01

    Prosthetic sockets serve as the interface between people with amputations and their prostheses. Although most materials used to make prosthetic sockets have been used for many years, knowledge of these materials' properties is limited, especially after they are subjected to fabrication processes. This study evaluated tensile and impact properties of the current state-of-the-art materials used to fabricate prosthetic check sockets, copolymer sockets, and definitive laminated sockets. Thermolyn...

  18. Peri-prosthetic fractures around tumor endoprostheses: a retrospective analysis of eighteen cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barut, Nicolas; Anract, Philippe; Babinet, Antoine; Biau, David

    2015-09-01

    Tumour hip and knee endoprostheses have become the mainstay for reconstruction of patients with bone tumours. Fixation into host bone has improved over time. However, some patients present with a peri-prosthetic fracture over follow-up. The objective of this study was to analyse the mode of presentation and survival of implant after a peri-prosthetic fracture around a tumour endoprosthesis. Eighteen peri-prosthetic fractures (17 patients) were included. All patients were treated at a tertiary care center. There were 11 (65%) women; the median age at the time of fracture was 38 years old. All implants were cemented and all knee endoprostheses were fixed-hinge. Twelve (67%) fractures occurred after femoral resection and six (33%) fractures after proximal tibial resection. There were three femoral neck fractures (UCS C), three femoral shaft type C fractures, two femoral shaft type B1, one tibial shaft type B2, three tibial shaft type C, three ankle fractures (UCS C) and three patella fractures (UCS F). Two fractures were treated conservatively and 16 were operated on. Only one patient had the implant revised. There were eight (44%) failures over follow-up; none of the conservative treatment failed. The cumulative probability of failure for any reason was 27% (8-52) and 55% (22-79) at five and ten years, respectively. Peri-prosthetic fractures around massive endoprostheses are different from that of standard implants. There are more type C fractures; internal fixation is an attractive option at the time of presentation but the risk of revision over follow-up is high and patients should be informed accordingly.

  19. Human-Machine Interface for the Control of Multi-Function Systems Based on Electrocutaneous Menu: Application to Multi-Grasp Prosthetic Hands.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Gonzalez-Vargas

    Full Text Available Modern assistive devices are very sophisticated systems with multiple degrees of freedom. However, an effective and user-friendly control of these systems is still an open problem since conventional human-machine interfaces (HMI cannot easily accommodate the system's complexity. In HMIs, the user is responsible for generating unique patterns of command signals directly triggering the device functions. This approach can be difficult to implement when there are many functions (necessitating many command patterns and/or the user has a considerable impairment (limited number of available signal sources. In this study, we propose a novel concept for a general-purpose HMI where the controller and the user communicate bidirectionally to select the desired function. The system first presents possible choices to the user via electro-tactile stimulation; the user then acknowledges the desired choice by generating a single command signal. Therefore, the proposed approach simplifies the user communication interface (one signal to generate, decoding (one signal to recognize, and allows selecting from a number of options. To demonstrate the new concept the method was used in one particular application, namely, to implement the control of all the relevant functions in a state of the art commercial prosthetic hand without using any myoelectric channels. We performed experiments in healthy subjects and with one amputee to test the feasibility of the novel approach. The results showed that the performance of the novel HMI concept was comparable or, for some outcome measures, better than the classic myoelectric interfaces. The presented approach has a general applicability and the obtained results point out that it could be used to operate various assistive systems (e.g., prosthesis vs. wheelchair, or it could be integrated into other control schemes (e.g., myoelectric control, brain-machine interfaces in order to improve the usability of existing low

  20. Human-Machine Interface for the Control of Multi-Function Systems Based on Electrocutaneous Menu: Application to Multi-Grasp Prosthetic Hands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Vargas, Jose; Dosen, Strahinja; Amsuess, Sebastian; Yu, Wenwei; Farina, Dario

    2015-01-01

    Modern assistive devices are very sophisticated systems with multiple degrees of freedom. However, an effective and user-friendly control of these systems is still an open problem since conventional human-machine interfaces (HMI) cannot easily accommodate the system's complexity. In HMIs, the user is responsible for generating unique patterns of command signals directly triggering the device functions. This approach can be difficult to implement when there are many functions (necessitating many command patterns) and/or the user has a considerable impairment (limited number of available signal sources). In this study, we propose a novel concept for a general-purpose HMI where the controller and the user communicate bidirectionally to select the desired function. The system first presents possible choices to the user via electro-tactile stimulation; the user then acknowledges the desired choice by generating a single command signal. Therefore, the proposed approach simplifies the user communication interface (one signal to generate), decoding (one signal to recognize), and allows selecting from a number of options. To demonstrate the new concept the method was used in one particular application, namely, to implement the control of all the relevant functions in a state of the art commercial prosthetic hand without using any myoelectric channels. We performed experiments in healthy subjects and with one amputee to test the feasibility of the novel approach. The results showed that the performance of the novel HMI concept was comparable or, for some outcome measures, better than the classic myoelectric interfaces. The presented approach has a general applicability and the obtained results point out that it could be used to operate various assistive systems (e.g., prosthesis vs. wheelchair), or it could be integrated into other control schemes (e.g., myoelectric control, brain-machine interfaces) in order to improve the usability of existing low-bandwidth HMIs.

  1. Building blocks of Collagen based biomaterial devices

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Building blocks of Collagen based biomaterial devices. Collagen as a protein. Collagen in tissues and organs. Stabilizing and cross linking agents. Immunogenicity. Hosts (drugs). Controlled release mechanisms of hosts. Biodegradability, workability into devices ...

  2. Comparative study of radiography and scintigraphy for loosening and infection of prosthetic hip replacement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Mi Sook; Lee, Sun Wha; Choi, Woo Suk; Lim, Joo Won; Song, Han Joon; Ahn, Chi Yul [College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1987-10-15

    Prosthetic hip replacement is associated with certain complications which result in a painful hip. Many of these, e. g. prosthetic dislocation, fracture, trochanteric avulsion, and heterotopic calcification are easily diagnosed by conventional radiography. However, radiographic evaluation for infection and/pr loosening of prosthesis as major complications requiring reoperation often contributes little to the resolution of the diagnostic problem. The authors made a comparative study of plain radiography and scintigraphy of 39 cases performed revision at Kyung Hee University Hospital from Sep. '81-to Aug. '86. The results were as follows: 1. In 39 revised prosthetic hip replacement, 26 cases (67%) of loosening without infection and 11 cases (28%) of infection were proven. 2. In loosening of prosthesis, plain radiography showed true positive rate of 76% and true negative rate of 60%, and scintigraphy showed true positive rate of 75% and true negative rate of 95%. 3. In infection of prosthesis, plain radiography revealed true positive rate of 55% and true negative rate of 96%, and scintigraphy revealed true positive rate of 100% and true negative rate of 83%. 4. Scintigraphy and plain radiography were useful as complementary procedure in evaluating and differentiating loosening and/or infection of prosthetic component.

  3. Customized mold radiotherapy with prosthetic apparatus for oral cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noguchi, Tadahide; Tsuchiya, Yoshiyuki; Hayasaka, Junichi; Itoh, Hiroto; Jinbu, Yoshinori; Kusama, Mikio; Takahashi, Satoru; Nakazawa, Masanori

    2014-01-01

    Eight patients (6 males, 2 females; median age, 78 years; age range, 31-94 years) were treated by mold radiotherapy with a prosthetic apparatus for oral cancers between October 2006 and March 2013. The primary sites were the tongue in 3 cases, hard palate and buccal mucosa in 2 cases each, and oral floor in 1 case. The type of treatment consisted of radical radiotherapy and palliative radiotherapy in 2 cases each, and preoperative radiotherapy, postoperative radiotherapy, additional radiotherapy after external beam radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy in 1 case each. Patients received 40-50 Gy in 8-10 fractions with mold radiotherapy. Two patients who received radical radiotherapy showed no signs of recurrence or metastasis. The present therapy contributed to patients' palliative, postoperative, and preoperative therapy. Mold radiotherapy with a prosthetic appliance was performed safely and was a useful treatment for several types of oral cancer. (author)

  4. Red flag in the emergency department: fracture and primary failure of a prosthetic valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozsarac, Murat; Karcioglu, Ozgur; Ayrik, Cuneyt; Bozkurt, Seyran; Turkcuer, Ibrahim; Gumrukcu, Serhat

    2005-07-01

    This case report concerns a patient with fracture and primary dysfunction of a prosthetic valve. A 40-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with a chief complaint of breakthrough pleuritic back pain and shortness of breath. Past surgical history was significant only for an aortic valve replacement and mitral valve replacement performed 16 years prior. The transthoracic echocardiography raised suspicion of prosthesis malposition. The patient was taken to the operating room by cardiothoracic surgeons for valve replacement. Operative findings revealed that a prosthetic valve leaflet in the mitral position had broken off. Primary prosthetic valve failure should not be overlooked in the differential diagnosis of patients with valve replacement and a rapidly deteriorating clinical course. Emergency echocardiography is a guide to convenient diagnosis and management. Early surgical consultation and early reparative surgery might prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

  5. Developing and modeling of voice control system for prosthetic robot arm in medical systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koksal Gundogdu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In parallel with the development of technology, various control methods are also developed. Voice control system is one of these control methods. In this study, an effective modelling upon mathematical models used in the literature is performed, and a voice control system is developed in order to control prosthetic robot arms. The developed control system has been applied on four-jointed RRRR robot arm. Implementation tests were performed on the designed system. As a result of the tests; it has been observed that the technique utilized in our system achieves about 11% more efficient voice recognition than currently used techniques in the literature. With the improved mathematical modelling, it has been shown that voice commands could be effectively used for controlling the prosthetic robot arm. Keywords: Voice recognition model, Voice control, Prosthetic robot arm, Robotic control, Forward kinematic

  6. Organic Nonvolatile Memory Devices Based on Ferroelectricity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Naber, Ronald C. G.; Asadi, Kamal; Blom, Paul W. M.; de Leeuw, Dago M.; de Boer, Bert

    2010-01-01

    A memory functionality is a prerequisite for many applications of electronic devices. Organic nonvolatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity are a promising approach toward the development of a low-cost memory technology. In this Review Article we discuss the latest developments in this area

  7. Organic nonvolatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Naber, R.C.G.; Asadi, K.; Blom, P.W.M.; Leeuw, D.M. de; Boer, B. de

    2010-01-01

    A memory functionality is a prerequisite for many applications of electronic devices. Organic nonvolatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity are a promising approach toward the development of a low-cost memory technology. In this Review Article we discuss the latest developments in this area

  8. 3D printing functional materials and devices (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlpine, Michael C.

    2017-05-01

    The development of methods for interfacing high performance functional devices with biology could impact regenerative medicine, smart prosthetics, and human-machine interfaces. Indeed, the ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological and functional materials could enable the creation of devices possessing unique geometries, properties, and functionalities. Yet, most high quality functional materials are two dimensional, hard and brittle, and require high crystallization temperatures for maximal performance. These properties render the corresponding devices incompatible with biology, which is three-dimensional, soft, stretchable, and temperature sensitive. We overcome these dichotomies by: 1) using 3D printing and scanning for customized, interwoven, anatomically accurate device architectures; 2) employing nanotechnology as an enabling route for overcoming mechanical discrepancies while retaining high performance; and 3) 3D printing a range of soft and nanoscale materials to enable the integration of a diverse palette of high quality functional nanomaterials with biology. 3D printing is a multi-scale platform, allowing for the incorporation of functional nanoscale inks, the printing of microscale features, and ultimately the creation of macroscale devices. This three-dimensional blending of functional materials and `living' platforms may enable next-generation 3D printed devices.

  9. Magnetic Oculomotor Prosthetics for Acquired Nystagmus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nachev, Parashkev; Rose, Geoff E; Verity, David H; Manohar, Sanjay G; MacKenzie, Kelly; Adams, Gill; Theodorou, Maria; Pankhurst, Quentin A; Kennard, Christopher

    2017-10-01

    Acquired nystagmus, a highly symptomatic consequence of damage to the substrates of oculomotor control, often is resistant to pharmacotherapy. Although heterogeneous in its neural cause, its expression is unified at the effector-the eye muscles themselves-where physical damping of the oscillation offers an alternative approach. Because direct surgical fixation would immobilize the globe, action at a distance is required to damp the oscillation at the point of fixation, allowing unhindered gaze shifts at other times. Implementing this idea magnetically, herein we describe the successful implantation of a novel magnetic oculomotor prosthesis in a patient. Case report of a pilot, experimental intervention. A 49-year-old man with longstanding, medication-resistant, upbeat nystagmus resulting from a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by stage 2A, grade I, nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's lymphoma. We designed a 2-part, titanium-encased, rare-earth magnet oculomotor prosthesis, powered to damp nystagmus without interfering with the larger forces involved in saccades. Its damping effects were confirmed when applied externally. We proceeded to implant the device in the patient, comparing visual functions and high-resolution oculography before and after implantation and monitoring the patient for more than 4 years after surgery. We recorded Snellen visual acuity before and after intervention, as well as the amplitude, drift velocity, frequency, and intensity of the nystagmus in each eye. The patient reported a clinically significant improvement of 1 line of Snellen acuity (from 6/9 bilaterally to 6/6 on the left and 6/5-2 on the right), reflecting an objectively measured reduction in the amplitude, drift velocity, frequency, and intensity of the nystagmus. These improvements were maintained throughout a follow-up of 4 years and enabled him to return to paid employment. This work opens a new field of implantable therapeutic devices-oculomotor prosthetics-designed to modify eye

  10. Ureaplasma parvum prosthetic joint infection detected by PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, John J; Larson, Joshua A; Akeson, Jeffrey W; Lowery, Kristin S; Rounds, Megan A; Sampath, Rangarajan; Bonomo, Robert A; Patel, Robin

    2014-06-01

    We describe the first reported case of Ureaplasma parvum prosthetic joint infection (PJI) detected by PCR. Ureaplasma species do not possess a cell wall and are usually associated with colonization and infection of mucosal surfaces (not prosthetic material). U. parvum is a relatively new species name for certain serovars of Ureaplasma urealyticum, and PCR is useful for species determination. Our patient presented with late infection of his right total knee arthroplasty. Intraoperative fluid and tissue cultures and pre- and postoperative synovial fluid cultures were all negative. To discern the pathogen, we employed PCR coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS). Our patient's failure to respond to empirical antimicrobial treatment and our previous experience with PCR/ESI-MS in culture-negative cases of infection prompted us to use this approach over other diagnostic modalities. PCR/ESI-MS detected U. parvum in all samples. U. parvum-specific PCR testing was performed on all synovial fluid samples to confirm the U. parvum detection. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  11. An investigation of paper based microfluidic devices for size based separation and extraction applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Z W; Wu, R G; Wang, Z P; Tan, H L

    2015-09-01

    Conventional microfluidic devices are typically complex and expensive. The devices require the use of pneumatic control systems or highly precise pumps to control the flow in the devices. This work investigates an alternative method using paper based microfluidic devices to replace conventional microfluidic devices. Size based separation and extraction experiments conducted were able to separate free dye from a mixed protein and dye solution. Experimental results showed that pure fluorescein isothiocyanate could be separated from a solution of mixed fluorescein isothiocyanate and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin. The analysis readings obtained from a spectrophotometer clearly show that the extracted tartrazine sample did not contain any amount of Blue-BSA, because its absorbance value was 0.000 measured at a wavelength of 590nm, which correlated to Blue-BSA. These demonstrate that paper based microfluidic devices, which are inexpensive and easy to implement, can potentially replace their conventional counterparts by the use of simple geometry designs and the capillary action. These findings will potentially help in future developments of paper based microfluidic devices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Carbon-Nanotube-Based Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blackburn, Jeffrey L. [Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden CO 80401-3305 USA; Ferguson, Andrew J. [Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden CO 80401-3305 USA; Cho, Chungyeon [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station TX 77843-3003 USA; Grunlan, Jaime C. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station TX 77843-3003 USA

    2018-01-22

    Conversion of waste heat to voltage has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a number of critical energy sectors, such as the transportation and electricity-generation sectors, and manufacturing processes. Thermal energy is also an abundant low-flux source that can be harnessed to power portable/wearable electronic devices and critical components in remote off-grid locations. As such, a number of different inorganic and organic materials are being explored for their potential in thermoelectric-energy-harvesting devices. Carbon-based thermoelectric materials are particularly attractive due to their use of nontoxic, abundant source-materials, their amenability to high-throughput solution-phase fabrication routes, and the high specific energy (i.e., W g-1) enabled by their low mass. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) represent a unique 1D carbon allotrope with structural, electrical, and thermal properties that enable efficient thermoelectric-energy conversion. Here, the progress made toward understanding the fundamental thermoelectric properties of SWCNTs, nanotube-based composites, and thermoelectric devices prepared from these materials is reviewed in detail. This progress illuminates the tremendous potential that carbon-nanotube-based materials and composites have for producing high-performance next-generation devices for thermoelectric-energy harvesting.

  13. Three-dimensional flow structures past a bio-prosthetic valve in an in-vitro model of the aortic root

    OpenAIRE

    Hasler, David; Obrist, Dominik

    2018-01-01

    The flow field past a prosthetic aortic valve comprises many details that indicate whether the prosthesis is functioning well or not. It is, however, not yet fully understood how an optimal flow scenario would look, i.e. which subtleties of the fluid dynamics in place are essential regarding the durability and compatibility of a prosthetic valve. In this study, we measured and analyzed the 3D flow field in the vicinity of a bio-prosthetic heart valve in function of the aortic root size. The m...

  14. Oral health-related quality of life and prosthetic status of nursing home residents with or without dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klotz, Anna-Luisa; Hassel, Alexander Jochen; Schröder, Johannes; Rammelsberg, Peter; Zenthöfer, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effect of prosthetic status on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of nursing home residents with or without dementia. The study was performed in 14 nursing homes across the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. All eligible participants were included, and general and medical information and information about their dental and prosthetic statuses were collected. The Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) was administered to evaluate OHRQoL. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) served to classify participants into living or not living with dementia according to the established cutoff value for dementia (MMSE health was also similar in both groups ( P >0.05). The number of teeth (odds ratio [OR]: 2.0), the type of prosthetic status (OR: 6.5), and denture-related treatment needs (OR: 2.4) were the major factors significantly affecting OHRQoL ( P nursing home residents is substantially compromised. Several prosthetic treatment needs for residents living with or without dementia were identified. Edentulism without tooth replacement and having <5 teeth resulted in an increased risk of substantially compromised OHRQoL. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether improvements in prosthetic status can increase OHRQoL.

  15. An oxide-based thermoelectric generator: Transversal thermoelectric strip-device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teichert, S.; Bochmann, A.; Reimann, T.; Schulz, T.; Dreßler, C.; Töpfer, J.

    2015-07-01

    A special design of an oxide-based transversal thermoelectric device utilizing thermoelectric oxides in combination with a ceramic multilayer technology is proposed. Metal strips within the ceramic matrix replace the tilted stack of alternating layers used in artificial anisotropic transversal thermoelectric devices. Numerical three-dimensional simulations of both device types reveal better thermoelectric performance data for the device with metal stripes. A monolithic transversal strip-device based on the material combination La1.97Sr0.03CuO4/Ag6Pd1 was prepared and electrically characterized. A maximum power output of 4.0 mW was determined at ΔT = 225 K for the monolithic device. The observed results are in remarkable agreement with three-dimensional numerical simulations utilizing the transport parameters of the two materials and the geometry data of the device.

  16. Value-based procurement of medical devices: Application to devices for mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trippoli, Sabrina; Caccese, Erminia; Marinai, Claudio; Messori, Andrea

    2018-03-01

    In the acute ischemic stroke, endovascular devices have shown promising clinical results and are also likely to represent value for money, as several modeling studies have shown. Pharmacoeconomic evaluations in this field, however, have little impact on the procurement of these devices. The present study explored how complex pharmacoeconomic models that evaluate effectiveness and cost can be incorporated into the in-hospital procurement of thrombectomy devices. As regards clinical modeling, we extracted outcomes at three months from randomized trials conducted for four thrombectomy devices, and we projected long-term results using standard Markov modeling. In estimating QALYs, the same model was run for the four devices. As regards economic modeling, we firstly estimated for each device the net monetary benefit (NMB) per patient (threshold = $60,000 per QALY); then, we simulated a competitive tender across the four products by determining the tender-based score (on a 0-to-100 scale). Prices of individual devices were obtained from manufacturers. Extensive sensitivity testing was applied to our analyses. For the four devices (Solitaire, Trevo, Penumbra, Solumbra), QALYs were 1.86, 1.52, 1,79, 1.35, NMB was $101,824, $83,546, $101,923, $69,440, and tender-based scores were 99.70, 43.43, 100, 0, respectively. Sensitivity analysis confirmed findings from base-case. Our results indicate that, in the field of thrombectomy devices, incorporating the typical tools of cost-effectiveness into the processes of tenders and procurement is feasible. Bridging the methodology of cost-effectiveness with the every-day practice of in-hospital procurement can contribute to maximizing the health returns that are generated by in-hospital expenditures for medical devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Differentiation between solid-ankle cushioned heel and energy storage and return prosthetic foot based on step-to-step transition cost

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wezenberg, Daphne; Cutti, Andrea G.; Bruno, Antonino; Houdijk, Han

    2014-01-01

    Decreased push-off power by the prosthetic foot and inadequate roll-over shape of the foot have been shown to increase the energy dissipated during the step-to-step transition in human walking. The aim of this study was to determine whether energy storage and return (ESAR) feet are able to reduce

  18. Increased Mortality After Prosthetic Joint Infection in Primary THA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gundtoft, Per Hviid; Pedersen, Alma Becic; Varnum, Claus

    2017-01-01

    among patients with PJI that are associated with an increased risk of death? Methods: This population-based cohort study was based on the longitudinally maintained Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register on primary THA performed in Denmark from 2005 to 2014. Data from the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register were......Background: Revision for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) has a major effect on patients’ health but it remains unclear if early PJI after primary THA is associated with a high mortality. Questions/Purposes: (1) Do patients with a revision for PJI within 1 year of primary THA have increased...... mortality compared with patients who do not undergo revision for any reason within 1 year of primary THA? (2) Do patients who undergo a revision for PJI within 1 year of primary THA have an increased mortality risk compared with patients who undergo an aseptic revision? (3) Are there particular bacteria...

  19. Role of CT in patients with prosthetic heart valves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Suchá, D.

    2016-01-01

    Valvular heart disease accounts for a substantial part of the cardiovascular disease worldwide with an estimated prevalence of 2.5% in the Western population aged <65 years and over 13% in the population aged >75 years. Surgical prosthetic heart valve (PHV) replacement is the indicated therapy for

  20. Diagnostic flowcharts in osteomyelitis, spondylodiscitis and prosthetic joint infection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jutte, P.; Lazzeri, E.; Sconfienza, L. M.; Cassar-Pullicino, V.; Trampuz, A.; Petrosillo, N.; Signore, A.

    Infections of the bone, spine and prosthetic joints are serious and complex conditions to diagnose and to treat. Structured diagnostic workup may very well improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis, thereby improving the outcome since treatment may very well be more successful and less harmful if

  1. A rare case of prosthetic endocarditis and dehiscence in a mechanical valved conduit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannan, Arun; Smith, Cristy; Subramanian, Sreekumar; Janardhanan, Rajesh

    2014-02-07

    A middle-aged adult patient with a history of aortic root replacement with a mechanical valved conduit and remote chest trauma was referred to our institution with prosthetic endocarditis. Transoesophageal echocardiogram at our institution confirmed a near-complete dehiscence of the prosthetic aortic valve from the conduit, with significant perivalvular flow forming a pseudoaneurysm. The patient underwent a high-risk re-operation, involving redo aortic root replacement with a homograft after extensive debridement of the infected tissue. The patient was discharged to an outside facility after an uncomplicated hospital course, and remains stable.

  2. Locomotor Performance During Rehabilitation of People With Lower Limb Amputation and Prosthetic Nonuse 12 Months After Discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roffman, Caroline E; Buchanan, John; Allison, Garry T

    2016-07-01

    It is recognized that multifactorial assessments are needed to evaluate balance and locomotor function in people with lower limb amputation. There is no consensus on whether a single screening tool could be used to identify future issues with locomotion or prosthetic use. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different tests of locomotor performance during rehabilitation were associated with significantly greater risk of prosthetic abandonment at 12 months postdischarge. This was a retrospective cohort study. Data for descriptive variables and locomotor tests (ie, 10-Meter Walk Test [10MWT], Timed "Up & Go" Test [TUGT], Six-Minute Walk Test [6MWT], and Four Square Step Test [FSST]) were abstracted from the medical records of 201 consecutive participants with lower limb amputation. Participants were interviewed and classified as prosthetic users or nonusers at 12 months postdischarge. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze whether there were differences in locomotor performance. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to determine performance thresholds, and relative risk (RR) was calculated for nonuse. At 12 months postdischarge, 18% (n=36) of the participants had become prosthetic nonusers. Performance thresholds, area under the curve (AUC), and RR of nonuse (95% confidence intervals [CI]) were: for the 10MWT, if walking speed was ≤0.44 ms(-1) (AUC=0.743), RR of nonuse=2.76 (95% CI=1.83, 3.79; PLocomotor performance during rehabilitation may predict future risk of prosthetic nonuse. It may be implied that the 10MWT has the greatest clinical utility as a single screening tool for prosthetic nonuse, given the highest proportion of participants were able to perform this test early in rehabilitation. However, as locomotor skills improve, other tests (in particular, the 6MWT) have specific clinical utility. To fully enable implementation of these locomotor criteria for prosthetic nonuse into clinical practice, validation is warranted

  3. Analytical Study of Active Prosthetic Legs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ono, Kyosuke; Katsumata, Mie

    Walking with prosthesis has not been well analyzed mathematically and it seems that the design of powered prosthesis has been done empirically so far. This paper presents a dynamic simulation of a normal human walking and walking with an active prosthesis. We also studied the two controlling methods of a powered thigh prosthesis based on multi-body simulation of human walking. First we measured the normal human walking gait, then, we showed that a 3-DOF human walking model can walk on level ground by applying tracking control to the measured walking gait within a certain range of tuned walking period. Next, we applied the tracking control and self-excited control to the powered thigh prosthesis and compared the robustness and efficiency of the two control methods by numerical simulation. As a result, we found that the self-excited control can significantly decrease the hip joint torque and specific cost to 1/3 compared with the tracking control. Moreover, the self-excited control is superior to the tracking control because tuning for the walking period is not needed for the active prosthetic leg.

  4. Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Pannus Tissue in Patients with Prosthetic Valve Dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakoyun, Süleyman; Ozan Gürsoy, Mustafa; Yesin, Mahmut; Kalçık, Macit; Astarcıoğlu, Mehmet Ali; Gündüz, Sabahattin; Emrah Oğuz, Ali; Çoban Kökten, Şermin; Nimet Karadayı, Ayşe; Tuncer, Altuğ; Köksal, Cengiz; Gökdeniz, Tayyar; Özkan, Mehmet

    2016-01-01

    Prosthetic valve dysfunction due to pannus formation is a rare but serious complication. Currently, limited data are available concerning the pathogenesis and immunohistochemical properties of pannus. The study aim was to investigate the morphological, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of pannus formation in patients with prosthetic valve dysfunction. A total of 35 patients (10 males, 25 females; mean age 44 ± 16 years) who had undergone re-do valve surgery due to prosthetic valve obstruction was enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical studies were aimed at evaluating the expression of alphasmooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and desmin in myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells; epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) in epithelial cells; and CD34, Factor VIII and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endothelial cells. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) were used to demonstrate cytokine release from macrophages, leukocytes, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Pannus appeared as a tough and thick tissue hyperplasia which began from outside the suture ring in the periannular region and extended to the inflow and outflow surfaces of the prosthetic valves. Histopathological analysis showed the pannus tissue to consist of chronic inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages and foreign body giant cells), spindle cells such as myofibroblasts, capillary blood vessels and endothelial cells laying down the lumens. Calcification was present in the pannus tissue of 19 explanted prostheses. Immunohistochemical studies revealed positive α-SMA expression in all patients, whereas 60.5% of patients were positive for desmin, 50% for EMA, 42.1% for VEGF, 39.5% for TBF-β, 42.1% for MMP-2, 86.8% for CD34, and 97.4% for Factor VIII. MMP-9 was negative in all patients. Pannus tissue appears to be formed as the result of a neointimal response in periannular regions of prosthetic valves that consist

  5. Computed Tomography of the complications of prosthetic surgery of the abdominal aorta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giovagnorio, Francesco; Andreoli, Chiara; De Cicco, Maria Luisa

    1997-01-01

    Computerized Tomography has gained an important role in the diagnosis of the complications of prosthetic surgery of the abdominal aorta: the importance of such complications come from their frequency, which is proportional to the increasing number of interventions, and their severity. The authors investigated the CT patterns of the most frequent complications. 24 patients referred for strongly suspected postoperative complications were examined in 2 years: fever and leukocytosis (20 cases) and progressive anemia (4 cases) were the most frequent findings. The operation had been performed 7± 12 weeks before (2 patients were excluded because surgery dated less than 3 weeks. 14 patients had infective complications: thickening (57%) and inhomogeneity (43%) of the periprosthetic wrap and ectopic gas bubble (78%) were the most frequent Computerized Tomography findings. The authors also observed 2 periprosthetic hematomas, 1 aneurysm relapse and 1 prosthetic graft rupture. In conclusion, CT confirmed its important role in the study of the complications of prosthetic aortic surgery, despite its know poor specificity in the demonstration of the aorta in the first 2-3 months postoperatively, in the initial stages of infection and in the diagnosis of aorta-enteric fistulas

  6. {100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100}, semiconductor-based, large-area, flexible, electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN

    2012-05-15

    Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, {100} or 45.degree.-rotated {100} oriented, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.

  7. Prosthetic graft infection: limitations of indium white blood cell scanning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunner, M.C.; Mitchell, R.S.; Baldwin, J.C.; James, D.R.; Olcott, C. IV; Mehigan, J.T.; McDougall, I.R.; Miller, D.C.

    1986-01-01

    The lack of a rapid, noninvasive, and accurate method to confirm or rule out prosthetic graft infection continues to constitute a compelling and vexing clinical problem. A host of adjunctive diagnostic techniques has been used in the past, but early promising results subsequently have usually not yielded acceptable sensitivity (reflecting false negatives) and specificity (reflecting false positive) data. White blood cell (WBC) indium 111 scanning has recently been added to this list. The utility and accuracy of 111 In WBC scans were assessed by retrospective review of WBC scan results in 70 patients undergoing evaluation for possible prosthetic graft infection over a 7-year period. Operative and autopsy data (mean follow-up, 18 months for survivors with negative scans) were used to confirm the 22 positive, 45 negative, and three equivocal WBC scans. The false positive rate (+/- 70% confidence limits) was 36% +/- 6% (n = 8) among the 22 patients with positive scans (44% +/- 6% [11 of 25] if the three equivocal scans are included as false positive), yielding a specificity of 85% +/- 5% and an overall accuracy rate of 88% +/- 4% (80% +/- 5% and 84% +/- 5%, respectively, if the three equivocal cases are considered as false positive). All three patients with equivocal scans ultimately were judged not to have prosthetic graft infection. As implied by the high accuracy rate, the sensitivity of the test was absolute (100% [14 of 14]); there were no false negative results

  8. A novel conduit-based coaptation device for primary nerve repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bamba, Ravinder; Riley, D Colton; Kelm, Nathaniel D; Cardwell, Nancy; Pollins, Alonda C; Afshari, Ashkan; Nguyen, Lyly; Dortch, Richard D; Thayer, Wesley P

    2018-06-01

    Conduit-based nerve repairs are commonly used for small nerve gaps, whereas primary repair may be performed if there is no tension on nerve endings. We hypothesize that a conduit-based nerve coaptation device will improve nerve repair outcomes by avoiding sutures at the nerve repair site and utilizing the advantages of a conduit-based repair. The left sciatic nerves of female Sprague-Dawley rats were transected and repaired using a novel conduit-based device. The conduit-based device group was compared to a control group of rats that underwent a standard end-to-end microsurgical repair of the sciatic nerve. Animals underwent behavioral assessments at weekly intervals post-operatively using the sciatic functional index (SFI) test. Animals were sacrificed at four weeks to obtain motor axon counts from immunohistochemistry. A sub-group of animals were sacrificed immediately post repair to obtain MRI images. SFI scores were superior in rats which received conduit-based repairs compared to the control group. Motor axon counts distal to the injury in the device group at four weeks were statistically superior to the control group. MRI tractography was used to demonstrate repair of two nerves using the novel conduit device. A conduit-based nerve coaptation device avoids sutures at the nerve repair site and leads to improved outcomes in a rat model. Conduit-based nerve repair devices have the potential to standardize nerve repairs while improving outcomes.

  9. Product-based Safety Certification for Medical Devices Embedded Software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neto, José Augusto; Figueiredo Damásio, Jemerson; Monthaler, Paul; Morais, Misael

    2015-01-01

    Worldwide medical device embedded software certification practices are currently focused on manufacturing best practices. In Brazil, the national regulatory agency does not hold a local certification process for software-intensive medical devices and admits international certification (e.g. FDA and CE) from local and international industry to operate in the Brazilian health care market. We present here a product-based certification process as a candidate process to support the Brazilian regulatory agency ANVISA in medical device software regulation. Center of Strategic Technology for Healthcare (NUTES) medical device embedded software certification is based on a solid safety quality model and has been tested with reasonable success against the Class I risk device Generic Infusion Pump (GIP).

  10. Status and Prospects of ZnO-Based Resistive Switching Memory Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simanjuntak, Firman Mangasa; Panda, Debashis; Wei, Kung-Hwa; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen

    2016-08-01

    In the advancement of the semiconductor device technology, ZnO could be a prospective alternative than the other metal oxides for its versatility and huge applications in different aspects. In this review, a thorough overview on ZnO for the application of resistive switching memory (RRAM) devices has been conducted. Various efforts that have been made to investigate and modulate the switching characteristics of ZnO-based switching memory devices are discussed. The use of ZnO layer in different structure, the different types of filament formation, and the different types of switching including complementary switching are reported. By considering the huge interest of transparent devices, this review gives the concrete overview of the present status and prospects of transparent RRAM devices based on ZnO. ZnO-based RRAM can be used for flexible memory devices, which is also covered here. Another challenge in ZnO-based RRAM is that the realization of ultra-thin and low power devices. Nevertheless, ZnO not only offers decent memory properties but also has a unique potential to be used as multifunctional nonvolatile memory devices. The impact of electrode materials, metal doping, stack structures, transparency, and flexibility on resistive switching properties and switching parameters of ZnO-based resistive switching memory devices are briefly compared. This review also covers the different nanostructured-based emerging resistive switching memory devices for low power scalable devices. It may give a valuable insight on developing ZnO-based RRAM and also should encourage researchers to overcome the challenges.

  11. Determining asymmetry of roll-over shapes in prosthetic walking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Curtze, C.; Otten, Bert; Hof, A.L.; Postema, K.

    2011-01-01

    How does the inherent asymmetry of the locomotor system in people with lower-limb amputation affect the ankle-foot roll-over shape of prosthetic walking? In a single-case design, we evaluated the walking patterns of six people with lower-limb amputation (3 transtibial and 3 transfemoral) and three

  12. Critical components for diamond-based quantum coherent devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greentree, Andrew D; Olivero, Paolo; Draganski, Martin; Trajkov, Elizabeth; Rabeau, James R; Reichart, Patrick; Gibson, Brant C; Rubanov, Sergey; Huntington, Shane T; Jamieson, David N; Prawer, Steven

    2006-01-01

    The necessary elements for practical devices exploiting quantum coherence in diamond materials are summarized, and progress towards their realization documented. A brief review of future prospects for diamond-based devices is also provided

  13. Carbon-Nanotube-Based Thermoelectric Materials and Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackburn, Jeffrey L; Ferguson, Andrew J; Cho, Chungyeon; Grunlan, Jaime C

    2018-03-01

    Conversion of waste heat to voltage has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a number of critical energy sectors, such as the transportation and electricity-generation sectors, and manufacturing processes. Thermal energy is also an abundant low-flux source that can be harnessed to power portable/wearable electronic devices and critical components in remote off-grid locations. As such, a number of different inorganic and organic materials are being explored for their potential in thermoelectric-energy-harvesting devices. Carbon-based thermoelectric materials are particularly attractive due to their use of nontoxic, abundant source-materials, their amenability to high-throughput solution-phase fabrication routes, and the high specific energy (i.e., W g -1 ) enabled by their low mass. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) represent a unique 1D carbon allotrope with structural, electrical, and thermal properties that enable efficient thermoelectric-energy conversion. Here, the progress made toward understanding the fundamental thermoelectric properties of SWCNTs, nanotube-based composites, and thermoelectric devices prepared from these materials is reviewed in detail. This progress illuminates the tremendous potential that carbon-nanotube-based materials and composites have for producing high-performance next-generation devices for thermoelectric-energy harvesting. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Prosthetic component segmentation with blur compensation: a fast method for 3D fluoroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarroni, Giacomo; Tersi, Luca; Corsi, Cristiana; Stagni, Rita

    2012-06-01

    A new method for prosthetic component segmentation from fluoroscopic images is presented. The hybrid approach we propose combines diffusion filtering, region growing and level-set techniques without exploiting any a priori knowledge of the analyzed geometry. The method was evaluated on a synthetic dataset including 270 images of knee and hip prosthesis merged to real fluoroscopic data simulating different conditions of blurring and illumination gradient. The performance of the method was assessed by comparing estimated contours to references using different metrics. Results showed that the segmentation procedure is fast, accurate, independent on the operator as well as on the specific geometrical characteristics of the prosthetic component, and able to compensate for amount of blurring and illumination gradient. Importantly, the method allows a strong reduction of required user interaction time when compared to traditional segmentation techniques. Its effectiveness and robustness in different image conditions, together with simplicity and fast implementation, make this prosthetic component segmentation procedure promising and suitable for multiple clinical applications including assessment of in vivo joint kinematics in a variety of cases.

  15. Prosthetic Aortic Valve Fixation Study: 48 Replacement Valves Analyzed Using Digital Pressure Mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Candice Y; Wong, Joshua K; Ross, Ronald E; Liu, David C; Khabbaz, Kamal R; Martellaro, Angelo J; Gorea, Heather R; Sauer, Jude S; Knight, Peter A

    Prostheses attachment is critical in aortic valve replacement surgery, yet reliable prosthetic security remains a challenge. Accurate techniques to analyze prosthetic fixation pressures may enable the use of fewer sutures while reducing the risk of paravalvular leaks (PVL). Customized digital thin film pressure transducers were sutured between aortic annulus models and 21-mm bioprosthetic valves with 15 × 4-mm, 12 × 4-mm, or 9 × 6-mm-wide pledgeted mattress sutures. Simulating open and minimally invasive access, 4 surgeons, blinded to data acquisition, each secured 12 valves using manual knot-tying (hand-tied [HT] or knot-pusher [KP]) or automated titanium fasteners (TFs). Real-time pressure measurements and times were recorded. Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D pressure maps were generated for all valves. Pressures less than 80 mm Hg were considered at risk for PVL. Pressures under each knot (intrasuture) fell less than 80 mm Hg for 12 of 144 manual knots (5/144 HT, 7/144 KP) versus 0 of 288 TF (P prosthetic valve security.

  16. May one-stage exchange for Candida albicans peri-prosthetic infection be successful?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenny, J-Y; Goukodadja, O; Boeri, C; Gaudias, J

    2016-02-01

    Fungal infection of a total joint arthroplasty has a low incidence but is generally considered as more difficult to cure than bacterial infection. As for bacterial infection, two-stage exchange is considered as the gold standard of treatment. We report two cases of one-stage total joint exchange for fungal peri-prosthetic infection with Candida albicans, where the responsible pathogens was only identified on intraoperative samples. This situation can be considered as a one-stage exchange for fungal peri-prosthetic infection without preoperative identification of the responsible organism, which is considered as having a poor prognosis. Both cases were free of infection after two years. One-stage revision has several potential advantages over two-stage revision, including shorter hospital stay and rehabilitation, no interim period with significant functional impairment, shorter antibiotic treatment, better functional outcome and probably lower costs. We suggest that one-stage revision for C. albicans peri-prosthetic infection may be successful even without preoperative fungal identification. Level IV-Historical cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. Early prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagemann, Jürgen Benjamin; Essig, Andreas; Herrmann, Manuel; Liebold, Andreas; Quader, Mohamed Abo

    2015-12-01

    Corynebacterium (C.) kroppenstedtii is a rarely detected agent of bacterial infections in humans. Here, we describe the first case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by C. kroppenstedtii. Application of molecular methods using surgically excised valve tissue was a cornerstone for the establishment of the microbiological diagnosis, which is crucial for targeted antimicrobial treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  18. Autologous alternative veins may not provide better outcomes than prosthetic conduits for below-knee bypass when great saphenous vein is unavailable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avgerinos, Efthymios D; Sachdev, Ulka; Naddaf, Abdallah; Doucet, Dannielle R; Mohapatra, Abhisekh; Leers, Steven A; Chaer, Rabih A; Makaroun, Michel S

    2015-08-01

    There is a need to better define the role of alternative autologous vein (AAV) segments over contemporary prosthetic conduits in patients with critical limb ischemia when great saphenous vein (GSV) is not available for use as the bypass conduit. Consecutive patients who underwent bypass to infrageniculate targets between 2007 and 2011 were categorized in three groups: GSV, AAV, and prosthetic. The primary outcome was graft patency. The secondary outcome was limb salvage. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for baseline confounding variables. A total of 407 infrainguinal bypasses to below-knee targets were analyzed; 255 patients (63%) received a single-segment GSV, 106 patients (26%) received an AAV, and 46 patients (11%) received a prosthetic conduit. Baseline characteristics were similar among groups, with the exception of popliteal targets and anticoagulation use being more frequent in the prosthetic group. Primary patency at 2 and 5 years was estimated at 47% and 32%, respectively, for the GSV group; 24% and 23% for the AAV group; and 43% and 38% for the prosthetic group. Primary assisted patency at 2 and 5 years was estimated at 71% and 55%, respectively, for the GSV group; 53% and 51% for the AAV group; and 45% and 40% for the prosthetic group. Secondary patency at 2 and 5 years was estimated at 75% and 60%, respectively, for the GSV group; 57% and 55% for the AAV group; and 46% and 41% for the prosthetic group. In Cox analysis, primary patency (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; P < .001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.404-0.758), primary assisted patency (HR, 0.57; P = .004; 95% CI, 0.388-0.831), and secondary patency (HR, 0.56; P = .005; 95% CI, 0.372-0.840) were predicted by GSV compared with AAV, but there was no difference between AAV and prosthetic grafts except for the primary patency, for which prosthetic was protective (HR, 0.38; P < .001; 95% CI, 0.224-0.629). Limb salvage was similar among groups. AAV conduits may not offer a significant

  19. Acute Mitral Valve Dysfunction Due to Escape of Prosthetic Mechanical Leaflet and Peripheral Leaftlet Embolization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calik, Eyup Serhat; Limandal, Husnu Kamil; Arslan, Umit; Tort, Mehmet; Yildiz, Ziya; Bayram, Ednan; Dag, Ozgur; Kaygin, Mehmet Ali; Erkut, Bilgehan

    2015-12-14

    Leaflet escape of prosthetic valve is rare but potentially life threatening. Early diagnosis is essential on account of avoiding mortality, and emergency surgical correction is compulsory. This complication has previously been reported for both monoleaflet and bileaflet valve models. A 30-year-old man who had undergone mitral valve replacement with a bileaflet valve 8 years prior at another center was admitted with acute-onset with cardiogenic shock as an emergency case. Transthoracic echocardiograms showed acute-starting severe mitral regurgitation associated with prosthetic mitral valve. There was a suspicious finding of a single prosthetic mitral leaflet. But the problem related with the valve wasn't specifically determined. The patient underwent emergent surgery for replacement of the damaged prosthetic valves immediately. There was no tissue impingement and thrombosis, one of the two leaflets was absent, and there were no signs of endocarditis or pannus formation in the prosthetic valve. The missing leaflet could not be found within the cardiac cavity. The abdominal fluoroscopic study and plain radiography were unable to detect the escaped leaflet during surgery. The damaged valve was removed and a replacement 29 mm bileaflet mechanical valve was inserted by right lateral thoracotomy. After post-operative week one, the abdominal computed tomography scan and the ultrasound showed the escaped leaflet in the left femoral artery. Fifteen days after the surgery the escaped leaflet was removed safely from the left femoral artery and the patient made a complete recovery. The escaped leaflet showed a fracture of one of the pivot systems caused by structural failure. Early cardiac surgery should be applied because of life-threatening problems.

  20. Correctness of multi-detector-row computed tomography for diagnosing mechanical prosthetic heart valve disorders using operative findings as a gold standard

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, I.Chen [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Taichung (China); Institute of Clinical Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei (China); Lin, Yung-Kai; Chang, Yen; Wang, Chung-Chi; Hsieh, Shih-Rong; Wei, Hao-Ji; Tsai, Hung-Wen [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Section of Cardiovascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Center, Taichung (China); Fu, Yun-Ching; Jan, Sheng-Ling [Institute of Clinical Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei (China); Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Taichung (China); Wang, Kuo-Yang [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Section of General Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, Taichung (China); Chung-Shan Medical University, Department of Medicine, Taichung (China); Chen, Min-Chi; Chen, Clayton Chi-Chang [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Taichung (China); Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Department of Radiological Technology, Taichung (China)

    2009-04-15

    The purpose was to compare the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in prosthetic valve disorders using the operative findings as a gold standard. In a 3-year period, we prospectively enrolled 25 patients with 31 prosthetic heart valves. MDCT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were done to evaluate pannus formation, prosthetic valve dysfunction, suture loosening (paravalvular leak) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patients indicated for surgery received an operation within 1 week. The MDCT findings were compared with the operative findings. One patient with a Bjoerk-Shiley valve could not be evaluated by MDCT due to a severe beam-hardening artifact; thus, the exclusion rate for MDCT was 3.2% (1/31). Prosthetic valve disorders were suspected in 12 patients by either MDCT or TTE. Six patients received an operation that included three redo aortic valve replacements, two redo mitral replacements and one Amplatzer ductal occluder occlusion of a mitral paravalvular leak. The concordance of MDCT for diagnosing and localizing prosthetic valve disorders and the surgical findings was 100%. Except for images impaired by severe beam-hardening artifacts, MDCT provides excellent delineation of prosthetic valve disorders. (orig.)

  1. Field-Based Experiential Learning Using Mobile Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilley, G. E.

    2015-12-01

    Technologies such as GPS and cellular triangulation allow location-specific content to be delivered by mobile devices, but no mechanism currently exists to associate content shared between locations in a way that guarantees the delivery of coherent and non-redundant information at every location. Thus, experiential learning via mobile devices must currently take place along a predefined path, as in the case of a self-guided tour. I developed a mobile-device-based system that allows a person to move through a space along a path of their choosing, while receiving information in a way that guarantees delivery of appropriate background and location-specific information without producing redundancy of content between locations. This is accomplished by coupling content to knowledge-concept tags that are noted as fulfilled when users take prescribed actions. Similarly, the presentation of the content is related to the fulfillment of these knowledge-concept tags through logic statements that control the presentation. Content delivery is triggered by mobile-device geolocation including GPS/cellular navigation, and sensing of low-power Bluetooth proximity beacons. Together, these features implement a process that guarantees a coherent, non-redundant educational experience throughout a space, regardless of a learner's chosen path. The app that runs on the mobile device works in tandem with a server-side database and file-serving system that can be configured through a web-based GUI, and so content creators can easily populate and configure content with the system. Once the database has been updated, the new content is immediately available to the mobile devices when they arrive at the location at which content is required. Such a system serves as a platform for the development of field-based geoscience educational experiences, in which students can organically learn about core concepts at particular locations while individually exploring a space.

  2. The chemistry of cyborgs--interfacing technical devices with organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giselbrecht, Stefan; Rapp, Bastian E; Niemeyer, Christof M

    2013-12-23

    The term "cyborg" refers to a cybernetic organism, which characterizes the chimera of a living organism and a machine. Owing to the widespread application of intracorporeal medical devices, cyborgs are no longer exclusively a subject of science fiction novels, but technically they already exist in our society. In this review, we briefly summarize the development of modern prosthetics and the evolution of brain-machine interfaces, and discuss the latest technical developments of implantable devices, in particular, biocompatible integrated electronics and microfluidics used for communication and control of living organisms. Recent examples of animal cyborgs and their relevance to fundamental and applied biomedical research and bioethics in this novel and exciting field at the crossroads of chemistry, biomedicine, and the engineering sciences are presented. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Recurrent pannus formation causing prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction: is excision without valve re-replacement applicable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darwazah, Ahmad K

    2012-06-29

    Prosthetic valve dysfunction at aortic position is commonly caused by pannus formation. The exact etiology is not known. It arises from ventricular aspect of the prosthesis encroaching its leaflets causing stenosis or it may remain localized causing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction without affecting valve function.The difference in location entails different approaches in management. Such a pathology requires surgical excision of the pannus with or without valve re-replacement.A recurrent pannus was observed in a female patient who needed repeated surgical intervention to excise a localized pannus without re-replacement of a well functioning prosthetic valve.Management of our case presents several questions, whether recurrence of pannus is caused by sparing the prosthetic valve, is it simply an exaggeration of an inflammatory healing process in certain individuals or is it ideal to re-replace the valve despite a well preserved function.

  4. A pulsatile flow model for in vitro quantitative evaluation of prosthetic valve regurgitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Giuliatti

    2000-03-01

    Full Text Available A pulsatile pressure-flow model was developed for in vitro quantitative color Doppler flow mapping studies of valvular regurgitation. The flow through the system was generated by a piston which was driven by stepper motors controlled by a computer. The piston was connected to acrylic chambers designed to simulate "ventricular" and "atrial" heart chambers. Inside the "ventricular" chamber, a prosthetic heart valve was placed at the inflow connection with the "atrial" chamber while another prosthetic valve was positioned at the outflow connection with flexible tubes, elastic balloons and a reservoir arranged to mimic the peripheral circulation. The flow model was filled with a 0.25% corn starch/water suspension to improve Doppler imaging. A continuous flow pump transferred the liquid from the peripheral reservoir to another one connected to the "atrial" chamber. The dimensions of the flow model were designed to permit adequate imaging by Doppler echocardiography. Acoustic windows allowed placement of transducers distal and perpendicular to the valves, so that the ultrasound beam could be positioned parallel to the valvular flow. Strain-gauge and electromagnetic transducers were used for measurements of pressure and flow in different segments of the system. The flow model was also designed to fit different sizes and types of prosthetic valves. This pulsatile flow model was able to generate pressure and flow in the physiological human range, with independent adjustment of pulse duration and rate as well as of stroke volume. This model mimics flow profiles observed in patients with regurgitant prosthetic valves.

  5. Uptake of radiolabeled leukocytes in prosthetic graft infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serota, A.I.; Williams, R.A.; Rose, J.G.; Wilson, S.E.

    1981-01-01

    The utility of radionuclide labeled leukocytes in the demonstration of infection within vascular prostheses was examined. The infrarenal aorta was replaced with a 3 cm Dacron graft in 12 dogs. On the third postoperative day, six of the animals received an intravenous injection of 10(8) Staphylococcus aureus. Labeled leukocyte scans were performed at postoperative days one and three, and then weekly for 8 weeks with indium-111 and technetium-99 labeled autologous leukocytes. When scans showed focal uptake of isotope in the area of prosthetic material, the grafts were aseptically excised and cultured on mannitol-salt agar. Both control and infected animals had retroperitoneal isotope activity in the immediate postoperative period that disappeared by the end of the first week. By the eighth postoperative week, all of the animals that received the bacteremic challenge had both radionuclide concentration in the region of the vascular prosthesis and S. aureus cultured subsequently from the perigraft tissues. None of the control animals had either radionuclide or bacteriologic evidence of infection at the eighth postoperative week. The radiolabeled leukocyte scan is a highly sensitive and specific technique, clinically applicable for the diagnosis of vascular prosthetic infections

  6. Rapid Molecular Microbiologic Diagnosis of Prosthetic Joint Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cazanave, Charles; Greenwood-Quaintance, Kerryl E.; Hanssen, Arlen D.; Karau, Melissa J.; Schmidt, Suzannah M.; Gomez Urena, Eric O.; Mandrekar, Jayawant N.; Osmon, Douglas R.; Lough, Lindsay E.; Pritt, Bobbi S.; Steckelberg, James M.

    2013-01-01

    We previously showed that culture of samples obtained by prosthesis vortexing and sonication was more sensitive than tissue culture for prosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis. Despite improved sensitivity, culture-negative cases remained; furthermore, culture has a long turnaround time. We designed a genus-/group-specific rapid PCR assay panel targeting PJI bacteria and applied it to samples obtained by vortexing and sonicating explanted hip and knee prostheses, and we compared the results to those with sonicate fluid and periprosthetic tissue culture obtained at revision or resection arthroplasty. We studied 434 subjects with knee (n = 272) or hip (n = 162) prostheses; using a standardized definition, 144 had PJI. Sensitivities of tissue culture, of sonicate fluid culture, and of PCR were 70.1, 72.9, and 77.1%, respectively. Specificities were 97.9, 98.3, and 97.9%, respectively. Sonicate fluid PCR was more sensitive than tissue culture (P = 0.04). PCR of prosthesis sonication samples is more sensitive than tissue culture for the microbiologic diagnosis of prosthetic hip and knee infection and provides same-day PJI diagnosis with definition of microbiology. The high assay specificity suggests that typical PJI bacteria may not cause aseptic implant failure. PMID:23658273

  7. Evaluation of p53 Polymorphism in Patients with Pannus-Derived Prosthetic Dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gursoy, Mustafa Ozan; Karakoyun, Suleyman; Kalcik, Macit; Yesin, Mahmut; Gunduz, Sabahattin; Astarcioğlu, Mehmet Ali; Oğuz, Ali Emrah; Ozkan, Mehmet

    2015-09-01

    Prosthetic valve dysfunction (PVD) due to pannus formation is considered to occur due to a bioreaction to prosthetic material. The p53 gene plays a critical role in apoptosis and cell proliferation. p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism has been found to be associated with coronary stent restenosis, but has not yet been studied in prosthetic heart valve dysfunction. The study aim was to evaluate the association between pannus-derived PVD and p53 G72C(Arg72Pro) polymorphism. This single-center, prospective study included 25 patients (20 females, five males; mean age 45.6 +/- 12.5 years; group 1) who underwent redo valve surgery due to PVD, and 49 age- and gender-matched control patients (44 females, five males; mean age 47.3 +/- 12.2 years; group 2) with normofunctional prostheses. The prostheses were examined using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Analyses of p53 G72C(Arg72Pro) polymorphism were performed using Roche LightCyler 2.0 Real-time polymerase chain reaction. The most common location of replaced valves was the mitral position in both groups (88% and 89.8%, respectively). In group 1, normal alleles (GG) were observed in 12 patients (48%), while one patient (4%) showed a homozygous mutation (GC) and 12 patients (48%) showed a heterozygous mutation (CC). In group 2, 21 patients (42.9%) had normal alleles (GG), while four (8.2%) had a homozygous mutation (CC) and 24 (48.9%) had a heterozygous mutation (GC). No significant difference was observed between the groups with regards to p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism (p = 0.769). In patients with prosthetic valves, the underlying mechanism behind pannus formation is unrelated to p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism.

  8. Advances in Propulsive Bionic Feet and Their Actuation Principles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pierre Cherelle

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In the past decades, researchers have deeply studied pathological and nonpathological gait to understand the human ankle function during walking. These efforts resulted in the development of new lower limb prosthetic devices aiming at raising the 3C-level (control, comfort, and cosmetics of amputees. Thanks to the technological advances in engineering and mechatronics, challenges in the field of prosthetics have become an important source of interest for roboticists. Currently, most of the bionic feet are still on a research level but show promising results and a preview of tomorrow's commercial prosthetic devices. In this paper, the authors present the current state-of-the-art and the latest advances in propulsive bionic feet with its actuation principles. The context of this review study is outlined followed by a brief description of the basics in human biomechanics and criteria for new prosthetic designs. A new categorization based on the actuation principle of propulsive ankle-foot prostheses is proposed. Based on simulations, the general principles and benefits of each actuation method are explained. The corresponding latest advances in propulsive bionic feet are presented together with their main characteristics and scientific outcomes. The authors also propose to the reader a comparison analysis of the presented devices with a discussion of the general tendencies in new prosthetic feet.

  9. Iodine-125 orbital brachytherapy with a prosthetic implant in situ

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stannard, Clare [Groote Schuur Hospital and Cape Town Univ. (South Africa). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Maree, Gert; Munro, Roger [Groote Schuur Hospital and Cape Town Univ. (South Africa). Dept. of Medical Physics; Lecuona, Karin [Groote Schuur Hospital and Cape Town Univ. (South Africa). Dept. of Ophthalmology; Sauerwein, Wolfgang [Universitaetsklinikum Essen (Germany). Strahlenklinik, NCTeam

    2011-05-15

    Purpose: Brachytherapy is one method of irradiating the orbit after enucleation of an eye with a malignant tumor that has a potential to recur. It consists of 6 trains of I-125 seeds placed around the periphery of the orbit, a shorter central train, and a metal disc, loaded with seeds, placed beneath the eyelids. The presence of a prosthetic orbital implant requires omission of the central train and adjustment of the activity of the seeds in the anterior orbit around the prosthesis. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective review of the technical modifications and outcome of 12 patients treated in this manner: 6 with retinoblastoma, 5 with malignant melanoma, and 1 with an intraocular rhabdomyosarcoma. The median dose was 35.5 Gy in 73 hours for retinoblastoma and 56 Gy in 141 hours for malignant melanoma. Patients with retinoblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma also received chemotherapy. Results: The tubes can be placed satisfactorily around the prosthesis. The increased activity in the anterior half of the tubes produced comparable dose distributions. There have been no orbital recurrences, no extrusion of the prosthesis, and cosmesis is good. Conclusion: Insertion of a prosthetic implant at the time of enucleation greatly enhances the subsequent cosmetic appearance. This should be encouraged unless there is frank tumor in the orbit. Orbital brachytherapy without the central train continues to give excellent local control. The short treatment time and good cosmesis are added advantages. The patient is spared the expense and inconvenience of removing and replacing the prosthetic implant. (orig.)

  10. Orthodontic Space Closure Versus Prosthetic Replacement of Missing Upper Lateral Incisors in Patients With Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oosterkamp, Barbara C. M.; Dijkstra, Pieter U.; Remmelink, Hendrik J.; van Oort, Robert P.; Sandham, John

    2010-01-01

    Objective To compare dental aesthetics and function of orthodontic space closure versus prosthetic replacement of upper lateral incisors in patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate The predominant mode of prosthetic replacement was resin-bonded bridges Patients and Methods The retrospective

  11. Cryopreserved Cadaveric Arterial Allograft for Arterial Reconstruction in Patients with Prosthetic Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lejay, Anne; Delay, Charline; Girsowicz, Elie; Chenesseau, Bettina; Bonnin, Emilie; Ghariani, Mohamed-Zied; Thaveau, Fabien; Georg, Yannick; Geny, Bernard; Chakfe, Nabil

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to report outcomes of cryopreserved arterial allografts used as a vascular substitute in the setting of prosthetic material infection. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted including all consecutive interventions performed with cryopreserved arterial allografts used for vascular reconstruction in the setting of prosthetic material infection between January 2005 and December 2014. Five year outcomes included allograft related re-interventions, survival, primary patency, and limb salvage rates. Fifty-three procedures were performed using cryopreserved allografts for vascular prosthetic infection: 25 procedures (47%) were performed at aorto-iliac level (Group 1) and 28 procedures (53%) at peripheral level (Group 2). The mean follow-up was 52 months. Five year allograft related re-intervention was 55% in Group 1 (6 allograft ruptures and 5 allograft aneurysm degenerations) and 33% in Group 2 (2 allograft ruptures and 7 allograft aneurysm degenerations). Five year survival was 40% and 68%, primary patency was 89% and 59% and limb salvage was 100% and 89% for Group 1 and 2 respectively. Use of cryopreserved arterial allografts provides acceptable results but is tempered by suboptimal 5 year outcomes with high re-intervention rates. Copyright © 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Recurrent pannus formation causing prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction: Is excision without valve re-replacement applicable?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darwazah Ahmad K

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Prosthetic valve dysfunction at aortic position is commonly caused by pannus formation. The exact etiology is not known. It arises from ventricular aspect of the prosthesis encroaching its leaflets causing stenosis or it may remain localized causing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction without affecting valve function. The difference in location entails different approaches in management. Such a pathology requires surgical excision of the pannus with or without valve re-replacement. A recurrent pannus was observed in a female patient who needed repeated surgical intervention to excise a localized pannus without re-replacement of a well functioning prosthetic valve. Management of our case presents several questions, whether recurrence of pannus is caused by sparing the prosthetic valve, is it simply an exaggeration of an inflammatory healing process in certain individuals or is it ideal to re-replace the valve despite a well preserved function.

  13. [Ectodermal Capdepont syndrome and oral prosthetic rehabilitation. About a clinical case].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumpanya, P; Matshumba, M; Sekele, I B; Mayunga, M; Lutula, P S; Ntumba, M K

    2015-03-01

    The authors describe the ectodermal Capdepont syndrome as an anomaly characterized by anhidrosis, hypotrichosis and anodontia diagnosed in a 22 year-old adult. In front of this anodontia, oral prosthetic rehabilitation remains the only solution.

  14. Design and clinical outcome of a novel 3D-printed prosthetic joint replacement for the human temporomandibular joint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackland, David; Robinson, Dale; Lee, Peter Vee Sin; Dimitroulis, George

    2018-05-11

    Stock prosthetic temporomandibular joint replacements come in limited sizes, and do not always encompass the joint anatomy that presents clinically. The aims of this study were twofold. Firstly, to design a personalized prosthetic total joint replacement for the treatment of a patient's end-stage temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis, to implant the prosthesis into the patient, and assess clinical outcome 12-months post-operatively; and secondly, to evaluate the influence of changes in prosthetic condyle geometry on implant load response during mastication. A 48-year-old female patient with Grade-5 osteoarthritis to the left temporomandibular joint was recruited, and a prosthesis developed to match the native temporomandibular joint anatomy. The prosthesis was 3D printed, sterilized and implanted into the patient, and pain and function measured 12-months post-operatively. The prosthesis load response during a chewing-bite and maximum-force bite was evaluated using a personalized multi-body musculoskeletal model. Simulations were performed after perturbing condyle thickness, neck length and head sphericity. Increases in prosthetic condyle neck length malaligned the mandible and perturbed temporomandibular joint force. Changes in condylar component thickness greatly influenced fixation screw stress response, while a more eccentric condylar head increased prosthetic joint-contact loading. Post-operatively, the prosthetic temporomandibular joint surgery reduced patient pain from 7/10 to 1/10 on a visual analog scale, and increased intercisal opening distance from 22 mm to 38 mm. This study demonstrates effectiveness of a personalized prosthesis that may ultimately be adapted to treat a wide-range of end-stage temporomandibular joint conditions, and highlights sensitivity of prosthesis load response to changes in condylar geometry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Prosthetic Workflow in the Digital Era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Tordiglione

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this retrospective study was to clinically evaluate the benefits of adopting a full digital workflow for the implementation of fixed prosthetic restorations on natural teeth. To evaluate the effectiveness of these protocols, treatment plans were drawn up for 15 patients requiring rehabilitation of one or more natural teeth. All the dental impressions were taken using a Planmeca PlanScan® (Planmeca OY, Helsinki, Finland intraoral scanner, which provided digital casts on which the restorations were digitally designed using Exocad® (Exocad GmbH, Germany, 2010 software and fabricated by CAM processing on 5-axis milling machines. A total of 28 single crowns were made from monolithic zirconia, 12 vestibular veneers from lithium disilicate, and 4 three-quarter vestibular veneers with palatal extension. While the restorations were applied, the authors could clinically appreciate the excellent match between the digitally produced prosthetic design and the cemented prostheses, which never required any occlusal or proximal adjustment. Out of all the restorations applied, only one exhibited premature failure and was replaced with no other complications or need for further scanning. From the clinical experience gained using a full digital workflow, the authors can confirm that these work processes enable the fabrication of clinically reliable restorations, with all the benefits that digital methods bring to the dentist, the dental laboratory, and the patient.

  16. Use of an automated blood culture system (BD BACTEC™) for diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections: easy and fast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minassian, Angela M; Newnham, Robert; Kalimeris, Elizabeth; Bejon, Philip; Atkins, Bridget L; Bowler, Ian C J W

    2014-05-04

    For the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) automated BACTEC™ blood culture bottle methods have comparable sensitivity, specificity and a shorter time to positivity than traditional cooked meat enrichment broth methods. We evaluate the culture incubation period required to maximise sensitivity and specificity of microbiological diagnosis, and the ability of BACTEC™ to detect slow growing Propionibacteria spp. Multiple periprosthetic tissue samples taken by a standardised method from 332 patients undergoing prosthetic joint revision arthroplasty were cultured for 14 days, using a BD BACTEC™ instrumented blood culture system, in a prospective study from 1st January to 31st August 2012. The "gold standard" definition for PJI was the presence of at least one histological criterion, the presence of a sinus tract or purulence around the device. Cases where > =2 samples yielded indistinguishable isolates were considered culture-positive. 1000 BACTEC™ bottle cultures which were negative after 14 days incubation were sub-cultured for Propionibacteria spp. 79 patients fulfilled the definition for PJI, and 66 of these were culture-positive. All but 1 of these 66 culture-positive cases of PJI were detected within 3 days of incubation. Only one additional (clinically-insignificant) Propionibacterium spp. was identified on terminal subculture of 1000 bottles. Prolonged microbiological culture for 2 weeks is unnecessary when using BACTEC™ culture methods. The majority of clinically significant organisms grow within 3 days, and Propionibacteria spp. are identified without the need for terminal subculture. These findings should facilitate earlier decisions on final antimicrobial prescribing.

  17. Prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient after partial maxillectomy: A clinical report

    OpenAIRE

    Rodrigues, Shobha J.; Saldanha, Sharon

    2011-01-01

    Malignant melanoma of the oral cavity is very rare. This clinical report describes a method for prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with malignant melanoma of the palate following partial maxillectomy with a closed hollow interim obturator.

  18. Novel design of electrical sensing interface for prosthetic limbs using optical micro cavities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Amir R.; Kamel, Mohamed A.

    2018-04-01

    This paper uses optical whispering galley modes (WGM) cavities to construct a new electrical sensing interface between prosthetic limb and the brain. The sensing element will detect the action potential signal in the neural membrane and the prosthetic limb will be actuated accordingly. The element is a WGM dielectric polymeric cavity. WGM based optical cavities can achieve very high values of sensitivity and quality factor; thus, any minute perturbations in the morphology of the cavity can be captured and measured. The action potential signal will produce an applied external electric field on the dielectric cavity causing it to deform due to the electrostriction effect. The resulting deformation will cause WGM shifts in the transmission spectrum of the cavity. Thus, the action potential or the applied electric field can be measured using these shifts. In this paper the action potential signal will be simulated through the use of a function generator and two metal electrodes. The sensing element will be situated between these electrodes to detect the electrical signal passing through. The achieved sensitivity is 27.5 pm/V in measuring the simulated action potential signal; and 0.32 pm/V.m-1 in measuring the applied electric field due to the passage of the simulated signal.

  19. Effects of prosthesis use on the capability to control myoelectric robotic prosthetic hands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atzori, Manfredo; Hager, Anne-Gabrielle Mittaz; Elsig, Simone; Giatsidis, Giorgio; Bassetto, Franco; Muller, Henning

    2015-08-01

    The natural control of robotic prosthetic hands with non-invasive techniques is still a challenge: myoelectric prostheses currently give some control capabilities; the application of pattern recognition techniques is promising and recently started to be applied in practice but still many questions are open in the field. In particular, the effects of clinical factors on movement classification accuracy and the capability to control myoelectric prosthetic hands are analyzed in very few studies. The effect of regularly using prostheses on movement classification accuracy has been previously studied, showing differences between users of myoelectric and cosmetic prostheses. In this paper we compare users of myoelectric and body-powered prostheses and intact subjects. 36 machine-learning methods are applied on 6 amputees and 40 intact subjects performing 40 movements. Then, statistical analyses are performed in order to highlight significant differences between the groups of subjects. The statistical analyses do not show significant differences between the two groups of amputees, while significant differences are obtained between amputees and intact subjects. These results constitute new information in the field and suggest new interpretations to previous hypotheses, thus adding precious information towards natural control of robotic prosthetic hands.

  20. Multidisciplinary Treatment Approach for Prosthetic Vascular Graft Infection in the Thoracic Aortic Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Yoshinori

    2015-01-01

    Prosthetic vascular graft infection in the thoracic aortic area is a rare but serious complication. Adequate management of the complication is essential to increase the chance of success of open surgery. While surgical site infection is suggested as the root cause of the complication, it is also related to decreased host tolerance, especially as found in elderly patients. The handling of prosthetic vascular graft infection has been widely discussed to date. This paper mainly provides a summary of literature reports published within the past 5 years to discuss issues related to multidisciplinary treatment approaches, including surgical site infection, timing of onset, diagnostic methods, causative pathogens, auxiliary diagnostic methods, antibiotic treatment, anti-infective structures of vascular prostheses, surgical treatment, treatment strategy against infectious aortic aneurysms, future surgical treatment, postoperative systemic therapy, and antimicrobial stewardship. A thorough understanding of these issues will enable us to prevent prosthetic vascular graft infection in the thoracic aortic area as far as possible. In the event of its occurrence, the early introduction of appropriate treatment is expected to cure the disease without worsening of the underlying pathological condition. PMID:26356686

  1. Treatment Challenges of Prosthetic Hip Infection with Associated Iliacus Muscle Abscess: Report of 5 Cases and Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrenz, Joshua M; Mesko, Nathan W; Higuera, Carlos A; Molloy, Robert M; Simpfendorfer, Claus; Babic, Maja

    2017-01-01

    Prosthetic joint infection is an unfortunate though well-recognized complication of total joint arthroplasty. An iliacus and/or iliopsoas muscle abscess is a rarely documented presentation of hip prosthetic joint infection. It is thought an unrecognized retroperitoneal nidus of infection can be a source of continual seeding of the prosthetic hip joint, prolonging attempts to eradicate infection despite aggressive debridement and explant attempts. The current study presents five cases demonstrating this clinical scenario, and discusses various treatment challenges. In each case we report the patient's clinical history, pertinent imaging, management and outcome. Diagnosis of the iliacus muscle abscess was made using computed tomography imaging. In brief, the mean number of total drainage procedures (open and percutaneous) per patient was 4.2, and outcomes consisted of one patient with a hip girdlestone, two patients with delayed revisions, and two patients with retained prosthesis. All patients ended with functional pain and on oral antibiotic suppression with an average follow up of 18 months. This article highlights an iliacus muscle abscess as an unrecognized source of infection to a prosthetic hip. It demonstrates resilience to standard treatment protocols for prosthetic hip infection, and is associated with poor patient outcomes. Aggressive surgical debridement appears to remain critical to treatment success, and early retroperitoneal debridement of the abscess should be considered.

  2. A three-dimensional finite element study on the stress distribution pattern of two prosthetic abutments for external hexagon implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Wagner; Hermann, Caio; Pereira, Jucélio Tomás; Balbinoti, Jean Anacleto; Tiossi, Rodrigo

    2013-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical behavior of two different straight prosthetic abutments (one- and two-piece) for external hex butt-joint connection implants using three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D-FEA). Two 3D-FEA models were designed, one for the two-piece prosthetic abutment (2 mm in height, two-piece mini-conical abutment, Neodent) and another one for the one-piece abutment (2 mm in height, Slim Fit one-piece mini-conical abutment, Neodent), with their corresponding screws and implants (Titamax Ti, 3.75 diameter by 13 mm in length, Neodent). The model simulated the single restoration of a lower premolar using data from a computerized tomography of a mandible. The preload (20 N) after torque application for installation of the abutment and an occlusal loading were simulated. The occlusal load was simulated using average physiological bite force and direction (114.6 N in the axial direction, 17.1 N in the lingual direction and 23.4 N toward the mesial at an angle of 75° to the occlusal plan). The regions with the highest von Mises stress results were at the bottom of the initial two threads of both prosthetic abutments that were tested. The one-piece prosthetic abutment presented a more homogeneous behavior of stress distribution when compared with the two-piece abutment. Under the simulated chewing loads, the von Mises stresses for both tested prosthetic-abutments were within the tensile strength values of the materials analyzed which thus supports the clinical use of both prosthetic abutments.

  3. Possibility of magnetic resonance imaging application in teaching preclinical dentistry - endodontic and prosthetic treatment prognosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanasiewicz, T.

    2010-01-01

    Background. The necessary condition for successful both endodontic and prosthetic reconstruction treatment is the precise mapping of the shape of dental cavities. The aim of this work is an elaboration and verification of the possibility of using 3D Spin Echo MRI techniques in teaching preclinical dentistry both in endodontic and prosthetics specialty. Objectives. Author' aim was to obtain an elaboration and a verification, whether there exists a possibility to use, at the level of in vitro analysis, techniques of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging, which are based on the 3D sequence of the Spin Echo that may in the future find employment in the teaching of preclinical dentistry, clinical dental therapy and diagnostics within the scope of: a dimensional imaging of the inner topography of teeth and spatial structure of a chamber and root canals of teeth for the therapeutic and didactic aims; introduction of a nondestructive and a non-impressional method of reconstruction of the topography of the inner spaces of the human teeth for the purposes of the reconstructive dentistry. Material and Methods. 6 extracted molar teeth were used for measurements without additional preparation, after endodontic and prosthetic preparation. MR measurements were carried out on a 4.7 T research MRI system equipped with Maran DRX console. Results. Figures show 3D images of outer surface, inner space of the teeth before and after endodontic preparation and internal tooth fixation constructed using both classical methods (polymer mass impression) and non-impressional methods (MRI representation). The sizes of the presented volumes were calculated. Internal tooth volumes were determined before and after endodontic treatment; total tooth volumes were also measured. Research proceedings made it possible to compare the quality of internal tooth space after preparation for inner root canals fixations constructed using both classical methods and non-impressional MRI method. Conclusions. The results

  4. Power Management of MEMS-Based Storage Devices for Mobile Systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khatib, M.G.; Hartel, Pieter H.

    2008-01-01

    Because of its small form factor, high capacity, and expected low cost, MEMS-based storage is a suitable storage technology for mobile systems. MEMS-based storage devices should also be energy efficient for deployment in mobile systems. The problem is that MEMS-based storage devices are mechanical,

  5. Incremental benefit of 3D transesophageal echocardiography: a case of a mass overlying a prosthetic mitral valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauras, James M; Zhang, Zhihang; Taub, Cynthia C

    2011-05-01

    A young woman with a mechanical mitral valve and prosthetic mitral stenosis underwent multiple imaging modalities (including transthoracic ECHO, fluoroscopy, and two-dimensional transesophageal ECHO) to determine the cause of her stenosis. Only three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated the full size and extent of an obstructing mass on the strut and sewing ring of the prosthetic mitral valve. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Consumer satisfaction with the services of prosthetics and orthotics facilities

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosmans, Joline; Geertzen, Jan; Dijkstra, Pieter U.

    2009-01-01

    Consumer satisfaction with the services provided in a prosthetics and orthotics (PO) facility has seldom been studied. The aim of this study was to analyze consumer satisfaction regarding the services provided by 15 PO facilities in The Netherlands. Consumers (n=1,364) of these PO facilities who

  7. Apparent culture-negative prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Peptostreptococcus magnus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Vorm, E. R.; Dondorp, A. M.; van Ketel, R. J.; Dankert, J.

    2000-01-01

    In two patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis due to Peptostreptococcus magnus, blood cultures in the BacT/Alert and BACTEC 9240 systems were signal negative. The capability of the BacT/Alert system to detect various Peptostreptococcus species was assessed. P. magnus and P. anaerobius could not

  8. Effects of Salivary Oxidative Markers on Edentulous Patients' Satisfaction with Prosthetic Denture Treatments: A Pilot Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Huang Chang

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to assess relationships among periodontal conditions, salivary antioxidant levels, and patients' satisfaction with their prostheses.This study was conducted at the Division of Prosthodontics, Department of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University Hospital. The periodontal condition of patients was based on an assessment of the plaque index (PI and gingival index (GI. The pH value, flow rate, and buffer capacity of the saliva were estimated. The salivary total antioxidant status (TAS and superoxide dismutase (SOD level were also determined. Patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatments was evaluated using the Chinese version of the short-form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14C. A multivariate regression model was used to determine whether patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatment was affected by their oral health status.In total, 35 edentulous patients were recruited. In the Spearman correlation analysis, salivary pH (r = -0.36, p = 0.03 and the buffer ability (r = -0.48, p<0.01 were associated with OHIP-14C scores. In the multivariate analysis, patients who had a higher GI also had a higher score of physical disabilities (β = 1.38, p = 0.04. Levels of SOD increased with the scores of psychological discomfort (β = 0.33 U/g protein, p = 0.04.This study suggested that both the GI and SOD levels were associated with patients' satisfaction with prosthetic treatments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to elucidate the relationship between OHIP scores and salivary oxidative markers in edentulous patients.

  9. Reengineering a PC-based System into the Mobile Device Product Line

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Weishan; Jarzabek, Stanislaw; Loughran, Neil

    2003-01-01

    There is a growing demand to port existing PC-based software systems to mobile device platforms. Systems running on mobile devices share basic characteristics with their PC-based counterparts, but differ from them in details of user interfaces, application models, etc. Systems running on mobile...... devices must also perform well using less memory than PC-based systems. Mobile devices themselves are different from each other in many ways, too. We describe how we made an existing PC-based City Guide System available on a wide range of mobile devices, in a cost-effective way. We applied "reengineering...... into a product line architecture" approach to achieve the goal. Our product line architecture facilitates reuse via generation. We generate specific City Guide Systems for target platforms including PC, Pocket PC and other mobile devices, from generic meta-components that form the City Guide System product line...

  10. Prenatal MR imaging of congenital diaphragmatic hernias: association of MR fetal lung volume with the need for postnatal prosthetic patch repair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hagelstein, Claudia; Weidner, Meike; Schoenberg, Stefan O.; Buesing, Karen A.; Neff, K.W. [University of Heidelberg, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany); Zahn, Katrin [University of Heidelberg, Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany); Weiss, Christel [University of Heidelberg, Department of Medical Statistics and Biomathematics, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany); Schaible, Thomas [University of Heidelberg, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany)

    2015-01-15

    To assess whether the need for postnatal prosthetic patch repair of the diaphragmatic defect in neonates with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with the antenatal measured observed-to-expected magnetic resonance fetal lung volume (o/e MR-FLV). The o/e MR-FLV was calculated in 247 fetuses with isolated CDH. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the prognostic value of the individual o/e MR-FLV for association with the need for postnatal patch repair. Seventy-seven percent (77 %) of patients with a CDH (190/247) required prosthetic patch repair and the defect was closed primarily in 23 % (57/247). Patients requiring a patch had a significantly lower o/e MR-FLV (27.7 ± 10.2 %) than patients with primary repair (40.8 ± 13.8 %, p < 0.001, AUC = 0.786). With an o/e MR-FLV of 20 %, 92 % of the patients required patch repair, compared to only 24 % with an o/e MR-FLV of 60 %. The need for a prosthetic patch was further influenced by the fetal liver position (herniation/no herniation) as determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; p < 0.001). Fetal liver position, in addition to the o/e MR-FLV, improves prognostic accuracy (AUC = 0.827). Logistic regression analysis based on the o/e MR-FLV is useful for prenatal estimation of the prosthetic patch requirement in patients with a CDH. In addition to the o/e MR-FLV, the position of the liver as determined by fetal MRI helps improve prognostic accuracy. (orig.)

  11. Microbiological Aetiology, Epidemiology, and Clinical Profile of Prosthetic Joint Infections: Are Current Antibiotic Prophylaxis Guidelines Effective?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Allen C.; Buising, Kirsty L.; Choong, Peter F. M.

    2012-01-01

    Prosthetic joint infections remain a major complication of arthroplasty. At present, local and international guidelines recommend cefazolin as a surgical antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of arthroplasty. This retrospective cohort study conducted across 10 hospitals over a 3-year period (January 2006 to December 2008) investigated the epidemiology and microbiological etiology of prosthetic joint infections. There were 163 cases of prosthetic joint infection identified. From a review of the microbiological culture results, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated in 45% of infections. In addition, polymicrobial infections, particularly those involving Gram-negative bacilli and enterococcal species, were common (36%). The majority (88%) of patients received cefazolin as an antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of arthroplasty. In 63% of patients in this cohort, the microorganisms subsequently obtained were not susceptible to the antibiotic prophylaxis administered. The results of this study highlight the importance of ongoing reviews of the local ecology of prosthetic joint infection, demonstrating that the spectrum of pathogens involved is broad. The results should inform empirical antibiotic therapy. This report also provokes discussion about infection control strategies, including changing surgical antibiotic prophylaxis to a combination of glycopeptide and cefazolin, to reduce the incidence of infections due to methicillin-resistant staphylococci. PMID:22314530

  12. 2-D tiles declustering method based on virtual devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhongmin; Gao, Lu

    2009-10-01

    Generally, 2-D spatial data are divided as a series of tiles according to the plane grid. To satisfy the effect of vision, the tiles in the query window including the view point would be displayed quickly at the screen. Aiming at the performance difference of real storage devices, we propose a 2-D tiles declustering method based on virtual device. Firstly, we construct a group of virtual devices which have same storage performance and non-limited capacity, then distribute the tiles into M virtual devices according to the query window of 2-D tiles. Secondly, we equably map the tiles in M virtual devices into M equidistant intervals in [0, 1) using pseudo-random number generator. Finally, we devide [0, 1) into M intervals according to the tiles distribution percentage of every real storage device, and distribute the tiles in each interval in the corresponding real storage device. We have designed and realized a prototype GlobeSIGht, and give some related test results. The results show that the average response time of each tile in the query window including the view point using 2-D tiles declustering method based on virtual device is more efficient than using other methods.

  13. FDG-PET for diagnosing prosthetic joint infection: systematic review and metaanalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwee, Thomas C. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Kwee, Robert M. [University Medical Center Maastricht, Department of Radiology, Maastricht (Netherlands); Alavi, Abass [Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

    2008-11-15

    The aim of this study was to systematically review and metaanalyze published data on the diagnostic performance of {sup 18}F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in detecting prosthetic hip or knee joint infection. A systematic search for relevant studies was performed of the PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. A metaanalysis of the reported sensitivity and specificity of each study was performed. Subgroup analyses were performed if results of individual studies were heterogeneous. The inclusion criteria were met by 11 studies; there was a total sample size of 635 prostheses. Overall, the studies had good methodological quality. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET for the detection of prosthetic hip or knee joint infection were 82.1% (95%CI = 68.0-90.8%) and 86.6% (95%CI = 79.7-91.4%), respectively. Heterogeneity among the results of individual studies was present (I {sup 2} = 68.8%). Diagnostic performance was influenced by type of joint prostheses (hip prostheses vs. knee prostheses) and type of reconstruction method used (filtered back vs. iterative) (p = 0.0164 and p = 0.0235, respectively). In this metaanalysis, overall diagnostic performance of FDG-PET was moderate to high. Caution is warranted, however, because results of individual studies were heterogeneous and could not be fully explored. Future studies should further explore potential causes of heterogeneity and validate the use of FDG-PET for diagnosing prosthetic joint infection. (orig.)

  14. FDG-PET for diagnosing prosthetic joint infection: systematic review and metaanalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwee, Thomas C.; Kwee, Robert M.; Alavi, Abass

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to systematically review and metaanalyze published data on the diagnostic performance of 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in detecting prosthetic hip or knee joint infection. A systematic search for relevant studies was performed of the PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. A metaanalysis of the reported sensitivity and specificity of each study was performed. Subgroup analyses were performed if results of individual studies were heterogeneous. The inclusion criteria were met by 11 studies; there was a total sample size of 635 prostheses. Overall, the studies had good methodological quality. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET for the detection of prosthetic hip or knee joint infection were 82.1% (95%CI = 68.0-90.8%) and 86.6% (95%CI = 79.7-91.4%), respectively. Heterogeneity among the results of individual studies was present (I 2 = 68.8%). Diagnostic performance was influenced by type of joint prostheses (hip prostheses vs. knee prostheses) and type of reconstruction method used (filtered back vs. iterative) (p = 0.0164 and p = 0.0235, respectively). In this metaanalysis, overall diagnostic performance of FDG-PET was moderate to high. Caution is warranted, however, because results of individual studies were heterogeneous and could not be fully explored. Future studies should further explore potential causes of heterogeneity and validate the use of FDG-PET for diagnosing prosthetic joint infection. (orig.)

  15. Ambient Sound-Based Collaborative Localization of Indeterministic Devices

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kamminga, Jacob Wilhelm; Le Viet Duc, L Duc; Havinga, Paul J.M.

    2016-01-01

    Localization is essential in wireless sensor networks. To our knowledge, no prior work has utilized low-cost devices for collaborative localization based on only ambient sound, without the support of local infrastructure. The reason may be the fact that most low-cost devices are indeterministic and

  16. EFFECT OF POLYMER PROSTHETIC CONSTRUCTION TREATED WITH GLOW-DISCHARGE PLASMA ON ORAL MUCOSA (CLINICAL CASE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. O. Kudasova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Prosthetic material should induce minimal pathological reaction when in contact with the oral mucosa, especially during oral rehabilitation of patients with tumors of the oral mucosa. The article presents monitoring of a patient after surgery for cancer of the buccal mucosa at the stage of orthopedic rehabilitation. Treatment plan proposed complex oral rehabilitation. A maxillary complete removable denture was manufactured as well as metalloceramic and partial mandibular dentures. Plasma chemical modification of the removable dentures was planned after correction of the prosthetics and primary adaptation. Removable dentures were applied at the maxilla and mandibula. Per our recommendations, the patient was examined weekly for a month and monthly for 6 months. No new tumors or pathological elements were observed.Conclusions. Changes in critical surface tension of the removable dentures made of acrylic plastic improve their biological characteristics as demonstrated by positive clinical dynamics. Prosthetic constructions with hydrophilic surface are recommended in complex clinical cases when patients with tumors of the oral mucosa require dentures.

  17. Advanced Materials for Health Monitoring with Skin-Based Wearable Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Han; Abu-Raya, Yasmin Shibli; Haick, Hossam

    2017-06-01

    Skin-based wearable devices have a great potential that could result in a revolutionary approach to health monitoring and diagnosing disease. With continued innovation and intensive attention to the materials and fabrication technologies, development of these healthcare devices is progressively encouraged. This article gives a concise, although admittedly non-exhaustive, didactic review of some of the main concepts and approaches related to recent advances and developments in the scope of skin-based wearable devices (e.g. temperature, strain, biomarker-analysis werable devices, etc.), with an emphasis on emerging materials and fabrication techniques in the relevant fields. To give a comprehensive statement, part of the review presents and discusses different aspects of these advanced materials, such as the sensitivity, biocompatibility and durability as well as the major approaches proposed for enhancing their chemical and physical properties. A complementary section of the review linking these advanced materials with wearable device technologies is particularly specified. Some of the strong and weak points in development of each wearable material/device are highlighted and criticized. Several ideas regarding further improvement of skin-based wearable devices are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Welding of Prosthetic Alloys / Spawanie Stopów Protetycznych Typu Co-Cr

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciechowska M.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the techniques of joining metal denture elements, used in prosthetic dentistry: the traditional soldering technique with a gas burner and a new technique of welding with a laser beam; the aim of the study was to make a comparative assessment of the quality of the joints in view of the possibility of applying them in prosthetic structures. Fractographic examinations were conducted along with tensile strength and impact strength tests, and the quality of the joints was assessed compared to the solid metal. The experiments have shown that the metal elements used to make dentures, joined by the technique which employs a laser beam, have better strength properties than those achieved with a gas burner.

  19. Augmenting retention and stability of an occlusal device for a partially dentate patient using existing extracoronal attachments: a clinical report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Rowaieh, Saleh A

    2011-04-01

    Occlusal devices are a valid treatment modality in certain clinical situations. For an occlusal device to be effective, sufficient retention and stability should be derived from coverage of the occlusal and incisal surfaces of the teeth. In the absence of most or all of the posterior teeth, the effectiveness of the device could become compromised as the incisal portions of the anterior teeth are typically not conducive to adequately retaining and stabilizing the device. This clinical report describes an approach to improving the retention and stability of an occlusal device for a patient with shortened dental arches by use of the patient's existing extracoronal attachments. Copyright © 2011 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Highly air stable passivation of graphene based field effect devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagade, Abhay A; Neumaier, Daniel; Schall, Daniel; Otto, Martin; Pesquera, Amaia; Centeno, Alba; Elorza, Amaia Zurutuza; Kurz, Heinrich

    2015-02-28

    The sensitivity of graphene based devices to surface adsorbates and charge traps at the graphene/dielectric interface requires proper device passivation in order to operate them reproducibly under ambient conditions. Here we report on the use of atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide as passivation layer on graphene field effect devices (GFETs). We show that successful passivation produce hysteresis free DC characteristics, low doping level GFETs stable over weeks though operated and stored in ambient atmosphere. This is achieved by selecting proper seed layer prior to deposition of encapsulation layer. The passivated devices are also demonstrated to be robust towards the exposure to chemicals and heat treatments, typically used during device fabrication. Additionally, the passivation of high stability and reproducible characteristics is also shown for functional devices like integrated graphene based inverters.