WorldWideScience

Sample records for shunt impedance measurement

  1. Shunt impedance measurement of the APS BBC injector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Y.E.; Lewellen, J.W.

    2006-01-01

    The injector test stand (ITS) at Advanced Photon Source (APS) presently incorporates a ballistic bunch compression (BBC) gun, and it is used as a beam source for a number of experiments, including THz generation, beam position monitor testing for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), novel cathode testing, and radiation therapy source development. The BBC gun uses three independently powered and phased rf cavities, one cathode cell, and two full cells to provide beam energies from 2 to 10 MeV with variable energy spread, energy chirp, and, to an extent, bunch duration. The shunt impedance of an rf accelerator determines how effectively the accelerator can convert supplied rf power to accelerating gradient. The calculation of the shunt impedance can be complicated if the beam energy changes substantially during its transit through a cavity, such as in a cathode cell. We present the results of direct measurements of the shunt impedance of the APS BBC gun on an individual cavity basis, including the cathode cell, and report on achieved gradients. We also present a comparison of the measured shunt impedance with theoretical values calculated from the rf models of the cavities.

  2. Superconducting fault current-limiter with variable shunt impedance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llambes, Juan Carlos H; Xiong, Xuming

    2013-11-19

    A superconducting fault current-limiter is provided, including a superconducting element configured to resistively or inductively limit a fault current, and one or more variable-impedance shunts electrically coupled in parallel with the superconducting element. The variable-impedance shunt(s) is configured to present a first impedance during a superconducting state of the superconducting element and a second impedance during a normal resistive state of the superconducting element. The superconducting element transitions from the superconducting state to the normal resistive state responsive to the fault current, and responsive thereto, the variable-impedance shunt(s) transitions from the first to the second impedance. The second impedance of the variable-impedance shunt(s) is a lower impedance than the first impedance, which facilitates current flow through the variable-impedance shunt(s) during a recovery transition of the superconducting element from the normal resistive state to the superconducting state, and thus, facilitates recovery of the superconducting element under load.

  3. Shunt impedance of spiral loaded resonant rf cavities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peebles, P.Z. Jr.; Parvarandeh, M.

    1975-01-01

    Based upon a treatment of the spiral loaded resonant radio frequency cavity as a shorted quarter-wave transmission line, a model for shunt impedance is developed. The model is applicable to loosely wound spirals in large diameter containers. Theoretical shunt impedance is given for spirals wound from tubing of circular or rectangular cross section. The former produces higher shunt impedance. Measurements made at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on 17 copper cavities are described which support the theoretical results. Theoretical results are also compared to data from twenty-three additional cavities measured at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. It is shown that the theoretical function forms a useful means of interpreting the quality of constructed cavities. (author)

  4. Coupling slots without shunt impedance drop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balleyguier, P.

    1996-01-01

    It is well known that coupling slots between adjacent cells in a π-mode structure reduce shunt impedance per unit length with respect to single cell cavities. To design optimized coupling slots, one has to answer the following question: for a given coupling factor, what shape, dimension, position and number of slots lead to the lowest shunt impedance drop? A numerical study using the 3D code MAFIA has been carried out. The aim was to design the 352 MHz cavities for the high intensity proton accelerator of the TRISPAL project. The result is an unexpected set of four 'petal' slots. Such slots should lead to a quasi-negligible drop in shunt impedance: about -1% on average, for particle velocity from 0.4 c to 0.8 c. (author)

  5. Impedance Changes Indicate Proximal Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Obstruction In Vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basati, Sukhraaj; Tangen, Kevin; Hsu, Ying; Lin, Hanna; Frim, David; Linninger, Andreas

    2015-12-01

    Extracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt obstruction is one of the most important problems in hydrocephalus patient management. Despite ongoing research into better shunt design, robust and reliable detection of shunt malfunction remains elusive. The authors present a novel method of correlating degree of tissue ingrowth into ventricular CSF drainage catheters with internal electrical impedance. The impedance based sensor is able to continuously monitor shunt patency using intraluminal electrodes. Prototype obstruction sensors were fabricated for in-vitro analysis of cellular ingrowth into a shunt under static and dynamic flow conditions. Primary astrocyte cell lines and C6 glioma cells were allowed to proliferate up to 7 days within a shunt catheter and the impedance waveform was observed. During cell ingrowth a significant change in the peak-to-peak voltage signal as well as the root-mean-square voltage level was observed, allowing the impedance sensor to potentially anticipate shunt malfunction long before it affects fluid drainage. Finite element modeling was employed to demonstrate that the electrical signal used to monitor tissue ingrowth is contained inside the catheter lumen and does not endanger tissue surrounding the shunt. These results may herald the development of "next generation" shunt technology that allows prediction of malfunction before it affects patient outcome.

  6. Effective shunt impedance comparison between s-band standing wave accelerators with on-axis and off-axis couplers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schriber, S.O.; Funk, L.W.; Hutcheon, R.M.

    1976-01-01

    The effective shunt impedances of a side-coupled S-band standing wave accelerating structure and a structure employing on-axis couplers have been compared by measuring the energy of accelerated electrons. Criteria for choosing an on-axis coupled structure compared to side-coupled and ''disk and washer'' accelerating structures are given. (author)

  7. Sound reflection in an acoustic impedance tube terminated with a loudspeaker shunted by a negative impedance converter

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Černík, M.; Mokrý, Pavel

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 21, č. 11 (2012), s. 115016-115016 ISSN 0964-1726 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED2.1.00/03.0079 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Sound absorption * electromagnetic shunt damping * electrodynamic loudspeaker * negative impedance converter Subject RIV: BI - Acoustics Impact factor: 2.024, year: 2012

  8. UNIVERSAL AUTO-CALIBRATION FOR A RAPID BATTERY IMPEDANCE SPECTRUM MEASUREMENT DEVICE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jon P. Christophersen; John L. Morrison; William H. Morrison

    2014-03-01

    Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has been shown to be a valuable tool for diagnostics and prognostics of energy storage devices such as batteries and ultra-capacitors. Although measurements have been typically confined to laboratory environments, rapid impedance spectrum measurement techniques have been developed for on-line, embedded applications as well. The prototype hardware for the rapid technique has been validated using lithium-ion batteries, but issues with calibration had also been identified. A new, universal automatic calibration technique was developed to address the identified issues while also enabling a more simplified approach. A single, broad-frequency range is used to calibrate the system and then scaled to the actual range and conditions used when measuring a device under test. The range used for calibration must be broad relative to the expected measurement conditions for the scaling to be successful. Validation studies were performed by comparing the universal calibration approach with data acquired from targeted calibration ranges based on the expected range of performance for the device under test. First, a mid-level shunt range was used for calibration and used to measure devices with lower and higher impedance. Next, a high excitation current level was used for calibration, followed by measurements using lower currents. Finally, calibration was performed over a wide frequency range and used to measure test articles with a lower set of frequencies. In all cases, the universal calibration approach compared very well with results acquired following a targeted calibration. Additionally, the shunts used for the automated calibration technique were successfully characterized such that the rapid impedance measurements compare very well with laboratory-scale measurements. These data indicate that the universal approach can be successfully used for onboard rapid impedance spectra measurements for a broad set of test devices and range of

  9. Computer program for calculating the resonant frequency, shunt impedance and quality factor of a pill-box cavity in a storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguero, V.M.; Ng, K.Y.

    1983-10-01

    Keil and Zotter have analyzed the electromagnetic fields excited by the longitudinal density fluctuations of an unbunched relativistic particle beam drifting in a corrugated vacuum chamber of circular cross section. At higher frequencies, these corrugations become resonant cavities. Zotter has written a computer program known as KN7C to compute the resonant frequencies. However, in the actual use of KN7C, some difficulties are encountered. To surmount these difficulties, the program known as CAVITY was written to analyze this pill-box shaped resonant cavity. Although there are many input variables to this program, only two are essential and need to be specified. They are BD = b/d = the ratio of the circular beampipe radius to that of the pill-box cavity and GD = g/d where g is the length of the cavity. When they are specified, CAVITY will print out the dimensionless normalized fundamental resonant frequency FD, shunt impedance Z and figure of merit Q. From these, the actual resonant frequency, shunt impedance and figure of merit can be deduced. The program is described and a listing is provided

  10. Automated bead-positioning system for measuring impedances of R-F cavity modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, D.A.; Rimmer, R.A.

    1993-05-01

    We describe a fully automated bead puller system which uses stepping motors to position the bead, and an HP-8510 network analyzer to measure the resulting frequency shifts, both devices being under computer control. Longitudinal motion of the bead is used for measurement of cavity shunt impedance. In addition, azimuthal scans at fixed longitudinal position aid in determining the multipole character of higher-order modes. High sensitivity/accuracy is made possible by measuring phase shifts at the unperturbed resonant frequencies (rather than frequency shifts themselves), thereby permitting averaging factors of > 500 with only modest increases in data acquisition time. Sample measurements will be presented. A comprehensive analysis of the experimental results is presented in an accompanying paper

  11. Shunt detection and measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grossman, W.

    1986-01-01

    Detection, localization, and quantification of intracardiac shunts are an integral part of the hemodynamic evaluation of patients with congenital heart disease. In most cases, an intracardiac shunt is suspected on the basis of the clinical evaluation of the patient prior to catheterization. However, there are several circumstances in which data obtained at catheterization should alert the cardiologist to look for a shunt that previously had not been suspected

  12. A new electromagnetic shunt damping treatment and vibration control of beam structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu Hongpan; Zhang Xinong; Xie Shilin; Wang Pengpeng

    2009-01-01

    In this paper a new class of shunted electromagnetic damping treatment is proposed: a non-contact electromagnetic shunt damper (NC-EMSD). The NC-EMSD consists of an electromagnet attached to a host structure, a permanent magnet attached to the fixed boundary and an electrical impedance connected to the terminals of the electromagnet. The electromagnet and the shunt impedance constitute a closed circuit. When the structure vibrates, an induced electromotive force will be produced and results in the electromagnetic force as damping force, which can suppress the vibration of the structure. The model of NC-EMSD is built up based on the equivalent current method. The governing equations of the beam with NC-EMSD are established using Hamilton's principle. The capacitor-matching-inductance (CMI) method and the negative resistive capacitor-matching-inductance (NR-CMI) method are proposed, respectively. Then the vibration control of a cantilever beam with NC-EMSD is simulated and measured by CMI and NR-CMI control methods, respectively. The results show that both the CMI and NR-CMI can attenuate the vibration effectively, and the NR-CMI provides much better control performance than that by CMI. It is indicated as well from the studies that the decrease of either the gap between the magnet pair or the resistance of the shunt impedance contributes to the improvement of control performance

  13. The somatic shunt cable model for neurons.

    OpenAIRE

    Durand, D

    1984-01-01

    The derivation of the equations for an electrical model of nerve cells is presented. The model consists of an equivalent cylinder, a lumped somatic impedance, and a variable shunt at the soma. This shunt was introduced to take into account the fast voltage decays observed following the injections of current pulses in some motoneurons and hippocampal granule cells that could not be explained by existing models. The shunt can be interpreted either by penetration damage with the electrode or by ...

  14. Acoustic impedances of ear canals measured by impedance tube

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ciric, Dejan; Hammershøi, Dorte

    2007-01-01

    During hearing sensitivity tests, the sound field is commonly generated by an earphone placed on a subject ear. One of the factors that can affect the sound transmission in the ear is the acoustic impedance of the ear canal. Its importance is related to the contribution of other elements involved...... in the transmission such as the earphone impedance. In order to determine the acoustic impedances of human ear canals, the standardized method for measurement of complex impedances used for the measurement of the audiometric earphone impedances is applied. It is based on the transfer function between two microphone...... locations in an impedance tube. The end of the tube representing the measurement plane is placed at the ear canal entrance. Thus, the impedance seen from the entrance inward is measured on 25 subjects. Most subjects participated in the previous measurement of the ratio between the pressures at the open...

  15. Microwave Impedance Measurement for Nanoelectronics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Randus

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The rapid progress in nanoelectronics showed an urgent need for microwave measurement of impedances extremely different from the 50Ω reference impedance of measurement instruments. In commonly used methods input impedance or admittance of a device under test (DUT is derived from measured value of its reflection coefficient causing serious accuracy problems for very high and very low impedances due to insufficient sensitivity of the reflection coefficient to impedance of the DUT. This paper brings theoretical description and experimental verification of a method developed especially for measurement of extreme impedances. The method can significantly improve measurement sensitivity and reduce errors caused by the VNA. It is based on subtraction (or addition of a reference reflection coefficient and the reflection coefficient of the DUT by a passive network, amplifying the resulting signal by an amplifier and measuring the amplified signal as a transmission coefficient by a common vector network analyzer (VNA. A suitable calibration technique is also presented.

  16. Short-circuit impedance measurement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Knud Ole Helgesen; Nielsen, Arne Hejde; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

    2003-01-01

    Methods for estimating the short-circuit impedance in the power grid are investigated for various voltage levels and situations. The short-circuit impedance is measured, preferably from naturally occurring load changes in the grid, and it is shown that such a measurement system faces different...

  17. Parylene MEMS patency sensor for assessment of hydrocephalus shunt obstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Brian J; Jin, Willa; Baldwin, Alexander; Yu, Lawrence; Christian, Eisha; Krieger, Mark D; McComb, J Gordon; Meng, Ellis

    2016-10-01

    Neurosurgical ventricular shunts inserted to treat hydrocephalus experience a cumulative failure rate of 80 % over 12 years; obstruction is responsible for most failures with a majority occurring at the proximal catheter. Current diagnosis of shunt malfunction is imprecise and involves neuroimaging studies and shunt tapping, an invasive measurement of intracranial pressure and shunt patency. These patients often present emergently and a delay in care has dire consequences. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) patency sensor was developed to enable direct and quantitative tracking of shunt patency in order to detect proximal shunt occlusion prior to the development of clinical symptoms thereby avoiding delays in treatment. The sensor was fabricated on a flexible polymer substrate to eventually allow integration into a shunt. In this study, the sensor was packaged for use with external ventricular drainage systems for clinical validation. Insights into the transduction mechanism of the sensor were obtained. The impact of electrode size, clinically relevant temperatures and flows, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plasma sterilization on sensor function were evaluated. Sensor performance in the presence of static and dynamic obstruction was demonstrated using 3 different models of obstruction. Electrode size was found to have a minimal effect on sensor performance and increased temperature and flow resulted in a slight decrease in the baseline impedance due to an increase in ionic mobility. However, sensor response did not vary within clinically relevant temperature and flow ranges. H2O2 plasma sterilization also had no effect on sensor performance. This low power and simple format sensor was developed with the intention of future integration into shunts for wireless monitoring of shunt state and more importantly, a more accurate and timely diagnosis of shunt failure.

  18. A comparison of micropore membrane inlet mass spectrometry-derived pulmonary shunt measurement with Riley shunt in a porcine model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duenges, Bastian; Vogt, Andreas; Bodenstein, Marc; Wang, Hemei; Böhme, Stefan; Röhrig, Bernd; Baumgardner, James E; Markstaller, Klaus

    2009-12-01

    The multiple inert gas elimination technique was developed to measure shunt and the ratio of alveolar ventilation to simultaneous alveolar capillary blood flow in any part of the lung (V(A)'/Q') distributions. Micropore membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MMIMS), instead of gas chromatography, has been introduced for inert gas measurement and shunt determination in a rabbit lung model. However, agreement with a frequently used and accepted method for quantifying deficits in arterial oxygenation has not been established. We compared MMIMS-derived shunt (M-S) as a fraction of total cardiac output (CO) with Riley shunt (R-S) derived from the R-S formula in a porcine lung injury model. To allow a broad variance of atelectasis and therefore shunt fraction, 8 sham animals did not receive lavage, and 8 animals were treated by lung lavages with 30 mL/kg warmed lactated Ringer's solution as follows: 2 animals were lavaged once, 5 animals twice, and 1 animal 3 times. Variables were recorded at baseline and twice after induction of lung injury (T1 and T2). Retention data of sulfur hexafluoride, krypton, desflurane, enflurane, diethyl ether, and acetone were analyzed by MMIMS, and M-S was derived using a known algorithm for the multiple inert gas elimination technique. Standard formulas were used for the calculation of R-S. Forty-four pairs of M-S and R-S were recorded. M-S ranged from 0.1% to 35.4% and R-S from 3.7% to 62.1%. M-S showed a correlation with R-S described by linear regression: M-S = -4.26 + 0.59 x R-S (r(2) = 0.83). M-S was on average lower than R-S (mean = -15.0% CO, sd = 6.5% CO, and median = -15.1), with lower and upper limits of agreement of -28.0% and -2.0%, respectively. The lower and upper limits of the 95% confidence intervals were -17.0 and -13.1 (P < 0.001, Student's t-test). Shunt derived from MMIMS inert gas retention data correlated well with R-S during breathing of oxygen. Shunt as derived by MMIMS was generally less than R-S.

  19. Faraday cup with nanosecond response and adjustable impedance for fast electron beam characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Jing; Rovey, Joshua L.

    2011-01-01

    A movable Faraday cup design with simple structure and adjustable impedance is described in this work. This Faraday cup has external adjustable shunt resistance for self-biased measurement setup and 50 Ω characteristic impedance to match with 50 Ω standard BNC coaxial cable and vacuum feedthroughs for nanosecond-level pulse signal measurements. Adjustable shunt resistance allows self-biased measurements to be quickly acquired to determine the electron energy distribution function. The performance of the Faraday cup is validated by tests of response time and amplitude of output signal. When compared with a reference source, the percent difference of the Faraday cup signal fall time is less than 10% for fall times greater than 10 ns. The percent difference of the Faraday cup signal pulse width is below 6.7% for pulse widths greater than 10 ns. A pseudospark-generated electron beam is used to compare the amplitude of the Faraday cup signal with a calibrated F-70 commercial current transformer. The error of the Faraday cup output amplitude is below 10% for the 4-14 kV tested pseudospark voltages. The main benefit of this Faraday cup is demonstrated by adjusting the external shunt resistance and performing the self-biased method for obtaining the electron energy distribution function. Results from a 4 kV pseudospark discharge indicate a ''double-humped'' energy distribution.

  20. Faraday cup with nanosecond response and adjustable impedance for fast electron beam characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jing; Rovey, Joshua L

    2011-07-01

    A movable Faraday cup design with simple structure and adjustable impedance is described in this work. This Faraday cup has external adjustable shunt resistance for self-biased measurement setup and 50 Ω characteristic impedance to match with 50 Ω standard BNC coaxial cable and vacuum feedthroughs for nanosecond-level pulse signal measurements. Adjustable shunt resistance allows self-biased measurements to be quickly acquired to determine the electron energy distribution function. The performance of the Faraday cup is validated by tests of response time and amplitude of output signal. When compared with a reference source, the percent difference of the Faraday cup signal fall time is less than 10% for fall times greater than 10 ns. The percent difference of the Faraday cup signal pulse width is below 6.7% for pulse widths greater than 10 ns. A pseudospark-generated electron beam is used to compare the amplitude of the Faraday cup signal with a calibrated F-70 commercial current transformer. The error of the Faraday cup output amplitude is below 10% for the 4-14 kV tested pseudospark voltages. The main benefit of this Faraday cup is demonstrated by adjusting the external shunt resistance and performing the self-biased method for obtaining the electron energy distribution function. Results from a 4 kV pseudospark discharge indicate a "double-humped" energy distribution.

  1. Compensating for evanescent modes and estimating characteristic impedance in waveguide acoustic impedance measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, Kren Rahbek; Fernandez Grande, Efren

    2017-01-01

    The ear-canal acoustic impedance and reflectance are useful for assessing conductive hearing disorders and calibrating stimulus levels in situ. However, such probe-based measurements are affected by errors due to the presence of evanescent modes and incorrect estimates or assumptions regarding...... characteristic impedance. This paper proposes a method to compensate for evanescent modes in measurements of acoustic impedance, reflectance, and sound pressure in waveguides, as well as estimating the characteristic impedance immediately in front of the probe. This is achieved by adjusting the characteristic...... impedance and subtracting an acoustic inertance from the measured impedance such that the non-causality in the reflectance is minimized in the frequency domain using the Hilbert transform. The method is thus capable of estimating plane-wave quantities of the sought-for parameters by supplying only...

  2. Measurement of left-to-right shunts by gated radionuclide angiography: concise communication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rigo, P.; Chevigne, M.

    1982-01-01

    Gated cardiac blood-pool scans allow comparison of left- and right-ventricular stroke volume. We have applied these measurements to the quantification of left-to-right shunts (QP/QS) in nine patients with atrial septal defects, one patients with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, four patients with ventricular septal defects, and two patients with patent ductus arteriosus. None of these patients had combined lesions. QP/QS was measured as the right-ventricular (RV) stroke counts divided by the left-ventricular (LV) stroke counts and as the LV stroke counts divided by the RV stroke counts in patients with RV and LV diastolic volume overload respectively. All patients had also QP/QS measurements by oximetry and first-pass radionuclide angiography. The stroke-count measurements indicated the overloaded ventricle in all patients. QP/QS determined by equilibrium gated studies correlated well with those obtained by oximetry (r . 0.79). Reproducibility of the equilibrium measurements was good. We conclude that gated cardiac blood-pool scans can measure left-to-right shunts and can distinguish between shunts with RV and LV volume overload

  3. Beam measurements of the LHC impedance and validation of the impedance model

    CERN Document Server

    Esteban Müller, J F; Bohl, T; Mounet, N; Shaposhnikova, E; Timko, H

    2014-01-01

    Different measurements of the longitudinal impedance of the LHC done with single bunches with various intensities and longitudinal emittances during measurement sessions in 2011-2012 are compared with particle simulations based on the existing LHC impedance model. The very low reactive impedance of the LHC, with Im Z=n = 0.08, is not easy to measure. The most sensitive observation is the loss of Landau damping, which shows at which energy bunches become unstable depending on their parameters. In addition, the synchrotron frequency shift due to the reactive impedance was estimated following two methods. Firstly, it was obtained from the peak-detected Schottky spectrum. Secondly, a sine modulation in the RF phase was applied to the bunches of different intensities and the modulation frequency was scanned. In both cases, the synchrotron frequency shift was of the order of the measurement precision.

  4. Tunable elastic parity-time symmetric structure based on the shunted piezoelectric materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Zhilin; Assouar, Badreddine

    2018-02-01

    We theoretically and numerically report on the tunable elastic Parity-Time (PT) symmetric structure based on shunted piezoelectric units. We show that the elastic loss and gain can be archived in piezoelectric materials when they are shunted by external circuits containing positive and negative resistances. We present and discuss, as an example, the strongly dependent relationship between the exceptional points of a three-layered system and the impedance of their external shunted circuit. The achieved results evidence that the PT symmetric structures based on this proposed concept can actively be tuned without any change of their geometric configurations.

  5. Noninvasive measurement of nutrient portal blood shunting: an experimental study with [14C]ursodeoxycholic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nordlinger, B.; Parquet, M.; Infante, R.; Moreels, R.; Blondiau, P.; Boschat, M.; Groussard, M.; Huguet, C.

    1982-01-01

    All of the methods proposed for measuring portal blood flow are either invasive, estimate total rather than nutrient flow, and none has proved reliable in cirrhotic patients. A method has been derived from pharmacokinetic principles used for the calculation of bioavailability of drugs according to the route of administration (i.v. or p.o.) and tested experimentally in 20 pigs. A tracer dose of [ 14 C]ursodeoxycholic acid, a biliary acid with a high-liver first-pass effect, is administered in the duodenum, and serial peripheral blood samples are taken. Later, the same dose of the same drug is administered i.v. The shunt fraction of portal blood F is obtained by the ratio of the areas under the plasma level vs. time curves (AUC) after p.o. and i.v. administrations: (see formula in text). The pigs were divided into three experimental groups. (i) Group I: undisturbed portal flow; (ii) Group II: total diversion of portal blood with an end-to-side portacaval shunt, and (iii) Group III: partial diversion of portal blood through a side-to-side portacaval shunt. Portal flow was measured during surgery with an electromagnetic flowmeter above and below the shunt and the degree of shunting calculated. Results show that the shunt fraction measured with ursodeoxycholic acid is well-correlated with hemodynamic data. No overlap between Groups I and III is observed. It is concluded that the shunt fraction of nutrient portal blood can be measured with this noninvasive method. Minute amounts of ursodeoxycholic acid were used in order to be completely metabolized by the liver, even in spite of hepatocellular dysfunction. Therefore, this method should be valid in cirrhotic patients and be useful to decide the type of portasystemic shunt to propose for the decompression of gastroesophageal varices

  6. Chatter reduction in boring process by using piezoelectric shunt damping with experimental verification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yigit, Ufuk; Cigeroglu, Ender; Budak, Erhan

    2017-09-01

    Chatter is a self-excited type of vibration that develops during machining due to process-structure dynamic interactions resulting in modulated chip thickness. Chatter is an important problem as it results in poor surface quality, reduced productivity and tool life. The stability of a cutting process is strongly influenced by the frequency response function (FRF) at the cutting point. In this study, the effect of piezoelectric shunt damping on chatter vibrations in a boring process is studied. In piezoelectric shunt damping method, an electrical impedance is connected to a piezoelectric transducer which is bonded on cutting tool. Electrical impedance of the circuit consisting of piezoceramic transducer and passive shunt is tuned to the desired natural frequency of the cutting tool in order to maximize damping. The optimum damping is achieved in analytical and finite element models (FEM) by using a genetic algorithm focusing on the real part of the tool point FRF rather than the amplitude. Later, a practical boring bar is considered where the optimum circuit parameters are obtained by the FEM. Afterwards, the effect of the optimized piezoelectric shunt damping on the dynamic rigidity and absolute stability limit of the cutting process are investigated experimentally by modal analysis and cutting tests. It is both theoretically and experimentally shown that application of piezoelectric shunt damping results in a significant increase in the absolute stability limit in boring operations.

  7. Measurement errors in multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analyzers with and without impedance electrode mismatch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogónez-Franco, P; Nescolarde, L; Bragós, R; Rosell-Ferrer, J; Yandiola, I

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to compare measurement errors in two commercially available multi-frequency bioimpedance analyzers, a Xitron 4000B and an ImpediMed SFB7, including electrode impedance mismatch. The comparison was made using resistive electrical models and in ten human volunteers. We used three different electrical models simulating three different body segments: the right-side, leg and thorax. In the electrical models, we tested the effect of the capacitive coupling of the patient to ground and the skin–electrode impedance mismatch. Results showed that both sets of equipment are optimized for right-side measurements and for moderate skin–electrode impedance mismatch. In right-side measurements with mismatch electrode, 4000B is more accurate than SFB7. When an electrode impedance mismatch was simulated, errors increased in both bioimpedance analyzers and the effect of the mismatch in the voltage detection leads was greater than that in current injection leads. For segments with lower impedance as the leg and thorax, SFB7 is more accurate than 4000B and also shows less dependence on electrode mismatch. In both devices, impedance measurements were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by the capacitive coupling to ground

  8. MVAC Submarine cable, impedance measurements and analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arentsen, Martin Trolle; Expethit, Adrian; Pedersen, Morten Virklund

    2017-01-01

    influence the losses. Secondly, cable parameters such as component impedances, positive-, zero-sequence impedances and losses are measured for varying currents and frequencies. Zero sequence is measured for two setups, one with armour grounded, and with armour open to match CIGREs formula assumption......-sequence impedance is found between the measurements and the CIGRÉ formulas. It is concluded that the formulas are not accurate for the specific cable under test....

  9. Broadband transmission noise reduction of smart panels featuring piezoelectric shunt circuits and sound-absorbing material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jaehwan; Lee, Joong-Kuen

    2002-09-01

    The possibility of a broadband noise reduction of piezoelectric smart panels is experimentally studied. A piezoelectric smart panel is basically a plate structure on which piezoelectric patches with electrical shunt circuits are mounted and sound-absorbing material is bonded on the surface of the structure. Sound-absorbing material can absorb the sound transmitted at the midfrequency region effectively while the use of piezoelectric shunt damping can reduce the transmission at resonance frequencies of the panel structure. To be able to reduce the sound transmission at low panel resonance frequencies, piezoelectric damping using the measured electrical impedance model is adopted. A resonant shunt circuit for piezoelectric shunt damping is composed of resistor and inductor in series, and they are determined by maximizing the dissipated energy through the circuit. The transmitted noise-reduction performance of smart panels is tested in an acoustic tunnel. The tunnel is a square cross-sectional tube and a loudspeaker is mounted at one side of the tube as a sound source. Panels are mounted in the middle of the tunnel and the transmitted sound pressure across panels is measured. When an absorbing material is bonded on a single plate, a remarkable transmitted noise reduction in the midfrequency region is observed except for the fundamental resonance frequency of the plate. By enabling the piezoelectric shunt damping, noise reduction is achieved at the resonance frequency as well. Piezoelectric smart panels incorporating passive absorbing material and piezoelectric shunt damping is a promising technology for noise reduction over a broadband of frequencies.

  10. Transverse impedance measurement in RHIC and the AGS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biancacci, Nicolo [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Blaskiewicz, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.; Dutheil, Y. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.; Liu, C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.; Mernick, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.; Minty, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.; White, S. M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Collider-Accelerator Dept.

    2014-05-12

    The RHIC luminosity upgrade program aims for an increase of the polarized proton luminosity by a factor 2. To achieve this goal a significant increase in the beam intensity is foreseen. The beam coupling impedance could therefore represent a source of detrimental effects for beam quality and stability at high bunch intensities. For this reason it is essential to quantify the accelerator impedance budget and the major impedance sources, and possibly cure them. In this MD note we summarize the results of the 2013 transverse impedance measurements in the AGS and RHIC. The studies have been performed measuring the tune shift as a function of bunch intensity and deriving the total accelerator machine transverse impedance. For RHIC, we could obtain first promising results of impedance localization measurements as well.

  11. Electrical Impedance Measurements of PZT Nanofiber Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Galos

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Electrical impedance measurements of PZT nanofiber sensors were performed using a variety of methods over a frequency spectrum ranging from DC to 1.8 GHz. The nanofibers formed by electrospinning with diameters ranging from 10 to 150 nm were collected and integrated into sensors using microfabrication techniques. Special matching circuits with ultrahigh input impedance were fabricated to produce low noise, measurable sensor outputs. Material properties including resistivity and dielectric constant are derived from the impedance measurements. The resulting material properties are also compared with those of individual nanofibers being tested using conductive AFM and Scanning Conductive Microscopy.

  12. Detection of irradiated potatoes by impedance measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, T.; Todoriki, S.; Otobe, K.; Sugiyama, J.

    1996-01-01

    Potato is one of the major food items to be treated with ionising radiation and potatoes are irradiated on a large scale in several countries. Every year around 15,000 t of potatoes are irradiated at doses of 60 to 150 Gy (average dose is about 100 Gy) in Japan. Although various methods to detect irradiated potatoes have been investigated, no established method has been reported. Measuring electrical conductivity or impedance of potatoes has been reported as a promising method for the detection of irradiated potatoes. In previous studies it has been found that the ratio of impedance magnitude at 50 kHz to that at 5 kHz, measured immediately after puncturing a potato tuber, is dependent upon the dose applied to the tuber, independent of storage temperature and stable during storage after irradiation. The aim of this study was to establish the optimum conditions for impedance measurement and to examine the applicability of the impedance measuring method to various cultivars (cv.) of potatoes. (author)

  13. A Study on the Measurement of Intrapulmonary Shunt in Liver Diseases by the Nucleolide Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yun, Sung Chul; Ahn, Jae Hee; Choi, Soo Bong

    1987-01-01

    The fact there are increase of intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunt amount in the liver cirrhosis patient has been known since 1950. And the method of shunt amount calculation by radionuclide method using 99m Tc-MAA was introduced in the middle of 1970. We measured intrapulmonary shunt amount by means of perfusion lung scan using 99m Tc-MAA in the various type of liver diseases especially in chronic liver diseases and acute liver disease. The results were as followed. 1) The amount of arteriovenous intrapulmonary shunt in the total case of liver disease was 9.3±3.9%, and that of in the control group was 4.6±2.1%. 2) The amount of arteriovenous intrapulmonary shunt in the chronic liver disease was 10.8±4.4%, and that of in the acute liver disease was 7.2±2.8%. We observed significant differences between normal control group and liver disease group, and between chronic liver disease group and acute liver disease group in the amount of shunt by the nucleolide method.

  14. Electrochemical impedance measurement of a carbon nanotube probe electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inaba, Akira; Takei, Yusuke; Kan, Tetsuo; Shimoyama, Isao; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi

    2012-01-01

    We measured and analyzed the electrochemical impedance of carbon nanotube (CNT) probe electrodes fabricated through the physical separation of insulated CNT bridges. The fabricated CNT electrodes were free-standing CNTs that were completely covered with an insulator, except for their tips. Typical dimensions of the nanoelectrodes were 1–10 nm in CNT diameter, 80–300 nm in insulator diameter, 0.5–4 μm in exposed CNT length and 1–10 μm in probe length. The electrochemical impedance at frequencies ranging from 40 Hz to 1 MHz was measured in physiological saline. The measured impedance of the CNT electrode was constant at 32 MΩ at frequencies below 1 kHz and was inversely proportional to frequency at frequencies above 10 kHz. By means of comparison with the parasitic capacitive impedance of the insulator membrane, we confirmed that the electrode was sufficiently insulated such that the measured constant impedance was given by the exposed CNT tip. Consequently, we can use the CNT electrode for highly localized electrochemical impedance measurements below 1 kHz. Considering an equivalent circuit and the nanoscopic dimensions of the CNT electrode, we demonstrated that the constant impedance was governed by diffusion impedance, whereas the solution resistance, charge-transfer resistance and double-layer capacitance were negligible. (paper)

  15. A new method for the measurement of intrahepatic shunts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoefs, J.C.; Reynolds, T.B.; Pare, P.; Sakimura, I.

    1984-01-01

    After transhepatic portal pressure determination, 96 patients were assessed for the presence of intrahepatic shunts by injection of microspheres (25 +/- 5 micron diameter) into the portal vein using RISA-131I as an indicator of dilution. Multiple portal vein injections in each patient allowed blood sampling from the hepatic vein (site 1) and from two inferior vena cava sampling sites (site 2, at the junction of the hepatic vein orifice with the inferior vena cava, and site 3, 2 to 3 cm closer to or within the right atrium). Intrahepatic shunting was calculated from each site: hepatic vein in 57 patients and inferior vena cava, site 2 in 43 patients and site 3 in 77 patients. At least one valid IHS calculation was available in 92 of the patients. Intrahepatic shunting calculated from sequential portal vein injections with sampling from the hepatic vein was highly correlated (r . 0.98, p less than 0.0001, slope . 1.0), with a mean difference of 1.9% +/- 1.9%. There was no significant difference by t test comparison of the mean IHS calculated from sites 1, 2, and 3. Occasional marked discrepancies were noted between IHS calculated from site 1 or site 2 compared with site 3, and the site 3 calculation was always greater. A shunt index in all patients included shunts calculated from the hepatic vein in 57 patients plus shunt calculation from the inferior vena cava in the remaining patients (site 2 in 26 patients and site 3 in nine). The 82 patients with portal hypertension or chronic liver disease had a higher portal pressure, 13.8 +/- 4.6 mm Hg, and a significantly greater shunt index, 13.7% +/- 24.5% compared with controls. The frequency distribution of IHS in patients with chronic liver disease demonstrated less than 2% IHS in 49% of patients and less than 5% IHS in 63%. The validity of our methods and the implications of the infrequent demonstration of a large IHS are discussed

  16. A wireless monitoring system for Hydrocephalus shunts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanaswamy, A; Nourani, M; Tamil, L; Bianco, S

    2015-08-01

    Patients with Hydrocephalus are usually treated by diverting the excess Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) to other parts of the body using shunts. More than 40 percentage of shunts implanted fail within the first two years. Obstruction in the shunts is one of the major causes of failure (45 percent) and the detection of obstruction reduces the complexity of the revision surgery. This paper describes a proposed wireless monitoring system for clog detection and flow measurement in shunts. A prototype was built using multiple pressure sensors along the shunt catheters for sensing the location of clog and flow rate. Regular monitoring of flow rates can be used to adjust the valve in the shunt to prevent over drainage or under drainage of CSF. The accuracy of the flow measurement is more than 90 percent.

  17. Impedance Localization Measurements using AC Dipoles in the LHC

    CERN Document Server

    Biancacci, Nicolo; Papotti, Giulia; Persson, Tobias; Salvant, Benoit; Tomás, Rogelio

    2016-01-01

    The knowledge of the LHC impedance is of primary importance to predict the machine performance and allow for the HL-LHC upgrade. The developed impedance model can be benchmarked with beam measurements in order to assess its validity and limit. This is routinely done, for example, moving the LHC collimator jaws and measuring the induced tune shift. In order to localize possible unknown impedance sources, the variation of phase advance with intensity between beam position monitors can be measured. In this work we will present the impedance localization measurements performed at injection in the LHC using AC dipoles as exciter as well as the underlying theory.

  18. Rf Discharge Impedance Measurements Using a New Method to Determine the Stray Impedances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, L.P.; Kroesen, G.M.W.; Hoog, de F.J.

    1999-01-01

    The impedance of a capacitively coupled radio frequency discharge in a tubular fluorescent lamp filled with neon and mercury is measured. The stray impedances in the electrical network are determined using a new method that requires no extra instruments. The reflection of power is used to determine

  19. Reliability of impedance cardiography in measuring central haemodynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mehlsen, J; Bonde, J; Stadeager, C

    1991-01-01

    The purpose of the study described here was to investigate the reliability of impedance cardiography (IC) in measuring cardiac output (CO) and central blood volume. Absolute values and changes in these variables obtained by impedance cardiography and by isotope- or thermodilution techniques were...... suitable for repeated measurements in studies on the haemodynamic effects of physiological or pharmacological intervention. Impedance cardiography is sufficiently reliable for comparison of absolute values of CO between different groups of patients. We cannot recommend impedance cardiography...... healthy subjects and in 25 unmedicated patients with ischaemic heart disease. We obtained significant correlations between absolute values (y = 0.68x + 1.48) and changes (y = 1.00x + 0.0003) in CO measured by IC and isotope- or thermodilution. IC significantly overestimated absolute values of CO (P less...

  20. Correlation of experimental rCBF determinations in goats with flow measurements from a Doppler-modified carotid artery shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loftus, C.M.; Silvidi, J.A.; Becker, J.A.; Miller, B.V.; Bernstein, D.D.

    1989-01-01

    A carotid artery shunt system has been developed that continuously monitors blood flow rates by embedding a Doppler crystal in the shunt wall. The crystal ranges through a liquid lens that enables it to be placed without violation of the shunt lumen. Because the crystal is at a fixed angle (45 degrees) to the axis of blood flow and the diameter of the lumen remains constant, a linear relationship exists between flow rates and the Doppler velocity signal. This shunt system was previously tested in vitro using a pulsatile pump and was found to be accurate to within 4.7% of the actual flow rate. In the present study, animal (goat) experiments were performed consisting of simultaneous carotid shunt flow and bilateral rCBF measurements by the radiolabeled microsphere technique to determine in vivo the accuracy of this Doppler modified shunt and to ascertain the ability of shunt flow to increase in the face of acute contralateral carotid occlusion. Data from five animals show that in vivo shunt flow can be recorded to within 13% of control rCBF and that shunt flow increases nearly 50% under conditions of distal demand (contralateral carotid occlusion). This device may prove useful in laboratory studies of carotid shunt dynamics and in clinical practice to quickly detect correctable shunt flow abnormalities

  1. Quantification of coating aging using impedance measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Westing, E.P.M. van; Weijde, D.H. van der; Vreijling, M.P.W.; Ferrari, G.M.; Wit, J.H.W. de

    1998-01-01

    This chapter shows the application results of a novel approach to quantify the ageing of organic coatings using impedance measurements. The ageing quantification is based on the typical impedance behaviour of barrier coatings in immersion. This immersion behaviour is used to determine the limiting

  2. Design and test of a novel isolator with negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Bo; Zhang, Xinong; Niu, Hongpan

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes a negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping vibration isolator and investigates the effectiveness of the isolator. The isolator consists of a shunt circuit and a pair of electromagnet and permanent magnets that are pasted onto a box-shaped spring. A kind of negative resistance shunt impedance is proposed to cancel the inherent resistance of the electromagnet. The electromechanical coupling coefficient and the electromagnetic damping force calculation formula are obtained by Biot–Savart’s law and Ampère’s law, respectively. A single degree of freedom system is employed to verify the performance of the proposed isolator. The governing equation is established. The performance of the proposed isolator under a half-cycle sine pulse is investigated and discussed. Experiments were carried out and the results agreed well with the numerical predictions. Both the results demonstrate that the negative resistance electromagnetic shunt damping vibration isolator could suppress vibration transmitted to the structure effectively. (paper)

  3. Research progress in TIPS shunt dysfunction and recanalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Tingting

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS is widely used in the treatment of cirrhotic portal hypertension and its associated complications. However, postoperative shunt dysfunction has been an important factor restricting the clinical application of TIPS. This article summarizes the use of shunt, the incidence of shunt dysfunction after TIPS, preventive measures and diagnostic methods for shunt dysfunction, and indications and techniques of shunt recanalization, in order to enhance our knowledge of shunt dysfunction and recanalization, which could further improve the efficacy of TIPS for cirrhotic portal hypertension.

  4. Impedance measurements of components for the ALS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corlett, J.N.; Rimmer, R.A.

    1993-05-01

    The high current and short bunch length of the ALS beam make the machine susceptible to beam instabilities over a frequency range extending to 13 GHz and beyond. All components of the storage ring have been carefully designed to minimize the impedance presented to the beam, and assemblies have been laid out to avoid resonant enclosures between components. Novel bellows shields allowing considerable mechanical movement while maintaining a low impedance are described. Results are presented of impedance measurements of ALS components and assemblies of components, using a precision coaxial wire technique in frequency domain, extending to frequencies beyond cut-off. All measurements were performed at the Lambertson Beam Electrodynamics Laboratory of the Center for Beam Physics at LBL

  5. Modern Trends in Imaging XI: Impedance Measurements in the Biomedical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederick D. Coffman

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Biological organisms and their component organs, tissues and cells have unique electrical impedance properties. Impedance properties often change with changes in structure, composition, and metabolism, and can be indicative of the onset and progression of disease states. Over the past 100 years, instruments and analytical methods have been developed to measure the impedance properties of biological specimens and to utilize these measurements in both clinical and basic science settings. This chapter will review the applications of impedance measurements in the biomedical sciences, from whole body analysis to impedance measurements of single cells and cell monolayers, and how cellular impedance measuring instruments can now be used in high throughput screening applications.

  6. Cell shunt resistance and photovoltaic module performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McMahon, T.J.; Basso, T.S.; Rummel, S.R. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

    1996-05-01

    Shunt resistance of cells in photovoltaic modules can affect module power output and could indicate flawed manufacturing processes and reliability problems. The authors describe a two-terminal diagnostic method to directly measure the shunt resistance of individual cells in a series-connected module non-intrusively, without deencapsulation. Peak power efficiency vs. light intensity was measured on a 12-cell, series-connected, single crystalline module having relatively high cell shunt resistances. The module was remeasured with 0.5-, 1-, and 2-ohm resistors attached across each cell to simulate shunt resistances of several emerging technologies. Peak power efficiencies decreased dramatically at lower light levels. Using the PSpice circuit simulator, the authors verified that cell shunt and series resistances can indeed be responsible for the observed peak power efficiency vs. intensity behavior. The authors discuss the effect of basic cell diode parameters, i.e., shunt resistance, series resistance, and recombination losses, on PV module performance as a function of light intensity.

  7. Flux shunts for undulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoyer, E.; Chin, J.; Hassenzahl, W.V.

    1993-05-01

    Undulators for high-performance applications in synchrotron-radiation sources and periodic magnetic structures for free-electron lasers have stringent requirements on the curvature of the electron's average trajectory. Undulators using the permanent magnet hybrid configuration often have fields in their central region that produce a curved trajectory caused by local, ambient magnetic fields such as those of the earth. The 4.6 m long Advanced Light Source (ALS) undulators use flux shunts to reduce this effect. These flux shunts are magnetic linkages of very high permeability material connecting the two steel beams that support the magnetic structures. The shunts reduce the scalar potential difference between the supporting beams and carry substantial flux that would normally appear in the undulator gap. Magnetic design, mechanical configuration of the flux shunts and magnetic measurements of their effect on the ALS undulators are described

  8. Quadrupole shunt experiments at SPEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corbett, W.J.; Hettel, R.O.; Nuhn, H.-D.

    1996-05-01

    As part of a program to align and stabilize the SPEAR storage ring, a switchable shunt resistor was installed on each quadrupole to bypass a small percentage of the magnet current. The impact of a quadrupole shunt is to move the electron beam orbit in proportion to the off-axis beam position at the quadrupole, and to shift the betatron tune. Initially, quadrupole shunts in SPEAR were used to position the electron beam in the center of the quadrupoles. This provided readback offsets for nearby beam position monitors, and helped to steer the photon beams with low-amplitude corrector currents. The shunt-induced tune shift measurements were then processed in MAD to derive a lattice model

  9. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jae Hyung; Han, Joon Koo; Chung, Jin Wook; Han, Man Chung [Seoul National University College of Medicidne, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1992-05-15

    As a new interventional procedure for the control of variceal bleeding, a portosystemic shunt can be established with the installment of metallic stent through the transjugular approach. In order to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the procedure, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure were performed in 5 patients with variceal bleeding due to liver cirrhosis. The metallic stents were mainly a self expandable Wallstent (Schneider, Switzerland), An 8 to 10 mm shunt was formed by the insertion of the stent and balloon dilatation after puncture of the proximal portal vein from the right or middle hepatic vein. The patency of the shunt was proven by portography after the procedure. The portal pressure measured in 3 patients before and after the procedure improved with decrease from 31 mmHg to 25 mmHg. The procedure failed in 1 patient due to pre-existing portal vein thrombosis. During the follow-up period from 1 month to 4 months, shunts were patent in all 4 patients. However, hepatic encephalopathy occurred in one patient one week following the procedure. Though the follow-up period was not long enough for full evaluation, we found the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was a safe and effective procedure for the control of variceal bleeding by lowering the portal pressure. For the appropriate application for this procedure, the optimal size of the shunt and optical degree of the resultant decompression are yet to be determined in the future.

  10. Subacute bacterial endocarditis and subsequent shunt nephritis from ventriculoatrial shunting 14 years after shunt implantation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burström, Gustav; Andresen, Morten; Bartek, Jiri Jr.

    2014-01-01

    of causing subacute bacterial endocarditis and subsequent shunt nephritis. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics combined with ventriculoatrial shunt removal and endoscopic third ventriculocisternostomy (VCS). This case illustrates the nowadays rare, but potentially severe complication...... of subacute bacterial endocarditis and shunt nephritis. It also exemplifies the VCS as an alternative to implanting foreign shunt systems for CSF diversion....

  11. Quality measurement in the shunt treatment of hydrocephalus: analysis and risk adjustment of the Revision Quotient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piatt, Joseph H; Freibott, Christina E

    2014-07-01

    OBJECT.: The Revision Quotient (RQ) has been defined as the ratio of the number of CSF shunt revisions to the number of new shunt insertions for a particular neurosurgical practice in a unit of time. The RQ has been proposed as a quality measure in the treatment of childhood hydrocephalus. The authors examined the construct validity of the RQ and explored the feasibility of risk stratification under this metric. The Kids' Inpatient Database for 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 was queried for admissions with diagnostic codes for hydrocephalus and procedural codes for CSF shunt insertion or revision. Revision quotients were calculated for hospitals that performed 12 or more shunt insertions annually. The univariate associations of hospital RQs with a variety of institutional descriptors were analyzed, and a generalized linear model of the RQ was constructed. There were 12,244 admissions (34%) during which new shunts were inserted, and there were 23,349 admissions (66%) for shunt revision. Three hundred thirty-four annual RQs were calculated for 152 different hospitals. Analysis of variance in hospital RQs over the 5 years of study data supports the construct validity of the metric. The following factors were incorporated into a generalized linear model that accounted for 41% of the variance of the measured RQs: degree of pediatric specialization, proportion of initial case mix in the infant age group, and proportion with neoplastic hydrocephalus. The RQ has construct validity. Risk adjustment is feasible, but the risk factors that were identified relate predominantly to patterns of patient flow through the health care system. Possible advantages of an alternative metric, the Surgical Activity Ratio, are discussed.

  12. Microfluidic device for cell capture and impedance measurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Ling-Sheng; Wang, Min-How

    2007-10-01

    This work presents a microfluidic device to capture physically single cells within microstructures inside a channel and to measure the impedance of a single HeLa cell (human cervical epithelioid carcinoma) using impedance spectroscopy. The device includes a glass substrate with electrodes and a PDMS channel with micro pillars. The commercial software CFD-ACE+ is used to study the flow of the microstructures in the channel. According to simulation results, the probability of cell capture by three micro pillars is about 10%. An equivalent circuit model of the device is established and fits closely to the experimental results. The circuit can be modeled electrically as cell impedance in parallel with dielectric capacitance and in series with a pair of electrode resistors. The system is operated at low frequency between 1 and 100 kHz. In this study, experiments show that the HeLa cell is successfully captured by the micro pillars and its impedance is measured by impedance spectroscopy. The magnitude of the HeLa cell impedance declines at all operation voltages with frequency because the HeLa cell is capacitive. Additionally, increasing the operation voltage reduces the magnitude of the HeLa cell because a strong electric field may promote the exchange of ions between the cytoplasm and the isotonic solution. Below an operating voltage of 0.9 V, the system impedance response is characteristic of a parallel circuit at under 30 kHz and of a series circuit at between 30 and 100 kHz. The phase of the HeLa cell impedance is characteristic of a series circuit when the operation voltage exceeds 0.8 V because the cell impedance becomes significant.

  13. Measurement of shunt amount using radionuclide angiocardiography: accuracy according to level of shunt and associated lesion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Yang Min [Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-08-15

    Determination of pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (QP/QS) is important for the management of patients with left-to-right shunt. This study was performed to assess the agreement of Qp/Qs ratio using the radionuclide method and oxymetry, to investigate the factors influencing the agreement, and to know how interchangeable the results of each technique. We compared the Qp/Qs measured by single-pass radionuclide angiocardiography and oxymetry during catheterization in 207 patients who underwent both studies. In radionuclide method, Qp/Qs was calculated from the pulmonary time-activity curves using a gamma variate fit. The correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were performed according to the levels of shunt and associated lesions. The mean Qp/Qs was 1.83 {+-} 0.50 by radionuclide, and 1.74 {+-} 0.51 by oxymetry. The overall correlation coefficient was 0.86 ({rho} 0.001), and Bland-Altman range of agreement encompassing 4SD was 1.05. For atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tricuspid and mitral insufficiency, the correlation coefficient was 0.78, 0.90, 0.84, 0.63 and 0.44 and Bland-Altman range was 1.52, 0.74, 0.96, 1.57 and 1.50, respectively. There is good agreement but wide variance between the Qp/Qs ratios by radionuclide method and oxymetry. Associated atrioventricular valvar insufficiency decreases the correlation coefficient and widens the variance. Wide overall variance suggests that Qp/Qs measurements by two techniques should not be used interchangeably.

  14. Measurement of shunt amount using radionuclide angiocardiography: accuracy according to level of shunt and associated lesion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yang Min

    2006-01-01

    Determination of pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (QP/QS) is important for the management of patients with left-to-right shunt. This study was performed to assess the agreement of Qp/Qs ratio using the radionuclide method and oxymetry, to investigate the factors influencing the agreement, and to know how interchangeable the results of each technique. We compared the Qp/Qs measured by single-pass radionuclide angiocardiography and oxymetry during catheterization in 207 patients who underwent both studies. In radionuclide method, Qp/Qs was calculated from the pulmonary time-activity curves using a gamma variate fit. The correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were performed according to the levels of shunt and associated lesions. The mean Qp/Qs was 1.83 ± 0.50 by radionuclide, and 1.74 ± 0.51 by oxymetry. The overall correlation coefficient was 0.86 (ρ 0.001), and Bland-Altman range of agreement encompassing 4SD was 1.05. For atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tricuspid and mitral insufficiency, the correlation coefficient was 0.78, 0.90, 0.84, 0.63 and 0.44 and Bland-Altman range was 1.52, 0.74, 0.96, 1.57 and 1.50, respectively. There is good agreement but wide variance between the Qp/Qs ratios by radionuclide method and oxymetry. Associated atrioventricular valvar insufficiency decreases the correlation coefficient and widens the variance. Wide overall variance suggests that Qp/Qs measurements by two techniques should not be used interchangeably

  15. Quadrupole shunt experiments at SPEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corbett, W.J.; Hettel, R.O.; Nuhn, H.

    1997-01-01

    As part of a program to align and stabilize the SPEAR storage ring, a switchable shunt resistor was installed on each quadrupole to bypass a small percentage of the magnet current. The impact of a quadrupole shunt is to move the electron beam orbit in proportion to the off-axis beam position at the quadrupole and to shift the betatron tune. Initially, quadrupole shunts in SPEAR were used to position the electron beam in the center of the quadrupoles. This provided readback offsets for nearby beam position monitors and helped to steer the photon beams with low-amplitude corrector currents. The shunt-induced tune shift measurements were then processed in MAD to derive a lattice model. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  16. Impedance computations and beam-based measurements: A problem of discrepancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smaluk, Victor

    2018-04-01

    High intensity of particle beams is crucial for high-performance operation of modern electron-positron storage rings, both colliders and light sources. The beam intensity is limited by the interaction of the beam with self-induced electromagnetic fields (wake fields) proportional to the vacuum chamber impedance. For a new accelerator project, the total broadband impedance is computed by element-wise wake-field simulations using computer codes. For a machine in operation, the impedance can be measured experimentally using beam-based techniques. In this article, a comparative analysis of impedance computations and beam-based measurements is presented for 15 electron-positron storage rings. The measured data and the predictions based on the computed impedance budgets show a significant discrepancy. Three possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed: interference of the wake fields excited by a beam in adjacent components of the vacuum chamber, effect of computation mesh size, and effect of insufficient bandwidth of the computed impedance.

  17. Measurement ot the switching over-voltages at the disconnection of the high voltage shunt reactors in the Romanian power system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stroica, Paul Constantin; Merfu, Ion; Stroica, Mihail; Merfu, Marius; Cojocaru, Florian; Stefan, Dinu; Cojocaru, Mihai

    2010-09-15

    The paper presents the measurements of the switching over-voltages made in the Romanian Power System, at the 400/220/110 kV Urechesti substation at the disconnection of a 400 kV, 100 MVAr shunt reactor type DFAL, Siemens, Germany, in 3 consecutive versions. The first one is for shunt reactor controlled by live-tank oil circuit breaker, the second one is for shunt reactor controlled by SF6 circuit breaker, and the third one is for shunt reactor controlled by SF6 circuit breaker and synchronize device.

  18. Comparison of series regulated neutral beam accel supplies with shunt regulated accel supplies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, W.; Smith, B.H.

    1976-01-01

    This study was undertaken to get a direct comparison between comparable series and shunt regulated power supplies. It is intended that the two supplies will be strictly equivalent with the same safety factors in the design of each type and the cost estimates made on the same basis. The series regulated power supply is simply a scaled up version of the 2XIIB Accel Supplies. Each supply provides 150 kV, 65 ampere, 500 ms pulse output such as will be used on the TFTR sources. The shunt regulated power supply uses high reactance transformers to provide the series impedance for the shunt regulator. The most significant difference in the performance of the two types of power supplies is that the shunt regulated supply has a minimum interrupt period of 16 ms, whereas the series regulated supply can have about 0.5 ms. Even this difference can be eliminated with a commutator circuit such as is being developed in Berkeley for the 150 kV, 20 ampere system. The 16 ms period is probably not a very serious limitation because it still permits up to 31 interrupts per 500 ms pulse. The shunt regulated system appears to be about 37 percent less expensive than the series system

  19. RF impedance measurement calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, P.J.; Song, J.J.

    1993-01-01

    The intent of this note is not to explain all of the available calibration methods in detail. Instead, we will focus on the calibration methods of interest for RF impedance coupling measurements and attempt to explain: (1). The standards and measurements necessary for the various calibration techniques. (2). The advantages and disadvantages of each technique. (3). The mathematical manipulations that need to be applied to the measured standards and devices. (4). An outline of the steps needed for writing a calibration routine that operated from a remote computer. For further details of the various techniques presented in this note, the reader should consult the references

  20. Transverse impedance measurement using response matrix fit method at APS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sajaev, V.

    2007-01-01

    The Advanced Photon Source (APS) is a third-generation synchrotron light source based on a 7-GeV electron storage ring. In third-generation light sources the synchrotron radiation is mainly produced in undulators. In order to achieve high photon flux and tunability, the magnet gap in undulators has to be as small as possible. Therefore, the undulators are installed on dedicated small-gap insertion device (ID) vacuum chambers. APS has thirty-five 5-m-long straight sections available for undulators. At the time of the measurements, there were 31 straight sections occupied with various insertion devices, and 4 straight sections were still empty. Most of the ID vacuum chambers have a 8-mm in-vacuum gap, and two chambers have a 5-mm gap. These narrow-gap vacuum chambers are believed to be the main source of the transverse impedance of the machine. One can measure the combined impedance by measuring the transverse tune slope with single-bunch current. Comparing this slope before and after installation of the narrow-gap vacuum chamber, one can deduce the impedance of the chamber. It is difficult to accurately measure the change in the tune slope after one or a few new ID chambers are installed. If several identical ID vacuum chambers are installed over a period of time, then one can estimate the contribution of one ID chamber. Over the last few years there have been a number of attempts to measure the impedance of separate components of accelerators. Phase-advance measurements from beam position monitor (BPM) turn-by-turn histories were used at LEP to measure the impedance distribution around the ring. Researches at LEP were able to fit average impedance in the long sections of the LEP arc and determine the impedance of the rf sections. The method was tried at APS; however, the accuracy of the measurements was not enough to determine the small impedance of a single ID vacuum chamber. There is also a different approach that uses local orbit bumps to probe different parts

  1. Ventilation and cardiac related impedance changes in children undergoing corrective open heart surgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schibler, Andreas; Pham, Trang M T; Moray, Amol A; Stocker, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can determine ventilation and perfusion relationship. Most of the data obtained so far originates from experimental settings and in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that EIT measures the perioperative changes in pulmonary blood flow after repair of a ventricular septum defect in children with haemodynamic relevant septal defects undergoing open heart surgery. In a 19 bed intensive care unit in a tertiary children's hospital ventilation and cardiac related impedance changes were measured using EIT before and after surgery in 18 spontaneously breathing patients. The EIT signals were either filtered for ventilation (ΔZV) or for cardiac (ΔZQ) related impedance changes. Impedance signals were then normalized (normΔZV, normΔZQ) for calculation of the global and regional impedance related ventilation perfusion relationship (normΔZV/normΔZQ). We observed a trend towards increased normΔZV in all lung regions, a significantly decreased normΔZQ in the global and anterior, but not the posterior lung region. The normΔZV/normΔZQ was significantly increased in the global and anterior lung region. Our study qualitatively validates our previously published modified EIT filtration technique in the clinical setting of young children with significant left-to-right shunt undergoing corrective open heart surgery, where perioperative assessment of the ventilation perfusion relation is of high clinical relevance. (paper)

  2. Ventilation and cardiac related impedance changes in children undergoing corrective open heart surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schibler, Andreas; Pham, Trang M T; Moray, Amol A; Stocker, Christian

    2013-10-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can determine ventilation and perfusion relationship. Most of the data obtained so far originates from experimental settings and in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that EIT measures the perioperative changes in pulmonary blood flow after repair of a ventricular septum defect in children with haemodynamic relevant septal defects undergoing open heart surgery. In a 19 bed intensive care unit in a tertiary children's hospital ventilation and cardiac related impedance changes were measured using EIT before and after surgery in 18 spontaneously breathing patients. The EIT signals were either filtered for ventilation (ΔZV) or for cardiac (ΔZQ) related impedance changes. Impedance signals were then normalized (normΔZV, normΔZQ) for calculation of the global and regional impedance related ventilation perfusion relationship (normΔZV/normΔZQ). We observed a trend towards increased normΔZV in all lung regions, a significantly decreased normΔZQ in the global and anterior, but not the posterior lung region. The normΔZV/normΔZQ was significantly increased in the global and anterior lung region. Our study qualitatively validates our previously published modified EIT filtration technique in the clinical setting of young children with significant left-to-right shunt undergoing corrective open heart surgery, where perioperative assessment of the ventilation perfusion relation is of high clinical relevance.

  3. Bunch length and impedance measurements in SPEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bane, K.; Donald, M.; Hofmann, A.; Jowett, J.; Lockman, W.; Morton, P.; Stege, R.; Spence, W.; Wilson, P.

    1988-05-01

    Subsequent to an extensive smoothing of the vacuum chamber a comprehensive study of the SPEAR impedance was undertaken. Bunch length, synchrotron quadrupole mode frequency, and parasitic mode loss were measured as functions of beam current. The results showed that, although the gross longitudinal impedance had indeed been reduced, the 'capacitive' component had also decreased relative to the 'inductive'--to the extent that previously compensated potential well distortion now induced bunch lengthening at low currents, and the turbulent threshold had actually been lowered. A specially designed multi-cell disc-loaded 'capacitor' cavity was shown to be capable of removing this effect by restoring the original compensation. A model of the new SPEAR impedance is also obtained. 7 refs., 6 figs

  4. Bunch length and impedance measurements in SPEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bane, K.; Donald, M.; Morton, P.; Stege, R.; Spence, W.; Wilson, P.; Hofmann, A.; Jowett, J.; Lockman, W.

    1988-01-01

    Subsequent to an extensive smoothing of the vacuum chamber a comprehensive study of the SPEAR impedance was undertaken. Bunch length, synchrotron quadrupole mode frequency, and parasitic mode loss were measured as functions of beam current. This paper shows that although the gross longitudinal impedance had indeed been reduced, the capacitive component had also decreased relative to the inductive - to the extent that previously compensated potential well distortion now induced bunch lengthening at low currents, and the turbulent threshold had actually been lowered. A specially designed multi-cell disc-loaded capacitor cavity was shown to be capable of removing this effect by restoring the original compensation. A model of the new SPEAR impedance is also obtained

  5. Measurement scheme of kicker impedances via beam-induced voltages of coaxial cables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shobuda, Yoshihiro, E-mail: yoshihiro.shobuda@j-parc.jp [J-PARC Center, JAEA and KEK, 2-4 Shirakata Shirane, Tokaimura, Nakagun, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Irie, Yoshiro [KEK, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Toyama, Takeshi; Kamiya, Junichiro [J-PARC Center, JAEA and KEK, 2-4 Shirakata Shirane, Tokaimura, Nakagun, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Watanabe, Masao [Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-8959 (Japan)

    2013-06-11

    A new theory, which satisfies the causality condition, is developed to describe impedances of kicker magnets with coaxial cables. The theoretical results well describe measurement results, which are obtained by standard wire methods. On the other hand, when beams pass through the kicker, voltages are induced at the terminals of coaxial cables. In other words, by analyzing the voltages, the kicker impedance for the beams can be obtained. The observed impedances are consistent with the theoretical results. The theory describes the impedance for non-relativistic beams, as well. The theoretical, simulation and measurement results indicate that the horizontal kicker impedance is drastically reduced by the non-relativistic effect. -- Highlights: ► We develop an innovative method to measure kicker impedance including power cable. ► By analyzing voltages at the ends of coaxial cables, the impedance is derived. ► The horizontal impedance is reduced as the beam becomes non-relativistic.

  6. MEASURED TRANSVERSE COUPLING IMPEDANCE OF RHIC INJECTION AND ABORT KICKERS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HAHN, H.; DAVINO, D.

    2001-01-01

    Concerns regarding possible transverse instabilities in RHIC and the SNS pointed to the need for measurements of the transverse coupling impedance of ring components. The impedance of the RHIC injection and abort kicker was measured using the conventional method based on the S 21 forward transmission coefficient. A commercial 450 Ω twin-wire Lecher line were used and the data was interpreted via the log-formula. All measurements, were performed in test stands fully representing operational conditions including pulsed power supplies and connecting cables. The measured values for the transverse coupling impedance in kick direction and perpendicular to it are comparable in magnitude, but differ from Handbook predictions

  7. Beam measurements of the SPS longitudinal impedance

    CERN Document Server

    Lasheen, A

    2017-01-01

    Longitudinal instabilities are one of the main limitationsin the CERN SPS to reach the beam parameters requiredfor the High Luminosity LHC project. In preparation tothe SPS upgrade, possible remedies are studied by perform-ing macroparticle simulations using the machine impedancemodel obtained from electromagnetic simulations and mea-surements. To benchmark the impedance model, the resultsof simulations are compared with various beam measure-ments. In this study, the reactive part of the impedance wasprobed by measuring the quadrupole frequency shift withintensity, obtained from bunch length oscillations at mis-matched injection into the SPS. This method was appliedover many last years to follow up the evolution of the SPSimpedance, injecting bunches with the same bunch length.A novel approach, giving significantly more information,consists in varying the injected bunch length. The compari-son of these measurements with macroparticle simulationsallowed to test the existing model and identify some missingSPS i...

  8. Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin P Puller

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available History of present illness: A 40-year-old female presented to our ED with left upper abdominal pain and flank pain. The pain had begun suddenly 2 hours prior when she was reaching into a freezer to get a bag of frozen vegetables. She described the pain as sharp, constant, severe, and worse with movements and breathing. The pain radiated to the left shoulder. On review of systems, the patient had mild dyspnea and nausea. She denied fever, chills, headache, vision changes, vomiting, or urinary symptoms. Her medical history was notable for obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression, obesity, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. For the latter, she had a VP (ventriculoperitoneal shunt placed 14 years prior to this visit. She had a history of 2 shunt revisions, the most recent 30 days before this ED visit. Significant findings: An immediate post-op abdominal x-ray performed after the patient’s VP shunt revision 30 days prior to this ED visit reveals the VP shunt tip in the mid abdomen. A CT of the abdomen performed on the day of the ED visit reveals the VP shunt tip interposed between the spleen and the diaphragm. Discussion: VP shunts have been reported to migrate to varied locations in the thorax and abdomen. Incidence of abdominal complications of VP shunt placement ranges from 10%-30%, and can include pseudocyst formation, migration, peritonitis, CSF ascites, infection, and viscus perforation. Incidence of distal shunt migration is reported as 10%, and most previously reported cases occurred in pediatric patients.1 A recent retrospective review cited BMI greater than thirty and previous shunt procedure as risk factors for distal shunt migration.2 The patient in the case presented had a BMI of 59 and 3 previous shunt procedures.

  9. Pathophysiology of shunt dysfunction in shunt treated hydrocephalus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blegvad, C.; Skjolding, A D; Broholm, H

    2013-01-01

    We hypothesized that shunt dysfunction in the ventricular catheter and the shunt valve is caused by different cellular responses. We also hypothesized that the cellular responses depend on different pathophysiological mechanisms....

  10. A potpourri of impedance measurements at the advanced photon source storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sereno, N.S.; Chae, Y.C.; Harkay, K.C.; Lumpkin, A.H.; Milton, S.V.; Yang, B.X.

    1997-01-01

    Machine coupling impedances were determined in the APS storage ring from measurements of the bunch length, synchronous phase, and synchrotron and betatron tunes vs single-bunch current. The transverse measurements were performed for various numbers of small gap insertion device (ID) chambers installed in the ring. The transverse impedance is determined from measurements of the transverse tunes and bunch length as a function of single-bunch current. The shift in the synchrotron tune was measured as a function of bunch current from which the total cavity impedance was extracted. The loss factor was determined by measuring the relative synchronous phase as a function of bunch current. The longitudinal resistive impedance is calculated using the loss factor dependence on the bunch length. From these results, the authors can estimate what the impedance would be for a full set of ID chambers

  11. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: lumboperitoneal shunts versus ventriculoperitoneal shunts--case series and literature review.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Abubaker, Khalid

    2012-02-01

    OBJECTIVES: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is an uncommon but important cause of headache that can lead to visual loss. This study was undertaken to review our experience in the treatment of IIH by neuronavigation-assisted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts with programmable valves as compared to lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 25 patients treated for IIH between 2001 and 2009. Age, sex, clinical presentation, methods of treatment and failure rates were recorded. RESULTS: Seventy-two per cent were treated initially with LP shunts. Failure rate was 11% in this group. Neuronavigation-assisted VP shunts were used to treat 28%. In this group, the failure rate was 14%. CONCLUSION: Our experience indicates that both LP shunts and VP shuts are effective in controlling all the clinical manifestations of IIH in the immediate postoperative period. Failure rates are slightly higher for VP shunts (14%) than LP shunts (11%). However, revision rates are higher with LP shunts (60%) than with VP shunts (30%).

  12. Analytic modeling, simulation and interpretation of broadband beam coupling impedance bench measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niedermayer, U., E-mail: niedermayer@temf.tu-darmstadt.de [Institut für Theorie Elektromagnetischer Felder (TEMF), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Eidam, L. [Institut für Theorie Elektromagnetischer Felder (TEMF), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Boine-Frankenheim, O. [Institut für Theorie Elektromagnetischer Felder (TEMF), Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schloßgartenstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); GSI Helmholzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2015-03-11

    First, a generalized theoretical approach towards beam coupling impedances and stretched-wire measurements is introduced. Applied to a circular symmetric setup, this approach allows to compare beam and wire impedances. The conversion formulas for TEM scattering parameters from measurements to impedances are thoroughly analyzed and compared to the analytical beam impedance solution. A proof of validity for the distributed impedance formula is given. The interaction of the beam or the TEM wave with dispersive material such as ferrite is discussed. The dependence of the obtained beam impedance on the relativistic velocity β is investigated and found as material property dependent. Second, numerical simulations of wakefields and scattering parameters are compared. The applicability of scattering parameter conversion formulas for finite device length is investigated. Laboratory measurement results for a circularly symmetric test setup, i.e. a ferrite ring, are shown and compared to analytic and numeric models. The optimization of the measurement process and error reduction strategies are discussed.

  13. Low diagnostic value of respiratory impedance measurements in children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cuijpers, CEJ; Wesseling, GJ; Kessels, AGH; Swaen, GMH; Mertens, PLJM; deKok, ME; Broer, J; Sturmans, F; Wouters, EFM

    The aim of this study was to determine whether impedance values in children with various chronic respiratory complaints differed from those observed in symptom-free children. Respiratory impedance was measured using the forced oscillation technique in 1,776 Dutch children aged 6-12 yrs. In addition

  14. Local impedance measurement of an electrode/single-pentacene-grain interface by frequency-modulation scanning impedance microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kimura, Tomoharu; Yamada, Hirofumi, E-mail: h-yamada@kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Electronic Science and Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510 (Japan); Kobayashi, Kei [Department of Electronic Science and Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510 (Japan); The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8520 (Japan)

    2015-08-07

    The device performances of organic thin film transistors are often limited by the metal–organic interface because of the disordered molecular layers at the interface and the energy barriers against the carrier injection. It is important to study the local impedance at the interface without being affected by the interface morphology. We combined frequency modulation atomic force microscopy with scanning impedance microscopy (SIM) to sensitively measure the ac responses of the interface to an ac voltage applied across the interface and the dc potential drop at the interface. By using the frequency-modulation SIM (FM-SIM) technique, we characterized the interface impedance of a Pt electrode and a single pentacene grain as a parallel circuit of a contact resistance and a capacitance. We found that the reduction of the contact resistance was caused by the reduction of the energy level mismatch at the interface by the FM-SIM measurements, demonstrating the usefulness of the FM-SIM technique for investigation of the local interface impedance without being affected by its morphology.

  15. Simulation model for port shunting yards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusca, A.; Popa, M.; Rosca, E.; Rosca, M.; Dragu, V.; Rusca, F.

    2016-08-01

    Sea ports are important nodes in the supply chain, joining two high capacity transport modes: rail and maritime transport. The huge cargo flows transiting port requires high capacity construction and installation such as berths, large capacity cranes, respectively shunting yards. However, the port shunting yards specificity raises several problems such as: limited access since these are terminus stations for rail network, the in-output of large transit flows of cargo relatively to the scarcity of the departure/arrival of a ship, as well as limited land availability for implementing solutions to serve these flows. It is necessary to identify technological solutions that lead to an answer to these problems. The paper proposed a simulation model developed with ARENA computer simulation software suitable for shunting yards which serve sea ports with access to the rail network. Are investigates the principal aspects of shunting yards and adequate measures to increase their transit capacity. The operation capacity for shunting yards sub-system is assessed taking in consideration the required operating standards and the measure of performance (e.g. waiting time for freight wagons, number of railway line in station, storage area, etc.) of the railway station are computed. The conclusion and results, drawn from simulation, help transports and logistics specialists to test the proposals for improving the port management.

  16. Modified coaxial wire method for measurement of transfer impedance of beam position monitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Mukesh; Babbar, L. K.; Deo, R. K.; Puntambekar, T. A.; Senecha, V. K.

    2018-05-01

    The transfer impedance is a very important parameter of a beam position monitor (BPM) which relates its output signal with the beam current. The coaxial wire method is a standard technique to measure transfer impedance of the BPM. The conventional coaxial wire method requires impedance matching between coaxial wire and external circuits (vector network analyzer and associated cables). This paper presents a modified coaxial wire method for bench measurement of the transfer impedance of capacitive pickups like button electrodes and shoe box BPMs. Unlike the conventional coaxial wire method, in the modified coaxial wire method no impedance matching elements have been used between the device under test and the external circuit. The effect of impedance mismatch has been solved mathematically and a new expression of transfer impedance has been derived. The proposed method is verified through simulation of a button electrode BPM using cst studio suite. The new method is also applied to measure transfer impedance of a button electrode BPM developed for insertion devices of Indus-2 and the results are also compared with its simulations. Close agreement between measured and simulation results suggests that the modified coaxial wire setup can be exploited for the measurement of transfer impedance of capacitive BPMs like button electrodes and shoe box BPM.

  17. Modified coaxial wire method for measurement of transfer impedance of beam position monitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukesh Kumar

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The transfer impedance is a very important parameter of a beam position monitor (BPM which relates its output signal with the beam current. The coaxial wire method is a standard technique to measure transfer impedance of the BPM. The conventional coaxial wire method requires impedance matching between coaxial wire and external circuits (vector network analyzer and associated cables. This paper presents a modified coaxial wire method for bench measurement of the transfer impedance of capacitive pickups like button electrodes and shoe box BPMs. Unlike the conventional coaxial wire method, in the modified coaxial wire method no impedance matching elements have been used between the device under test and the external circuit. The effect of impedance mismatch has been solved mathematically and a new expression of transfer impedance has been derived. The proposed method is verified through simulation of a button electrode BPM using cst studio suite. The new method is also applied to measure transfer impedance of a button electrode BPM developed for insertion devices of Indus-2 and the results are also compared with its simulations. Close agreement between measured and simulation results suggests that the modified coaxial wire setup can be exploited for the measurement of transfer impedance of capacitive BPMs like button electrodes and shoe box BPM.

  18. Review of Stratum Corneum Impedance Measurement in Non-Invasive Penetration Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Lu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Due to advances in telemedicine, mobile medical care, wearable health monitoring, and electronic skin, great efforts have been directed to non-invasive monitoring and treatment of disease. These processes generally involve disease detection from interstitial fluid (ISF instead of blood, and transdermal drug delivery. However, the quantitative extraction of ISF and the level of drug absorption are greatly affected by the individual’s skin permeability, which is closely related to the properties of the stratum corneum (SC. Therefore, measurement of SC impedance has been proposed as an appropriate way for assessing individual skin differences. In order to figure out the current status and research direction of human SC impedance detection, investigations regarding skin impedance measurement have been reviewed in this paper. Future directions are concluded after a review of impedance models, electrodes, measurement methods and systems, and their applications in treatment. It is believed that a well-matched skin impedance model and measurement method will be established for clinical and point-of care applications in the near future.

  19. Wideband impedance measurements and modeling of DC motors for EMI predictions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Diouf, F.; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes; Duval, Fabrice; Bensetti, Mohamed

    2015-01-01

    In electromagnetic interference prediction, dc motors are usually modeled as a source and a series impedance. Previous researches only include the impedance of the armature, while neglecting the effect of the motor's rotation. This paper aims at measuring and modeling the wideband impedance of a dc

  20. Microelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy for the Differentiation between Normal and Cancerous Human Urothelial Cell Lines: Real-Time Electrical Impedance Measurement at an Optimal Frequency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yangkyu Park

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To distinguish between normal (SV-HUC-1 and cancerous (TCCSUP human urothelial cell lines using microelectrical impedance spectroscopy (μEIS. Materials and Methods. Two types of μEIS devices were designed and used in combination to measure the impedance of SV-HUC-1 and TCCSUP cells flowing through the channels of the devices. The first device (μEIS-OF was designed to determine the optimal frequency at which the impedance of two cell lines is most distinguishable. The μEIS-OF trapped the flowing cells and measured their impedance at a frequency ranging from 5 kHz to 1 MHz. The second device (μEIS-RT was designed for real-time impedance measurement of the cells at the optimal frequency. The impedance was measured instantaneously as the cells passed the sensing electrodes of μEIS-RT. Results. The optimal frequency, which maximized the average difference of the amplitude and phase angle between the two cell lines (p<0.001, was determined to be 119 kHz. The real-time impedance of the cell lines was measured at 119 kHz; the two cell lines differed significantly in terms of amplitude and phase angle (p<0.001. Conclusion. The μEIS-RT can discriminate SV-HUC-1 and TCCSUP cells by measuring the impedance at the optimal frequency determined by the μEIS-OF.

  1. Impedance Based Vitamin D Measurement Sensor and Algorithm for Human Wellness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyung Jin KIM

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available While entering the modern society, medical technology has been able to cure almost all kinds of diseases. However, autoimmune diseases are increasing rapidly due to environment, food, and indoor life. In particular, vitamin D is lacking in about 90 % of Koreans. As a result of this, many middle-aged and older women are taking calcium, but most of them do not know their vitamin D levels. Based on this background, the goal of this paper is to develop a vitamin D measurement technique using a quantum analyzer that is capable of measuring various kinds of vitamins and minerals, and to prepare a plan to easily measure vitamin D by attaching it to a UVB device that is currently used in the hospital. The quantum analyzer was designed based on the impedance principle, and the impedance change according to vitamin D concentration was able to confirm a significant proportional relationship between vitamin D and impedance. In addition, the correlation between vitamin D and impedance was confirmed by in vitro experiment using lab mice, and the measurement error of the impedance meter for vitamin D concentration in the blood was confirmed to be about 12.7 %.

  2. Ventriculo-pleural shunt patency study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeates, K.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: A twenty-four year old male was admitted to hospital complaining of headaches, drowsiness and blurred vision. He suffered from congenital hydrocephalus and had had a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt inserted in infancy. This had undergone many revisions due to persistent peritoneal infections and had recently been replaced with a ventriculo-pleural shunt. The symptoms described suggested shunt blockage and he was referred for a Shunt Patency Study. The current shunt is a HAKIM Programmable Valve Shunt System and the opening pressure was 12cm of CSF (within the normal range). Forty megabecquerels of filtered 99 Tc m O 4 was injected into the pre-chamber of the shunt. Serial images and counts were obtained for twenty-five minutes after the injection. The images showed the tracer flowing from the shunt within the first ten minutes. At twenty minutes almost all of the tracer had drained from the shunt and was present in the right pleural cavity, indicating shunt patency. This study is presented to demonstrate the appearances of a normally functioning, but rarely seen Ventriculo-Pleural CSF Shunt. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

  3. Transvers Impedance Measurements of the Modified DARHT-2 Accelerator Cell Design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briggs, Dick; Waldron, Will

    2005-01-01

    The DARHT-2 accelerator cells have been redesigned to make their high voltage performance more robust. At the outset of the DARHT-2 development program about 8 years ago, an extensive campaign was mounted to minimize the transverse impedance of the original cell design. Since the initial spec on the machine was a beam current of 4 kA, the control of beam-breakup (BBU) amplification with a 2 microsecond pulse length was considered to be one the most critical issues in the design. Even after advances in detector technology allowed the beam current requirement to be lowered to 2 kA, the goal for the standard cell impedance was kept at ∼300 ohms/meter to allow for the possibility of future beam current upgrades to 4 kA without any modifications in the cells. The results of this campaign to minimize the transverse impedance are described in detail in Reference 1. After several iterations in the design of ferrite dampers and the anode finger stock shape, the measured (peak) impedance of the original standard cell was determined to be about 280 ohms/meter. (As a reference point, the measured impedance of the DARHT-1 cell is about 880 ohms/meter). This impedance provided such a wide safety margin against BBU amplification at 2 kA that it was felt that the cell redesign could focus on voltage holding without any detailed considerations of impacts on the transverse impedance. Now that a baseline design for the DARHT-2 cell has been established and tested, however, it was felt that a measurement of its impedance would be prudent. The results of these impedance measurements are presented in this note. The objective was mainly to do a ''quick check'' to ensure that there were no surprises, and to provide an estimate of the BBU frequencies and growth rates to the experimental test program

  4. arXiv Bench Measurements and Simulations of Beam Coupling Impedance

    CERN Document Server

    Niedermayer, Uwe

    After a general introduction, the basic principles of wake-field and beamcoupling- impedance computations are explained. This includes time domain, frequency domain, and methods that do not include excitations by means of a particle beam. The second part of this paper deals with radio frequency bench measurements of beam coupling impedances. The general procedure of the wire measurement is explained, and its features and limitations are discussed.

  5. [Shunt and short circuit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangel-Abundis, Alberto

    2006-01-01

    Shunt and short circuit are antonyms. In French, the term shunt has been adopted to denote the alternative pathway of blood flow. However, in French, as well as in Spanish, the word short circuit (court-circuit and cortocircuito) is synonymous with shunt, giving rise to a linguistic and scientific inconsistency. Scientific because shunt and short circuit made reference to a phenomenon that occurs in the field of the physics. Because shunt and short circuit are antonyms, it is necessary to clarify that shunt is an alternative pathway of flow from a net of high resistance to a net of low resistance, maintaining the stream. Short circuit is the interruption of the flow, because a high resistance impeaches the flood. This concept is applied to electrical and cardiovascular physiology, as well as to the metabolic pathways.

  6. Primary ventriculoperitoneal shunting outcomes: a multicentre clinical audit for shunt infection and its risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, P Ym; Wong, H T; Pu, J Ks; Wong, W K; Wong, L Yw; Lee, M Wy; Yam, K Y; Lui, W M; Poon, W S

    2016-10-01

    To determine the frequency of primary ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection among patients treated at neurosurgical centres of the Hospital Authority and to identify underlying risk factors. This multicentre historical cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent primary ventriculoperitoneal shunting at a Hospital Authority neurosurgery centre from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011. The primary endpoint was shunt infection, defined as: (1) the presence of cerebrospinal fluid or shunt hardware culture that yielded the pathogenic micro-organism with associated compatible symptoms and signs of central nervous system infection or shunt malfunction; or (2) surgical incision site infection requiring shunt reinsertion (even in the absence of positive culture); or (3) intraperitoneal pseudocyst formation (even in the absence of positive culture). Secondary endpoints were shunt malfunction, defined as unsatisfactory cerebrospinal fluid drainage that required shunt reinsertion, and 30-day mortality. A primary ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted in 538 patients during the study period. The mean age of patients was 48 years (range, 13-88 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1. Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage was the most common aetiology (n=169, 31%) followed by intracranial tumour (n=164, 30%), central nervous system infection (n=42, 8%), and traumatic brain injury (n=27, 5%). The mean operating time was 75 (standard deviation, 29) minutes. Shunt reinsertion and infection rates were 16% (n=87) and 7% (n=36), respectively. The most common cause for shunt reinsertion was malfunction followed by shunt infection. Independent predictors for shunt infection were: traumatic brain injury (adjusted odds ratio=6.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.3-16.8), emergency shunting (2.3; 1.0-5.1), and prophylactic vancomycin as the sole antibiotic (3.4; 1.1-11.0). The 30-day all-cause mortality was 6% and none were directly procedure-related. This is the first Hong Kong

  7. Impedance technique for measuring dielectrophoretic collection of microbiological particles

    CERN Document Server

    Allsopp, D W E; Brown, A P; Betts, W B

    1999-01-01

    Measurement of the impedance change resulting from the collection of microbiological particles at coplanar electrodes is shown to be an effective and potentially quantitative method of detecting dielectrophoresis. Strong correlations between the frequency-dependent dielectrophoretic collection characteristics measured by impedance change and those observed using an established counting method based on image analysis have been obtained for Escherichia coli. In addition it is shown that the new electrical method can be used to sense dielectrophoretic collection of 19 nm diameter latex beads, particles too small to be resolved by conventional optical detection systems. (author)

  8. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt complications needing shunt revision in children: A review of 5 years of experience with 48 revisions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajendra K Ghritlaharey

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to review the management of ventriculoperitoneal (VP shunt complications in children. Patients and Methods: During the last 5 years (January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010, 236 VP shunt operations were performed in children under 12 years of age; of these, 40 (16.94% developed shunt complications and those who underwent VP shunt revisions were studied. Results: This prospective study included 40 (28 boys and 12 girls children and required 48 shunt revisions. Complications following VP shunts that required shunt revisions were peritoneal catheter/peritoneal end malfunction (18, shunt/shunt tract infections (7, extrusion of peritoneal catheter through anus (5, ventricular catheter malfunction (4, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF leak from abdominal wound (4, shunt system failure (2, ventricular end/shunt displacement (2, CSF pseudocysts peritoneal cavity (2, extrusion of peritoneal catheter from neck, chest, abdominal scar and through umbilicus, one each. Four-fifth of these shunt complications occurred within 6 months of previous surgery. Surgical procedures done during shunt revisions in order of frequency were revision of peritoneal part of shunt (27, 56.25%, revision of entire shunt system (6, 12.5%, extra ventricular drainage and delayed re-shunt (5, 10.41%, shunt removal and delayed re-shunt (5, 10.41%, opposite side shunting (2, 4.16%, cysts excision and revision of peritoneal catheter (2, 4.16% and revision of ventricular catheter (1, 2.08%. The mortalities following VP shunt operations were 44 (18.64% and following shunt revisions were 4 (10%. Conclusions: VP shunt done for hydrocephalus in children is not only prone for complications and need for revision surgery but also associated with considerable mortality.

  9. Signal Processing for the Impedance Measurement on an Electrochemical Generator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    El-Hassane AGLZIM

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Improving the life time of batteries or fuel cells requires the optimization of components such as membranes and electrodes and enhancement of the flow of gases [1], [2]. These goals could be reached by using a real time measurement on loaded generator. The impedance spectroscopy is a new way that was recently investigated. In this paper, we present an electronic measurement instrumentation developed in our laboratory to measure and plot the impedance of a loaded electrochemical generator like batteries and fuel cells. Impedance measures were done according to variations of the frequency in a larger band than what is usually used. The electronic instrumentation is controlled by Hpvee® software which allows us to plot the Nyquist graph of the electrochemical generator impedance. The theoretical results obtained in simulation under Pspice® confirm the choice of the method and its advantage. For safety reasons, the experimental preliminary tests were done on a 12 V vehicle battery, having an input current of 330 A and a capacity of 40 Ah and are now extended to a fuel cell. The results were plotted at various nominal voltages of the battery (12.7 V, 10 V, 8 V and 5 V and with two imposed currents (0.6 A and 4 A. The Nyquist diagram resulting from the experimental data enable us to show an influence of the load of the battery on its internal impedance. The similitude in the graph form and in order of magnitude of the values obtained (both theoretical and practical enables us to validate our electronic measurement instrumentation. Different sensors (temperature, pressure were placed around the device under test (DUT. These influence parameters were permanently recorded. Results presented here concern a classic loaded 12 V vehicle battery. The Nyquist diagram resulting from the experimental data confirms the influence of the load of the DUT on its internal impedance.

  10. Energy storage cell impedance measuring apparatus, methods and related systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, John L.; Morrison, William H.; Christophersen, Jon P.

    2017-12-26

    Energy storage cell impedance testing devices, circuits, and related methods are disclosed. An energy storage cell impedance measuring device includes a sum of sinusoids (SOS) current excitation circuit including differential current sources configured to isolate a ground terminal of the differential current sources from a positive terminal and a negative terminal of an energy storage cell. A method includes applying an SOS signal comprising a sum of sinusoidal current signals to the energy storage cell with the SOS current excitation circuit, each of the sinusoidal current signals oscillating at a different one of a plurality of different frequencies. The method also includes measuring an electrical signal at a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the energy storage cell, and computing an impedance of the energy storage cell at each of the plurality of different frequencies using the measured electrical signal.

  11. Simulations and measurements of coupling impedance for modern particle accelerator devices

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2158523; Biancacci, Nicolò; Mostacci, Andrea

    In this document it has been treated the study of the coupling impedance in modern devices, already installed or not, in different particle accelerators. In the specific case: • For a device in-phase of project, several simulations for impedance calculation have been done. • For a component already realized and used, measurements of coupling impedance value have been done. Simulations are used to determine the impact of the interconnect between to magnets, designed for the future particle accelerator FCC, on the overall impedance of the machine which is about 100 km long. In particular has been done a check between theory, simulations and measurements of components already built, allowing a better and deeper study of the component we have analysed. Controls that probably will be helpful to have a clear guideline in future works. The measurements instead concern in an existing component that was already used in LHC, the longest particle accelerator ever realised on the planet, 27 km long. The coupling impe...

  12. Wireless guided wave and impedance measurement using laser and piezoelectric transducers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Hyun-Jun; Sohn, Hoon; Yun, Chung-Bang; Chung, Joseph; Lee, Michael M S

    2012-01-01

    Guided-wave- and impedance-based structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques have gained much attention due to their high sensitivity to small defects. One of the popular devices commonly used for guided wave and impedance measurements is a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducer. This study proposes a new wireless scheme where the power and data required for PZT excitation and sensing are transmitted via laser. First, a modulated laser beam is wirelessly transmitted to the photodiode connected to a PZT on a structure. Then, the photodiode converts the laser light into an electric signal, and it is applied to the PZT for excitation. The corresponding responses, impedance at the same PZT or guided waves at another PZT, are measured, re-converted into laser light, and wirelessly transmitted back to the other photodiode located in the data interrogator for signal processing. The feasibility of the proposed wireless guided wave and impedance measurement schemes has been examined through circuit analyses and experimentally investigated in a laboratory setup. (paper)

  13. Measured longitudinal beam impedance of booster gradient magnets; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James L Crisp and Brian J. Fellenz

    2001-01-01

    The Booster gradient magnets have no vacuum pipe which forces the beam image current to flow along the laminated pole tips. Both D and F style magnets were measured with a stretched wire to determine the longitudinal beam impedance caused by these laminations. Results are compared to calculations done 30 years ago. The inductive part of the magnet impedance is interesting because it partially compensates for the negative inductance effects of space charge on the beam. An R/L circuit consisting of 37K(center d ot) in parallel with between 40 and 100uH is a reasonable approximation to the total impedance of Booster magnet laminations

  14. The measurement of skin impedance for the diagnosis of skin cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menzies, S.; Crook, B.; McCarthy, W.

    1996-01-01

    Full text: In vivo skin impedance measurements have been reported to be diagnostic in differentiating benign from malignant skin tumours (Kiss G et al. Borgyogy Vener Szle 45: 164,1969; Melczer N. In: Cancer of the Skin. Saunders Co. Philadelphia, 1976, pp293-313). However, in contrast to non-melanoma skin cancer, only, a small sample of malignant melanomas were reported in these previous studies. We performed skin impedance measurements on a larger sample of melanomas in order to assess the potential use of such instrumentation for clinical diagnosis. The diagnostic method described by Kiss and Horvath was reproduced with only minor modifications. Low voltage impedance measurements at 1600 Hz were taken over each lesion and on nearby surrounding normal skin. Filter paper (4mm diameter) soaked in 0.1 M KCl was used at the skin-probe interface. A minimum of 2 skin and 1 lesion measurements were taken. All lesions were taken from relatively hairless sites and were non abraded or ulcerated. With the exception of 6 seborrhoeic keratoses all lesions were excised for histological diagnosis. The lesions tested were 27 invasive melanomas, 3 in situ melanomas, 27 basal cell carcinomas (BCC), 70 benign melanocytic lesions, 19 seborrhoeic keratoses, 5 Bowens disease (in situ SCC), 1 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 25 other benign lesions. Results were interpreted as previously (Melczer) by the quotient of skin impedance / lesion impedance > 1.5 indicating malignancy. Analysis of total melanocytic lesions gave a sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 83% for the diagnosis of invasive melanoma (p < 0.05). Fifty two percent of BCCs were positively diagnosed. Analysis of all benign versus all invasive malignancy gave a sensitivity of 47% and specificity of 77% for the diagnosis of invasive malignancy (p < 0.01). While impedance measurements at 1600 Hz provide a statistically significant differentiation of melanoma versus non-melanoma and invasive malignancy versus benign lesions

  15. Portable bioimpedance monitor evaluation for continuous impedance measurements. Towards wearable plethysmography applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, J; Seoane, F; Lindecrantz, K

    2013-01-01

    Personalised Health Systems (PHS) that could benefit the life quality of the patients as well as decreasing the health care costs for society among other factors are arisen. The purpose of this paper is to study the capabilities of the System-on-Chip Impedance Network Analyser AD5933 performing high speed single frequency continuous bioimpedance measurements. From a theoretical analysis, the minimum continuous impedance estimation time was determined, and the AD5933 with a custom 4-Electrode Analog Front-End (AFE) was used to experimentally determine the maximum continuous impedance estimation frequency as well as the system impedance estimation error when measuring a 2R1C electrical circuit model. Transthoracic Electrical Bioimpedance (TEB) measurements in a healthy subject were obtained using 3M gel electrodes in a tetrapolar lateral spot electrode configuration. The obtained TEB raw signal was filtered in MATLAB to obtain the respiration and cardiogenic signals, and from the cardiogenic signal the impedance derivative signal (dZ/dt) was also calculated. The results have shown that the maximum continuous impedance estimation rate was approximately 550 measurements per second with a magnitude estimation error below 1% on 2R1C-parallel bridge measurements. The displayed respiration and cardiac signals exhibited good performance, and they could be used to obtain valuable information in some plethysmography monitoring applications. The obtained results suggest that the AD5933-based monitor could be used for the implementation of a portable and wearable Bioimpedance plethysmograph that could be used in applications such as Impedance Cardiography. These results combined with the research done in functional garments and textile electrodes might enable the implementation of PHS applications in a relatively short time from now.

  16. Electrode-less measurement of cell layers impedance

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krůšek, Jan; Ďaďo, S.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 63, č. 6 (2014), s. 705-711 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : cell impedance measurement * transepithelial resistance Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.293, year: 2014

  17. Evaluation of different methods for measuring the impedance of Lithium-ion batteries during ageing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stroe, Daniel Loan; Swierczynski, Maciej Jozef; Stroe, Ana-Irina

    2015-01-01

    The impedance represents one of the most important performance parameters of the Lithium-ion batteries since it used for power capability calculations, battery pack and system design, cooling system design and also for state-of-health estimation. In the literature, different approaches...... are presented for measuring the impedance of Lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and dc current pulses are the most used ones; each of these approaches has its own advantages and drawbacks. The goal of this paper is to investigate which of the most encountered impedance measurement...... approaches is the most suitable for measuring the impedance of Lithium-ion batteries during ageing....

  18. Evaluation of electrical impedance ratio measurements in accuracy of electronic apex locators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Pil-Jong; Kim, Hong-Gee; Cho, Byeong-Hoon

    2015-05-01

    The aim of this paper was evaluating the ratios of electrical impedance measurements reported in previous studies through a correlation analysis in order to explicit it as the contributing factor to the accuracy of electronic apex locator (EAL). The literature regarding electrical property measurements of EALs was screened using Medline and Embase. All data acquired were plotted to identify correlations between impedance and log-scaled frequency. The accuracy of the impedance ratio method used to detect the apical constriction (APC) in most EALs was evaluated using linear ramp function fitting. Changes of impedance ratios for various frequencies were evaluated for a variety of file positions. Among the ten papers selected in the search process, the first-order equations between log-scaled frequency and impedance were in the negative direction. When the model for the ratios was assumed to be a linear ramp function, the ratio values decreased if the file went deeper and the average ratio values of the left and right horizontal zones were significantly different in 8 out of 9 studies. The APC was located within the interval of linear relation between the left and right horizontal zones of the linear ramp model. Using the ratio method, the APC was located within a linear interval. Therefore, using the impedance ratio between electrical impedance measurements at different frequencies was a robust method for detection of the APC.

  19. Doubly Fed Induction Generator System Resonance Active Damping through Stator Virtual Impedance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Yipeng; Wang, Xiongfei; Blaabjerg, Frede

    2017-01-01

    (positive capacitor or negative inductor) into the stator branch through stator current feedforward control. The effectiveness of the DFIG system active damping control is verified by a 7.5 kW experimental down-scaled DFIG system, and simulation results of a commercial 2 MW DFIG system is provided as well....... converters/loads. This paper analyzes and explains first the HFR phenomenon between the DFIG system and a parallel compensated weak network (series RL + shunt C). Then on the basis of the DFIG system impedance modeling, an active damping control strategy is introduced by inserting a virtual impedance...... Frequency Resonance (HFR) due to the impedance interaction between the DFIG system and the weak grid network whose impedance is comparative large. Thus, it is important to implement an active damping for the HFR in order to ensure a safe and reliable operation of both the DFIG system and the grid connected...

  20. Nuclear radiation-warning detector that measures impedance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savignac, Noel Felix; Gomez, Leo S; Yelton, William Graham; Robinson, Alex; Limmer, Steven

    2013-06-04

    This invention is a nuclear radiation-warning detector that measures impedance of silver-silver halide on an interdigitated electrode to detect light or radiation comprised of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, X rays, and/or neutrons. The detector is comprised of an interdigitated electrode covered by a layer of silver halide. After exposure to alpha particles, beta particles, X rays, gamma rays, neutron radiation, or light, the silver halide is reduced to silver in the presence of a reducing solution. The change from the high electrical resistance (impedance) of silver halide to the low resistance of silver provides the radiation warning that detected radiation levels exceed a predetermined radiation dose threshold.

  1. Coupling impedance of an in-vacuum undulator: Measurement, simulation, and analytical estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smaluk, Victor; Fielder, Richard; Blednykh, Alexei; Rehm, Guenther; Bartolini, Riccardo

    2014-07-01

    One of the important issues of the in-vacuum undulator design is the coupling impedance of the vacuum chamber, which includes tapered transitions with variable gap size. To get complete and reliable information on the impedance, analytical estimate, numerical simulations and beam-based measurements have been performed at Diamond Light Source, a forthcoming upgrade of which includes introducing additional insertion device (ID) straights. The impedance of an already existing ID vessel geometrically similar to the new one has been measured using the orbit bump method. The measurement results in comparison with analytical estimations and numerical simulations are discussed in this paper.

  2. Application of Kramers-Kronig relationships for titanium impedance data validation in a Ringer's solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bastidas, D. M.

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the applicability of Kramers-Kronig (KK relationships to assess the validity of real and imaginary impedance measurements for titanium in a Ringer's solution using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS method. Nyquist and Bode plots showed a capacitive behaviour with a high impedance modulus including two time constants. Two procedures were employed in the implementation of the KK integral relationships based on an equivalent circuit which satisfies KK relationships and an ohmic resistance shunted to the measured EIS data. The titanium's EIS data satisfied the KK relationships.

    Este artículo estudia la aplicabilidad de las relaciones de Kramers-Kronig (KK al estudio de la validez de las medidas de impedancia (EIS, parte real y parte imaginaria, del titanio en contacto con la solución de Ringer. Los diagramas de Nyquist y Bode muestran un comportamiento capacitivo, con un módulo de impedancia elevado y con dos constantes de tiempo. En la implementación de las integrales de KK se emplearon dos procedimientos, que se basan en un circuito equivalente que cumple las relaciones de KK y en una resistencia óhmica en paralelo añadida a los datos de impedancia medidos. Los resultados de impedancia del titanio satisfacen las relaciones de KK.

  3. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt blockage by hydatid cyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abrar A Wani

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Ventriculoperitoneal (VP shunt is one of the commonest procedures done in neurosurgical practice throughout the world. One of the commonest problems after putting the VP shunt is the shunt obstruction, which can be due to varied causes. Shunt obstruction secondary to the parasitic infections is rarely seen. We are presenting a 15-year-old child, a case of operated cerebral hydatid cyst with hydrocephalus. She presented with shunt malfunction after 1 year of surgical excision of the hydatid cyst. Revision of the VP shunt was done and peroperatively, it was found that the shunt tubing was obstructed due to small hydatid cysts. This is the first reported case of VP shunt obstruction by hydatid cyst.

  4. Bench measurements of coupling impedance of AGS Booster components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ratti, A.; Shea, T.J.

    1991-01-01

    Quantifying instability thresholds for modern synchrotrons and storage rings requires some knowledge of the accelerator's coupling impedance. To this end, the wire technique has been implemented to measure the longitudinal coupling impedance of AGS Booster devices. The techniques are being refined to allow measurement of RHIC devices at higher frequencies. All the measurements are performed using an HP 8753 Network Analyzer controlled via GPIB by a Macintosh computer. The computer provides an environment for automated data acquisition, data analysis, and report generation. Resistive matches between the 50ω analyzer cables and the 300ω pipe-and-wire structure allow the use of a simple response calibration in the measurement of S21 to 400MHz. Results from ferrite loaded rf cavities, position monitors and kickers are presented. 4 refs., 4 figs

  5. Bacterial contamination of surgeons' gloves during shunt insertion; a pilot study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Preben; Ejlertsen, Tove; Aaen, Dorte

    2008-01-01

    Bacterial infection is a major cause of shunt dysfunction. It is well-known that the majority of pathogenic micro-organisms are low-virulent bacteria normally found on intact skin. Probably shunts become contaminated during surgery either by contact to the patient skin, or contact from contaminated...... gloves or instruments. This study was performed to find out to what extent gloves become contaminated during shunt surgery. Gloves used during shunt implantation were examined in 10 operations. Shunt implantation was done using recommended precautions to avoid infection, including prophylactic...... nurse and assistant were contaminated with micro-organisms less than 15 min after surgery has been commenced and before the shunts were handled. This study offers a feasible, simple and logical explanation of how shunts may become contaminated and infected. A simple measure would be to change the outer...

  6. Method and device for bio-impedance measurement with hard-tissue applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guimerà, A; Calderón, E; Los, P; Christie, A M

    2008-01-01

    Bio-impedance measurements can be used to detect and monitor several properties of living hard-tissues, some of which include bone mineral density, bone fracture healing or dental caries detection. In this paper a simple method and hardware architecture for hard tissue bio-impedance measurement is proposed. The key design aspects of such architecture are discussed and a commercial handheld ac impedance device is presented that is fully certified to international medical standards. It includes a 4-channel multiplexer and is capable of measuring impedances from 10 kΩ to 10 MΩ across a frequency range of 100 Hz to 100 kHz with a maximum error of 5%. The device incorporates several user interface methods and a Bluetooth link for bi-directional wireless data transfer. Low-power design techniques have been implemented, ensuring the device exceeds 8 h of continuous use. Finally, bench test results using dummy cells consisting of parallel connected resistors and capacitors, from 10 kΩ to 10 MΩ and from 20 pF to 100 pF, are discussed

  7. Method and device for bio-impedance measurement with hard-tissue applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimerà, A; Calderón, E; Los, P; Christie, A M

    2008-06-01

    Bio-impedance measurements can be used to detect and monitor several properties of living hard-tissues, some of which include bone mineral density, bone fracture healing or dental caries detection. In this paper a simple method and hardware architecture for hard tissue bio-impedance measurement is proposed. The key design aspects of such architecture are discussed and a commercial handheld ac impedance device is presented that is fully certified to international medical standards. It includes a 4-channel multiplexer and is capable of measuring impedances from 10 kOmega to 10 MOmega across a frequency range of 100 Hz to 100 kHz with a maximum error of 5%. The device incorporates several user interface methods and a Bluetooth link for bi-directional wireless data transfer. Low-power design techniques have been implemented, ensuring the device exceeds 8 h of continuous use. Finally, bench test results using dummy cells consisting of parallel connected resistors and capacitors, from 10 kOmega to 10 MOmega and from 20 pF to 100 pF, are discussed.

  8. Electrode-Skin contact impedance: In vivo measurements on an ovine model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, D T; Kosobrodov, R; Jin, C; McEwan, A; Barry, M A; Chik, W; Thiagalingam, A; Oh, T I

    2013-01-01

    The problem of electrical impedance between the skin and the electrode is an on-going challenge in bio-electronics. This is particularly true in the case of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), which uses a large number of skin-contact electrodes and is very sensitive to noise. In the present article, contact impedance is measured and compared for a range of electrodes placed on the thorax of an ovine model. The study has been approved by the Westmead Hospital Animal Ethics Committee. The electrode models that were employed in the research are Ag/AgCl electrodes (E1), commonly used for ECG and EIT measurements in both humans and animal models, stainless steel crocodile clips (E2), typically used on animal models, and novel multi-point dry electrodes in two modifications: bronze plated (E3) and nickel plated (E4). Further, since the contact impedance is mostly attributed to the acellular outer layer of the skin, in our experiment, we attempted to study the effect of this layer by comparing the results when the skin is intact and when electrodes are introduced underneath the skin through small cuts. This boundary effect was assessed by comparison of measurements obtained during E2 skin surface contact, and sub-cutaneous contact (E5). Twelve gauge intradermal needles were also tested as an electrode (E6). The full impedance spectrum, from 500 Hz to 300 kHz, was recorded, analysed and compared. As expected, the contact impedance in the more invasive cases, i.e the electrodes under the skin, is significantly lower than in the non-invasive cases. At the frequency of 50 kHz which is commonly used in lung EIT acquisition, electrodes E3, E4 and E6 demonstrated contact impedance of less than 200 Ω, compared to more than 400 Ω measured for electrodes E1, E2 and E5. In conclusion, the novel multipoint electrodes proved to be best suited for EIT purposes, because they are non-invasive and have lower contact impedance than Ag/AgCl and crocodile clips, in both invasive and

  9. Evaluation of electrical impedance ratio measurements in accuracy of electronic apex locators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pil-Jong Kim

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Objectives The aim of this paper was evaluating the ratios of electrical impedance measurements reported in previous studies through a correlation analysis in order to explicit it as the contributing factor to the accuracy of electronic apex locator (EAL. Materials and Methods The literature regarding electrical property measurements of EALs was screened using Medline and Embase. All data acquired were plotted to identify correlations between impedance and log-scaled frequency. The accuracy of the impedance ratio method used to detect the apical constriction (APC in most EALs was evaluated using linear ramp function fitting. Changes of impedance ratios for various frequencies were evaluated for a variety of file positions. Results Among the ten papers selected in the search process, the first-order equations between log-scaled frequency and impedance were in the negative direction. When the model for the ratios was assumed to be a linear ramp function, the ratio values decreased if the file went deeper and the average ratio values of the left and right horizontal zones were significantly different in 8 out of 9 studies. The APC was located within the interval of linear relation between the left and right horizontal zones of the linear ramp model. Conclusions Using the ratio method, the APC was located within a linear interval. Therefore, using the impedance ratio between electrical impedance measurements at different frequencies was a robust method for detection of the APC.

  10. Coupling impedance of an in-vacuum undulator: Measurement, simulation, and analytical estimation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor Smaluk

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available One of the important issues of the in-vacuum undulator design is the coupling impedance of the vacuum chamber, which includes tapered transitions with variable gap size. To get complete and reliable information on the impedance, analytical estimate, numerical simulations and beam-based measurements have been performed at Diamond Light Source, a forthcoming upgrade of which includes introducing additional insertion device (ID straights. The impedance of an already existing ID vessel geometrically similar to the new one has been measured using the orbit bump method. The measurement results in comparison with analytical estimations and numerical simulations are discussed in this paper.

  11. Congenital Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Woong Hee; Kim, Young Tong; Jou, Sung Shick; Shin, Hyeong Cheol [Soonchunhyang University, Asan (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-12-15

    Intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are an anomalous connection between the portal vein and hepatic vein/IVC, which may be either congenital or acquired secondary to liver cirrhosis or portal hypertension. Cases of congenital intrahepatic shunts are usually encountered in children and may spontaneously resolve. We report 5 cases of congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in neonates and an adult

  12. Failed Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: Is Retrograde Ventriculosinus Shunt a Reliable Option?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Matheus Fernandes de; Teixeira, Manoel Jacobsen; Reis, Rodolfo Casimiro; Petitto, Carlo Emanuel; Gomes Pinto, Fernando Campos

    2016-08-01

    Currently, the treatment of hydrocephalus is mainly carried out through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion. However, in some cases, there may be surgical revisions and requirement of an alternative distal site for shunting. There are several described distal sites, and secondary options after VPS include ventriculopleural and ventriculoatrial shunt, which have technical difficulties and harmful complications. In this preliminary report we describe our initial experience with retrograde ventriculosinus shunt (RVSS) after failed VPS. In 3 consecutive cases we applied RVSS to treat hydrocephalus in shunt-dependent patients who had previously undergone VPS revision and in which peritoneal space was full of adhesions and fibrosis. RVSS was performed as described by Shafei et al., with some modifications to each case. All 3 patients kept the same clinical profile after RVSS, with no perioperative or postoperative complications. However, revision surgery was performed in the first operative day in 1 out of 3 patients, in which the catheter was not positioned in the superior sagittal sinus. We propose that in cases where VPS is not feasible, RVSS may be a safe and applicable second option. Nevertheless, the long-term follow-up of patients and further learning curve must bring stronger evidence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Nuclear EMP: stripline test method for measuring transfer impedance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, J.S.

    1975-11-01

    A method for measuring the transfer impedance of flat metal joints for frequencies to 100 MHz has been developed which makes use of striplines. The stripline method, which has similarities to the quadraxial method used for cylindrical components, is described and sets of test results are given. The transfer impedance of a simple joint is modeled as a spurious hyperbolic curve, and a close curve fit to transfer impedance test data from various samples is demonstrated for both the stripline and the quadraxial methods. Validity checks of the test data are discussed using the curve model and other criteria. The method was developed for testing riveted joints which form the avionics bays on B-1s. The joints must provide shielding from EMP currents

  14. Rate of shunt revision as a function of age in patients with shunted hydrocephalus due to myelomeningocele.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupepe, Esther B; Hopson, Betsy; Johnston, James M; Rozzelle, Curtis J; Jerry Oakes, W; Blount, Jeffrey P; Rocque, Brandon G

    2016-11-01

    OBJECTIVE It is generally accepted that cerebrospinal fluid shunts fail most frequently in the first years of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the risk of shunt failure for a given patient age in a well-defined cohort with shunted hydrocephalus due to myelomeningocele (MMC). METHODS The authors analyzed data from their institutional spina bifida research database including all patients with MMC and shunted hydrocephalus. For the entire population, the number of shunt revisions in each year of life was determined. Then the number of patients at risk for shunt revision during each year of life was calculated, thus enabling them to calculate the rate of shunt revision per patient in each year of life. In this way, the timing of all shunt revision operations for the entire clinic population and the likelihood of having a shunt revision during each year of life were calculated. RESULTS A total of 655 patients were enrolled in the spina bifida research database, 519 of whom had a diagnosis of MMC and whose mean age was 17.48 ± 11.7 years (median 16 years, range 0-63 years). Four hundred seventeen patients had had a CSF shunt for the treatment of hydrocephalus and thus are included in this analysis. There were 94 shunt revisions in the 1st year of life, which represents a rate of 0.23 revisions per patient in that year. The rate of shunt revision per patient-year initially decreased as age increased, except for an increase in revision frequency in the early teen years. Shunt revisions continued to occur as late as 43 years of age. CONCLUSIONS These data substantiate the idea that shunt revision surgeries in patients with MMC are most common in the 1st year of life and decrease thereafter, except for an increase in the early teen years. A persistent risk of shunt failure was observed well into adult life. These findings underscore the importance of routine follow-up of all MMC patients with shunted hydrocephalus and will aid in counseling patients and

  15. Portable audio electronics for impedance-based measurements in microfluidics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, Paul; Sinton, David

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrate the use of audio electronics-based signals to perform on-chip electrochemical measurements. Cell phones and portable music players are examples of consumer electronics that are easily operated and are ubiquitous worldwide. Audio output (play) and input (record) signals are voltage based and contain frequency and amplitude information. A cell phone, laptop soundcard and two compact audio players are compared with respect to frequency response; the laptop soundcard provides the most uniform frequency response, while the cell phone performance is found to be insufficient. The audio signals in the common portable music players and laptop soundcard operate in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and are found to be applicable, as voltage input and output signals, to impedance-based electrochemical measurements in microfluidic systems. Validated impedance-based measurements of concentration (0.1–50 mM), flow rate (2–120 µL min −1 ) and particle detection (32 µm diameter) are demonstrated. The prevailing, lossless, wave audio file format is found to be suitable for data transmission to and from external sources, such as a centralized lab, and the cost of all hardware (in addition to audio devices) is ∼10 USD. The utility demonstrated here, in combination with the ubiquitous nature of portable audio electronics, presents new opportunities for impedance-based measurements in portable microfluidic systems. (technical note)

  16. Intracranial Pressure-Guided Shunt Valve Adjustments with the Miethke Sensor Reservoir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antes, Sebastian; Stadie, Axel; Müller, Simon; Linsler, Stefan; Breuskin, David; Oertel, Joachim

    2018-01-01

    Telemetric intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring seems to be a promising therapy-supporting option in shunt-treated patients. Benefits become obvious when headaches are unspecific and clinical symptoms cannot be related to possible overdrainage or underdrainage. In this study, we evaluated a new telemetric device to individually adjust shunt valves according to ICP measurements. Between December 2015 and November 2016, 25 patients with suspected suboptimal shunt valve settings underwent insertion of a telemetric ICP sensor (Sensor Reservoir; Christoph Miethke, Potsdam, Germany). Over a 1-year period, a total of 183 telemetric ICP measurements and 85 shunt valve adjustments were carried out. Retrospective statistic analyses focused on valve adjustments, ICP values, and clinical outcomes. ICP-guided valve adjustments positively changed the clinical state in 18 out of 25 patients. Clinical improvement over time was associated with significant changes of the valve settings and ICP values. Interestingly, a therapeutically normalized ICP profile was not automatically associated with clinical improvement. The Sensor Reservoir is an important and valuable tool for shunt-treated patients suffering from drainage-related problems. The possibility to simultaneously recognize and solve shunt problems represents the decisive advantage. Nevertheless, measurements with the Sensor Reservoir did not allow for the determination of default valve settings or universal target ICP values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Operators manual for a computer controlled impedance measurement system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, J.

    1987-02-01

    Operating instructions of a computer controlled impedance measurement system based in Hewlett Packard instrumentation are given. Hardware details, program listings, flowcharts and a practical application are included.

  18. A Harmonic Impedance Measurement System for Reduction of Harmonics in the Electricity Grid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heskes, P.J.M.; Myrzik, J.M.A.; Kling, W.L.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the development of a Complex Harmonic Impedance Measurement system, called the CHIME-system. This system performs on-line impedance measurements in the electricity grid and will be designed for implementation in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) control systems of grid-connected

  19. A harmonic impedance measurement system for reduction of harmonics in the electricity grid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heskes, P.J.M.; Myrzik, J.M.A.; Kling, W.L.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes the development of a Complex Harmonic Impedance Measurement system, called the CHIME-system. This system performs on-line impedance measurements in the electricity grid and will be designed for implementation in Digital Signal Processor (DSP) control systems of grid-connected

  20. Software development with two port calibration techniques for RHIC impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mane, V.; Shea, T.

    1993-01-01

    The coupling impedance of accelerator devices is measured by simulating the beam with a central wire and measuring the scattering parameters of the system. The wire pipe system forms a mismatch with the 50 ohm transmission line. An integrated software environment has been developed in LabVIEW, for the Macintosh. The program measures the scattering parameters of some known standards, determines the connect scattering parameters of a device using TRL calibration technique and gives the impedance of the device. Its performance has been tested for some known microwave devices

  1. Measurements of Electric Performance and Impedance of a 75 Ah NMC Lithium Battery Module

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Søren Højgaard; Engelbrecht, Kurt

    2012-01-01

    and the Laplace transformed excitation signal technique which each have pros and cons. By combining the two impedance measurement techniques we are able to reduce the measurement time by a factor of 20 relative to ordinary single-sine measurements. Further we use the impedance measurements to calculate...

  2. Pathological Predictors of Shunt Stenosis and Hepatic Encephalopathy after Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuliang He

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS is an artificial channel from the portal vein to the hepatic vein or vena cava for controlling portal vein hypertension. The major drawbacks of TIPS are shunt stenosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE; previous studies showed that post-TIPS shunt stenosis and HE might be correlated with the pathological features of the liver tissues. Therefore, we analyzed the pathological predictors for clinical outcome, to determine the risk factors for shunt stenosis and HE after TIPS. Methods. We recruited 361 patients who suffered from portal hypertension symptoms and were treated with TIPS from January 2009 to December 2012. Results. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of shunt stenosis was increased with more severe inflammation in the liver tissue (OR, 2.864; 95% CI: 1.466–5.592; P=0.002, HE comorbidity (OR, 6.266; 95% CI, 3.141–12.501; P<0.001, or higher MELD score (95% CI, 1.298–1.731; P<0.001. Higher risk of HE was associated with shunt stenosis comorbidity (OR, 6.266; 95% CI, 3.141–12.501; P<0.001, higher stage of the liver fibrosis (OR, 2.431; 95% CI, 1.355–4.359; P=0.003, and higher MELD score (95% CI, 1.711–2.406; P<0.001. Conclusion. The pathological features can predict individual susceptibility to shunt stenosis and HE.

  3. Clinical and ultrasonographic criteria for using ventriculoperitoneal shunts in newborns with myelomeningocele

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Roberto Tude Melo

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective Hydrocephalus is one of the main complications associated with myelomeningocele (MM. This study aimed to identify clinical and ultrasonographic criteria for using ventriculoperitoneal (VP shunts in this group of patients.Method A retrospective cohort study, based on established protocol for VP shunt implant in hydrocephalic children with MM. Parameters used to guide the indication of VP shunts included measurement of head circumference (HC, evaluation of fontanels, and measurement of lateral ventricular atrium (LVA width by transcranial ultrasonography.Results 43 children were included in the analysis, of which 74% had hydrocephalus and required a VP shunt. These children had LVA width ≥ 15 mm, showed increased HC, or had bulging fontanels.Conclusion VP shunt is required in children with increased HC (≥ 2 standard deviation regarding age group, bulging fontanels, or LVA width of ≥ 15 mm after the closure of MM.

  4. Assessment of bolus transit with intraluminal impedance measurement in patients with esophageal motility disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogte, A; Bredenoord, A J; Oors, J; Siersema, P D; Smout, A J P M

    2015-10-01

    The clinical management of patients with non-obstructive dysphagia is notoriously difficult. Esophageal impedance measurement can be used to measure esophageal bolus transit without the use of radiation exposure to patients. However, validation of measurement of bolus transit with impedance monitoring has only been performed in healthy subjects with normal motility and not in patients with dysphagia and esophageal motility disorders. The aim was, therefore, to investigate the relationship between transit of swallowed liquid boluses in healthy controls and in patients with dysphagia. Twenty healthy volunteers and 20 patients with dysphagia underwent concurrent impedance measurement and videofluoroscopy. Each subject swallowed five liquid barium boluses. The ability of detecting complete or incomplete bolus transit by means of impedance measurement was assessed, using radiographic bolus transit as the gold standard. Impedance monitoring recognized stasis and transit in 80.5% of the events correctly, with 83.9% of bolus transit being recognized and 77.2% of stasis being recognized correctly. In controls 79.8% of all swallows were scored correctly, whereas in patients 81.3% of all swallows were scored correctly. Depending on the contractility pattern, between 77.0% and 94.3% of the swallows were scored correctly. Impedance measurement can be used to assess bolus clearance patterns in healthy subjects, but can also be used to reliably assess bolus transit in patients with dysphagia and motility disorders. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. 30 CFR 56.6401 - Shunting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Explosives Electric Blasting § 56.6401 Shunting. Except during testing— (a) Electric detonators shall be kept shunted until connected to the blasting line or wired into a blasting round; (b) Wired rounds shall be kept shunted until...

  6. Coaxial wire impedance measurements of BPM buttons for the PEP-II B- factory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corlett, J.N.

    1995-09-01

    The coaxial wire impedance measurement uses a conducting rod placed along the beam axis in the vacuum chamber, forming the center conductor in a coaxial line system. Tapers at either end of this section allow for smooth impedance transformation from the 50Ω lines used in common microwave measurement equipment, to the characteristic impedance of the vacuum chamber and center conductor, typically around 200Ω. RF and microwave absorptive material placed in the ends of the vacuum chamber and in the impedance matching tapers minimizes reflections which cause trapped modes within the apparatus, allowing measurements to be made above the traveling-wave cut-off frequency of the vacuum vessel (typically 2.5 - 3.0 GHz for PEP-II). A smooth vessel of the same cross-section as that containing the device under test is used in a reference measurement Resonances within the apparatus are difficult to avoid completely and require careful placing of absorptive material, manufacture of test and reference chambers, and assembly of apparatus

  7. Abdominal fat thickness measurement using Focused Impedance Method (FIM) - phantom study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haowlader, Salahuddin; Baig, Tanveer Noor; Siddique-e Rabbani, K.

    2010-04-01

    Abdominal fat thickness is a risk indicator of heart diseases, diabetes, etc., and its measurement is therefore important from the point of view of preventive care. Tetrapolar electrical impedance measurements (TPIM) could offer a simple and low cost alternative for such measurement compared to conventional techniques using CT scan and MRI, and has been tried by different groups. Focused Impedance Method (FIM) appears attractive as it can give localised information. An intuitive physical model was developed and experimental work was performed on a phantom designed to simulate abdominal subcutaneous fat layer in a body. TPIM measurements were performed with varying electrode separations. For small separations of current and potential electrodes, the measured impedance changed little, but started to decrease sharply beyond a certain separation, eventually diminishing gradually to negligible values. The finding could be explained using the intuitive physical model and gives an important practical information. TPIM and FIM may be useful for measurement of SFL thickness only if the electrode separations are within a certain specific range, and will fail to give reliable results if beyond this range. Further work, both analytical and experimental, are needed to establish this technique on a sound footing.

  8. Optimum design of matrix fault current limiters using the series resistance connected with shunt coil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, D. C.; Choi, H. S.; Lee, N. Y.; Nam, G. Y.; Cho, Y. S.; Sung, T. H.; Han, Y. H.; Kim, B. S.; Lim, S. H.

    2007-10-01

    In this paper we described the improved design for the matrix fault current limiters (MFCL). To do this, we used thin film-type superconducting elements. therefore it means that we can make the MFCL with minimized size and high switching speed because of the high current density and the high indexing value of superconducting thin film. Also we could minimize the bulky shunt coil using the connection of a series resistance with a shunt coil. Also we could effectively block up a leakage current in shunt coils under no-fault condition and simply control total impedances of a current-limiting part using this method. After we designed an appropriated 1 × 2 basic MFCL module with an applied voltage of 160 V, we enlarged it to a 2 × 2 MFCL module and a 3 × 2 MFCL module where applied voltages were 320 V and 480 V, respectively. Experimental results for our MFCL were reported in terms of various fault currents, variation of series resistance and so on. We think that these methods will be useful in the optimum design of an m × n MFCL.

  9. Optimum design of matrix fault current limiters using the series resistance connected with shunt coil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, D.C.; Choi, H.S.; Lee, N.Y.; Nam, G.Y.; Cho, Y.S.; Sung, T.H.; Han, Y.H.; Kim, B.S.; Lim, S.H.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we described the improved design for the matrix fault current limiters (MFCL). To do this, we used thin film-type superconducting elements. therefore it means that we can make the MFCL with minimized size and high switching speed because of the high current density and the high indexing value of superconducting thin film. Also we could minimize the bulky shunt coil using the connection of a series resistance with a shunt coil. Also we could effectively block up a leakage current in shunt coils under no-fault condition and simply control total impedances of a current-limiting part using this method. After we designed an appropriated 1 x 2 basic MFCL module with an applied voltage of 160 V, we enlarged it to a 2 x 2 MFCL module and a 3 x 2 MFCL module where applied voltages were 320 V and 480 V, respectively. Experimental results for our MFCL were reported in terms of various fault currents, variation of series resistance and so on. We think that these methods will be useful in the optimum design of an m x n MFCL

  10. Evaluation of impedance on biological Tissues using automatic control measurement system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kil, Sang Hyeong; Shin, Dong Hoon; Lee, Seong Mo [Pusan National University, Yangsan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Moo Seok; Kim, Sang Sik [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gun FDo; Lee, Jong Kyu [Pukyung National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    Each biological tissue has endemic electrical characteristics owing to various differences such as those in cellular arrangement or organization form. The endemic electrical characteristics change when any biological change occurs. This work is a preliminary study surveying the changes in the electrical characteristics of biological tissue caused by radiation exposure. For protection against radiation hazards, therefore the electrical characteristics of living tissue were evaluated after development of the automatic control measurement system using LabVIEW. No alteration of biological tissues was observed before and after measurement of the electrical characteristics, and the biological tissues exhibited similar patterns. Through repeated measurements using the impedance/gain-phase analyzer, the coefficient of variation was determined as within 10%. The reproducibility impedance phase difference in electrical characteristics of the biological tissue did not change, and the tissue had resistance. The absolute value of impedance decreased constantly in proportion to the frequency. It has become possible to understand the electrical characteristics of biological tissues through the measurements made possible by the use of the developed.

  11. Evaluation of impedance on biological Tissues using automatic control measurement system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kil, Sang Hyeong; Shin, Dong Hoon; Lee, Seong Mo; Lee, Moo Seok; Kim, Sang Sik; Kim, Gun FDo; Lee, Jong Kyu

    2015-01-01

    Each biological tissue has endemic electrical characteristics owing to various differences such as those in cellular arrangement or organization form. The endemic electrical characteristics change when any biological change occurs. This work is a preliminary study surveying the changes in the electrical characteristics of biological tissue caused by radiation exposure. For protection against radiation hazards, therefore the electrical characteristics of living tissue were evaluated after development of the automatic control measurement system using LabVIEW. No alteration of biological tissues was observed before and after measurement of the electrical characteristics, and the biological tissues exhibited similar patterns. Through repeated measurements using the impedance/gain-phase analyzer, the coefficient of variation was determined as within 10%. The reproducibility impedance phase difference in electrical characteristics of the biological tissue did not change, and the tissue had resistance. The absolute value of impedance decreased constantly in proportion to the frequency. It has become possible to understand the electrical characteristics of biological tissues through the measurements made possible by the use of the developed.

  12. New equivalent-electrical circuit model and a practical measurement method for human body impedance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinen, Koyu; Kinjo, Ichiko; Zamami, Aki; Irei, Kotoyo; Nagayama, Kanako

    2015-01-01

    Human body impedance analysis is an effective tool to extract electrical information from tissues in the human body. This paper presents a new measurement method of impedance using armpit electrode and a new equivalent circuit model for the human body. The lowest impedance was measured by using an LCR meter and six electrodes including armpit electrodes. The electrical equivalent circuit model for the cell consists of resistance R and capacitance C. The R represents electrical resistance of the liquid of the inside and outside of the cell, and the C represents high frequency conductance of the cell membrane. We propose an equivalent circuit model which consists of five parallel high frequency-passing CR circuits. The proposed equivalent circuit represents alpha distribution in the impedance measured at a lower frequency range due to ion current of the outside of the cell, and beta distribution at a high frequency range due to the cell membrane and the liquid inside cell. The calculated values by using the proposed equivalent circuit model were consistent with the measured values for the human body impedance.

  13. Portal hypertension: A critical appraisal of shunt procedures with emphasis on distal splenorenal shunt in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitin Sharma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO is the most common cause of pediatric portal hypertension. We analyzed the investigative protocol and results of portosystemic shunts in this group of patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 consecutive children aged below 12 years operated with a diagnosis of extra-hepatic portal hypertension formed the study group. Historical data and clinical data were collected. All patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, ultrasound Doppler and computed tomographic portogram pre-operatively and post-operatively. Results with respect to shunt patency, hypersplenism and efficacy of different radiological investigations were collected. Results: A total of 40 patients, 28 boys and 12 girls constituted the study group. Lienorenal shunt (LRS was performed in 14 patients; distal splenorenal shunt in 21 patients and side-to-side lienorenal shunt in 4 patients, inferior mesenteric renal shunt was performed in 1 patient. Follow-up ranged from 36 to 70 months. At a minimum follow-up of 3 years, 32 (80% patients were found to have patent shunts. Patent shunts could be visualized in 30/32 patients with computer tomographic portogram (CTP and 28/32 with ultrasound. Varices regressed completely in 26/32 patients and in the rest incomplete regression was seen. Spleen completely regressed in 19/25 patients. Hypersplenism resolved in all patients with patent shunts. Conclusions: Portosystemic shunting in children with EHPVO is a viable option. While long-term cure rates are comparable with sclerotherapy, repeated hospital visits are reduced with one time surgery. Pre-operative and post-operative assessment can be performed with complimentary use of ultrasound, CTP and endoscopy.

  14. In-Plane Impedance Spectroscopy measurements in Vanadium Dioxide thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez, Juan; Patino, Edgar; Schmidt, Rainer; Sharoni, Amos; Gomez, Maria; Schuller, Ivan

    2012-02-01

    In plane Impedance Spectroscopy measurements have been done in Vanadium Dioxide thin films in the range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Our measurements allows distinguishing between the resistive and capacitive response of the Vanadium Dioxide films across the metal-insulator transition. A non ideal RC behavior was found in our thin films from room temperature up to 334 K. Around the MIT, an increase of the total capacitance is observed. A capacitor-network model is able to reproduce the capacitance changes across the MIT. Above the MIT, the system behaves like a metal as expected, and a modified equivalent circuit is necessary to describe the impedance data adequately.

  15. A plasma polymerization technique to overcome cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coekeliler, D [Plasma Aided Bioengineering and Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Engineering Faculty, Hacettepe University, 06532, Ankara (Turkey); Caner, H [Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Baskent University, 06610, Ankara (Turkey); Zemek, J [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Cukrovarnicka 10, 162 53, Prague, Czech Republic (Czech Republic); Choukourov, A [Department of Macromolecular Physics, Charles University, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic); Biederman, H [Department of Macromolecular Physics, Charles University, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic); Mutlu, M [Plasma Aided Bioengineering and Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Engineering Faculty, Hacettepe University, 06532, Ankara (Turkey)

    2007-03-01

    Prosthetic devices, mainly shunts, are frequently used for temporary or permanent drainage of cerebrospinal fluid. The pathogenesis of shunt infection is a very important problem in modern medicine and generally this is characterized by staphylococcal adhesion to the cerebrospinal fluid shunt surfaces. In this paper, the prevention of the attachment of test microorganism Staphylococcus epidermidis on the cerebrospinal fluid shunt surfaces by 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) precursor modification in the plasma polymerization system, is reported. Different plasma polymerization conditions (RF discharge power 10-20-30 W, exposure time 5-10-15 min) were employed during the surface modification. The surface chemistry and topology of unmodified and modified shunts was characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Also, static contact angle measurements were performed to state the change of surface hydrophilicity. All samples were tested in vitro with Staphylococcus epidermidis. A plasma-polymerized HEMA film (PP HEMA) was found to be an alternative simple method to decrease the microorganism attachment and create bacterial anti-fouling surfaces. The attachment of the model microorganism Staphylococcus epidermidis on the shunt surface modified by PP HEMA at 20 W and 15 min was reduced 62.3% if compared to the unmodified control surface of the shunt.

  16. Skin Impedance Measurements for Acupuncture Research: Development of a Continuous Recording System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agatha P. Colbert

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Skin impedance at acupuncture points (APs has been used as a diagnostic/therapeutic aid for more than 50 years. Currently, researchers are evaluating the electrophysiologic properties of APs as a possible means of understanding acupuncture's mechanism. To comprehensively assess the diagnostic, therapeutic and mechanistic implications of acupuncture point skin impedance, a device capable of reliably recording impedances from 100 kΩ to 50 MΩ at multiple APs over extended time periods is needed. This article describes design considerations, development and testing of a single channel skin impedance system (hardware, control software and customized electrodes. The system was tested for accuracy against known resistors and capacitors. Two electrodes (the AMI and the ORI were compared for reliability of recording over 30 min. Two APs (LU 9 and PC 6 and a nearby non-AP site were measured simultaneously in four individuals for 60 min. Our measurement system performed accurately (within 5% against known resistors (580 kΩ–10 MΩ and capacitors (10 nF–150 nF. Both the AMI electrode and the modified ORI electrode recorded skin impedance reliably on the volar surface of the forearm (r = 0.87 and r = 0.79, respectively. In four of four volunteers tested, skin impedance at LU 9 was less than at the nearby non-AP site. In three of four volunteers skin impedance was less at PC 6 than at the nearby non-AP site. We conclude that our system is a suitable device upon which we can develop a fully automated multi-channel device capable of recording skin impedance at multiple APs simultaneously over 24 h.

  17. Over-drainage and persistent shunt-dependency in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension treated with shunts and bariatric surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Jonathan; Constantini, Shlomi; Kesler, Anat

    2015-01-01

    Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may lead to visual impairment. Shunt surgery is indicated for refractory IIH-related symptoms that persist despite medical treatment, or those presenting with significant visual decline. Obesity is a risk factor for IIH; a reduction in weight has been shown to improve papilledema. Bariatric surgery (BS) has been suggested for treating IIH associated with morbid obesity. In this study, we describe a high rate of over-drainage (OD) seen in patients following shunts and BS. The study cohort includes 13 patients with IIH that underwent shunt surgery for treatment of the IIH-related symptoms. Six patients underwent BS in addition to the shunt surgery (but not concomitantly). Seven patients had only shunt surgeries with no BS. Data were collected retrospectively. BS effectively led to weight reduction (body mass index decreasing from 43 ± 4 to 28 ± 5). Patients undergoing BS had 1-6 (2.5 ± 1.9) shunt revisions for OD following BS, as opposed to 0-3 (1.4 ± 1.1) revisions prior to BS over similar time spans (statistically insignificant difference), and 0-6 (1.6 ± 2.5) revisions among the non-BS patients over a longer time span (statistically insignificant difference). Two patients in the BS group underwent shunt externalization and closure; however, they proved to be shunt-dependent. Patients with IIH that undergo shunt surgery and BS (not concomitantly) may suffer from OD symptoms, necessitating multiple shunt revisions, and valve upgrades. Despite BS being a valid primary treatment for some patients with IIH, among shunted patients, BS may not lead to resolution of IIH-related symptoms and patients may remain shunt-dependent.

  18. Quantitative determination of peripheral arterio-venous shunts by means of radioactively labelled microspheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friese, K.H.

    1981-01-01

    In the present work a nuclear method of quantitative measurement of peripheral arterio-venous shunts with a whole-body scanner is standardized. This method, developed at the beginning of the 70s at Tuebingen, stands out in contrast with earlier measuring methods by the application of the theory of quantitative scintiscanning. This means that the scintigram obtained after injection of sup(99m)technetium-labelled human albumin microspheres into an artery before the shunt is corrected for the quantitative shunt calculation by several factors using a computer, to avoid systematic mistakes. For the standardization of the method, 182 scintigrams were taken during model experiments and experiments on animals and human beings. This method, having a deviation of 10% at most, is excellently suited for the quantitative determination of peripheral arterio-venous shunts. Already for a pulmonary activity of 3% a peripheral shunt is proved with 97.5% probability. (orig./MG) [de

  19. A novel method for real-time skin impedance measurement during radiofrequency skin tightening treatments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harth, Yoram; Lischinsky, Daniel

    2011-03-01

    The thermal effects of monopolar and bipolar radiofrequency (RF) have been proven to be beneficial in skin tightening. Nevertheless, these effects were frequently partial or unpredictable because of the uncontrolled nature of monopolar or unipolar RF and the superficial nature of energy flow for bipolar or tripolar configurations. One of the hypotheses for lack or predictability of efficacy of the first-generation RF therapy skin tightening systems is lack of adaptation of delivered power to differences in individual skin impedance. A novel multisource phase-controlled system was used (1 MHz, power range 0-65 W) for treatment and real-time skin impedance measurements in 24 patients (EndyMed PRO™; EndyMed, Cesarea, Israel). This system allows continuous real-time measurement of skin impedance delivering constant energy to the patient skin independent of changes in its impedance. More than 6000 unique skin impedance measurements on 22 patients showed an average session impedance range was 215-584 Ohm with an average of 369 Ohm (standard deviation of 49 Ohm). Analyzing individual pulses (total of 600 readings) showed a significant decrease in impedance during the pulse. These findings validate the expected differences in skin impedance between individual patients and in the same patients during the treatment pulse. Clinical study on 30 patients with facial skin aging using the device has shown high predictability of efficacy (86.7% of patients had good results or better at 3 months' follow-up [decrease of 2 or more grades in Fitzpatrick's wrinkle scale]). The real-time customization of energy according to skin impedance allows a significantly more accurate and safe method of nonablative skin tightening with more consistent and predictable results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. MRI safety of a programmable shunt assistant at 3 and 7 Tesla.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirzayan, M Javad; Klinge, Petra M; Samii, Madjid; Goetz, Friedrich; Krauss, Joachim K

    2012-06-01

    Several new shunt technologies have been developed to optimize hydrocephalus treatment within the past few years. Overdrainage, however, still remains an unresolved problem. One new technology which may reduce the frequency of this complication is the use of a programmable shunt assistant (proSA). Inactive in a horizontal position, it impedes CSF flow in a vertical position according to a prescribed pressure level ranging from 0 to 40 cm H(2)O. We exposed the proSA valve in an ex vivo protocol to MR systems operating at 3 and 7 Tesla to investigate its MRI safety. Following 3 Tesla exposure, no changes in valve settings were noted. Adjustment to any pressure level was possible thereafter. The mean deflection angle was 23 ± 3°. After exposure to 7 Tesla, however, there were unintended pressure changes, and the mechanism for further adjustment of the valves even disintegrated. According to the results of this study, proSA is safe with heteropolar vertical magnet alignment at 3 Tesla. Following 7 Tesla exposure, the valves lost their functional capability.

  1. FLEXIBLE PH SENSOR WITH POLYANILINE LAYER BASED ON IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT

    OpenAIRE

    Chuang, Cheng-Hsin; Wu, Hsun-Pei; Chen, Cheng-Ho; Wu, Peng-Rong

    2012-01-01

    A flexible sensor with conducting polyaniline layer for detecting pH value based on the impedance measurement is fabricated and demonstrated in this study. The pH sensor consists of an interdigital electrode array on a flexible printed circuit and a thin-film polyaniline as the sensing layer. As the conductivity of polyaniline depends on the redox state, the impedance change of the polyaniline after it has reacted with different pH value solutions works as the sensing mechanism. In order to o...

  2. Arterioportal shunts on dynamic computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakayama, T.; Hiyama, Y.; Ohnishi, K.; Tsuchiya, S.; Kohno, K.; Nakajima, Y.; Okuda, K.

    1983-01-01

    Thirty-two patients, 20 with hepatocelluar carcinoma and 12 with liver cirrhosis, were examined by dynamic computed tomography (CT) using intravenous bolus injection of contrast medium and by celiac angiography. Dynamic CT disclosed arterioportal shunting in four cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and in one of cirrhosis. In three of the former, the arterioportal shunt was adjacent to a mass lesion on CT, suggesting tumor invasion into the portal branch. In one with hepatocellular carcinoma, the shunt was remote from the mass. In the case with cirrhosis, there was no mass. In these last two cases, the shunt might have been caused by prior percutaneous needle puncture. In another case of hepatocellular carcinoma, celiac angiography but not CT demonstrated an arterioportal shunt. Thus, dynamic CT was diagnostic in five of six cases of arteriographically demonstrated arterioportal shunts

  3. Analytic study of transverse shunt resistance and even-odd mode coupling of a rod type RFQ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koscielniak, S.

    1994-06-01

    To minimize the ohmic power losses, it is necessary to maximize the transverse shunt resistance, R shunt . The cell of a rod-type RFQ is modelled by a parallel two-rod transmission line supported above a parallel ground conductor by two legs. Due to coupling between neighboring supports, the loading impedance is modified depending on the leg spacing. The shunt resistance is improved by reducing the cell length and increasing the leg spacing, and maximized when the legs are equally spaced. However, this is also the condition for strong excitation of the unwanted 'even-mode' in which a potential difference exists between the ends of the rods mid-plane and the grounding conductor or tank, Once the legs of the support are longitudinally separated, some even-mode excitation of the structure is inevitable because some current must be injected into the ground conductor; the even-mode excitation rises as leg separation increases. Further, when the desired odd-mode voltage is symmetric about the cell centre, the even-mode voltage is anti-symmetric This paper is a very much abridged version of two internal design notes[3], [4]. (author). 4 refs.,1 fig

  4. Validation of an ultrasound dilution technology for cardiac output measurement and shunt detection in infants and children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindberg, Lars; Johansson, Sune; Perez-de-Sa, Valeria

    2014-02-01

    To validate cardiac output measurements by ultrasound dilution technology (COstatus monitor) against those obtained by a transit-time ultrasound technology with a perivascular flow probe and to investigate ultrasound dilution ability to estimate pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio in children. Prospective observational clinical trial. Pediatric cardiac operating theater in a university hospital. In 21 children (6.1 ± 2.6 kg, mean ± SD) undergoing heart surgery, cardiac output was simultaneously recorded by ultrasound dilution (extracorporeal arteriovenous loop connected to existing arterial and central venous catheters) and a transit-time ultrasound probe applied to the ascending aorta, and when possible, the main pulmonary artery. The pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio estimated from ultrasound dilution curve analysis was compared with that estimated from transit-time ultrasound technology. Bland-Altman analysis of the whole cohort (90 pairs, before and after surgery) showed a bias between transit-time ultrasound (1.01 ± 0.47 L/min) and ultrasound dilution technology (1.03 ± 0.51 L/min) of -0.02 L/min, limits of agreement -0.3 to 0.3 L/min, and percentage error of 31%. In children with no residual shunts, the bias was -0.04 L/min, limits of agreement -0.28 to 0.2 L/min, and percentage error 19%. The pooled co efficient of variation was for the whole cohort 3.5% (transit-time ultrasound) and 6.3% (ultrasound dilution), and in children without shunt, it was 2.9% (transit-time ultrasound) and 4% (ultrasound dilution), respectively. Ultrasound dilution identified the presence of shunts (pulmonary to systemic blood flow ≠ 1) with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 92%. Mean pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio by transit-time ultrasound was 2.6 ± 1.0 and by ultrasound dilution 2.2 ± 0.7 (not significant). The COstatus monitor is a reliable technique to measure cardiac output in children with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting the

  5. Impaired arm development after Blalock-Taussig shunts in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Gloan, Laurianne; Marcotte, François; Leduc, Hugues; Mercier, Lise-Andrée; Dore, Annie; Mongeon, François-Pierre; Ibrahim, Reda; Miro, Joaquim; Asgar, Anita; Poirier, Nancy; Khairy, Paul

    2013-09-30

    Many adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot have had prior Blalock-Taussig shunts. These shunts may theoretically hinder growth and development of the ipsilateral arm. We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot in a cross-sectional study to measure arm length and assess handgrip strength. Bilateral handgrip strength was quantified by a dynamometer in a standing position after instructing patients to clench each hand tightly in succession. The maximum force achieved, in kilograms, was measured. A total of 80 consecutive adults with tetralogy of Fallot, aged 36.0 ± 12.5 years, 49% female, were prospectively enrolled. Thirty-eight (47.5%) patients had prior Blalock-Taussig shunts at a median age of 1.0 year. Twenty-one (55.3%) were left-sided and 23 (60.5%) were classic shunts. All but six patients with right-sided shunts and one without a prior shunt were right-handed. The shunts were present for a median of 4.0 years prior to takedown during corrective surgery. The arm ipsilateral to the shunt was significantly shorter than the contralateral arm (71.5 ± 6.1 versus 73.6 ± 5.6 cm, Ptetralogy of Fallot, Blalock-Taussig shunts may impair normal development of the ipsilateral arm with repercussions in adulthood that include shorter limb length and reduced handgrip strength. These changes are most pronounced in patients with classic end-to-side anastomoses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Prevention and treatment of complications after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    XUE Hui

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The application of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS in the treatment of cirrhotic portal hypertension has been widely accepted both at home and abroad. This article focuses on the fatal complications of TIPS (including intraperitoneal bleeding and acute pulmonary embolism, shunt failure, and recurrent portosystemic hepatic encephalopathy, and elaborates on the reasons for such conditions and related preventive measures, in order to improve the accuracy and safety of intraoperative puncture, reduce common complications such as shunt failure and hepatic encephalopathy, and improve the clinical effect of TIPS in the treatment of cirrhotic portal hypertension.

  7. Aqueous shunt implantation in glaucoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aqueous shunts or glaucoma drainage devices are increasingly utilized in the management of refractory glaucoma. The general design of the most commonly-used shunts is based on the principles of the Molteno implant: ie. a permanent sclerostomy (tube, a predetermined bleb area (plate and diversion of aqueous humour to the equatorial region and away from the limbal subconjunctival space. These three factors make aqueous shunts more resistant to scarring as compared to trabeculectomy. The two most commonly used shunts are the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve, which contains a flow-restrictor, and the non-valved Baervedlt Glaucoma Implant. While the valved implants have a lower tendency to hypotony and related complications, the non-valved implants with larger, more-biocompatible end plate design, achieve lower intraocular pressures with less encapsulation. Non-valved implants require additional suturing techniques to prevent early hypotony and a number of these methods will be described. Although serious shunt-related infection is rare, corneal decompensation and diplopia are small but significant risks.

  8. Subgaleo-peritoneal shunt: An effective and safer alternative to lumboperitoneal shunt in the management of persistent or recurrent iatrogenic cranial pseudomeningoceles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiran, Narayanam Anantha Sai; Thakar, Sumit; Mohan, Dilip; Aryan, Saritha; Rao, Arun Sadashiva; Hegde, Alangar S

    2013-01-01

    Subgaleo-peritoneal (SP) shunting for pseudomeningoceles (PMCs) is an effective and safer alternative as compared to the lumboperitoneal (LP) shunt. SP shunting was done in six patients (14-60 years) with persistent or recurrent PMCs using the cranial (ventricular part) and the distal parts of a Chhabra shunt connected by a rigid connector without any intervening chamber or valve. Two patients had undergone a prior LP shunt that had failed. One patient was unsuitable for a LP shunt placement. The PMC subsided completely in all the patients following the SP shunt. In one patient, the shunt got displaced and required repositioning. None of the patients developed symptoms of over-drainage or any other complication. All patients were asymptomatic at a mean follow-up of 15 months. These results suggest that SP shunting is a safe, simple, and effective alternative to the traditional LP shunt in the management of persistent or recurrent cranial PMCs.

  9. Validation of Standing Wave Liner Impedance Measurement Method, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Hersh Acoustical Engineering, Inc. proposes to establish the feasibility and practicality of using the Standing Wave Method (SWM) to measure the impedance of...

  10. Cerebrospinal fluid volume measurements in hydrocephalic rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basati, Sukhraaj; Desai, Bhargav; Alaraj, Ali; Charbel, Fady; Linninger, Andreas

    2012-10-01

    Object Experimental data about the evolution of intracranial volume and pressure in cases of hydrocephalus are limited due to the lack of available monitoring techniques. In this study, the authors validate intracranial CSF volume measurements within the lateral ventricle, while simultaneously using impedance sensors and pressure transducers in hydrocephalic animals. Methods A volume sensor was fabricated and connected to a catheter that was used as a shunt to withdraw CSF. In vitro bench-top calibration experiments were created to provide data for the animal experiments and to validate the sensors. To validate the measurement technique in a physiological system, hydrocephalus was induced in weanling rats by kaolin injection into the cisterna magna. At 28 days after induction, the sensor was implanted into the lateral ventricles. After sealing the skull using dental cement, an acute CSF drainage/infusion protocol consisting of 4 sequential phases was performed with a pump. Implant location was confirmed via radiography using intraventricular iohexol contrast administration. Results Controlled CSF shunting in vivo with hydrocephalic rats resulted in precise and accurate sensor measurements (r = 0.98). Shunting resulted in a 17.3% maximum measurement error between measured volume and actual volume as assessed by a Bland-Altman plot. A secondary outcome confirmed that both ventricular volume and intracranial pressure decreased during CSF shunting and increased during infusion. Ventricular enlargement consistent with successful hydrocephalus induction was confirmed using imaging, as well as postmortem. These results indicate that volume monitoring is feasible for clinical cases of hydrocephalus. Conclusions This work marks a departure from traditional shunting systems currently used to treat hydrocephalus. The overall clinical application is to provide alternative monitoring and treatment options for patients. Future work includes development and testing of a chronic

  11. Polymer microchip impedance spectroscopy through two parallel planar embedded microelectrodes: Understanding the impedance contribution of the surrounding polymer on the measurement accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kechadi, Mohammed; Gamby, Jean; Chaal, Lila; Girault, Hubert; Saidani, Boualem; Tribollet, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    The present work describes a new methodology for contact free impedance of a solution in a polymer microchip taking into account the role played by the surrounding polymer on the impedance accuracy. Measurements were carried out using a photoablated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microchannel above two embedded microband electrodes. The impedance diagrams exhibit a loop from high frequencies to medium frequencies (1 MHz–100 Hz) and a capacitive behavior at low frequencies (100–1 Hz). The impedance diagrams were corrected by eliminating from the global microchip response the contribution of the impedance of the PET layer between the two microband electrodes. This operation enables a clear observation of the impedance in the microchannel solution, including the bulk solution contribution and the interfacial capacitance related to the surface roughness of the photoablated microchannel. Models for the impedance of solutions of varying conductivity showed that the capacitance of the polymer–solution interface can be modeled by a constant phase element (CPE) with an exponent of 0.5. The loop diameter was found to be proportional to the microchannel resistivity, allowing a cell constant around 4.93 × 10 5 m −1 in contactless microelectrodes configuration

  12. Prediction of effectiveness of shunting in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus by cerebral blood flow measurement and computed tomography cisternography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Chia-Cheng; Kuwana, Nobumasa; Ito, Susumu; Ikegami, Tadashi [Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital (Japan)

    1999-11-01

    Measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and computed tomography (CT) cisternography were performed in 37 patients with a tentative diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) to predict their surgical outcome. The mean CBF of the whole brain was measured quantitatively by single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime before surgery. The results of CT cisternography were classified into four patients: type I, no ventricular stasis at 24 hours; type II, no ventricular stasis with delayed clearance of cerebral blush; type III, persistent ventricular stasis with prominent cerebral blush; type IV, persistent ventricular stasis with diminished cerebral blush and/or asymmetrical filling of the sylvian fissures. The mean CBF was significantly lower than that of age-matched controls (p<0.005). Patients with a favorable outcome had a significantly higher mean CBF than patients with an unfavorable outcome (p<0.005). Patients with the type I pattern did not respond to shunting. Some patients with type II and III patterns responded to shunting but improvement was unsatisfactory. Patients with type IV pattern responded well to shunting, and those with a mean CBF of 35 ml/100 g/min or over achieved a favorable outcome. The combination of CBF measurement and CT cisternography can improve the prediction of surgical outcome in patients with suspected NPH. (author)

  13. Prediction of effectiveness of shunting in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus by cerebral blood flow measurement and computed tomography cisternography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Chia-Cheng; Kuwana, Nobumasa; Ito, Susumu; Ikegami, Tadashi

    1999-01-01

    Measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and computed tomography (CT) cisternography were performed in 37 patients with a tentative diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) to predict their surgical outcome. The mean CBF of the whole brain was measured quantitatively by single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime before surgery. The results of CT cisternography were classified into four patients: type I, no ventricular stasis at 24 hours; type II, no ventricular stasis with delayed clearance of cerebral blush; type III, persistent ventricular stasis with prominent cerebral blush; type IV, persistent ventricular stasis with diminished cerebral blush and/or asymmetrical filling of the sylvian fissures. The mean CBF was significantly lower than that of age-matched controls (p<0.005). Patients with a favorable outcome had a significantly higher mean CBF than patients with an unfavorable outcome (p<0.005). Patients with the type I pattern did not respond to shunting. Some patients with type II and III patterns responded to shunting but improvement was unsatisfactory. Patients with type IV pattern responded well to shunting, and those with a mean CBF of 35 ml/100 g/min or over achieved a favorable outcome. The combination of CBF measurement and CT cisternography can improve the prediction of surgical outcome in patients with suspected NPH. (author)

  14. Static and Dynamic Measurement of Dopamine Adsorption in Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera-Serrano, Nilka; Pagan, Miraida; Colón-Rodríguez, Joanisse; Fuster, Christian; Vélez, Román; Almodovar-Faria, Jose; Jiménez-Rivera, Carlos; Cunci, Lisandro

    2018-02-06

    In this study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used for the first time to study the adsorption of dopamine in carbon fiber microelectrodes. In order to show a proof-of-concept, static and dynamic measurements were taken at potentials ranging from -0.4 to 0.8 V versus Ag|AgCl to demonstrate the versatility of this technique to study dopamine without the need of its oxidation. We used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and single frequency electrochemical impedance to measure different concentrations of dopamine as low as 1 nM. Moreover, the capacitance of the microelectrodes surface was found to decrease due to dopamine adsorption, which is dependent on its concentration. The effect of dissolved oxygen and electrochemical oxidation of the surface in the detection of dopamine was also studied. Nonoxidized and oxidized carbon fiber microelectrodes were prepared and characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Optimum working parameters of the electrodes, such as frequency and voltage, were obtained for better measurement. Electrochemical impedance of dopamine was determined at different concentration, voltages, and frequencies. Finally, dynamic experiments were conducted using a flow cell and single frequency impedance in order to study continuous and real-time measurements of dopamine.

  15. A compact wideband precision impedance measurement system based on digital auto-balancing bridge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Binxin; Wang, Jinyu; Song, Guangdong; Zhang, Faxiang

    2016-01-01

    The ac impedance spectroscopy measurements are predominantly taken by using impedance analyzers based on analog auto-balancing bridge. However, those bench-top analyzers are generally complicated, bulky and expensive, thus limiting their usage in industrial field applications. This paper presents the development of a compact wideband precision measurement system based on digital auto-balancing bridge. The methods of digital auto-balancing bridge and digital lock-in amplifier are analyzed theoretically. The overall design and several key sections including null detector, direct digital synthesizer-based sampling clock, and digital control unit are introduced in detail. The results show that the system achieves a basic measurement accuracy of 0.05% with a frequency range of 20 Hz–2 MHz. The advantages of versatile measurement capacity, fast measurement speed, small size and low cost make it quite suitable for industrial field applications. It is demonstrated that this system is practical and effective by applying in determining the impedance-temperature characteristic of a motor starter PTC thermistor. (paper)

  16. Inductance analyzer based on auto-balanced circuit for precision measurement of fluxgate impedance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setiadi, Rahmondia N.; Schilling, Meinhard

    2018-05-01

    An instrument for fluxgate sensor impedance measurement based on an auto-balanced circuit has been designed and characterized. The circuit design is adjusted to comply with the fluxgate sensor characteristics which are low impedance and highly saturable core with very high permeability. The system utilizes a NI-DAQ card and LabVIEW to process the signal acquisition and evaluation. Some fixed reference resistances are employed for system calibration using linear regression. A multimeter HP 34401A and impedance analyzer Agilent 4294A are used as calibrator and validator for the resistance and inductance measurements. Here, we realized a fluxgate analyzer instrument based on auto-balanced circuit, which measures the resistance and inductance of the device under test with a small error and much lower excitation current to avoid core saturation compared to the used calibrator.

  17. Pediatric ventriculoperitoneal shunts and their complications: An analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitin Agarwal

    2017-01-01

    Conclusion: With this retrospective review of complications of VP shunts, age at initial shunt insertion and the interval between the age of initial shunt placement and onset of complications were the most important patient-related predictors of shunt failure. The different predominant etiological factors responsible for early and late shunt failure were infective and mechanical complications, respectively.

  18. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: lumboperitoneal shunts versus ventriculoperitoneal shunts--case series and literature review.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Abubaker, Khalid

    2011-02-01

    Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is an uncommon but important cause of headache that can lead to visual loss. This study was undertaken to review our experience in the treatment of IIH by neuronavigation-assisted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts with programmable valves as compared to lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts.

  19. Determination of complex microcalorimeter parameters with impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saab, T.; Bandler, S.R.; Chervenak, J.; Figueroa-Feliciano, E.; Finkbeiner, F.; Iyomoto, N.; Kelley, R.L.; Kilbourne, C.A.; Lindeman, M.A.; Porter, F.S.; Sadleir, J.

    2006-01-01

    The proper understanding and modeling of a microcalorimeter's response requires accurate knowledge of a handful of parameters, such as C, G, α. While a few of these parameters are directly determined from the IV characteristics, some others, notoriously the heat capacity (C) and α, appear in degenerate combinations in most measurable quantities. The consideration of a complex microcalorimeter leads to an added ambiguity in the determination of the parameters. In general, the dependence of the microcalorimeter's complex impedance on these various parameters varies with frequency. This dependence allows us to determine individual parameters by fitting the prediction of the microcalorimeter model to impedance data. In this paper we describe efforts at characterizing the Goddard X-ray microcalorimeters. With the parameters determined by this method, we compare the pulse shape and noise spectra predictions to data taken with the same devices

  20. Evaluation of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron longitudinal impedance from measurements of the quadrupole frequency shift

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Lasheen

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Longitudinal instabilities are one of the main limitations in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS to reach the beam parameters required for the High Luminosity LHC project. In preparation to the SPS upgrade, possible remedies are studied by performing macroparticle simulations using the machine impedance model obtained from electromagnetic simulations and measurements. To benchmark the impedance model, the results of simulations are compared with various beam measurements. In this study, the reactive part of the impedance was probed by measuring the quadrupole frequency shift with intensity, obtained from bunch length oscillations at mismatched injection into the SPS. This method was applied over many last years to follow up the evolution of the SPS impedance, injecting bunches with the same bunch length. A novel approach, giving significantly more information, consists in varying the injected bunch length. The comparison of these measurements with macroparticle simulations allowed us to test the existing model, identify some missing SPS impedance and to obtain its possible dependence on frequency.

  1. Angiographic and hemodynamic evaluation of the mesoatrial shunt in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome and inferior vena caval obstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Redmond, P.L.; Kadir, S.; Cameron, J.L.; Kaufman, S.L.; White, R.I. Jr.

    1986-01-01

    Obstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is not uncommon in patients with the Budd-Chiari syndrome. The caval obstruction may be due to thrombus or compression by an enlarged caudate lobe. Conventional portosystemic shunts are not possible in the presence of an obstructed IVC; the mesoatrial shunt is indicated in these patients. Between 1973 and 1986, the authors studied 13 patients (ten female, three male) with Budd-Chiari syndrome and IVC obstruction in whom mesoatrial shunts were subsequently constructed. Polycythemia rubra vera was the most common predisposing condition. Preoperative evaluation included US, scintigraphy, CT, and angiography (hepatic arteriography, hepatic venography and pressure measurements, inferior vena cavography, arterial portography). Postoperatively shunts were assessed angiographically and hemodynamically, and several patients underwent CT. The shunts were catheterized via a brachial or femoral venous approach, which allowed pressures along the shunt from the superior mesenteric vein to the right atrium to be measured. The mesoatrial shunt is a relatively new procedure which is indicated in patients with the Budd-Chiari syndrome complicated by IVC obstruction. Shunt patency may be demonstrated arteriographically or with CT, but hemodynamic evaluation with measurement of pressure gradients is required to assess shunt function

  2. Polynomial Collocation for Handling an Inaccurately Known Measurement Configuration in Electrical Impedance Tomography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hyvönen, Niina; Kaarnioja, V.; Mustonen, L.

    2017-01-01

    The objective of electrical impedance tomography is to reconstruct the internal conductivity of a physical body based on measurements of current and potential at a finite number of electrodes attached to its boundary. Although the conductivity is the quantity of main interest in impedance...... tomography, a real-world measurement configuration includes other unknown parameters as well: The information on the contact resistances, electrode positions, and body shape is almost always incomplete. In this work, the dependence of the electrode measurements on all aforementioned model properties...

  3. Electrical impedance measured changes in thoracic fluid content during thoracentesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, J R; Jensen, B V; Drabaek, H

    1994-01-01

    In patients (seven females and 11 males) with pleural effusion due to pulmonary (n = 13) or cardiac disease (n = 5) the change in baseline transthoracic impedance (Z0) was measured by electrical impedance (BoMed's NCCOM-3, 70 kHz) during thoracentesis. Data were obtained before and after withdrawal...... of each 500 ml, and at the end of the thoracentesis. We found a close linear correlation (r = 0.97) between changes in Z0 and the volume of aspirated pleural effusion (y = 0.415.x+0.093). The variability of the estimated thoracic fluid volumes was analysed with a plot of the residuals from the regression...... line, and we found that changes in thoracic fluid volume estimated by impedance technique would be within +/- 302 ml (= 2 SD). However, the absolute value of Z0 before thoracentesis could not differentiate the group of patients with pleural effusion from normal subjects (n = 28)....

  4. Hydrocephalus shunt technology: 20 years of experience from the Cambridge Shunt Evaluation Laboratory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chari, Aswin; Czosnyka, Marek; Richards, Hugh K; Pickard, John D; Czosnyka, Zofia H

    2014-03-01

    The Cambridge Shunt Evaluation Laboratory was established 20 years ago. This paper summarizes the findings of that laboratory for the clinician. Twenty-six models of valves have been tested long-term in the shunt laboratory according to the expanded International Organization for Standardization 7197 standard protocol. The majority of the valves had a nonphysiologically low hydrodynamic resistance (from 1.5 to 3 mm Hg/[ml/min]), which may result in overdrainage related to posture and during nocturnal cerebral vasogenic waves. A long distal catheter increases the resistance of these valves by 100%-200%. Drainage through valves without a siphon-preventing mechanism is very sensitive to body posture, which may result in grossly negative intracranial pressure. Siphon-preventing accessories offer a reasonable resistance to negative outlet pressure; however, accessories with membrane devices may be blocked by raised subcutaneous pressure. In adjustable valves, the settings may be changed by external magnetic fields of intensity above 40 mT (exceptions: ProGAV, Polaris, and Certas). Most of the magnetically adjustable valves produce large distortions on MRI studies. The behavior of a valve revealed during testing is of relevance to the surgeon and may not be adequately described in the manufacturer's product information. The results of shunt testing are helpful in many circumstances, such as the initial choice of shunt and the evaluation of the shunt when its dysfunction is suspected.

  5. Impedance measurement of irradiated potatoes: a method to identify radiation processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mastro, N.L. del; Villavicencio, A.L.C.H.

    1992-01-01

    The potato is firmly established in many parts of the world as a major staple food. Then, radiation processing of potato is approved in many countries for sprouting inhibition and extension of shelf life in a dose range from about 0.01 to 0.15 kGy of 60 Co. The use of electrical conductance methods for the detection of Salmonella, some virus or the action of herbicides on plant has been reported and differences have been observed between instruments in respect of the magnitude of conductance change or rates of change in conductance response. A reliable technique to identify potatoes or other food products has not been established so far, though several methods have been reported. Electrical impedance might thus serve for characterization of unirradiated and irradiated tissues and cells. In this work, potato tubers from an European variety, named Bintje, grown in Sao Paulo State were employed. Potatoes were punctured with steel electrodes and impedance measured at different frequencies (1 k Hz-100 k Hz) by passing 3-5 m A alternating current through it. The impedance ratio of 50 k Hz/5 k Hz calculated from ten replicate samples decreases with the increment of the dose when doses of O 0.75 and 0.15 kGy from a Gamma Cell 220 were utilized. The impedance measurement were slightly affected by the place of puncture. (author)

  6. Drilling electrode for real-time measurement of electrical impedance in bone tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Yu; Xue, Yuan; Zhang, Jianxun

    2014-03-01

    In order to prevent possible damages to soft tissues, reliable monitoring methods are required to provide valuable information on the condition of the bone being cut. This paper describes the design of an electrical impedance sensing drill developed to estimate the relative position between the drill and the bone being drilled. The two-electrode method is applied to continuously measure the electrical impedance during a drill feeding movement: two copper wire brushes are used to conduct electricity in the rotating drill and then the drill is one electrode; a needle is inserted into the soft tissues adjacent to the bone being drilled and acts as another electrode. Considering that the recorded electrical impedance is correlated with the insertion depth of the drill, we theoretically calculate the electrode-tissue contact impedance and prove that the rate of impedance change varies considerably when the drill bit crosses the boundary between two different bone tissues. Therefore, the rate of impedance change is used to determine whether the tip of the drill is located in one of cortical bone, cancellous bone, and cortical bone near a boundary with soft tissue. In vitro experiments in porcine thoracic spines were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the impedance sensing drill. The experimental results indicate that the drill, used with the proposed data-processing method, can provide accurate and reliable breakthrough detection in the bone-drilling process.

  7. Congenital portosystemic shunts with and without gastrointestinal bleeding - case series

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Ying; Chen, Jun; Chen, Qi; Ji, Min; Pa, Mier; Qiao, Zhongwei [Children' s Hospital of Fudan University, Department of Radiology, Shanghai (China); Zhu, Hui [Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Shanghai (China); Zheng, Shan [Children' s Hospital of Fudan University, Department of Surgery, Shanghai (China)

    2015-12-15

    The clinical presentation of congenital portosystemic shunt is variable and gastrointestinal bleeding is an uncommon presentation. To describe the imaging features of congenital portosystemic shunt as it presented in 11 children with (n = 6) and without gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 5). We performed a retrospective study on a clinical and imaging dataset of 11 children diagnosed with congenital portosystemic shunt. A total of 11 children with congenital portosystemic shunt were included in this study, 7 with extrahepatic portosystemic shunts and 4 with intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Six patients with gastrointestinal bleeding had an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and the imaging results showed that the shunts originated from the splenomesenteric junction (n = 5) or splenic vein (n = 1) and connected to the internal iliac vein. Among the five cases of congenital portosystemic shunt without gastrointestinal bleeding, one case was an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt and the other four were intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Most congenital portosystemic shunt patients with gastrointestinal bleeding had a shunt that drained portal blood into the iliac vein via an inferior mesenteric vein. This type of shunt was uncommon, but the concomitant rate of gastrointestinal bleeding with this type of shunt was high. (orig.)

  8. Outcomes of systemic to pulmonary artery shunts in patients weighing less than 3 kg: analysis of shunt type, size, and surgical approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myers, John W; Ghanayem, Nancy S; Cao, Yumei; Simpson, Pippa; Trapp, Katie; Mitchell, Michael E; Tweddell, James S; Woods, Ronald K

    2014-02-01

    To evaluate outcomes of systemic to pulmonary artery shunts (SPS) in patients weighing less than 3 kg with regard to shunt type, shunt size, and surgical approach. Patients weighing less than 3 kg who underwent modified Blalock-Taussig or central shunts with polytetrafluoroethylene grafts at our institution from January 1, 2000, to May 31, 2011, were reviewed. Patients who had undergone other major concomitant procedures were excluded from the analysis. Primary outcomes included mortality (discharge mortality and mortality before next planned palliative procedure or definitive repair), cardiac arrest and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and shunt reintervention. In this cohort of 80 patients, discharge survival was 96% (77/80). Postoperative cardiac arrest or ECMO occurred in 6/80 (7.5%), and shunt reintervention was required in 14/80 (17%). On univariate analysis, shunt reintervention was more common in patients with 3-mm shunts (11/30, 37%) compared with 3.5-mm (2/36, 6%) or 4-mm shunts (1/14, 7%) (P approach and cardiac arrest/ECMO or mortality. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that a shunt size of 3 mm (P = .019) and extracardiac anomaly (P = .047) were associated with shunt reintervention, whereas no variable was associated with cardiac arrest/ECMO or mortality. In this high-risk group of neonates weighing less than 3 kg at the time of SPS, survival to discharge and the next planned surgical procedure was high. Outcomes were good with the 3.5- and 4-mm shunts; however, shunt reintervention was common with 3-mm shunts. Copyright © 2014 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Measurement of bio-impedance with a smart needle to confirm percutaneous kidney access.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernandez, D J; Sinkov, V A; Roberts, W W; Allaf, M E; Patriciu, A; Jarrett, T W; Kavoussi, L R; Stoianovici, D

    2001-10-01

    The traditional method of percutaneous renal access requires freehand needle placement guided by C-arm fluoroscopy, ultrasonography, or computerized tomography. This approach provides limited objective means for verifying successful access. We developed an impedance based percutaneous Smart Needle system and successfully used it to confirm collecting system access in ex vivo porcine kidneys. The Smart Needle consists of a modified 18 gauge percutaneous access needle with the inner stylet electrically insulated from the outer sheath. Impedance is measured between the exposed stylet tip and sheath using Model 4275 LCR meter (Hewlett-Packard, Sunnyvale, California). An ex vivo porcine kidney was distended by continuous gravity infusion of 100 cm. water saline from a catheter passed through the parenchyma into the collecting system. The Smart Needle was gradually inserted into the kidney to measure depth precisely using a robotic needle placement system, while impedance was measured continuously. The Smart Needle was inserted 4 times in each of 4 kidneys. When the needle penetrated the distended collecting system in 11 of 16 attempts, a characteristic sharp drop in resistivity was noted from 1.9 to 1.1 ohm m. Entry into the collecting system was confirmed by removing the stylet and observing fluid flow from the sheath. This characteristic impedance change was observed only at successful entry into the collecting system. A characteristic sharp drop in impedance signifies successful entry into the collecting system. The Smart Needle system may prove useful for percutaneous kidney access.

  10. TECHNICAL NOTE: Portable audio electronics for impedance-based measurements in microfluidics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Paul; Sinton, David

    2010-08-01

    We demonstrate the use of audio electronics-based signals to perform on-chip electrochemical measurements. Cell phones and portable music players are examples of consumer electronics that are easily operated and are ubiquitous worldwide. Audio output (play) and input (record) signals are voltage based and contain frequency and amplitude information. A cell phone, laptop soundcard and two compact audio players are compared with respect to frequency response; the laptop soundcard provides the most uniform frequency response, while the cell phone performance is found to be insufficient. The audio signals in the common portable music players and laptop soundcard operate in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and are found to be applicable, as voltage input and output signals, to impedance-based electrochemical measurements in microfluidic systems. Validated impedance-based measurements of concentration (0.1-50 mM), flow rate (2-120 µL min-1) and particle detection (32 µm diameter) are demonstrated. The prevailing, lossless, wave audio file format is found to be suitable for data transmission to and from external sources, such as a centralized lab, and the cost of all hardware (in addition to audio devices) is ~10 USD. The utility demonstrated here, in combination with the ubiquitous nature of portable audio electronics, presents new opportunities for impedance-based measurements in portable microfluidic systems.

  11. A contribution to the computation of the impedance in acceleration resonators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Cong

    2016-05-01

    This thesis is focusing on the numerical computation of the impedance in acceleration resonators and corresponding components. For this purpose, a dedicated solver based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) has been developed to compute the broadband impedance in accelerating components. In addition, various numerical approaches have been used to calculate the narrow-band impedance in superconducting radio frequency (RF) cavities. From that an overview of the calculated results as well as the comparisons between the applied numerical approaches is provided. During the design phase of superconducting RF accelerating cavities and components, a challenging and difficult task is the determination of the impedance inside the accelerators with the help of proper computer simulations. Impedance describes the electromagnetic interaction between the particle beam and the accelerators. It can affect the stability of the particle beam. For a superconducting RF accelerating cavity with waveguides (beam pipes and couplers), the narrow-band impedance, which is also called shunt impedance, corresponds to the eigenmodes of the cavity. It depends on the eigenfrequencies and its electromagnetic field distribution of the eigenmodes inside the cavity. On the other hand, the broadband impedance describes the interaction of the particle beam in the waveguides with its environment at arbitrary frequency and beam velocity. With the narrow-band and broadband impedance the detailed knowledges of the impedance for the accelerators can be given completely. In order to calculate the broadband longitudinal space charge impedance for acceleration components, a three-dimensional (3D) solver based on the FEM in frequency domain has been developed. To calculate the narrow-band impedance for superconducting RF cavities, we used various numerical approaches. Firstly, the eigenmode solver based on Finite Integration Technique (FIT) and a parallel real-valued FEM (CEM3Dr) eigenmode solver based on

  12. A contribution to the computation of the impedance in acceleration resonators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Cong

    2016-05-15

    This thesis is focusing on the numerical computation of the impedance in acceleration resonators and corresponding components. For this purpose, a dedicated solver based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) has been developed to compute the broadband impedance in accelerating components. In addition, various numerical approaches have been used to calculate the narrow-band impedance in superconducting radio frequency (RF) cavities. From that an overview of the calculated results as well as the comparisons between the applied numerical approaches is provided. During the design phase of superconducting RF accelerating cavities and components, a challenging and difficult task is the determination of the impedance inside the accelerators with the help of proper computer simulations. Impedance describes the electromagnetic interaction between the particle beam and the accelerators. It can affect the stability of the particle beam. For a superconducting RF accelerating cavity with waveguides (beam pipes and couplers), the narrow-band impedance, which is also called shunt impedance, corresponds to the eigenmodes of the cavity. It depends on the eigenfrequencies and its electromagnetic field distribution of the eigenmodes inside the cavity. On the other hand, the broadband impedance describes the interaction of the particle beam in the waveguides with its environment at arbitrary frequency and beam velocity. With the narrow-band and broadband impedance the detailed knowledges of the impedance for the accelerators can be given completely. In order to calculate the broadband longitudinal space charge impedance for acceleration components, a three-dimensional (3D) solver based on the FEM in frequency domain has been developed. To calculate the narrow-band impedance for superconducting RF cavities, we used various numerical approaches. Firstly, the eigenmode solver based on Finite Integration Technique (FIT) and a parallel real-valued FEM (CEM3Dr) eigenmode solver based on

  13. Gravity-dependent ventilation distribution in rats measured with electrical impedance tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rooney, Daniel; Fraser, John F; R Dunster, Kimble; Schibler, Andreas; Friese, Marlies

    2009-01-01

    Ventilation in larger animals and humans is gravity dependent and mainly distributed to the dependent lung. Little is known of the effect of gravity on ventilation distribution in small animals such as rodents. The aim of this study was to investigate gravity-dependent ventilation distribution and regional filling characteristics in rats. Ventilation distribution and regional lung filling were measured in six rats using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). Measurements were performed in four body positions (supine, prone, left and right lateral), and all animals were ventilated with increasing tidal volumes from 3 to 8 mL kg −1 . The effect of gravity on regional ventilation distribution was assessed with profiles of relative impedance change and calculation of the geometric centre. Regional filling was measured by calculating the slope of the plot of regional versus global relative impedance change on a breath-by-breath basis. Ventilation was significantly distributed to the non-dependent lung regardless of body position and tidal volume used. The geometric centre was located in the dependent lung in all but prone position. The regional filling characteristics followed an anatomical pattern with the posterior and the right lung generally filling faster. Gravity had little impact on regional filling. Ventilation distribution in rats is gravity dependent, whereas regional filling characteristics are dependent on anatomy

  14. Servo-controlled pneumatic pressure oscillator for respiratory impedance measurements and high-frequency ventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaczka, David W; Lutchen, Kenneth R

    2004-04-01

    The ability to provide forced oscillatory excitation of the respiratory system can be useful in mechanical impedance measurements as well as high frequency ventilation (HFV). Experimental systems currently used for generating forced oscillations are limited in their ability to provide high amplitude flows or maintain the respiratory system at a constant mean pressure during excitation. This paper presents the design and implementation of a pneumatic pressure oscillator based on a proportional solenoid valve. The device is capable of providing forced oscillatory excitations to the respiratory system over a bandwidth suitable for mechanical impedance measurements and HVF. It delivers high amplitude flows (> 1.4 l/s) and utilizes a servo-control mechanism to maintain a load at a fixed mean pressure during simultaneous oscillation. Under open-loop conditions, the device exhibited a static hysteresis of approximately 7%, while its dynamic magnitude and phase responses were flat out to 10 Hz. Broad-band measurement of total harmonic distortion was approximately 19%. Under closed-loop conditions, the oscillator was able to maintain a mechanical test load at both positive and negative mean pressures during oscillatory excitations from 0.1 to 10.0 Hz. Impedance of the test load agreed closely with theoretical predictions. We conclude that this servo-controlled oscillator can be a useful tool for respiratory impedance measurements as well as HFV.

  15. Effects of the nasal passage on forced oscillation lung function measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngo, Chuong; Krüger, Karl; Vollmer, Thomas; Winter, Stefan; Penzlin, Bernhard; Lehmann, Sylvia; Leonhardt, Steffen; Misgeld, Berno

    2017-11-27

    The forced oscillation technique (FOT) is a non-invasive pulmonary function test which is based on the measurement of respiratory impedance. Recently, promising results were obtained by the application of FOT on patients with respiratory failure and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). By using a nasal mask instead of a mouthpiece, the influences of the nasal passage and upper shunt alter the measured mechanical impedance. In this paper, we investigated the effects of the nasal passage and mask on FOT measurements from eight healthy subjects. A method for flow correction has been developed, which contains a pressure-flow characteristics compensation of the undetermined flow leakage at the face-mask interface. Impedance calculation and parameter estimation were performed in the frequency domain using fast Fourier transform (FFT). Average nasal parameters were Rnaw=4.07 cmH2O/l/s for resistance and Lnaw=0.0183 cmH2O/l/s2 for inertance. On average, the nasal resistance corresponds to 65.85% of the total resistance.

  16. Contribution to the study of standing wave bi-periodical accelerating structures for electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuhrmann, Celso

    1985-01-01

    Experimental results on bi-periodic standing wave accelerating structures are presented. These structures which are characterized by a high effective shunt impedance, are designed for standing wave, high duty cycle electron accelerators. Two types of structures are studied: the on-axis coupled structure and the coaxial coupled structure. The expressions for the dispersion relation, coupling coefficients, phase and group velocity are derived from a coupled resonator model. An experimental method to eliminate the stop-band is put forward. The influence of the coupling slots on the dispersion curves is studied experimentally. The effective shunt impedance and the transit time factor are measured by the field perturbation techniques. Measured parameters are compared with SUPERFISH theoretical calculations. The field perturbation technique is also applied to measure the transverse shunt impedance of the dipole modes which are responsible for the beam breakup phenomenon. (author) [fr

  17. Positive phase error from parallel conductance in tetrapolar bio-impedance measurements and its compensation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan M Roitt

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Bioimpedance measurements are of great use and can provide considerable insight into biological processes.  However, there are a number of possible sources of measurement error that must be considered.  The most dominant source of error is found in bipolar measurements where electrode polarisation effects are superimposed on the true impedance of the sample.  Even with the tetrapolar approach that is commonly used to circumvent this issue, other errors can persist. Here we characterise the positive phase and rise in impedance magnitude with frequency that can result from the presence of any parallel conductive pathways in the measurement set-up.  It is shown that fitting experimental data to an equivalent electrical circuit model allows for accurate determination of the true sample impedance as validated through finite element modelling (FEM of the measurement chamber.  Finally, the model is used to extract dispersion information from cell cultures to characterise their growth.

  18. Ventriculosubgaleal shunts for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willis, Brian K; Kumar, Cherukuri Ravi; Wylen, Esther L; Nanda, Anil

    2005-01-01

    The early management of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in premature infants is challenging and controversial. These infants need a temporary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure until they gain adequate weight, and the blood and protein levels in CSF are reasonably low before permanent shunt can be placed. Various options are available with their associated advantages and disadvantages. Ventriculosubgaleal shunts have been recommended as a more physiologic and less invasive means of achieving this goal. We have performed this procedure in 6 premature infants to evaluate their effectiveness and complications. Six consecutive premature infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus underwent placement of ventriculosubgaleal shunts over a 1-year period of time. We reviewed their clinical and imaging progress to assess the ability of the shunt to control hydrocephalus and the complication rates. In all 6 patients, the ventriculosubgaleal shunt controlled the progression of hydrocephalus as assessed by clinical and imaging parameters. A permanent shunt was avoided in 1 patient (16.6%). However, 4 patients developed shunt infections, 1 involving the ventriculosubgaleal shunt itself, and 3 immediately after conversion to ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The total infection rate of the series was 66.6%. All infections were caused by staphylococcus species. There was only a 1% shunt infection rate in our institution for all nonventriculosubgaleal shunts during the same period of time. Placement of ventriculosubgaleal shunts for interim CSF diversion in neonates with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus is effective as a temporary method of CSF diversion. However, our experience has shown that it is associated with a unacceptably high CSF infection rate. A potential cause for infection is CSF stasis just beneath the extremely thin skin of the premature infants, promoting colonization by skin flora. CSF sampling before conversion to a permanent shunt and replacement of the proximal

  19. A femoral arteriovenous shunt facilitates arterial whole blood sampling in animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, Bruno; Burger, Cyrill; Buck, Alfred; Biro, Peter

    2002-01-01

    In this study we evaluated on-line continuous blood sampling in a femoral arteriovenous (a-v) shunt for use in quantitative tracer studies using gamma-emitting radionuclides in animals. The shunt consisted of 40 cm polyethylene tubing (PE-50) guided through a coincidence probe. Two three-way valves allowed blood pressure measurements and tracer injection. Blood flow in the shunt and the impulse response function (IRF) were assessed using heparinized human blood mixed with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). In vivo experiments were performed in eight male rats (300-350 g) anaesthetized with halothane. In three rats, manual blood sampling was performed in parallel with on-line sampling. In another five animals, the arterial whole blood activity was recorded on-line for 40 min. For the experiments 150-180 MBq FDG was injected over 35 s. Blood flow in the shunt was 23.6, 29.2 and 42.8 ml/h at 100, 120 and 160 mmHg, respectively. The IRF was characterized by minimal dispersion (1-2 s FWHM). Deconvolution of the measured arterial input curves with the IRF changed the measured curve only minimally. Whole blood radioactivity concentration derived from manual and on-line sampling were in excellent agreement. The curves derived from on-line sampling were of high statistical quality. In conclusion, a femoral a-v shunt allows multiple manipulations such as measurement of the arterial whole blood activity, continuous blood pressure monitoring, injection of the tracer and collection of blood samples if necessary. It is not associated with blood loss if the collection of blood samples is not required. It is more convenient to use than manual sampling, the peak of the input curve is never missed and the input curves are of high statistical quality. (orig.)

  20. Non-contact multi-frequency magnetic induction spectroscopy system for industrial-scale bio-impedance measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Toole, M D; Marsh, L A; Davidson, J L; Tan, Y M; Armitage, D W; Peyton, A J

    2015-01-01

    Biological tissues have a complex impedance, or bio-impedance, profile which changes with respect to frequency. This is caused by dispersion mechanisms which govern how the electromagnetic field interacts with the tissue at the cellular and molecular level. Measuring the bio-impedance spectra of a biological sample can potentially provide insight into the sample’s properties and its cellular structure. This has obvious applications in the medical, pharmaceutical and food-based industrial domains. However, measuring the bio-impedance spectra non-destructively and in a way which is practical at an industrial scale presents substantial challenges. The low conductivity of the sample requires a highly sensitive instrument, while the demands of industrial-scale operation require a fast high-throughput sensor of rugged design. In this paper, we describe a multi-frequency magnetic induction spectroscopy (MIS) system suitable for industrial-scale, non-contact, spectroscopic bio-impedance measurement over a bandwidth of 156 kHz–2.5 MHz. The system sensitivity and performance are investigated using calibration and known reference samples. It is shown to yield rapid and consistently sensitive results with good long-term stability. The system is then used to obtain conductivity spectra of a number of biological test samples, including yeast suspensions of varying concentration and a range of agricultural produce, such as apples, pears, nectarines, kiwis, potatoes, oranges and tomatoes. (paper)

  1. Staged Transcatheter Treatment of Portal Hypoplasia and Congenital Portosystemic Shunts in Children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruckheimer, Elchanan, E-mail: elchananb@bezeqint.net; Dagan, Tamir [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Pediatric Cardiology (Israel); Atar, Eli; Schwartz, Michael [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Radiology (Israel); Kachko, Ludmila [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Anesthesiology (Israel); Superina, Riccardo; Amir, Gabriel [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Pediatric Cardiology (Israel); Shapiro, Rivka [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Gastroenterology (Israel); Birk, Einat [Schneider Children' s Medical Center Israel, Section of Pediatric Cardiology (Israel)

    2013-12-15

    Purpose: Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) with portal venous hypoplasia cause hyperammonemia. Acute shunt closure results in portal hypertension. A transcatheter method of staged shunt reduction to afford growth of portal vessels followed by shunt closure is reported. Methods: Pressure measurements and angiography in the CPSS or superior mesenteric artery (SMA) during temporary occlusion of the shunt were performed. If vessels were diminutive and the pressure was above 18 mmHg, a staged approach was performed, which included implantation of a tailored reducing stent to reduce shunt diameter by {approx}50 %. Recatheterization was performed approximately 3 months later. If the portal pressure was below 18 mmHg and vessels had developed, the shunt was closed with a device. Results: Six patients (5 boys, 1 girl) with a median age of 3.3 (range 0.5-13) years had CPSS portal venous hypoplasia and hyperammonemia. Five patients underwent staged closure. One patient tolerated acute closure. One patient required surgical shunt banding because a reducing stent could not be positioned. At median follow-up of 3.8 (range 2.2-8.4) years, a total of 21 procedures (20 transcatheter, 1 surgical) were performed. In all patients, the shunt was closed with a significant reduction in portal pressure (27.7 {+-} 11.3 to 10.8 {+-} 1.8 mmHg; p = 0.016), significant growth of the portal vessels (0.8 {+-} 0.5 to 4.0 {+-} 2.4 mm; p = 0.037), and normalization of ammonia levels (202.1 {+-} 53.6 to 65.7 {+-} 9.6 {mu}mol/L; p = 0.002) with no complications. Conclusion: Staged CPSS closure is effective in causing portal vessel growth and treating hyperammonemia.

  2. Measurement of void fraction distribution in two-phase flow by impedance CT with neural network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Hideaki; Sumida, Isao; Sakai, Sinji; Wakai, Kazunori

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes a new method for measurement of void distribution using impedance CT with a hierarchical neural network. The present method consists of four processes. First, output electric currents are calculated by simulation of various distributions of void fraction. The relationship between distribution of void fraction and electric current is called 'teaching data'. Second, the neural network learns the teaching data by the back propagation method. Third, output electric currents are measured about actual two-phase flow. Finally, distribution of void fraction is calculated by the taught neural network using the measured electric currents. In this paper, measurement and learning parameters are adjusted, experimental results obtained using the impedance CT method are compared with data obtained by the impedance probe method. The results show that our method is effective for measurement of void fraction distribution. (author)

  3. 30 CFR 57.6401 - Shunting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Explosives Electric Blasting-Surface and Underground § 57.6401 Shunting. Except during testing— (a) Electric detonators shall be kept shunted until connected to the blasting line or wired into a blasting round; (b) Wired rounds shall be...

  4. Bacterial contamination of surgeons' gloves during shunt insertion; a pilot study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Preben; Ejlertsen, Tove; Aaen, Dorte

    2008-01-01

    antibiotics and double gloving, by surgeons experienced in shunt surgery. Surgical incision, dissection and tunnelling were done. Then the surgeon, the scrub-nurse and, in three cases, the assistant made an imprint of their outer gloves on agar plates. Hereafter, they changed the outer pair of gloves before...... handling the shunt and completing the operation. The plates were cultured for 6 days in both aerobic and anaerobic environment. In all cases the surgeons gloves were contaminated, and in six cases also the nurses' gloves were contaminated, as well as all three assistants. Propionebacterium acnes were...... nurse and assistant were contaminated with micro-organisms less than 15 min after surgery has been commenced and before the shunts were handled. This study offers a feasible, simple and logical explanation of how shunts may become contaminated and infected. A simple measure would be to change the outer...

  5. Auditory evoked field measurement using magneto-impedance sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, K., E-mail: o-kabou@echo.nuee.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Tajima, S.; Song, D.; Uchiyama, T. [Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Hamada, N.; Cai, C. [Aichi Steel Corporation, Tokai (Japan)

    2015-05-07

    The magnetic field of the human brain is extremely weak, and it is mostly measured and monitored in the magnetoencephalography method using superconducting quantum interference devices. In this study, in order to measure the weak magnetic field of the brain, we constructed a Magneto-Impedance sensor (MI sensor) system that can cancel out the background noise without any magnetic shield. Based on our previous studies of brain wave measurements, we used two MI sensors in this system for monitoring both cerebral hemispheres. In this study, we recorded and compared the auditory evoked field signals of the subject, including the N100 (or N1) and the P300 (or P3) brain waves. The results suggest that the MI sensor can be applied to brain activity measurement.

  6. Beam measurement of the high frequency impedance sources with long bunches in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Lasheen

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Microwave instability in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS at CERN is one of the main limitations to reach the requirements for the High Luminosity-LHC project (increased beam intensity by a factor 2. To identify the impedance source responsible of the instability, beam measurements were carried out to probe the SPS impedance. The method presented in this paper relies on measurements of the unstable spectra of single bunches, injected in the SPS with the rf voltage switched off. The modulation of the bunch profile gives information about the main impedance sources driving microwave instability, and is compared to particle simulations using the SPS impedance model to identify the most important contributions. This allowed us to identify the vacuum flanges as the main impedance source for microwave instability in the SPS, and to evaluate possible missing impedance sources.

  7. Beam measurement of the high frequency impedance sources with long bunches in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasheen, A.; Argyropoulos, T.; Bohl, T.; Esteban Müller, J. F.; Timko, H.; Shaposhnikova, E.

    2018-03-01

    Microwave instability in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN is one of the main limitations to reach the requirements for the High Luminosity-LHC project (increased beam intensity by a factor 2). To identify the impedance source responsible of the instability, beam measurements were carried out to probe the SPS impedance. The method presented in this paper relies on measurements of the unstable spectra of single bunches, injected in the SPS with the rf voltage switched off. The modulation of the bunch profile gives information about the main impedance sources driving microwave instability, and is compared to particle simulations using the SPS impedance model to identify the most important contributions. This allowed us to identify the vacuum flanges as the main impedance source for microwave instability in the SPS, and to evaluate possible missing impedance sources.

  8. Measurement of Phase Dependent Impedance for 3-phase Diode Rectifier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kwon, Jun Bum; Wang, Xiongfei; Bak, Claus Leth

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a new method to measure the phase dependent impedance from an experimental set up. Though most of power electronics based system is gradually migrating to IGBT based voltage source converter due to their controllability, the rectifier composed of diode or thyristor components...

  9. MR imaging of syringoperitoneal and syringosubarachnoid shunts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasso, A.N.; Kucharczyk, W.; Mall, J.C.; Colombo, N.; Newton, T.H.; Norman, D.

    1986-01-01

    The authors utilized MR imaging for the evaluation of syringohydromelic shunt procedures in 16 patients. Four characteristic MR imaging findings were seen: ''tethering'' of the spinal cord posteriorly at the site of laminectomy and placement of the shunt tube distortion of the usual elliptical shape of the spinal cord at the site of the shunt, a ''snake-eyes'' appearance of the cord on transverse images which corresponded to the position of the shunt within or next to a collapsed syringohydromelic cavity, and a generous amount of subachnoid space surrounding the collapsed portion of the cavity. Occasionally the shunt could not be visualized on sagittal images but could be seen on transverse images. In the majority of cases, the MR imaging findings were sufficiently characteristic to warrant accurate diagnosis

  10. Shunt and series resistance of photovoltaic module evaluated from the I-V curve; I-V tokusei kara hyokashita taiyo denchi no shunt teiko to chokuretsu teiko

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asano, K; Kawamura, H; Yamanaka, S; Kawamura, H; Ono, H [Meijo University, Nagoya (Japan)

    1997-11-25

    With an objective of discussing I-V characteristics when a shadow has appeared on part of a photovoltaic module, evaluations were given as a first stage of the study on saturation current, shunt resistance and series resistance for the solar cell module. As a result of measuring change in amount of power generated in a sunny day with a shadow appearing over the solar cell module, reduction in power generation capability of about 23% was verified. In other words, the I-V characteristics of the solar cell module change largely because of existence of the shadow caused on the module. The I-V characteristics curve may be expressed and calculated as a function of the shunt resistance and series resistance. By curve-fitting measurement data for a case of changing insolation without existence of partial shadow, values of the shunt resistance and series resistance were derived. As a result, it was found that the calculations agree well with measurements. It was made also clear that each parameter shows temperature dependence. 6 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

  11. A cable-free impedance and gain measurement technique for electrically small antennas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pivnenko, Sergey; Zhang, Jiaying; Breinbjerg, Olav

    2010-01-01

    are represented in terms of spherical wave expansions (SWEs), and the propagation is accounted for by a transmission formula. In this paper the measurement results by the proposed technique will be presented for several AUTs, including a standard gain horn antenna, a monopole antenna, and an electrically small......Impedance and gain measurements for electrically small antennas represent a great challenge due to influences of the feeding cable. The leaking current along the cable and scattering effects are two main issues caused by the feed line. In this paper, a novel cable-free antenna impedance and gain...... measurement technique for electrically small antennas is proposed. The antenna properties are extracted by measuring the signal scattered by the antenna under test (AUT), when it is loaded with three known loads. The technique is based on a rigorous electromagnetic model where the probe and AUT...

  12. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Dysfunction: Concordance of Clinical Findings, Doppler Ultrasound Examination, and Shunt Venography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Joshua M; Gaba, Ron Charles

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the concordance between clinical symptoms, Doppler ultrasound (US), and shunt venography for the detection of stent-graft transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) dysfunction. Forty-one patients (M:F 30:11, median age 55 years) who underwent contemporaneous clinical exam, Doppler US, and TIPS venography between 2003 and 2014 were retrospectively studied. Clinical symptoms (recurrent ascites or variceal bleeding) were dichotomously classified as present/absent, and US and TIPS venograms were categorized in a binary fashion as normal/abnormal. US abnormalities included high/low (>190 or 50 cm/s), absent flow, and return of antegrade intra-hepatic portal flow. Venographic abnormalities included shunt stenosis/occlusion and/or pressure gradient elevation. Clinical and imaging concordance rates were calculated. Fifty-two corresponding US examinations and venograms were assessed. The median time between studies was 3 days. Forty of 52 (77%) patients were symptomatic, 33/52 (64%) US examinations were abnormal, and 20/52 (38%) TIPS venograms were abnormal. Concordance between clinical symptoms and TIPS venography was 48% (25/52), while the agreement between US and shunt venography was 65% (34/52). Clinical symptoms and the US concurred in 60% (31/52) of the patients. The sensitivity of clinical symptoms and US for the detection of venographically abnormal shunts was 80% (16/20) and 85% (17/20), respectively. Both clinical symptoms and the US had low specificity (25%, 8/32 and 50%, 16/32) for venographically abnormal shunts. Clinical findings and the US had low concordance rates with TIPS venography, with acceptable sensitivity but poor specificity. These findings suggest the need for improved noninvasive imaging methods for stent-graft TIPS surveillance.

  13. Staged Transcatheter Treatment of Portal Hypoplasia and Congenital Portosystemic Shunts in Children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruckheimer, Elchanan; Dagan, Tamir; Atar, Eli; Schwartz, Michael; Kachko, Ludmila; Superina, Riccardo; Amir, Gabriel; Shapiro, Rivka; Birk, Einat

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) with portal venous hypoplasia cause hyperammonemia. Acute shunt closure results in portal hypertension. A transcatheter method of staged shunt reduction to afford growth of portal vessels followed by shunt closure is reported. Methods: Pressure measurements and angiography in the CPSS or superior mesenteric artery (SMA) during temporary occlusion of the shunt were performed. If vessels were diminutive and the pressure was above 18 mmHg, a staged approach was performed, which included implantation of a tailored reducing stent to reduce shunt diameter by ∼50 %. Recatheterization was performed approximately 3 months later. If the portal pressure was below 18 mmHg and vessels had developed, the shunt was closed with a device. Results: Six patients (5 boys, 1 girl) with a median age of 3.3 (range 0.5–13) years had CPSS portal venous hypoplasia and hyperammonemia. Five patients underwent staged closure. One patient tolerated acute closure. One patient required surgical shunt banding because a reducing stent could not be positioned. At median follow-up of 3.8 (range 2.2–8.4) years, a total of 21 procedures (20 transcatheter, 1 surgical) were performed. In all patients, the shunt was closed with a significant reduction in portal pressure (27.7 ± 11.3 to 10.8 ± 1.8 mmHg; p = 0.016), significant growth of the portal vessels (0.8 ± 0.5 to 4.0 ± 2.4 mm; p = 0.037), and normalization of ammonia levels (202.1 ± 53.6 to 65.7 ± 9.6 μmol/L; p = 0.002) with no complications. Conclusion: Staged CPSS closure is effective in causing portal vessel growth and treating hyperammonemia

  14. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections in children

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1991-02-02

    Feb 2, 1991 ... shunts: epidemiology, clinical manifestations and therapy.] Infecr Vis 1975;. 13: 543-552. 4. Odio C, McCracken GH jun, Nelson JD. CSF shunt infections in pediatrics, a seven-year experience. Am] Dis Child 1984; 138: 1103-1108. 5. Meirovitch J, Kitai-Cohen Y, Keren G, Fiendler G, Rubinstein E. Cerebro-.

  15. Techniques for beam impedance measurements above cutoff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambertson, G.R.; Jacob, A.F.; Rimmer, R.A.; Voelker, F.

    1990-08-01

    Methods for measuring beam impedance above cutoff have been very limited. For design work on the ALS we have developed two techniques that yield data in the frequency domain with high sensitivity. The first is an extension of the wire method; the second utilizes traveling TM waves to simulate the beam's fields at the wall, and thus avoids the mechanical difficulties of mounting the wire. It is also more sensitive than the other method but the interpretation is complicated by the presence of higher order modes. With either method we were able to detect resonant peaks smaller than 1 Ohm at 10 GHz

  16. An experimental in-vivo canine model for adult shunt infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Procop Gary

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Detailed human studies of the mechanisms and development of shunt infection in real time are not possible, and we have developed a canine hydrocephalus model to overcome this. The intention of this pilot study was to show that the canine hydrocephalus model could be shunted using conventional "human" shunts, and that a shunt infection could be established so that further studies could then be planned. Methods Hydrocephalus was induced in seven dogs (Canis familiaris by fourth ventricle obstruction. Four weeks later they were shunted using a Hakim Precision valve. Four of the dogs received shunts whose ventricular catheter had been inoculated with Staphylococcus epidermidis, and three were uninoculated controls. Four weeks after shunting the dogs were sacrificed and necropsy was performed. Removed shunts and tissue samples were examined microbiologically and isolates were subjected to detailed identification and genomic comparison. Results All the dogs remained well after shunting. Examination of removed shunt components revealed S. epidermidis in the brain and throughout the shunt system in the four inoculated animals, but in two of these Staphylococcus intermedius was also found. S. intermedius was also isolated from all three "negative" controls. There were slight differences between S. intermedius strains suggesting endogenous infection rather than cross- infection from a point source. Conclusion Shunt infection was established in the canine model, and had the experiment been extended beyond four weeks the typical microbiological, pathological and clinical features might have appeared. The occurrence of unplanned shunt infections in control animals due to canine normal skin flora reflects human clinical experience and underlines the usual source of bacteria causing shunt infection.

  17. Internal carotid artery rupture caused by carotid shunt insertion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illuminati, Giulio; Caliò, Francesco G; Pizzardi, Giulia; Vietri, Francesco

    2015-01-01

    Shunting is a well-accepted method of maintaining cerebral perfusion during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Nonetheless, shunt insertion may lead to complications including arterial dissection, embolization, and thrombosis. We present a complication of shunt insertion consisting of arterial wall rupture, not reported previously. A 78-year-old woman underwent CEA combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). At the time of shunt insertion an arterial rupture at the distal tip of the shunt was detected and was repaired via a small saphenous vein patch. Eversion CEA and subsequent CABG completed the procedure whose postoperative course was uneventful. Shunting during combined CEA-CABG may be advisable to assure cerebral protection from possible hypoperfusion due to potential hemodynamic instability of patients with severe coronary artery disease. Awareness and prompt management of possible shunt-related complications, including the newly reported one, may contribute to limiting their harmful effect. Arterial wall rupture is a possible, previously not reported, shunt-related complication to be aware of when performing CEA. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Splenorenal shunt via magnetic compression technique: a feasibility study in canine and cadaver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Fei; Li, Jianpeng; Lu, Jianwen; Zhu, Haoyang; Liu, Wenyan; Zhang, Hongke; Yang, Huan; Guo, Hongchang; Lv, Yi

    2016-12-01

    The concept of magnetic compression technique (MCT) has been accepted by surgeons to solve a variety of surgical problems. In this study, we attempted to explore the feasibility of a splenorenal shunt using MCT in canine and cadaver. The diameters of the splenic vein (SV), the left renal vein (LRV), and the vertical interval between them, were measured in computer tomography (CT) images obtained from 30 patients with portal hypertension and in 20 adult cadavers. The magnetic devices used for the splenorenal shunt were then manufactured based on the anatomic parameters measured above. The observation of the anatomical structure showed there were no special structural tissues or any important organs between SV and LRV. Then the magnetic compression splenorenal shunt procedure was performed in three dogs and five cadavers. Seven days later, the necrotic tissue between the two magnets was shed and the magnets were removed with the anchor wire. The feasibility of splenorenal shunt via MCT was successfully shown in both canine and cadaver, thus providing a theoretical support for future clinical application.

  19. Cranial dural arteriovenous shunts. Part 4. Clinical presentation of the shunts with leptomeningeal venous drainage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baltsavias, Gerasimos; Spiessberger, Alex; Hothorn, Torsten; Valavanis, Anton

    2015-04-01

    Cranial dural arteriovenous fistulae have been classified into high- and low-risk lesions mainly based on the pattern of venous drainage. Those with leptomeningeal venous drainage carry a higher risk of an aggressive clinical presentation. Recently, it has been proposed that the clinical presentation should be considered as an additional independent factor determining the clinical course of these lesions. However, dural shunts with leptomeningeal venous drainage include a very wide spectrum of inhomogeneous lesions. In the current study, we correlated the clinical presentation of 107 consecutive patients harboring cranial dural arteriovenous shunts with leptomeningeal venous drainage, with their distinct anatomic and angiographic features categorized into eight groups based on the "DES" (Directness and Exclusivity of leptomeningeal venous drainage and features of venous Strain) concept. We found that among these groups, there are significant angioarchitectural differences, which are reflected by considerable differences in clinical presentation. Leptomeningeal venous drainage of dural sinus shunts that is neither direct nor exclusive and without venous strain manifested only benign symptoms (aggressive presentation 0%). On the other end of the spectrum, the bridging vein shunts with direct and exclusive leptomeningeal venous drainage and venous strain are expected to present aggressive symptoms almost always and most likely with bleeding (aggressive presentation 91.5%). Important aspects of the above correlations are discussed. Therefore, the consideration of leptomeningeal venous drainage alone, for prediction of the clinical presentation of these shunts appears insufficient. Angiographic analysis based on the above concept, offers the possibility to distinguish the higher- from the lower-risk types of leptomeningeal venous drainage. In this context, consideration of the clinical presentation as an additional independent factor for the prediction of their clinical

  20. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Dysfunction: Concordance of Clinical Findings, Doppler Ultrasound Examination, and Shunt Venography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua M Owen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the concordance between clinical symptoms, Doppler ultrasound (US, and shunt venography for the detection of stent-graft transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS dysfunction. Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients (M:F 30:11, median age 55 years who underwent contemporaneous clinical exam, Doppler US, and TIPS venography between 2003 and 2014 were retrospectively studied. Clinical symptoms (recurrent ascites or variceal bleeding were dichotomously classified as present/absent, and US and TIPS venograms were categorized in a binary fashion as normal/abnormal. US abnormalities included high/low (>190 or 50 cm/s, absent flow, and return of antegrade intra-hepatic portal flow. Venographic abnormalities included shunt stenosis/occlusion and/or pressure gradient elevation. Clinical and imaging concordance rates were calculated. Results: Fifty-two corresponding US examinations and venograms were assessed. The median time between studies was 3 days. Forty of 52 (77% patients were symptomatic, 33/52 (64% US examinations were abnormal, and 20/52 (38% TIPS venograms were abnormal. Concordance between clinical symptoms and TIPS venography was 48% (25/52, while the agreement between US and shunt venography was 65% (34/52. Clinical symptoms and the US concurred in 60% (31/52 of the patients. The sensitivity of clinical symptoms and US for the detection of venographically abnormal shunts was 80% (16/20 and 85% (17/20, respectively. Both clinical symptoms and the US had low specificity (25%, 8/32 and 50%, 16/32 for venographically abnormal shunts. Conclusion: Clinical findings and the US had low concordance rates with TIPS venography, with acceptable sensitivity but poor specificity. These findings suggest the need for improved noninvasive imaging methods for stent-graft TIPS surveillance.

  1. Design and Functional Validation of a Complex Impedance Measurement Device for Characterization of Ultrasonic Transducers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De-Cock, Wouter; Cools, Jan; Leroux, Paul

    2013-06-01

    This paper presents the design and practical implementation of a complex impedance measurement device capable of characterization of ultrasonic transducers. The device works in the frequency range used by industrial ultrasonic transducers which is below the measurement range of modern high end network analyzers. The device uses the Goertzel algorithm instead of the more common FFT algorithm to calculate the magnitude and phase component of the impedance under test. A theoretical overview is given followed by a practical approach and measurement results. (authors)

  2. Portosystemic shunts for extrahepatic portal hypertension in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tocornal, J; Cruz, F

    1981-07-01

    Twenty-three children with prehepatic portal hypertension and hemorrhage due to ruptured esophagogastric varices had portosystemic shunts. Their ages ranged from two years and seven months to 15 years. Eleven were less than eight years of age. Twenty patients had portal vein cavernomatosis and three patients had double portal veins. In 21 patients, a mesocaval type of shunt was done. A splenorenal shunt was performed in two. There was no surgical mortality. Two shunts occluded, both in rather young infants--two years and seven months and three years of age. In all the others, there was no further bleeding, and the shunts remained patent, as shown by abdominal angiograms. Neuropsychiatric disorders, probably due to hepatic encephalopathy, occurred in only one patient. On the basis of this favorable experience, we believe that an elective portosystemic shunt should, in general, be performed upon children with prehepatic portal hypertension after one major variceal hemorrhage. We favor a mesocaval type of shunt in these children because of the larger diameter of the vessels involved in the anastomosis and because it preserves the spleen, maintaining defense against subsequent infection.

  3. Impedance measurements and simulations for the LHC and HL-LHC injection protection collimator

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2125995; Biancacci, Nicolò

    This thesis focuses on the study and the data analysis of the Injection Protection Collimator (also Injection Protection Target Dump or TDI), one of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collimators at CERN, in Geneva. The last chapters also deal with the Segmented TDI (TDIS), the TDI upgrade for High Luminosity-LHC (HL-LHC). Going more into details, measurements on the TDI - hexagonal Boron Nitride (TDI - hBN, installed in the LHC during run 2015) were carried out. Using the obtained results as an input, two derivations followed: one evaluating the layer resistivity and the other one for its thickness, in order to consider all the possible coating degradations that could occur. The whole range of data obtained from both the derivations was then fed to Impedance Wake 2D (IW2D), a code performing numerical simulations, to attain impedances. Finally, the resulting longitudinal impedance was compared to some measurements performed on the real TDIs, immediately after they were removed from the LHC. The TDI - Graphite, ...

  4. Ionic conductivity measurements of zirconia under pressure using impedance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takebe, H; Sakamoto, D; Ohtaka, O; Fukui, H; Yoshiasa, A; Yamanaka, T; Ota, K; Kikegawa, T

    2002-01-01

    We have set up an electrical conductivity measurement system under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions with a multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus using an AC complex impedance method. With this system, we have successfully measured the electrical conductivity of stabilized ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 solid solution) under pressures up to 5 GPa in the temperature range from 300 to 1200 K. The electrical conductivities obtained under pressure are compatible with those of previous results measured at ambient pressure

  5. Validation Techniques of network harmonic models based on switching of a series linear component and measuring resultant harmonic increments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiechowski, Wojciech Tomasz; Lykkegaard, Jan; Bak, Claus Leth

    2007-01-01

    In this paper two methods of validation of transmission network harmonic models are introduced. The methods were developed as a result of the work presented in [1]. The first method allows calculating the transfer harmonic impedance between two nodes of a network. Switching a linear, series network......, as for example a transmission line. Both methods require that harmonic measurements performed at two ends of the disconnected element are precisely synchronized....... are used for calculation of the transfer harmonic impedance between the nodes. The determined transfer harmonic impedance can be used to validate a computer model of the network. The second method is an extension of the fist one. It allows switching a series element that contains a shunt branch...

  6. Pre-Liver Transplant: Tips Versus Distal Splenorenal Shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas W. Faust

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Recurrent variceal bleeding in liver transplant candidates with end-stage liver disease can complicate or even prohibit a subsequent transplant procedure (OLT. Endoscopic sclero-therapy and medical therapy are considered as first-line management with surgical shunts reserved for refractory situations. Surgical shunts can be associated with a high mortality in this population and may complicate subsequent OLT. The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS has been recommended in these patients as a bridge to OLT. This is a new modality that has not been compared with previously established therapies such as the distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS. In this study we report our experience with 35 liver transplant recipients who had a previous TIPS (18 patients or DSRS (17 patients for variceal bleeding. The TIPS group had a significantly larger proportion of critically ill and Child-Pugh C patients. Mean operating time was more prolonged in the DSRS group (P=0.014 but transfusion requirements were similar. Intraoperative portal vein blood flow measurements averaged 2132±725 ml/min in the TIPS group compared with 1120±351ml/min in the DSRS group (P<0.001. Arterial flows were similar. Mean ICU and hospital stays were similar. There were 3 hospital mortalities in the DSRS group and none in the TIPS group (P=0.1. We conclude that TIPS is a valuable tool in the management of recurrent variceal bleeding prior to liver transplantation. Intra0Perative hemodynamic measurements suggest a theoretical advantage with TIPS. In a group of patients with advanced liver disease we report an outcome that is similar to patients treated with DSRS prior to liver transplantation. The role of TIPS in the treatment of nontransplant candidates remains to be clarified.

  7. Research on spark discharge of floating roof tank shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bi, Xiaolei; Liu, Quanzhen; Liu, Baoquan; Gao, Xin; Hu, Haiyan; Liu, Juan

    2013-01-01

    In order to quantitatively analyze the spark discharge risk of floating roof tank shunts, the breakdown voltage of shunt has been calculated by Townsend theory, the shunt spark discharge experiment is carried out by using 1.2/50 μs impulse voltage wave, and the relationship between breakdown voltage of shunt spark discharge and air gap is analyzed. It has been indicated by theoretical analysis and experimental study that the small gap is more easily cause spark discharge than the big gap when the contact between shunt and tank shell is poor. When air gap distance is equal to 0.1 cm, average breakdown voltage is 5280 V. When the air gap distance is less than 0.3 cm, experiment data agree well with Townsend theory. Therefore, in the condition of small gap, Townsend theory can be used to calculated breakdown voltage of shunt. Finally, based on the above conclusions, improvements for avoiding the spark discharge risk of shunt of floating roof tanks have been proposed.

  8. Spinal cord arteriovenous shunts: from imaging to management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodesch, G.; Lasjaunias, P.

    2003-01-01

    Spinal cord arteriovenous shunts (SCAVSs) are either fistulas or niduses that can be separated in four different groups according to their localization and relationship to the dura. Paraspinal AVSs are located outside the spine and are responsible for neurological symptoms because of cord compression by ertatic veins, venous congestion or arterial steal. Epidural shunts are located in the epidural space and drain in epidural veins with secondary intradural congestion. Dural shunts are embedded in the dura, produce a cord venous myelopathy after draining through veins that either pierce the dura far from a nerve root or accompany a nerve root. Intradural shunts affect the cord, the roots or the filum. Additionally, they can be classified according to their potential relationships with genetics, vascular biological features and angiogenesis into genetic hereditary lesions (hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia), genetic non-hereditary lesions (multiple lesions with metameric links) and single lesions (AVMs or micro AVFs). MRI and MRA are able to visualise SCAVS early after the onset of clinical symptoms. The type of shunt and its localization may remain difficult to be precise. Angiography remains the gold standard for analysis of the anatomical, morphological and architectural features necessary for therapeutic decisions in both paediatric and adult populations. In our series, embolisation is chosen in first intention whatever the type of shunt responsible for the clinical symptoms and glue is preferably used. In paraspinal, dural or epidural arteriovenous shunts, the goal of treatment should be complete closure of the shunt. A complete cure by embolization is rather easily achieved in paraspinal lesions. Failure of endovascular therapy in dural or epidural shunts must bring the patient to surgery. The prognosis of most intradural shunts seems better than previously thought, even after haemorrhage. In intradural spinal cord arteriovenous shunts, embolisation

  9. Amplifier spurious input current components in electrode-electrolyte interface impedance measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madrid Rossana E

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Impedance Microbiology, the time during which the measuring equipment is connected to the bipolar cells is rather long, usually between 6 to 24 hrs for microorganisms with duplication times in the order of less than one hour and concentrations ranging from 101 to 107 [CFU/ml]. Under these conditions, the electrode-electrolyte interface impedance may show a slow drift of about 2%/hr. By and large, growth curves superimposed on such drift do not stabilize, are less reproducible, and keep on distorting all over the measurement of the temporal reactive or resistive records due to interface changes, in turn originated in bacterial activity. This problem has been found when growth curves were obtained by means of impedance analyzers or with impedance bridges using different types of operational amplifiers. Methods Suspecting that the input circuitry was the culprit of the deleterious effect, we used for that matter (a ultra-low bias current amplifiers, (b isolating relays for the selection of cells, and (c a shorter connection time, so that the relays were maintained opened after the readings, to bring down such spurious drift to a negligible value. Bacterial growth curves were obtained in order to test their quality. Results It was demonstrated that the drift decreases ten fold when the circuit remained connected to the cell for a short time between measurements, so that the distortion became truly negligible. Improvement due to better-input amplifiers was not as good as by reducing the connection time. Moreover, temperature effects were insignificant with a regulation of ± 0.2 [°C]. Frequency did not influence either. Conclusion The drift originated either at the dc input bias offset current (Ios of the integrated circuits, or in discrete transistors connected directly to the electrodes immersed in the cells, depending on the particular circuit arrangement. Reduction of the connection time was the best countermeasure.

  10. Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy in Previously Shunted Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Brichtova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV is a routine and safe procedure for therapy of obstructive hydrocephalus. The aim of our study is to evaluate ETV success rate in therapy of obstructive hydrocephalus in pediatric patients formerly treated by ventriculoperitoneal (V-P shunt implantation. From 2001 till 2011, ETV was performed in 42 patients with former V-P drainage implantation. In all patients, the obstruction in aqueduct or outflow parts of the fourth ventricle was proved by MRI. During the surgery, V-P shunt was clipped and ETV was performed. In case of favourable clinical state and MRI functional stoma, the V-P shunt has been removed 3 months after ETV. These patients with V-P shunt possible removing were evaluated as successful. In our group of 42 patients we were successful in 29 patients (69%. There were two serious complications (4.7%—one patient died 2.5 years and one patient died 1 year after surgery in consequence of delayed ETV failure. ETV is the method of choice in obstructive hydrocephalus even in patients with former V-P shunt implantation. In case of acute or scheduled V-P shunt surgical revision, MRI is feasible, and if ventricular system obstruction is diagnosed, the hydrocephalus may be solved endoscopically.

  11. Applicability of impedance measuring method to the detection of irradiation treatment of potatoes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Toru; Todoriki, Setsuko; Otobe, Kazunori; Sugiyama, Junnichi

    1993-01-01

    The incubation condition of potato tubers prior to impedance measurement greatly influenced the reliability of detection of irradiated potatoes; the impedance ratio at 5 kHz to 50 kHz (Z 5k /Z 50k ) determined at 22degC at an apical region of tuber which was pre-incubated at 22degC for 3 days or longer resulted in the best detection of radiation treatment of potatoes. The impedance ratio was dependent upon dose applied to potato tubers. Potatoes irradiated at 100 Gy could be distinguished from unirradiated potatoes for 10 cultivars of potatoes. The impedance ratio of potatoes irradiated at the same dose was little influenced by the planting locality if the cultivar was the same, although the ratio varied with potato cultivars. These results indicate that irradiated potatoes can be detected if the potato cultivar is known. Potatoes 'Danshaku' commercially irradiated at the Shihiro Potato Irradiation Center could be differentiated from unirradiated 'Danshaku' at different planting localities; the impedance ratio was lower than 2.75 for the unirradiated potatoes and higher than 2.75 for the irradiated ones. (author)

  12. Association between right-to-left shunts and brain lesions in sport divers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerriets, Tibo; Tetzlaff, Kay; Hutzelmann, Alfred; Liceni, Thomas; Kopiske, Gerrit; Struck, Niklas; Reuter, Michael; Kaps, Manfred

    2003-10-01

    Recent studies suggest that healthy sport divers may develop clinically silent brain damage, based on the association between a finding of multiple brain lesions on MRI and the presence of right-to-left shunt, a pathway for venous gas bubbles to enter the arterial system. We performed echocontrast transcranial Doppler sonography in 42 sport divers to determine the presence of a right-to-left shunt. Cranial MRI was carried out using a 1.5 T magnet. A lesion was counted if it was hyperintense on both T2-weighted and T2-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences. To test the hypothesis that the occurrence of postdive arterial gas emboli is related to brain lesions on MRI, we measured postdive intravascular bubbles in a subset of 15 divers 30 min after open water scuba dives. Echocontrast transcranial Doppler sonography revealed a right-to-left shunt in 16 of the divers (38%). Only one hyperintensive lesion of the central white matter was found and that was in a diver with no evidence of a right-to-left shunt. Postdive arterial gas emboli were detected in 3 out of 15 divers; they had a right-to-left shunt, but no pathologic findings on cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Our data support the theory that right-to-left shunts can serve as a pathway for venous gas bubbles into the arterial circulation. However, we could not confirm an association between brain lesions and the presence of a right-to-left shunt in sport divers.

  13. Quantitation of the intrahepatic shunt index by injection of 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Masaaki; Ohnishi, Kunihiko; Katsurai, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Hideo; Chin, Nobuyoshi; Iida, Shinji; Nomura, Fumio; Okuda, Kunio

    1987-01-01

    The accuracy of the intrahepatic shunt index measured by injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen was assessed in comparison with the intrahepatic shunt index measured by injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the portal trunk in 28 patients with portal hypertension. 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin was injected through the catheter into the portal trunk and the intrahepatic shunt index was calculated by counting over predetermined areas of the liver and lungs. Injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen was performed between one or two weeks before portal vein catheterization, and the calculation of the intrahepatic shunt index was performed with a scinticamera and ROI-radiograms obtained by data-processing. There was a significant correlation between the intrahepatic shunt index calculated by injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen and that by injection of 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the portal trunk (r = 0.90, p < 0.001). (author)

  14. Quantitative measurement of Y90 brehmmstrahlung images after of Y90 Sir-Spheres implantation to assess lung shunting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forwood, Nicholas J.; Pocock, Nicholas; Shin, Jane; Young, Andy M; Szeto, Edwin R.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: Background: In clinical practice the dose of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres is calculated using a pre injection of Tc 9 9 m MAA. There is however a potential difference due to the different properties of Tc 9 9 m MAA and Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres. We assessed the concordance of lung shunting of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres estimated using Y 9 0 Bremsstrahlung imaging, compared to shunting assessed using Tc 9 9 m MAA. Methods: 15 Patients were evaluated using 150-200 MBq of Tc 9 9 m MAA injected into the hepatic artery under angiographic guidance. Whole body images were acquired using a LEAP collimator (window of 140 kEv+/-10%). The patients were subsequently treated with Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres. After microspheres injection, whole body brehmsstrahlung images were acquired using a medium energy collimator (window settings of 75 kEv +/- 20%). Tc 9 9 m MAA images were paired with their corresponding bremsstrahlung image and lung shunting in the stu ides calculated simultaneously. Each paired dataset was analyzed by 5 operators. Results: The mean lung shunting for Tc 9 9 m MAA acquisition was 3.32% (SD 2.03) which was significantly lower than the lung shunting using the Y 9 0 acquisitions: mean 16.19% (SD of 6.43). The Pearson coefficient was r = 0.62 (p 9 0 Sir-Spheres bremsstrahlung imaging is higher than that calculated by Tc 9 9 m MAA imaging. The relationship is not sufficiently strong to use bremsstahlung imaging to retrospectively quantify the lung-to-liver shunting as indicated using Tc 9 9 M AA. Further studies are underway to assess the reliability of Tc 9 9 m MAA lung uptake calculations in determining the dose of Y 9 0 Sir-Spheres.

  15. An experimental applications of impedance measurements by spectral analysis to electrochemistry and corrosion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castro, E.B.; Vilche, J.R.; Milocco, R.H.

    1984-01-01

    An impedance measurement system based on the spectral analysis of excitation and response signals was implemented using a pseudo-random binary sequence in the generation of the electrical perturbation signal. The spectral density functions were estimated through finite Fourier transforms of the original time history records by fast computation of Fourier series. Experimental results obtained using the FFT algorithm in the developed impedance measurement system which covers a wide frequency range, 10 KHz >= f >= 1 mHz, are given both for dummy cells representing conventional electric circuits in electrochemistry and corrosion systems and for the Fe/acidic chloride solution interfaces under different polarization conditions. (C.L.B.) [pt

  16. Comparison between biventricular cine MRI and MR flow quantification in ascending aorta and pulmonary outflow tract for the assessment of intracardial shunt volumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rominger, M.B.; Kluge, A.; Bachmann, G.F.; Dinkel, H.P.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: Comparison between biventricular volumetric measurements and flow measurements in ascending aorta (Ao) and pulmonary outflow tract (Pu) for quantification of intracardial shunts, and evaluation of the combination of biventricular cine MRI with flow measurements for the assessment of RV and LV heart failure and valvular regurgitation (VR). Material and Methods: In 24 patients, right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular volumetric and flow measurements were performed in the Ao and Pu to assess the ratio of RV stroke volume (SV) or, respectively, pulmonary SV to LV SV or, respectively, systemic aortic SV (Qp/Qs). 34 patients without echocardiographically proven shunt or VR served as control group for measurement accuracy. Left-to-right shunt ratios were calculated from RV and LV SV, Pu and Ao SV, Pu and LV SV, and RV and Ao SV. Left ventricular VR was calculated by the difference of LV SV and Ao SV, and right ventricular VR by the difference of RV SV and Pu SV. Global systolic function was evaluated by biventricular cine MRI. Results: Intracardial shunts with Qp/Qs>1,16 can be quantified by flow measurements in Ao and Pu. Using biventricular volumetric measurements in cases without VR, requires a Qp/Qs>1.21. 17 of 18 intracardiac shunts were identified on MRI, and all 8 hemodynamically significant shunts were quantitatively confirmed. The diagnosis of complete shunt closure or absent shunt was correctly made in all 6 cases RV EF reduction was found in 6 of 24 patients. LV EF reduction was also found in 6 of 24 patients. Conclusion: Flow measurements in Ao and Pu are more accurate than biventricular cine MRI for the assessment of Qp/Qs ratios. Flow measurements in Ao and Pu combined with biventricular cine MRI enables the quantification of hemodynamic significant shunts, higher grade VR and biventricular global systolic function with a single examination. (orig.) [de

  17. Studies of longitudinal profile of electron bunches and impedance measurements at Indus-2 synchrotron radiation source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garg, Akash Deep, E-mail: akash-deep@rrcat.gov.in [Beam Diagnostics Section (BDS), Indus Operations, Beam Dynamics and Diagnostics Division (IOBDD), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, M.P. (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore (India); Yadav, S.; Kumar, Mukesh; Shrivastava, B.B.; Karnewar, A.K.; Ojha, A.; Puntambekar, T.A. [Beam Diagnostics Section (BDS), Indus Operations, Beam Dynamics and Diagnostics Division (IOBDD), Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, M.P. (India)

    2016-04-01

    Indus-2 is a 3rd generation synchrotron radiation source at the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) in India. We study the longitudinal profile of electrons in Indus-2 by using dual sweep synchroscan streak camera at visible diagnostic beamline. In this paper, the longitudinal profiles of electron bunch are analyzed by filling beam current in a single bunch mode. These studies are carried at injection energy (550 MeV) and at ramped beam energy (2.5 GeV). The effects of the wakefield generated interactions between the circulating electrons and the surrounding vacuum chamber are analyzed in terms of measured effects on longitudinal beam distribution. The impedance of the storage ring is obtained by fitting the solutions of Haissinski equation to the measured bunch lengthening with different impedance models. The impedance of storage ring obtained by a series R+L impedance model indicates a resistance (R) of 1350±125 Ω, an inductance (L) of 180±25 nH and broadband impedance of 2.69 Ω. These results are also compared with the values obtained from measured synchronous phase advancing and scaling laws. These studies are very useful in better understanding and control of the electromagnetic interactions.

  18. Structural damage identification using piezoelectric impedance measurement with sparse inverse analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Pei; Qi, Shuai; Tang, J.

    2018-03-01

    The impedance/admittance measurements of a piezoelectric transducer bonded to or embedded in a host structure can be used as damage indicator. When a credible model of the healthy structure, such as the finite element model, is available, using the impedance/admittance change information as input, it is possible to identify both the location and severity of damage. The inverse analysis, however, may be under-determined as the number of unknowns in high-frequency analysis is usually large while available input information is limited. The fundamental challenge thus is how to find a small set of solutions that cover the true damage scenario. In this research we cast the damage identification problem into a multi-objective optimization framework to tackle this challenge. With damage locations and severities as unknown variables, one of the objective functions is the difference between impedance-based model prediction in the parametric space and the actual measurements. Considering that damage occurrence generally affects only a small number of elements, we choose the sparsity of the unknown variables as another objective function, deliberately, the l 0 norm. Subsequently, a multi-objective Dividing RECTangles (DIRECT) algorithm is developed to facilitate the inverse analysis where the sparsity is further emphasized by sigmoid transformation. As a deterministic technique, this approach yields results that are repeatable and conclusive. In addition, only one algorithmic parameter, the number of function evaluations, is needed. Numerical and experimental case studies demonstrate that the proposed framework is capable of obtaining high-quality damage identification solutions with limited measurement information.

  19. Evaluation of Blalock-Taussig shunts using magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okajima, Yoshitomo; Tashima, Kazuyuki; Terai, Masaru; Niwa, Koichirou.

    1988-01-01

    Four patients aged 3 to 18 months (mean 13 months) with a total of five Blalock-Taussig shunts (BT shunts; two were original BT shunts and three were modified BT shunts using GOLASKI grafts) underwent evaluation by ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging. There were two cases with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, one with double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis and one with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia who underwent bilateral BT shunts. At the time of study, an auscultory shunt murmur was audible in all patients. The magnetic resonance images were obtained with a Picker International Vista MR with a superconducting magnet operating at 0.5 Tesla. A spin echo sequence (echo time 40 msec) was used. All patients were placed within a 30 cm head coil radio antenna and sedated with chloral hydrate or diazepam. Four of 5 shunts were imaged on both coronal sections and sagittal sections during enddiastole. And there was no signal within the grafts. When the velocity of blood flow is beyond the cutoff velocity, the signal intensity of flowing blood is near background level. So we judged these grafts were patient. Our results showed that MRI was a very useful noninvasive method for evaluation of BT shunts. (author)

  20. Evaluation of Blalock-Taussig shunts using magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okajima, Yoshitomo; Tashima, Kazuyuki; Terai, Masaru; Niwa, Koichirou.

    1988-10-01

    Four patients aged 3 to 18 months (mean 13 months) with a total of five Blalock-Taussig shunts (BT shunts; two were original BT shunts and three were modified BT shunts using GOLASKI grafts) underwent evaluation by ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging. There were two cases with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, one with double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis and one with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia who underwent bilateral BT shunts. At the time of study, an auscultory shunt murmur was audible in all patients. The magnetic resonance images were obtained with a Picker International Vista MR with a superconducting magnet operating at 0.5 Tesla. A spin echo sequence (echo time 40 msec) was used. All patients were placed within a 30 cm head coil radio antenna and sedated with chloral hydrate or diazepam. Four of 5 shunts were imaged on both coronal sections and sagittal sections during enddiastole. And there was no signal within the grafts. When the velocity of blood flow is beyond the cutoff velocity, the signal intensity of flowing blood is near background level. So we judged these grafts were patient. Our results showed that MRI was a very useful noninvasive method for evaluation of BT shunts.

  1. Treatment of refractory chylothorax with externalized pleuroperitoneal shunts in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolff, A B; Silen, M L; Kokoska, E R; Rodgers, B M

    1999-09-01

    Traditional therapy for refractory chylothorax in the pediatric population has included pleurodesis and thoracic duct ligation. These procedures are associated with high morbidity and questionable success rates. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 15 patients who underwent treatment for chylous effusions using pleuroperitoneal shunts with exteriorized pump chambers. Mean patient age at time of shunt placement was 2.1 (0.1 to 11.5) years and the most common indication (7 of 15) was refractory chylothorax following surgical correction of congenital heart disease. Mean chylothorax duration before shunt placement was 76 (5 to 810) days and shunts were in place for an average of 104 (12 to 365) days. A total of 19 chylous effusions (pleural or pericardial) were treated with shunts. Nine of 11 right-sided chylothoraces, 5 of 6 left-sided chylothoraces, and 2 of 2 chylopericardia resolved with shunt therapy (84% total). Pleuroperitoneal shunting failed to clear the effusion in 3 children. There were six episodes of shunt malfunction that were repaired and two episodes of infection. Inguinal or umbilical hernia developed in 4 patients. Externalized pleuroperitoneal shunting is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment for children with refractory chylous effusions.

  2. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection in Haji Adam Malik Hospital, Medan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dharmajaya, R.

    2018-03-01

    Installation of ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VP) represented a substantial progress in the neurosurgical management of hydrocephalus in children. However, infection is the most commonpostoperative complication of aventriculoperitoneal shunt. It is important because it is related to substantial morbidity and mortality, and exerts a negative impact on the quality of life of patients. We retrospectively analyzed all 20 cases of shunt infection from 2013 to 2016. The types of infections found were exposed shunts15 cases (75%), and 5 cases of ventriculitis (25%). Length of infection time which calculated from the beginning of surgery was 350.20 days or 11 months. The most common pathogen types are S. epidermidis followed by P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and A. baumanii. There were many risk factors for shunt infection, but the interesting fact was the level of pre-operative albumin. There was a significant difference between low albumin levels (<3.0) and normal albumin (≥3.0) levels against the risk of exposure shunt, p = 0.015. It means there is asignificant difference between low pre-operative albumin and normal level for the risk of theexposed shunt.

  3. Biomedical engineering meets acupuncture - development of a miniaturized 48-channel skin impedance measurement system for needle and laser acupuncture

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Due to controversially discussed results in scientific literature concerning changes of electrical skin impedance before and during acupuncture a new measurement system has been developed. Methods The prototype measures and analyzes the electrical skin impedance computer-based and simultaneously in 48 channels within a 2.5×3.5 cm matrix. Preliminary measurements in one person were performed using metal needle and violet laser (405 nm) acupuncture at the acupoint Kongzui (LU6). The new system is an improvement on devices previously developed by other researchers for this purpose. Results Skin impedance in the immediate surroundings of the acupoint was lowered reproducibly following needle stimulation and also violet laser stimulation. Conclusions A new instrumentation for skin impedance measurements is presented. The following hypotheses suggested by our results will have to be tested in further studies: Needle acupuncture causes significant, specific local changes of electrical skin impedance parameters. Optical stimulation (violet laser) at an acupoint causes direct electrical biosignal changes. PMID:21092296

  4. Biomedical engineering meets acupuncture - development of a miniaturized 48-channel skin impedance measurement system for needle and laser acupuncture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Lu

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Due to controversially discussed results in scientific literature concerning changes of electrical skin impedance before and during acupuncture a new measurement system has been developed. Methods The prototype measures and analyzes the electrical skin impedance computer-based and simultaneously in 48 channels within a 2.5×3.5 cm matrix. Preliminary measurements in one person were performed using metal needle and violet laser (405 nm acupuncture at the acupoint Kongzui (LU6. The new system is an improvement on devices previously developed by other researchers for this purpose. Results Skin impedance in the immediate surroundings of the acupoint was lowered reproducibly following needle stimulation and also violet laser stimulation. Conclusions A new instrumentation for skin impedance measurements is presented. The following hypotheses suggested by our results will have to be tested in further studies: Needle acupuncture causes significant, specific local changes of electrical skin impedance parameters. Optical stimulation (violet laser at an acupoint causes direct electrical biosignal changes.

  5. The development of the miniaturized waveform receiver with the function measuring Antenna Impedance in space plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, H.; Kojima, H.; Fukuhara, H.; Okada, S.; Yamakawa, H.

    2012-04-01

    Plasma wave is one of the most essential physical quantities in the solar terrestrial physics. The role of plasma wave receiver onboard satellites is to detect plasma waves in space with a good signal to noise ratio. There are two types of plasma wave receivers, the sweep frequency analyzer and the waveform capture. While the sweep frequency analyzer provides plasma wave spectra, the waveform capture obtains waveforms with phase information that is significant in studying nonlinear phenomena. Antenna sensors to observe electric fields of the plasma waves show different features in plasmas from in vacuum. The antenna impedances have specific characteristics in the frequency domain because of the dispersion of plasmas. These antenna impedances are expressed with complex number. We need to know not only the antenna impedances but also the transfer functions of plasma wave receiver's circuits in order to calibrate observed waveforms precisely. The impedances of the electric field antennas are affected by a state of surrounding plasmas. Since satellites run through various regions with different plasma parameters, we precisely should measure the antenna impedances onboard spacecraft. On the contrary, we can obtain the plasma density and by measuring the antenna impedances. Several formulas of the antenna impedance measurement system were proposed. A synchronous detection method is used on the BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), which will be launched in 2014. The digital data are stored in the onboard memory. They are read out and converted to the analog waveforms by D/A converter. They are fed into the input of the preamplifiers of antenna sensors through a resistor. We can calculate a transfer function of the circuit by applying the synchronous detection method to the output waveform from waveform receivers and digital data as a signal source. The size of this system is same as an A5 board. In recent years, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC

  6. Nonsynchronous Noncommensurate Impedance Transformers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhurbenko, Vitaliy; Kim, K

    2012-01-01

    Nonsynchronous noncommensurate impedance transformers consist of a combination of two types of transmission lines: transmission lines with a characteristic impedance equal to the impedance of the source, and transmission lines with a characteristic impedance equal to the load. The practical...... advantage of such transformers is that they can be constructed using sections of transmission lines with a limited variety of characteristic impedances. These transformers also provide comparatively compact size in applications where a wide transformation ratio is required. This paper presents the data...... matrix approach and experimentally verified by synthesizing a 12-section nonsynchronous noncommensurate impedance transformer. The measured characteristics of the transformer are compared to the characteristics of a conventional tapered line transformer....

  7. Impact of eating and drinking on body composition measurements by bioelectrical impedance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Androutsos, O; Gerasimidis, K; Karanikolou, A; Reilly, J J; Edwards, C A

    2015-04-01

    Bioelectrical impedance analysis would be a more practical tool to measure body composition in clinical settings, dietetic practice and epidemiological studies if patients/subjects did not have to fast before measurements. The present study assessed whether the ingestion of food or drink had any biologically significant effect on bioimpedance measurements and body composition by the foot-to-foot method. Fifty-five healthy adults [30 males and 25 females; mean (SD) age 27.7 (7.1) years; mean (SD)body mass index 24 (3.8) kg m(-2)] were randomly assigned to a 2-day food trial (high-fat meal or high-carbohydrate meal) or a 2-day drink trial (water or high electrolyte drink). Body composition measurements were carried out in the fasting state, immediately after meal consumption and every 30 min for 2 h by the foot-to-foot single frequency bioimpedance technique. Bioimpedance increased significantly after the ingestion of food and fluid, although the changes were small. The electrolyte drink, high-fat and high-carbohydrate meals significantly increased the percentage body fat and fat mass. In all cases, the median percentage changes from baseline were approximately 1% in body fat percentage units. Although there were statistically significant changes in body composition estimates after food or drink consumption, these were small and within the imprecision of the impedance technique, and so are unlikely to be of clinical significance. The present study suggests that impedance measures of body fatness in clinical settings do not require strict adherence to fasting, and this should increase the opportunities for clinical application. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  8. Quantitation of the intrahepatic shunt index by injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saito, Masaaki; Ohnishi, Kunihiko; Katsurai, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Hideo; Chin, Nobuyoshi; Iida, Shinji; Nomura, Fumio; Okuda, Kunio

    1987-11-01

    The accuracy of the intrahepatic shunt index measured by injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen was assessed in comparison with the intrahepatic shunt index measured by injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the portal trunk in 28 patients with portal hypertension. /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin was injected through the catheter into the portal trunk and the intrahepatic shunt index was calculated by counting over predetermined areas of the liver and lungs. Injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen was performed between one or two weeks before portal vein catheterization, and the calculation of the intrahepatic shunt index was performed with a scinticamera and ROI-radiograms obtained by data-processing. There was a significant correlation between the intrahepatic shunt index calculated by injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the spleen and that by injection of /sup 99m/Tc-macroaggregated albumin into the portal trunk (r = 0.90, p < 0.001)

  9. Shunt protection for superconducting Maglev magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atherton, D L [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Physics

    1979-09-01

    Closely coupled, short-circuited shunt coils are proposed for quench protection of superconducting Maglev magnets which use high resistance, matrix composite conductors. It is shown that, by suitable design, the shunts can reduce induced ac losses and that the changing currents during magnet energization or vehicle lift off and landing can be tolerated.

  10. Effect of electromagnetic navigated ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement on failure rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Nayoung; Kim, Dongwon

    2013-03-01

    To evaluate the effect of electromagnetic (EM) navigation system on ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt failure rate through comparing the result of standard shunt placement. All patients undergoing VP shunt from October 2007 to September 2010 were included in this retrospective study. The first group received shunt surgery using EM navigation. The second group had catheters inserted using manual method with anatomical landmark. The relationship between proximal catheter position and shunt revision rate was evaluated using postoperative computed tomography by a 3-point scale. 1) Grade I; optimal position free-floating in cerebrospinal fluid, 2) Grade II; touching choroid or ventricular wall, 3) Grade III; tip within parenchyma. A total of 72 patients were participated, 27 with EM navigated shunts and 45 with standard shunts. Grade I was found in 25 patients from group 1 and 32 patients from group 2. Only 2 patients without use of navigation belonged to grade III. Proximal obstruction took place 7% in grade I, 15% in grade II and 100% in grade III. Shunt revision occurred in 11% of group 1 and 31% of group 2. Compared in terms of proximal catheter position, there was growing trend of revision rate according to increase of grade on each group. Although infection rate was similar between both groups, the result had no statistical meaning (p=0.905, chi-square test). The use of EM navigation in routine shunt surgery can eliminate poor shunt placement resulting in a dramatic reduction in failure rates.

  11. An analytic solution to the homogeneous EIT problem on the 2D disk and its application to estimation of electrode contact impedances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demidenko, Eugene

    2011-01-01

    An analytic solution of the potential distribution on a 2D homogeneous disk for electrical impedance tomography under the complete electrode model is expressed via an infinite system of linear equations. For the shunt electrode model with two electrodes, our solution coincides with the previously derived solution expressed via elliptic integral (Pidcock et al 1995 Physiol. Meas. 16 77–90). The Dirichlet-to-Neumann map is derived for statistical estimation via nonlinear least squares. The solution is validated in phantom experiments and applied for breast contact impedance estimation in vivo. Statistical hypothesis testing is used to test whether the contact impedances are the same across electrodes or all equal zero. Our solution can be especially useful for a rapid real-time test for bad surface contact in clinical setting

  12. On-line process analysis innovation: DiComp (tm) shunting dielectric sensor technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Craig R.; Waldman, Frank A.

    1993-01-01

    The DiComp Shunting Dielectric Sensor (SDS) is a new patent-pending technology developed under the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) for NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The incorporation of a shunt electrode into a conventional fringing field dielectric sensor makes the SDS uniquely sensitive to changes in material dielectric properties in the KHz to MHz range which were previously detectable only at GHz measurement frequencies. The initial NASA application of the SDS for Nutrient Delivery Control has demonstrated SDS capabilities for thickness and concentration measurement of Hoagland nutrient solutions. The commercial introduction of DiComp SDS technology for concentration and percent solids measurements in dispersions, emulsions and solutions represents a new technology for process measurements for liquids in a variety of industries.

  13. In vivo bioimpedance measurement of healthy and ischaemic rat brain: implications for stroke imaging using electrical impedance tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dowrick, T; Blochet, C; Holder, D

    2015-01-01

    In order to facilitate the imaging of haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke using frequency difference electrical impedance tomography (EIT), impedance measurements of normal and ischaemic brain, and clotted blood during haemorrhage, were gathered using a four-terminal technique in an in vivo animal model, a first for ischaemic measurements. Differences of 5–10% in impedance were seen between the frequency spectrums of healthy and ischaemic brain, over the frequency range 0–3 kHz, while the spectrum of blood was predominately uniform. The implications of imaging blood/ischaemia in the brain using electrical impedance tomography are discussed, supporting the notion that it will be possible to differentiate stroke from haemorrhage. (paper)

  14. Shunt protection for superconducting Maglev magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atherton, D.L.

    1979-01-01

    Closely coupled, short-circuited shunt coils are proposed for quench protection of superconducting Maglev magnets which use high resistance, matrix composite conductors. It is shown that, by suitable design, the shunts can reduce induced ac losses and that the changing currents during magnet energization or vehicle lift off and landing can be tolerated. (author)

  15. Vertical impedance measurements on concrete bridge decks for assessing susceptibility of reinforcing steel to corrosion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomew, Paul D.; Guthrie, W. Spencer; Mazzeo, Brian A.

    2012-08-01

    Corrosion is a pressing problem for aging concrete infrastructure, especially bridge decks. Because of its sensitivity to factors that affect corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete, resistivity is an important structural health indicator for reinforced concrete structures. In this research, an instrument was developed to measure vertical impedance on concrete bridge decks. Measurements of vertical impedance on slabs prepared in the laboratory, on slabs removed from decommissioned bridge decks, and on an in-service bridge deck in the field demonstrate the utility of the new apparatus.

  16. Impedance matching of pillbox-type RF windows and direct measurement of the ceramic relative dielectric constant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ao, Hiroyuki, E-mail: hiroyuki.ao@j-parc.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), J-PARC Center, Accelerator Division, 2-4, Shirakara Shirane, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Asano, Hiroyuki [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), J-PARC Center, Accelerator Division, 2-4, Shirakara Shirane, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Naito, Fujio [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1, Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Ouchi, Nobuo; Tamura, Jun [Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), J-PARC Center, Accelerator Division, 2-4, Shirakara Shirane, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Takata, Koji [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1, Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)

    2014-02-11

    Impedance matching of RF windows that minimizes the RF reflection is necessary to prevent localized standing waves between an RF window and a cavity, which may cause thermal and/or multipactoring issues. It has been observed that the impedance matching condition of the pillbox-type RF window, checked by voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) measurement, depends on the manufacturing lot of the window ceramic disk made of 95% purity Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The present report proposes new procedures for impedance matching as follows: (i) The relative dielectric constant of the ceramic window is directly measured using the resonant frequency of a cavity made by temporarily combining the pillbox part of the RF window and two short-circuiting plates. (ii) The dimensions of the pillbox section including the ceramic disk are fixed on the basis of the measured relative dielectric constant. To confirm this procedure, three RF windows were fabricated using the same type of ceramic material, and successful impedance matching of these windows was performed (VSWR<1.05). The measured results also suggest that the relative dielectric constant increases linearly with increasing density and that the impedance matching condition is mainly affected by variations of the relative dielectric constant due to shrinkage of the alumina during sintering. -- Highlights: • We measured the relative dielectric constant of an RF window ceramic directly. • We used the circular TE011-mode frequency of the pillbox part of an RF window itself. • The dimensions of the pillbox part were fixed on the basis of the measurement result. • Three RF windows were fabricated, and VSWR <1.05 for these windows was performed. • The relative dielectric constant increases linearly with increasing ceramic density.

  17. Impedance matching of pillbox-type RF windows and direct measurement of the ceramic relative dielectric constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ao, Hiroyuki; Asano, Hiroyuki; Naito, Fujio; Ouchi, Nobuo; Tamura, Jun; Takata, Koji

    2014-01-01

    Impedance matching of RF windows that minimizes the RF reflection is necessary to prevent localized standing waves between an RF window and a cavity, which may cause thermal and/or multipactoring issues. It has been observed that the impedance matching condition of the pillbox-type RF window, checked by voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) measurement, depends on the manufacturing lot of the window ceramic disk made of 95% purity Al 2 O 3 . The present report proposes new procedures for impedance matching as follows: (i) The relative dielectric constant of the ceramic window is directly measured using the resonant frequency of a cavity made by temporarily combining the pillbox part of the RF window and two short-circuiting plates. (ii) The dimensions of the pillbox section including the ceramic disk are fixed on the basis of the measured relative dielectric constant. To confirm this procedure, three RF windows were fabricated using the same type of ceramic material, and successful impedance matching of these windows was performed (VSWR<1.05). The measured results also suggest that the relative dielectric constant increases linearly with increasing density and that the impedance matching condition is mainly affected by variations of the relative dielectric constant due to shrinkage of the alumina during sintering. -- Highlights: • We measured the relative dielectric constant of an RF window ceramic directly. • We used the circular TE011-mode frequency of the pillbox part of an RF window itself. • The dimensions of the pillbox part were fixed on the basis of the measurement result. • Three RF windows were fabricated, and VSWR <1.05 for these windows was performed. • The relative dielectric constant increases linearly with increasing ceramic density

  18. 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.

  19. Surgical Outcomes of Ahmed or Baerveldt Tube Shunt Implantation for medically Uncontrolled Traumatic Glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadgarov, Arkadiy; Liu, Dan; Crane, Elliot S; Khouri, Albert S

    2017-01-01

    To describe postoperative surgical success of either Ahmed or Baerveldt tube shunt implantation for eyes with medically uncontrolled traumatic glaucoma. A review was carried out to identify patients with traumatic glaucoma that required tube shunt implantation between 2009 and 2015 at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Seventeen eyes from 17 patients met inclusion criteria, including at least 3-month postoperative follow-up. The main outcome measure was surgical success at 1-year follow-up after tube implantation. Mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 34.1 ± 8.2 mm Hg on 3.1 ± 1.6 ocular hypotensive medications. Nine eyes (53%) sustained closed globe injury. Ten eyes (59%) received an Ahmed valve shunt and seven eyes (41%) received a Baerveldt tube shunt. Surgical success rate at 1 year postoperatively was 83%. Compared to preoperative, the mean postoperative IOP was significantly lower (16.1 ± 3.5 mm Hg, p Ahmed or Baerveldt tube shunt provided successful control of IOP in patients with medically uncontrollable traumatic glaucoma. Yadgarov A, Liu D, Crane ES, Khouri AS. Surgical Outcomes of Ahmed or Baerveldt Tube Shunt Implantation for medically Uncontrolled Traumatic Glaucoma. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2017;11(1):16-21.

  20. Percutaneous peritoneovenous shunt positioning: technique and preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orsi, Franco; Grasso, Rosario Francesco; Bonomo, Guido; Marinucci, Irene; Monti, Cinzia; Bellomi, Massimo

    2002-01-01

    Nine peritoneovenous shunts were positioned by percutaneous technique in seven patients with advanced malignancy causing severe refractory ascites, and in two patients with hepatic cirrhosis (one with hepatocarcinoma). In all patients the shunts were percutaneously placed through the subclavian vein in the angiographic suite under digital fluoroscopic guide. No complications directly related to the procedure occurred. The shunt was successfully positioned in all patients in 60 min average time. No patient showed symptoms related to pulmonary overload or to disseminated intravascular coagulation. All patients had a significant improvement of the objective symptoms related to ascites such as respiratory symptoms, dyspepsia, and functional impairment to evacuation describing an improvement of their quality of life. Maximum shunt patency was 273 days. Percutaneous placement of peritoneovenous shunt is a safe, fast, and inexpensive procedure, extremely useful in resolution of refractory ascites, reducing symptoms, and allowing effective palliation, with a great improvement in quality of life. (orig.)

  1. Percutaneous peritoneovenous shunt positioning: technique and preliminary results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orsi, Franco; Grasso, Rosario Francesco; Bonomo, Guido; Marinucci, Irene [Division of Radiology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy); Monti, Cinzia [Institute of Radiology, University of Milan (Italy); Bellomi, Massimo [Division of Radiology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy); Institute of Radiology, University of Milan (Italy)

    2002-05-01

    Nine peritoneovenous shunts were positioned by percutaneous technique in seven patients with advanced malignancy causing severe refractory ascites, and in two patients with hepatic cirrhosis (one with hepatocarcinoma). In all patients the shunts were percutaneously placed through the subclavian vein in the angiographic suite under digital fluoroscopic guide. No complications directly related to the procedure occurred. The shunt was successfully positioned in all patients in 60 min average time. No patient showed symptoms related to pulmonary overload or to disseminated intravascular coagulation. All patients had a significant improvement of the objective symptoms related to ascites such as respiratory symptoms, dyspepsia, and functional impairment to evacuation describing an improvement of their quality of life. Maximum shunt patency was 273 days. Percutaneous placement of peritoneovenous shunt is a safe, fast, and inexpensive procedure, extremely useful in resolution of refractory ascites, reducing symptoms, and allowing effective palliation, with a great improvement in quality of life. (orig.)

  2. Radiologic follow-up of the transjugular intrahepatic stent-shunt (TIPSS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansmann, H.J.; Noeldge, G.; Leutloff, U.; Radeleff, B.; Richter, G.M.

    2001-01-01

    The transjugular intrahepatic stent-shunt (TIPSS) is a well accepted minimal invasive therapy for complications of portal hypertension: recurrent variceal bleeding, refractory ascites and liver failure due to the Budd-Chiari syndrome. The high frequency of shunt stenoses and occlusions makes regular follow up examinations essential. Despite modern non invasive imaging methods direct portography still is the gold standard for shunt surveillance in TIPSS. Ultrasound is helpful to detect shunt dysfunction, but nevertheless its failure rate is considerable despite the use of contrast enhancers such as Levovist because of anatomic and physical limitations, particularly when TIPSS-tracts deep in the liver are present. Reintervention rates approach 90-100% after 24 months, with 100% in child's A patients with comparatively good liver function. However, a strict shunt surveillance program with early portography and reintervention when necessary guarantees high clinical success rates associated with very low rebleeding rates below 10%. Overall the secondary success rate is 80%. Secondary failures are mainly caused by lack of patient compliance during follow-up. In a subgroup of patients no shunt maturation is observed, requiring multiple shunt revisions. In cases of recurrent shunt occlusions an association with bile leaks is presumed. In selected cases patients with chronically recurrent shunt stenosis or occlusions may benefit from placement of TIPSS stent grafts. (orig.) [de

  3. Impedance measurements and high-resolution manometry help to better define rumination episodes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kessing, Boudewijn F.; Govaert, Frank; Masclee, Ad A. M.; Conchillo, José M.

    2011-01-01

    Rumination syndrome is a disorder of unknown etiology characterized by regurgitation of recently ingested food. We aimed to improve the diagnosis of rumination syndrome by classification of separate rumination symptoms using (1) an ambulatory manometry/impedance (AMIM) measurement and (2) a

  4. Aqueous shunts for glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Victoria L; Coleman, Anne L; Chang, Melinda Y; Caprioli, Joseph

    2017-07-28

    Aqueous shunts are employed to control intraocular pressure (IOP) for people with primary or secondary glaucomas who fail or are not candidates for standard surgery. To assess the effectiveness and safety of aqueous shunts for reducing IOP in glaucoma compared with standard surgery, another type of aqueous shunt, or modification to the aqueous shunt procedure. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2016, Issue 8), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to August 2016), Embase.com (1947 to August 2016), PubMed (1948 to August 2016), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database) (1982 to August 2016), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov); searched 15 August 2016, and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en); searched 15 August 2016. We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic search for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 15 August 2016. We also searched the reference lists of identified trial reports and the Science Citation Index to find additional trials. We included randomized controlled trials that compared various types of aqueous shunts with standard surgery or to each other in eyes with glaucoma. Two review authors independently screened search results for eligibility, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data from included trials. We contacted trial investigators when data were unclear or not reported. We graded the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We followed standard methods as recommended by Cochrane. We included 27 trials with a total of 2099 participants with mixed diagnoses and comparisons of interventions. Seventeen studies reported adequate methods of randomization, and seven reported adequate allocation concealment. Data collection and follow-up times varied.Four trials compared an aqueous shunt (Ahmed or Baerveldt) with trabeculectomy, of which

  5. Resident-performed Ex-PRESS shunt implantation versus trabeculectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seider, Michael I; Rofagha, Soraya; Lin, Shan C; Stamper, Robert L

    2012-09-01

    To compare outcomes between resident-performed trabeculectomy and Ex-PRESS shunt implantation. A consecutive cohort of 36 Ex-PRESS shunt implantations and 57 trabeculectomies (1 eye/patient) performed by resident surgeons in their third year of ophthalmic training at the University of California, San Francisco and at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Hospital, under the supervision of a single glaucoma fellowship-trained surgeon were included in this study. Eyes with PRESS shunt groups at all follow-up points. On average, the Ex-PRESS shunt group required significantly less ocular antihypertensive medication to control IOP at 3 months postoperative (P=0.01), but no difference was found at 6 months or 1 year (all, P≥0.28). A larger proportion of Ex-PRESS shunt patients had good IOP control without medication at 3 (P=0.057) and 6 months (P=0.076) postoperatively. No difference was found in the rates of sight-threatening complications between groups (all, P≥0.22). In the hands of ophthalmology residents in their third year of training, the trabeculectomy and Ex-PRESS shunt implantation procedures perform comparably in terms of postoperative IOP control, reduction in patient dependence on ocular antihypertensive medications, and risk of complication in our population.

  6. Determination of time delay between ventricles contraction using impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewandowska, M; Poliński, A; Wtorek, J

    2013-01-01

    The paper presents a novel approach to assessment of ventricular dyssynchrony basing on multichannel electrical impedance measurements. Using a proper placement of electrodes, the sensitivity approach allows estimating time difference between chambers contraction from over determined nonlinear system of equations. The theoretical considerations which include Finite Element Method simulations were verified using measurements on healthy 28 year's old woman. The nonlinear least squares method was applied to obtain a time difference between heart chambers contraction. The obtained value was in a good agreement with theoretical values found in literature.

  7. Investigating PID Shunting in Polycrystalline Silicon Modules via Multiscale, Multitechnique Characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harvey, Steven P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Moseley, John [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Norman, Andrew [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hacke, Peter L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Johnston, Steven [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Al-Jassim, Mowafak M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Stokes, Adam [Colorado School of Mines; Gorman, Brian [Colorado School of Mines

    2018-02-27

    We investigated the potential-induced degradation (PID) shunting mechanism in multicrystalline-silicon photovoltaic modules by using a multiscale, multitechnique characterization approach. Both field-stressed modules and laboratory-stressed mini modules were studied. We used photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and dark lock-in thermography imaging to identify degraded areas at the module scale. Small samples were then removed from degraded areas, laser marked, and imaged by scanning electron microscopy. We used simultaneous electron-beam induced current imaging and focused ion beam milling to mark around PID shunts for chemical analysis by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry or to isolate individual shunt defects for transmission electron microscopy and atom-probe tomography analysis. By spanning a range of 10 orders of magnitude in size, this approach enabled us to investigate the root-cause mechanisms for PID shunting. We observed a direct correlation between recombination active shunts and sodium content. The sodium content in shunted areas peaks at the SiNX/Si interface and is consistently observed at a concentration of 0.1% to 2% in shunted areas. Analysis of samples subjected to PID recovery, either activated by electron beam or thermal effects only, reveals that recovery of isolated shunts correlates with diffusion of sodium out of the structural defects to the silicon surface. We observed the role of oxygen and chlorine in PID shunting and found that those species - although sometimes present in structural defects where PID shunting was observed - do not play a consistent role in PID shunting.

  8. Assessment Lumboperitoneal or Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Patency by Radionuclide Technique: A Review Experience Cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiewvit, Sunanta; Nuntaaree, Sarun; Kanchaanapiboon, Potjanee; Chiewvit, Pipat

    2014-01-01

    Hydrocephalus-related symptoms that worsen after shunt placement may indicate a malfunctioning or obstructed shunt. The assessment of shunt patency and site of obstruction is important for planning of treatment. The radionuclide cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt study provides a simple, effective, and low-radiation-dose method of assessing CSF shunt patency. The radionuclide CSF shuntography is a useful tool in the management of patients presenting with shunt-related problems not elucidated by conventional radiological examination. This article described the imaging technique of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and lumbar puncture (LP) shunt. The normal finding, abnormal finding of completed obstruction and partial obstruction is present by our cases experience. The radiopharmaceutical (Tc-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) was injected via the reservoir for VP shunt and via lumbar puncture needle in subarachnoid space for LP shunt, then serial image in the head and abdominal area. The normal function of VP and LP shunt usually rapid spillage of the radioactivity in the abdominal cavity diffusely. The patent proximal tube VP shunt demonstrates ventricular reflux. The early image of patent LP shunt reveals no activity in the ventricular system contrast to distal LP shunt reveals early reflux of activity in the ventricular system. The completed distal VP and LP shunt obstruction show absence of tracer in the peritoneal area or markedly delayed appearance of abdominal activity. The partial distal VP and LP shunt obstruction recognized by slow transit or accumulation of tracer at the distal end or focal tracer in the peritoneal cavity near the tip of distal shunt. The images of the normal and abnormal CSF shunt as describe before are present in the full paper. Radionuclide CSF shuntography is a reliable and simple procedure for assessment shunt patency

  9. Measurements and removal of substrate effects on the microwave surface impedance of YBCO films on SrTiO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pompeo, N [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Muzzi, L [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Galluzzi, V [ENEA-Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Rome (Italy); Marcon, R [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Silva, E [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy)

    2007-10-15

    We reconsider the problem of the measurements of the microwave complex surface impedance in thin superconducting films deposited on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. We perform measurements of the complex surface impedance Z{sub s}' = R{sub s}'+i{delta}X{sub s}' of thin YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} films deposited by laser ablation on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. The typical oscillations due to the strong temperature variation of the SrTiO{sub 3} permittivity are confirmed in R{sub s}' and observed in {delta}X{sub s}'. The effects of the SrTiO{sub 3} substrate are evident even well below the superconducting transition temperature of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}}. Similarly to previous works, we describe the overall response in terms of impedance transformations. We extend the known results by (i) considering the measurements of the imaginary part (ii) comparing the measurements to the absolute dc resistivity measured on the same sample, and (iii) suggesting a method for measuring the intrinsic thin film surface impedance by adjusting the substrate impedance. To demonstrate the feasibility of microwave measurements of intrinsic properties of films grown onto SrTiO{sub 3} substrates, we check the proposed method by measuring the field dependent surface impedance before and after removal of the substrate resonance.

  10. Measurement of thin liquid film drainage using a novel high-speed impedance analyzer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hool, Kevin O.; Saunders, Robert C.; Ploehn, Harry J.

    1998-09-01

    This work describes the design and implementation of a new instrument, called the thin film impedance analyzer, which measures the rate of drainage of thin oil films. The instrument forms an oil film by elevating a planar oil-water interface into a water drop hanging from a stainless steel capillary tube immersed in the oil. The instrument measures the magnitude of the impedance of the matter between the capillary tube and a screen electrode immersed in the lower water phase. Under appropriate conditions, the capacitance of the oil film dominates the impedance. The instrument records the increase in the magnitude of the admittance associated with the draining and thinning of the oil film. The features of the drainage curves vary considerably with the type, amount, and location of surfactants in the oil and water phases, as well as with user-specified values of drop volume, drop equilibration time, and extent of drop compression. For this reason, the instrument has utility as a screening tool for selecting surfactants for emulsion formulations. Potential future uses include accelerated prediction of emulsion stability and extraction of oil-water interfacial rheological parameters.

  11. Intraesophageal impedance monitoring: clinical studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Conchillo Armendáriz, J.M.

    2007-01-01

    Electrical impedance (Z) between two electrodes is the ratio between applied voltage (U) and resulting current (I). In electrical impedance monitoring the resistance to electrical flow in an alternating current circuit is measured. Multichannel esophageal monitoring can be measured by using an

  12. The design and implementation of on-line monitoring system for UHV compact shunt capacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Weiliang; Ni, Xuefeng; Lin, Hao; Jiang, Shengbao

    2017-08-01

    Because of the large capacity and compact structure of the UHV compact shunt capacitor, it is difficult to take effective measures to detect and prevent the faults. If the fault capacitor fails to take timely maintenance, it will pose a threat to the safe operation of the system and the life safety of the maintenance personnel. The development of UHV compact shunt capacitor on-line monitoring system can detect and record the on-line operation information of UHV compact shunt capacitors, analyze and evaluate the early fault warning signs, find out the fault capacitor or the capacitor with fault symptom, to ensure safe and reliable operation of the system.

  13. Hydrocephalus and Shunts

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... of a problem. Because of the complexity, a neurosurgeon is the best person to diagnosis and treat ... type of shunt is best for whom. So neurosurgeons usually pick ones that they think are best. ...

  14. End-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands and robotic assistance with directional damping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erden, Mustafa Suphi; Billard, Aude

    2015-06-01

    The goal of this paper is to perform end-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands while doing airbrush painting and to use the results for developing a robotic assistance scheme. We study airbrush painting because it resembles in many ways manual welding, a standard industrial task. The experiments are performed with the 7 degrees of freedom KUKA lightweight robot arm. The robot is controlled in admittance using a force sensor attached at the end-point, so as to act as a free-mass and be passively guided by the human. For impedance measurements, a set of nine subjects perform 12 repetitions of airbrush painting, drawing a straight-line on a cartoon horizontally placed on a table, while passively moving the airbrush mounted on the robot's end-point. We measure hand impedance during the painting task by generating sudden and brief external forces with the robot. The results show that on average the dominant hand displays larger impedance than the nondominant in the directions perpendicular to the painting line. We find the most significant difference in the damping values in these directions. Based on this observation, we develop a "directional damping" scheme for robotic assistance and conduct a pilot study with 12 subjects to contrast airbrush painting with and without robotic assistance. Results show significant improvement in precision with both dominant and nondominant hands when using robotic assistance.

  15. An Adaptive Speed Control Approach for DC Shunt Motors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruben Tapia-Olvera

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A B-spline neural networks-based adaptive control technique for angular speed reference trajectory tracking tasks with highly efficient performance for direct current shunt motors is proposed. A methodology for adaptive control and its proper training procedure are introduced. This algorithm sets the control signal without using a detailed mathematical model nor exact values of the parameters of the nonlinear dynamic system. The proposed robust adaptive tracking control scheme only requires measurements of the velocity output signal. Thus, real-time measurements or estimations of acceleration, current and disturbance signals are avoided. Experimental results confirm the efficient and robust performance of the proposed control approach for highly demanding motor operation conditions exposed to variable-speed reference trajectories and completely unknown load torque. Hence, laboratory experimental tests on a direct current shunt motor prove the viability of the proposed adaptive output feedback trajectory tracking control approach.

  16. Hemodynamic changes in liver measured by multi-imaging methods before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Yonghui; Chen Wei; Li Jiaping; Zhuang Wenquan; Li Ziping; Yang Jianyong

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate hemodynamic changes in liver treated by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt (TIPSS) with hepatic computed tomography (CT) perfusion, Doppler ultrasound and portal vein pressure measurement, as well as the correlation among these methods. Methods: Hepatic CT perfusion was performed in 9 cirrhotic patients one week before TIPSS and 72 hours after TIPSS. Intraoperative portal vein pressure was measured before and after portosystemic shunt establish. The follow- up hepatic CT perfusion were carried out in 3 cases at 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. The hemodynamic surveillance by Doppler ultrasound were performed in 48 hours and 3 months after TIPSS for 9 cases, and in 6 months after TIPSS for 6 cases. Two cases underwent venography and portal vein pressure measurement in 6 months after TIPSS treatment. Results: The mean of portal vein perfusion (PVP), total hepatic blood flow (THBF), hepatic perfusion index (HPI) and portal vein free pressure (PVFP) before TIPSS were (0.92 ± 0.18) ml·min·ml -1 , (1.28±0.17) ml·min -1 ·ml -1 , (28 ± 8)%, and (23.92±0.86) mmHg, respectively. In 72 hours after TIPSS, the mean of PVP, THBF, HPI and PVFP were (0.21 ± 0.15) ml·min -1 ·ml -1 , (0.74 ± 0.18) ml·min -1 ·ml -1 , (74±13)%, and (12.62±1.54) mm Hg, respectively. After treatment, the mean of PVP was (0.49±0.05) ml·min -1 ·ml -1 at 3 months and (0.57±0.03) ml·min -1 ·ml -1 at 6 months, respectively. There was negative correlation between PVP and PVFP before TIPSS (r= 0.678, P 0.05). Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the degree of portal vein pressure decrease and portal vein perfusion decrease (r=0.867, P 3 /s was not less than that of main portal vein (9.83±5.72) cm 3 /s until six months after treatment. Conclusion: The portal vein pressure obviously decreased after TIPSS, and meanwhile, most blood flow of portal vein passed through portosystemic stent shunt without liver parenchyma perfusion

  17. Cross-species functionality of pararetroviral elements driving ribosome shunting.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail M Pooggin

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV and Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV belong to distinct genera of pararetroviruses infecting dicot and monocot plants, respectively. In both viruses, polycistronic translation of pregenomic (pg RNA is initiated by shunting ribosomes that bypass a large region of the pgRNA leader with several short (sORFs and a stable stem-loop structure. The shunt requires translation of a 5'-proximal sORF terminating near the stem. In CaMV, mutations knocking out this sORF nearly abolish shunting and virus viability. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show that two distant regions of the CaMV leader that form a minimal shunt configuration comprising the sORF, a bottom part of the stem, and a shunt landing sequence can be replaced by heterologous sequences that form a structurally similar configuration in RTBV without any dramatic effect on shunt-mediated translation and CaMV infectivity. The CaMV-RTBV chimeric leader sequence was largely stable over five viral passages in turnip plants: a few alterations that did eventually occur in the virus progenies are indicative of fine tuning of the chimeric sequence during adaptation to a new host. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings demonstrate cross-species functionality of pararetroviral cis-elements driving ribosome shunting and evolutionary conservation of the shunt mechanism. We are grateful to Matthias Müller and Sandra Pauli for technical assistance. This work was initiated at Friedrich Miescher Institute (Basel, Switzerland. We thank Prof. Thomas Boller for hosting the group at the Institute of Botany.

  18. Predicting ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection in children with hydrocephalus using artificial neural network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi, Zohreh; Ertiaei, Abolhasan; Nikdad, Mohammad Sadegh; Mirmohseni, Atefeh Sadat; Afarideh, Mohsen; Heidari, Vahid; Saberi, Hooshang; Rezaei, Abdolreza Sheikh; Nejat, Farideh

    2016-11-01

    The relationships between shunt infection and predictive factors have not been previously investigated using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The aim of this study was to develop an ANN model to predict shunt infection in a group of children with shunted hydrocephalus. Among more than 800 ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedures which had been performed between April 2000 and April 2011, 68 patients with shunt infection and 80 controls that fulfilled a set of meticulous inclusion/exclusion criteria were consecutively enrolled. Univariate analysis was performed for a long list of risk factors, and those with p value < 0.2 were used to create ANN and logistic regression (LR) models. Five variables including birth weight, age at the first shunting, shunt revision, prematurity, and myelomeningocele were significantly associated with shunt infection via univariate analysis, and two other variables (intraventricular hemorrhage and coincided infections) had a p value of less than 0.2. Using these seven input variables, ANN and LR models predicted shunt infection with an accuracy of 83.1 % (AUC; 91.98 %, 95 % CI) and 55.7 % (AUC; 76.5, 95 % CI), respectively. The contribution of the factors in the predictive performance of ANN in descending order was history of shunt revision, low birth weight (under 2000 g), history of prematurity, the age at the first shunt procedure, history of intraventricular hemorrhage, history of myelomeningocele, and coinfection. The findings show that artificial neural networks can predict shunt infection with a high level of accuracy in children with shunted hydrocephalus. Also, the contribution of different risk factors in the prediction of shunt infection can be determined using the trained network.

  19. Correlation of dynamic parameter modification and ASET sensitivity in a shunt voltage reference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, N.J.H.; Buchner, S.P.; Warner, J.H.; McMorrow, D.; Dusseau, L.; Boch, J.; Saigne, F.; Kruckmeyer, K.; Auriel, G.; Azais, B.

    2012-01-01

    Analog Single Event Transients (ASETs) in two different shunt voltage references used in power management systems are investigated. Little has been published regarding how the dynamic parameter changes induced by external circuit design, such as time constant, damping coefficient or natural frequency affect ASET shapes. Modifications of the dynamic parameters of the circuit are measured by step response measurement. A correlation between dynamic parameters and ASET laser testing results is proposed. This study establishes the correlation between the dynamic parameters of a shunt voltage reference and ASET parameters such as pulse duration, and positive and negative amplitude. (authors)

  20. Radionuclide Angiocardiographic Evaluation of Left-to-Right Cardiac Shunts: Analysis of Time-Active Curves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ok Hwa; Bahk, Yong Whee; Kim, Chi Kyung

    1987-01-01

    The noninvasive nature of the radionuclide angiocardiography provided a useful approach for the evaluation of left-to-right cardiac shunts (LRCS). While the qualitative information can be obtained by inspection of serial radionuclide angiocardiograms, the quantitative information of radionuclide angiocardiography can be obtained by the analysis of time-activity curves using advanced computer system. The count ratios method and pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (QP/QS) by gamma variate fit method were used to evaluate the accuracy of detection and localization of LRCS. One hundred and ten time-activity curves were analyzed. There were 46 LRCS (atrial septal defects 11, ventricular septal defects 22, patent ductus arteriosus 13) and 64 normal subjects. By computer analysis of time-activity curves of the right atriurn, ventricle and the lungs separately, the count ratios modified by adding the mean cardiac transit time were calculated in each anatomic site. In normal subjects the mean count ratios in the right atrium, ventricle and lungs were 0.24 on average. In atrial septal defects, the count ratios were high in the right atrium, ventricle and lungs, whereas in ventricular septal defects the count ratios were higher only in the right ventricle and lungs. Patent ductus arteriosus showed normal count ratios in the heart but high count ratios were obtained in the lungs. Thus, this count ratios method could be separated normal from those with intracardiac or extracardiac shunts, and moreover, with this method the localization of the shunt level was possible in LRCS. Another method that could differentiate the intracardiac shunts from extracardiac shunts was measuring QP/QS in the left and right lungs. In patent ductus arteriosus, the left lung QP/QS was higher than those of the right lung, whereas in atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects QP/ QS ratios were equal in both lungs. From this study, it was found that by measuring QP/QS separately in the lungs

  1. Experience and outcome of ventricular-atrial shunt: a multi centre study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhtar, N.; Khan, A.A.; Yousaf, M.

    2015-01-01

    Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt has been widely utilized in the treatment of hydrocephalus as a safe option but there is recent literature evidence that ventricularatrial (VA) shunt is not as notorious for its complications as proclaimed, to analyse and report our success with this procedure we conducted our study. Methods: A total of 64 patients undergoing VA shunting were included in this case series study conducted at RMC and Allied hospital Rawalpindi. The data was collected over a period of 4 years from, 1st June 2010 to 1st June 2015. Result: Our study included 64 patients who underwent a VA shunt for hydrocephalus. Their age ranged from 25 to 75 years. Most of the patients were females (60%). The following complications were observed with 2 (3.12%) patients having blockage of the shunt at the neck, 3 (4.68%) suffered from glomerulonephritis, 2 (3.1%) had post-operative neck hematoma, 4 (6.25 %) had wound infection, short lower end of the tube was found in 3 (4.68%), migrated lower end (into the subclavian) was seen in 1 (1.56%). Mortality was 1(1.56%). These results were comparable to other studies. Conclusion: Neurosurgeons have been doing a VA shunt as a second procedure, after a VP shunt when the need due to a complication was encountered. We however share our experience regarding ventriculo-atrial shunting, as first choice procedure, because of its low incidence of shunt blockage unlike VP shunt, which has high rate of shunt blockage and therefore warrants repeated surgeries. (author)

  2. Post V-P shunt surgical site EDH an uncommon complication: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garg Manish

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available ventriculoparitoneal shunt is well established modality of treatment for hydrocephalous. Complication of v-p shunt are also mentioned in literature like shunt infection shunt migration etc [8]. Here we are describing a rare complication of vp shunt which barely mentioned in literature. A 22 yr male admitted with complain of headache & vomiting patient was diagnosed to have tubercular meningities with hydrocephalous. Patient planned for ventriculoparietoneal shunt surgery and vp shunt was done. On 3rd post-surgery day patient develop weakness in Left side of body. Urgent ncct head done which showed EDH at surgical site. Immediate craniotomy and evacuation of hematoma was done patient improved and discharged. Thus we are discussing the importance of meticulous surgery for v-p shunt, post op ct scan and treatment.

  3. Plasma diagnosis of RF discharge by using impedance measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Jianjun; Teuner, D.

    2001-01-01

    It is presented that the method known from network analysis with home-made probe and experimental setup to measure current, voltage and phase angle of RF discharge in He gas more accurately. The sheath thickness and the real and imaginary parts of the plasma impedance were obtained by using the equivalent circuit model and taking account stray capacitances of the set-up. In addition, making use of Godyak's RF discharge simple model, the electron density in the discharge was calculated at different pressure and current density

  4. Autologous patch graft in tube shunt surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslanides, I M; Spaeth, G L; Schmidt, C M; Lanzl, I M; Gandham, S B

    1999-10-01

    To evaluate an alternate method of covering the subconjunctival portion of the tube in aqueous shunt surgery. Evidence of tube erosion, graft-related infection, graft melting, or other associated intraocular complications were evaluated. A retrospective study of 16 patients (17 eyes) who underwent tube shunt surgery at Wills Eye Hospital between July 1991 and October 1996 was conducted. An autologous either "free" or "rotating" scleral lamellar graft was created to cover the subconjunctival portion of the tube shunt. All patients were evaluated for at least 6 months, with a mean follow-up of 14.8 months (range 6-62 months). All eyes tolerated the autologous graft well, with no clinical evidence of tube erosion, or graft-related or intraocular complications. Autologous patch graft in tube shunt surgery appears--in selected cases--to be an effective, safe and inexpensive surgical alternative to allogenic graft materials. It also offers ease of availability, and eliminates the risk of transmitting infectious disease.

  5. Shunt attachment and method for interfacing current collection systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denney, Paul E.; Iyer, Natraj C.; Hannan, III, William F.

    1992-01-01

    A composite brush to shunt attachment wherein a volatile component of a composite but mostly metallic brush, used for current collection purposes, does not upon welding or brazing, adversely affect the formation of the interfacial bond with a conductive shunt which carries the current from the zone of the brush. The brush to shunt attachment for a brush material of copper-graphite composite and a shunt of copper, or substituting silver for copper as an alternative, is made through a hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The HIP process includes applying high pressure and temperature simultaneously at the brush to shunt interface, after it has been isolated or canned in a metal casing in which the air adjacent to the interface has been evacuated and the interfacial area has been sealed before the application of pressure and temperature.

  6. Vibration damping with negative capacitance shunts: theory and experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Marneffe, B; Preumont, A

    2008-01-01

    This paper analyzes in detail the enhancement of piezoelectric stack transducers by means of the well known 'negative' capacitive shunting. The stability is thoroughly studied: starting from the electrical admittance curve of the transducer, a method is introduced that quantifies the stability margins of the shunted structure. Two different implementations (series vs parallel) are investigated, and the lack of robustness of the parallel one is demonstrated. Next, this technique is experimentally applied on a truss structure. Its performances are compared with those of passive shunt circuits and with those of an active control law, the so-called Integral Force Feedback or IFF. As expected, the damping introduced by the negative capacitance shunt is larger than the damping obtained with the passive shunts; it remains, however, one order of magnitude smaller than that obtained with the IFF

  7. Genetic and Functional Analysis of Congenital Portosystemic Shunts in Dogs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Bossche, L.

    2017-01-01

    The general aim of this thesis was to gain further insight into the pathogenesis of congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS), elucidate mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of CPSS, and explore predictors of recovery after surgical ligation of the shunt. For intrahepatic portosystemic shunts

  8. New and improved ways to treat hydrocephalus: Pursuit of a smart shunt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, Barry R; Venkataraman, Pranav; Browd, Samuel R

    2013-01-01

    The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is placement of a cerebrospinal fluid shunt to supplement or replace lost drainage capacity. Shunts are life-saving devices but are notorious for high failure rates, difficulty of diagnosing failure, and limited control options. Shunt designs have changed little since their introduction in 1950s, and the few changes introduced have had little to no impact on these long-standing problems. For decades, the community has envisioned a "smart shunt" that could provide advanced control, diagnostics, and communication based on implanted sensors, feedback control, and telemetry. The most emphasized contribution of smart shunts is the potential for advanced control algorithms, such as weaning from shunt dependency and personalized control. With sensor-based control comes the opportunity to provide data to the physician on patient condition and shunt function, perhaps even by a smart phone. An often ignored but highly valuable contribution would be designs that correct the high failure rates of existing shunts. Despite the long history and increasing development activity in the past decade, patients are yet to see a commercialized smart shunt. Most smart shunt development focuses on concepts or on isolated technical features, but successful smart shunt designs will be a balance between technical feasibility, economic viability, and acceptable regulatory risk. Here, we present the status of this effort and a framework for understanding the challenges and opportunities that will guide introduction of smart shunts into patient care.

  9. Synthesis of Variable Harmonic Impedance in Inverter-Interfaced Distributed Generation Unit for Harmonic Damping Throughout a Distribution Network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Xiongfei; Blaabjerg, Frede; Chen, Zhe

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes a harmonic impedance synthesis technique for voltage-controlled distributed generation inverters in order to damp harmonic voltage distortion on a distribution network. The approach employs a multiloop control scheme, where a selective harmonic load current feedforward loop...... at the dominant harmonic frequencies. Thus, the harmonic voltage drop on the grid-side inductance and the harmonic resonances throughout a distribution feeder with multiple shunt-connected capacitors can be effectively attenuated. Simulation and laboratory test results validate the performance of the proposed...

  10. Measuring body composition in dogs using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, L S; Vankan, D M; Rand, J S; Flickinger, E A; Ward, L C

    2016-06-01

    Thirty-five healthy, neutered, mixed breed dogs were used to determine the ability of multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA) to predict accurately fat-free mass (FFM) in dogs using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured FFM as reference. A second aim was to compare MFBIA predictions with morphometric predictions. MFBIA-based predictors provided an accurate measure of FFM, within 1.5% when compared to DXA-derived FFM, in normal weight dogs. FFM estimates were most highly correlated with DXA-measured FFM when the prediction equation included resistance quotient, bodyweight, and body condition score. At the population level, the inclusion of impedance as a predictor variable did not add substantially to the predictive power achieved with morphometric variables alone; in individual dogs, impedance predictors were more valuable than morphometric predictors. These results indicate that, following further validation, MFBIA could provide a useful tool in clinical practice to objectively measure FFM in canine patients and help improve compliance with prevention and treatment programs for obesity in dogs. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. VISUALIZATION OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUE IMPEDANCE PARAMETERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. I. Bankov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Investigation the opportunity for measurement of biological tissue impedance to visualize its parameters.Materials and methods. Studies were undertook on the experimental facility, consists of registrating measuring cell, constructed from flat inductors system, formed in oscillatory circuit, herewith investigated biological tissue is the part of this oscillatory circuit. An excitation of oscillatory circuit fulfilled by means of exciter inductor which forms impulse complex modulated electromagnetic field (ICM EMF. The measurement process and visualizations provided by set of certificated instruments: a digital oscillograph AKTAKOM ADS-2221MV, a digital generator АКТАКОМ AWG-4150 (both with software and a gauge RLC E7-22. Comparative dynamic studies of fixed volume and weight pig’s blood, adipose tissue, muscular tissue impedance were conducted by contact versus contactless methods. Contactless method in contrast to contact method gives opportunity to obtain the real morphological visualization of biological tissue irrespective of their nature.Results. Comparison of contact and contactless methods of impedance measurement shows that the inductance to capacitance ratio X(L / X(C was equal: 17 – for muscular tissue, 4 – for blood, 1 – for adipose tissue. It demonstrates the technical correspondence of both impedance registration methods. If propose the base relevance of X (L and X (C parameters for biological tissue impedance so contactless measurement method for sure shows insulating properties of adipose tissue and high conductivity for blood and muscular tissue in fixed volume-weight parameters. Registration of biological tissue impedance complex parameters by contactless method with the help of induced ICM EMF in fixed volume of biological tissue uncovers the most important informative volumes to characterize morphofunctional condition of biological tissue namely X (L / X (C.Conclusion. Contactless method of biological

  12. Inverse Relation between Condition of Heart Failure and Intrathoracic Impedance Measured by Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator—A case report—

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kohei Matsushita, MD

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The patient was a 78-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy. His cardio-thoracic ratio was 60.4% and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF was 33%. He had been repeatedly admitted for congestive heart failure. He underwent implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD for ventricular fibrillation. We compared the values of BNP and shock impedance stored by the ICD. The correlation coefficient (p-value between BNP and shock impedance was −0.700 (p < 0.0005, increase of BNP and shock impedance was −0.778 (p < 0.0001, percent increase of BNP and shock impedance was −0.767 (p < 0.0005. In conclusion, there is an inverse relation between BNP and shock impedance, and measurements of shock impedance may be useful in the management of congestive heart failure.

  13. Shoulder tip pain: an under-reported complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Lim, C

    2012-02-03

    Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion is the commonest form of treatment for hydrocephalus. Shoulder tip pain after VP shunt insertion is unusual and has only recently been reported. We present a case of excruciating shoulder tip pain due to diaphragmatic irritation after VP shunt insertion.

  14. Programmable shunts and headphones: Are they safe together?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spader, Heather S; Ratanaprasatporn, Linda; Morrison, John F; Grossberg, Jonathan A; Cosgrove, G Rees

    2015-10-01

    Programmable shunts have a valuable role in the treatment of patients with hydrocephalus, but because a magnet is used to change valve settings, interactions with external magnets may reprogram these shunts. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of magnetic toys and iPads to erroneously reprogram shunts. Headphones are even more ubiquitous, and they contain an electromagnet for sound projection that sits on the head very close to the shunt valve. This study is the first to look at the magnetic field emissions of headphones and their effect on reprogrammable shunt valves to ascertain whether headphones are safe for patients with these shunts to wear. In this in vitro study of the magnetic properties of headphones and their interactions with 3 different programmable shunts, the authors evaluated Apple earbuds, Beats by Dr. Dre, and Bose QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones. Each headphone was tested for electromagnetic field emissions using a direct current gaussmeter. The following valves were evaluated: Codman Hakim programmable valve, Medtronic Strata II valve, and Aesculap proGAV. Each valve was tested at distances of 0 to 50 mm (in 5-mm increments) from each headphone. The exposure time at each distance was 1 minute, and 3 trials were performed to confirm results at each valve setting and distance. All 3 headphones generated magnetic fields greater than the respective shunt manufacturer's recommended strength of exposure, but these fields did not persist beyond 5 mm. By 2 cm, the fields levels were below 20 G, well below the Medtronic recommendation of 90 G and the Codman recommendation of 80 G. Because the mechanism for the proGAV is different, there is no recommended gauss level. There was no change in gauss-level emissions by the headphones with changes in frequency and amplitude. Both the Strata and Codman-Hakim valves were reprogrammed by direct contact (distance 0 mm) with the Bose headphones. When a rotation component was added, all

  15. Optimization methods for the Train Unit Shunting Problem

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haahr, Jørgen Thorlund; Lusby, Richard Martin; Wagenaar, Joris Camiel

    2017-01-01

    We consider the Train Unit Shunting Problem, an important planning problem for passenger railway operators. This problem entails assigning train units from shunting yards to scheduled train services in such a way that the resulting operations are without conflicts. The problem arises at every...... shunting yard in the railway network and involves matching train units to arriving and departing train services as well as assigning the selected matchings to appropriate shunting yard tracks. We present an extensive comparison benchmark of multiple solution approaches for this problem, some of which...... are novel. In particular, we develop a constraint programming formulation, a column generation approach, and a randomized greedy heuristic. We compare and benchmark these approaches with two existing methods, a mixed integer linear program and a two-stage heuristic. The benchmark contains multiple real...

  16. Distal splenorenal shunt with partial spleen resection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gajin Predrag

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Hypersplenism is a common complication of portal hypertension. Cytopenia in hypersplenism is predominantly caused by splenomegaly. Distal splenorenal shunt (Warren with partial spleen resection is an original surgical technique that regulates cytopenia by reduction of the enlarged spleen. Objective. The aim of our study was to present the advantages of distal splenorenal shunt (Warren with partial spleen resection comparing morbidity and mortality in a group of patients treated by distal splenorenal shunt with partial spleen resection with a group of patients treated only by a distal splenorenal shunt. Method. From 1995 to 2003, 41 patients with portal hypertension were surgically treated due to hypersplenism and oesophageal varices. The first group consisted of 20 patients (11 male, mean age 42.3 years who were treated by distal splenorenal shunt with partial spleen resection. The second group consisted of 21 patients (13 male, mean age 49.4 years that were treated by distal splenorenal shunt only. All patients underwent endoscopy and assessment of oesophageal varices. The size of the spleen was evaluated by ultrasound, CT or by scintigraphy. Angiography was performed in all patients. The platelet and white blood cell count and haemoglobin level were registered. Postoperatively, we noted blood transfusion, complications and total hospital stay. Follow-up period was 12 months, with first checkup after one month. Results In the first group, only one patient had splenomegaly postoperatively (5%, while in the second group there were 13 patients with splenomegaly (68%. Before surgery, the mean platelet count in the first group was 51.6±18.3x109/l, to 118.6±25.4x109/l postoperatively. The mean platelet count in the second group was 67.6±22.8x109/l, to 87.8±32.1x109/l postoperatively. Concerning postoperative splenomegaly, statistically significant difference was noted between the first and the second group (p<0.05. Comparing the

  17. Impact of cerebrospinal fluid shunting for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus on the amyloid cascade.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masao Moriya

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine whether the improvement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF flow dynamics by CSF shunting, can suppress the oligomerization of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ, by measuring the levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD-related proteins in the CSF before and after lumboperitoneal shunting. Lumbar CSF from 32 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH (samples were obtained before and 1 year after shunting, 15 patients with AD, and 12 normal controls was analyzed for AD-related proteins and APLP1-derived Aβ-like peptides (APL1β (a surrogate marker for Aβ. We found that before shunting, individuals with iNPH had significantly lower levels of soluble amyloid precursor proteins (sAPP and Aβ38 compared to patients with AD and normal controls. We divided the patients with iNPH into patients with favorable (improvement ≥ 1 on the modified Rankin Scale and unfavorable (no improvement on the modified Rankin Scale outcomes. Compared to the unfavorable outcome group, the favorable outcome group showed significant increases in Aβ38, 40, 42, and phosphorylated-tau levels after shunting. In contrast, there were no significant changes in the levels of APL1β25, 27, and 28 after shunting. After shunting, we observed positive correlations between sAPPα and sAPPβ, Aβ38 and 42, and APL1β25 and 28, with shifts from sAPPβ to sAPPα, from APL1β28 to 25, and from Aβ42 to 38 in all patients with iNPH. Our results suggest that Aβ production remained unchanged by the shunt procedure because the levels of sAPP and APL1β were unchanged. Moreover, the shift of Aβ from oligomer to monomer due to the shift of Aβ42 (easy to aggregate to Aβ38 (difficult to aggregate, and the improvement of interstitial-fluid flow, could lead to increased Aβ levels in the CSF. Our findings suggest that the shunting procedure can delay intracerebral deposition of Aβ in patients with iNPH.

  18. Finite Element and Experimental Study of Shunting in Resistance Spot Welding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seyyedian Choobi, M.; Nielsen, C. V.; Bay, N.

    2015-01-01

    This research is focused on one of the problems frequently encountered in spot welding in industry. In many applications several spot welds are made close to each other. The spots made after the first spot may become smaller in size due to shunt effect. A numerical and experimental study has been...... conducted to investigate the effect of shunting on nugget size in spot welding of HSLA steel sheets. Different cases with different spacing between weld spots have been examined. The nugget sizes have been measured by metallographic examination and have been compared with 3D finite element simulations...

  19. COAXIAL DISK SHUNT FOR MEASURING IN THE HEAVY-CURRENT CHAIN OF HIGH-VOLTAGE GENERATOR OF STORM DISCHARGES OF IMPULSES OF CURRENT OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING WITH THE INTEGRAL OF ACTION TO 15•106 J/OHM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. I. Baranov

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Description of construction and basic technical descriptions developed and created in Research & Design Institute «Molniya» National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» high-voltage heavy-current coaxial disk shunt of type of SC-300M2, allowing reliably to measure the peak-temporal parameters (PTP of impulses of current of artificial lightning in wide peak and temporal ranges with the integral of their action to 15·106 J/Ohm. Methodology. Electrophysics bases of high-voltage impulsive technique, scientific and technical bases of development and creation of high-voltage heavy-current impulsive electrical equipment, including the powerful generators of current of lightning (GCL, and also measuring methods in bit chains powerful high-voltage GCL AVP large impulsive currents of micro- and millisecond temporal ranges. Results. Offered and described new construction of measuring high-voltage heavy-current shunt, containing a measuring round disk from stainless steel easily soiled a 12Х18Н10Т thickness 2 mm and external diameter 80 mm. Experimental a way impulsive active resistance of RS≈0,08 mOhm of the indicated measuring disk and on his basis a calculation coefficient transformation is found of SS of coaxial disk shunt of type of SC-300M2, numeral equal in the concerted mode of operations of his coaxial cable line (CCL SS≈2/RS≈25·103 A/V. It is rotined that it is expedient to use this value SS for measuring in the heavy-current bit chain of GCL ATP impulsive A- and repeated impulsive D- component of current of artificial lightning, and also ATP of aperiodic impulse of current of artificial lightning of temporal form 10 μc/350 μc. It is set that taking into account application in the end CCL of shunt of a co-ordinate divizor of voltage with two output coaxial sockets 1:1 (for SSA≈25·103 A/V and 1:2 (SSC≈12,5·103 A/V at measuring of ATP intermediate B-, protracted C- and shortened protracted C

  20. Nitrogen heat pipe for cryocooler thermal shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prenger F.C.; Hill, D.D.; Daney, D.E.

    1996-01-01

    A nitrogen heat pipe was designed, built and tested for the purpose of providing a thermal shunt between the two stages of a Gifford-McMahan (GM) cryocooler during cooldown. The nitrogen heat pipe has an operating temperature range between 63 and 123 K. While the heat pipe is in this temperature range during the system cooldown, it acts as a thermal shunt between the first and second stage of the cryocooler. The heat pipe increases the heat transfer to the first stage of the cryocooler, thereby reducing the cooldown time of the system. When the heat pipe temperature drops below the triple point, the nitrogen working fluid freezes, effectively stopping the heat pipe operation. A small heat leak between cryocooler stages remains because of axial conduction along the heat pipe wall. As long as the heat pipe remains below 63 K, the heat pipe remains inactive. Heat pipe performance limits were measured and the optimum fluid charge was determined

  1. The LEP impedance model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zotter, B [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

    1996-08-01

    This report describes a number of measurements and computations of the impedance of the Large Electron Positron collider LEP at CERN. The work has been performed over several years, together with D. Brandt, K. Cornelis, A. Hofmann, G. Sabbi and many others. The agreement between measurements of single bunch instabilities on the machine and computer simulations is in general excellent and gives confidence in the impedance model used. (author)

  2. A new lithium-ion battery internal temperature on-line estimate method based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, J. G.; Sun, Z. C.; Wei, X. Z.; Dai, H. F.

    2015-01-01

    The power battery thermal management problem in EV (electric vehicle) and HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) has been widely discussed, and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) is an effective experimental method to test and estimate the status of the battery. Firstly, an electrochemical-based impedance matrix analysis for lithium-ion battery is developed to describe the impedance response of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Then a method, based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement, has been proposed to estimate the internal temperature of power lithium-ion battery by analyzing the phase shift and magnitude of impedance at different ambient temperatures. Respectively, the SoC (state of charge) and temperature have different effects on the impedance characteristics of battery at various frequency ranges in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experimental study. Also the impedance spectrum affected by SoH (state of health) is discussed in the paper preliminary. Therefore, the excitation frequency selected to estimate the inner temperature is in the frequency range which is significantly influenced by temperature without the SoC and SoH. The intrinsic relationship between the phase shift and temperature is established under the chosen excitation frequency. And the magnitude of impedance related to temperature is studied in the paper. In practical applications, through obtaining the phase shift and magnitude of impedance, the inner temperature estimation could be achieved. Then the verification experiments are conduced to validate the estimate method. Finally, an estimate strategy and an on-line estimation system implementation scheme utilizing battery management system are presented to describe the engineering value.

  3. Piezoelectric Shunt Vibration Damping of F-15 Panel under High Acoustic Excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shu-Yau; Turner, Travis L.; Rizzi, Stephen A.

    2000-01-01

    At last year's SPIE symposium, we reported results of an experiment on structural vibration damping of an F-15 underbelly panel using piezoelectric shunting with five bonded PZT transducers. The panel vibration was induced with an acoustic speaker at an overall sound pressure level (OASPL) of about 90 dB. Amplitude reductions of 13.45 and 10.72 dB were achieved for the first and second modes, respectively, using single- and multiple-mode shunting. It is the purpose of this investigation to extend the passive piezoelectric shunt-damping technique to control structural vibration induced at higher acoustic excitation levels, and to examine the controllability and survivability of the bonded PZT transducers at these high levels. The shunting experiment was performed with the Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus (TAFA) at the NASA Langley Research Center using the same F-15 underbelly panel. The TAFA is a progressive wave tube facility. The panel was mounted in one wall of the TAFA test section using a specially designed mounting fixture such that the panel was subjected to grazing-incidence acoustic excitation. Five PZT transducers were used with two shunt circuits designed to control the first and second modes of the structure between 200 and 400 Hz. We first determined the values of the shunt inductance and resistance at an OASPL of 130 dB. These values were maintained while we gradually increased the OASPL from 130 to 154 dB in 6-dB steps. During each increment, the frequency response function between accelerometers on the panel and the acoustic excitation measured by microphones, before and after shunting, were recorded. Good response reduction was observed up to the 148dB level. The experiment was stopped at 154 dB due to wire breakage from vibration at a transducer wire joint. The PZT transducers, however, were still bonded well on the panel and survived at this high dB level. We also observed shifting of the frequency peaks toward lower frequency when the OASPL

  4. Electron Density Measurement on JUICE Mission by Mutual Impedance Technique: MIME Instrument as a Part of RPWI Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauch, J. L.; Henri, P.; Wahlund, J. E.; Le Duff, O.; Sene, O.; Colin, F.; Lagoutte, D.; Gilet, N.; Ahlen, L.; Bergman, J.; Gill, R.; Puccio, W.

    2017-09-01

    Mutual Impedance MEasurements (MIME) instrument is a part of the Radio Wave Plasma Investigation (RPWI) consortium which has been selected by European Space Agency (ESA) on the nest planetary mission JJUpiter ICy moons Exploer (JUICE) for a launch in 2022. The goals are to explore Jupiter and its potentially habitable icy moons and to study its plasma environment. Impedance probes, which are well known in geophysical prospection, in particular for ground permittivity investigations, have been successfully transposed to space plasmas diagnostic. Transmitting and receiving electrodes are used for measuring on open circuit the dynamic impedance of the system at several fixed frequencies over a range that includes characteristic frequencies of the ambient plasma. The measurements are then interpreted using a suitable theory and the values of plasma parameters, such as the electron density and possibly the temperature of the plasma can be deduced. To show how powerful this technique is, results obtained in the Earth's plasmasphere by the mutual impedance probe onboard ROSETTA are presented as example. MIME instrument proposal is then described and its ability to make valuable measurements in the Jupiter space environment and in particular around Europe, Callisto and Ganymede is investigated..

  5. New and improved ways to treat hydrocephalus: Pursuit of a smart shunt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, Barry R.; Venkataraman, Pranav; Browd, Samuel R.

    2013-01-01

    The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is placement of a cerebrospinal fluid shunt to supplement or replace lost drainage capacity. Shunts are life-saving devices but are notorious for high failure rates, difficulty of diagnosing failure, and limited control options. Shunt designs have changed little since their introduction in 1950s, and the few changes introduced have had little to no impact on these long-standing problems. For decades, the community has envisioned a “smart shunt” that could provide advanced control, diagnostics, and communication based on implanted sensors, feedback control, and telemetry. The most emphasized contribution of smart shunts is the potential for advanced control algorithms, such as weaning from shunt dependency and personalized control. With sensor-based control comes the opportunity to provide data to the physician on patient condition and shunt function, perhaps even by a smart phone. An often ignored but highly valuable contribution would be designs that correct the high failure rates of existing shunts. Despite the long history and increasing development activity in the past decade, patients are yet to see a commercialized smart shunt. Most smart shunt development focuses on concepts or on isolated technical features, but successful smart shunt designs will be a balance between technical feasibility, economic viability, and acceptable regulatory risk. Here, we present the status of this effort and a framework for understanding the challenges and opportunities that will guide introduction of smart shunts into patient care. PMID:23653889

  6. Predictors of Shunt Dysfunction and Overall Survival in Patients with Variceal Bleeding Treated with Transjugular Portosystemic Shunt Creation Using the Fluency Stent Graft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Yue-Meng; Li, Yu-Hua; Xu, Ying; Wu, Hua-Mei; Li, Ying-Chun; Wu, Xi-Nan; Yang, Jin-Hui

    2018-01-16

    Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an established method for portal hypertension. This study was to investigate the long-term safety, technical success, and patency of TIPS, and to determine the risk factors and clinical impacts of shunt dysfunction. A total of 154 consecutive patients undergoing embolotherapy of gastric coronary vein and/or short gastric vein and TIPS creation were prospectively studied. Follow-up data included technical success, patency and revision of TIPS, and overall survival of patients. During the study, the primary and secondary technical success rates were 98.7% and 100%, respectively. Sixty-three patients developed shunt dysfunction, 30 with shunt stenosis and 33 with shunt occlusion. The cumulative 60-month primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency rates were 19.6%, 43.0%, and 93.4%, respectively. The cumulative 60-month overall survival rates were similar between the TIPS dysfunction group and the TIPS non-dysfunction group (68.6% vs. 58.6%, P = .096). Baseline portal vein thrombosis (P value of 8.5 had 77.8% sensitivity and 64.8% specificity. The long-term safety, technical success, and patency of TIPS were good; baseline portal vein thrombosis, use of bare stents, and PPG were significantly associated with shunt dysfunction; shunt dysfunction has little impact on patients' long-term survival because of high secondary patency rates. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Predicting burst pressure of radiofrequency-induced colorectal anastomosis by bio-impedance measurement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lingxi; Zhou, Yu; Song, Chengli; Wang, Zhigang; Cuschieri, Alfred

    2017-03-01

    The present study investigates the relationship between bio-impedance and burst pressure of colorectal anastomosis created by radiofrequency (RF)-induced tissue fusion. Colorectal anastomosis were created with ex vivo porcine colorectal segments, during which 5 levels of compression pressure were applied by a custom-made bipolar prototype, with 5 replicate experiments at each compression pressure. Instant anastomotic tensile strength was assessed by burst pressure. Bio-impedance of fused tissue was measured by Impedance Analyzer across frequency that 100 Hz to 3 MHz. Statistical analysis shows only a weak correlation between bio-impedance modulus and burst pressures at frequency of 445 kHz ([Formula: see text]  =  -0.426, P  =  0.099  >  0.05). In contrast, results demonstrated a highly significant negative correlation between reactance modulus and burst pressures ([Formula: see text]  =  -0.812, P  =  0.000  <  0.05). The decrease in mean reactance modulus with increasing burst pressures was highly significant (P  =  0.019  <  0.05). The observed strong negative correlation between reactance modulus and burst pressures at frequency of 445 kHz indicates that reactance is likely to be a good index for tensile strength of RF-induced colorectal anastomosis, and should be considered for inclusion in a feedback loops in devices design.

  8. Evaluation method for corrosion level of rebar in RC with electrical impedance measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasamoto, Akira

    2018-04-01

    The author reported that the impedance measurement using the 4-terminal method on the RC surface for diagnosing corrosion of internal rebar. The difference between the maximum value at 0.01 Hz and the minimum value around 10 Hz indicates the corrosion level of rebar in that report. This is successive report on a signal processing method for estimating the corrosion level by the measured impedance data to obtain more high accuracy. In the dielectric, a graph of frequency and dielectric constant (Cole-Cole plot diagram by KS Cole and RH Cole article of 1941) draws a shape of circle if the dielectric is independent of frequency but it draws a shape of ellipse in reality due to frequency dependency. Havriliak and Negami have also presented Havriliak-Negami model which introduced parameter into dielectric constant equation which deforms Cole-Cole plot diagram and showed that acquired dielectric data of polymer materials fit to this model with proper parameters. In this report, we first consider electric model connected with resistance and capacitance as a rough model of RC concrete. If the capacitance in this model circuit has some loss of dielectric, it is stated that graph in impedance plot is expected to take as similar deformation in the dielectric Cole-Cole plot. Then a numerical optimization computer code for obtaining parameters in the Cole-Cole plot diagram and Havriliak-Negami model is constructed, and the correlation between the deformation parameter of each model and corrosion is shown by this code. These results are feasibility study for diagnosis of corrosion level of rebar by associated parameters to a shape of impedance graph.

  9. Visualized Multiprobe Electrical Impedance Measurements with STM Tips Using Shear Force Feedback Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Botaya

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Here we devise a multiprobe electrical measurement system based on quartz tuning forks (QTFs and metallic tips capable of having full 3D control over the position of the probes. The system is based on the use of bent tungsten tips that are placed in mechanical contact (glue-free solution with a QTF sensor. Shear forces acting in the probe are measured to control the tip-sample distance in the Z direction. Moreover, the tilting of the tip allows the visualization of the experiment under the optical microscope, allowing the coordination of the probes in X and Y directions. Meanwhile, the metallic tips are connected to a current–voltage amplifier circuit to measure the currents and thus the impedance of the studied samples. We discuss here the different aspects that must be addressed when conducting these multiprobe experiments, such as the amplitude of oscillation, shear force distance control, and wire tilting. Different results obtained in the measurement of calibration samples and microparticles are presented. They demonstrate the feasibility of the system to measure the impedance of the samples with a full 3D control on the position of the nanotips.

  10. Risk factors for shunt malfunction in pediatric hydrocephalus: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Kestle, John R W; Holubkov, Richard; Butler, Jerry; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Drake, James; Whitehead, William E; Wellons, John C; Shannon, Chevis N; Tamber, Mandeep S; Limbrick, David D; Rozzelle, Curtis; Browd, Samuel R; Simon, Tamara D

    2016-04-01

    OBJECT The rate of CSF shunt failure remains unacceptably high. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN) conducted a comprehensive prospective observational study of hydrocephalus management, the aim of which was to isolate specific risk factors for shunt failure. METHODS The study followed all first-time shunt insertions in children younger than 19 years at 6 HCRN centers. The HCRN Investigator Committee selected, a priori, 21 variables to be examined, including clinical, radiographic, and shunt design variables. Shunt failure was defined as shunt revision, subsequent endoscopic third ventriculostomy, or shunt infection. Important a priori-defined risk factors as well as those significant in univariate analyses were then tested for independence using multivariate Cox proportional hazard modeling. RESULTS A total of 1036 children underwent initial CSF shunt placement between April 2008 and December 2011. Of these, 344 patients experienced shunt failure, including 265 malfunctions and 79 infections. The mean and median length of follow-up for the entire cohort was 400 days and 264 days, respectively. The Cox model found that age younger than 6 months at first shunt placement (HR 1.6 [95% CI 1.1-2.1]), a cardiac comorbidity (HR 1.4 [95% CI 1.0-2.1]), and endoscopic placement (HR 1.9 [95% CI 1.2-2.9]) were independently associated with reduced shunt survival. The following had no independent associations with shunt survival: etiology, payer, center, valve design, valve programmability, the use of ultrasound or stereotactic guidance, and surgeon experience and volume. CONCLUSIONS This is the largest prospective study reported on children with CSF shunts for hydrocephalus. It confirms that a young age and the use of the endoscope are risk factors for first shunt failure and that valve type has no impact. A new risk factor-an existing cardiac comorbidity-was also associated with shunt failure.

  11. Studies of Corrosion of Cladding Materials in Simulated BWR-environment Using Impedance Measurements. Part I: Measurements in the Pre-transition Region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, Stefan; Ahlberg, Elisabet; Andersson, Ulf

    2004-09-01

    The corrosion of three Zircaloy 2 cladding materials, LK2, LK2+ and LK3, have been studied in-situ in an autoclave using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Measurements were performed in simulated BWR water at temperatures up to 288 deg C. The impedance spectra were successfully modelled using equivalent circuits. When the oxide grew thicker during the experiments, a change-over from one to two time constants was seen, showing that a layered structure was formed. Oxide thickness, oxide conductivity and effective donor density were evaluated from the impedance data. The calculated oxide thickness at the end of the experiments was consistent with the value obtained from SEM. It was shown that the difference in oxide growth rate between the investigated materials is small in the pre-transition region. The effective donor density, which is a measure of electronic conductivity, was found to be lower for the LK3 material compared to the other two materials

  12. Aberrant hepatic lipid storage and metabolism in canine portosystemic shunts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van den Bossche, Lindsay; Schoonenberg, Vivien A C; Burgener, Iwan A; Penning, Louis C; Schrall, Ingrid M; Kruitwagen, Hedwig S; van Wolferen, Monique E; Grinwis, Guy C M; Kummeling, Anne; Rothuizen, Jan; van Velzen, Jeroen F; Stathonikos, Nikolas; Molenaar, Martijn R; Helms, Bernd J; Brouwers, Jos F H M; Spee, Bart; van Steenbeek, Frank G

    2017-01-01

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a poorly understood multifactorial pandemic disorder. One of the hallmarks of NAFLD, hepatic steatosis, is a common feature in canine congenital portosystemic shunts. The aim of this study was to gain detailed insight into the pathogenesis of steatosis in this large animal model. Hepatic lipid accumulation, gene-expression analysis and HPLC-MS of neutral lipids and phospholipids in extrahepatic (EHPSS) and intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (IHPSS) was compared to healthy control dogs. Liver organoids of diseased dogs and healthy control dogs were incubated with palmitic- and oleic-acid, and lipid accumulation was quantified using LD540. In histological slides of shunt livers, a 12-fold increase of lipid content was detected compared to the control dogs (EHPSS Plipid-related genes to steatosis in portosystemic shunting was corroborated using gene-expression profiling. Lipid analysis demonstrated different triglyceride composition and a shift towards short chain and omega-3 fatty acids in shunt versus healthy dogs, with no difference in lipid species composition between shunt types. All organoids showed a similar increase in triacylglycerols after free fatty acids enrichment. This study demonstrates that steatosis is probably secondary to canine portosystemic shunts. Unravelling the pathogenesis of this hepatic steatosis might contribute to a better understanding of steatosis in NAFLD.

  13. Intrahepatic porto-hepatic venous shunts in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease: imaging demonstration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Shunro; Mori, Hiromu; Yamada, Yasunari; Hayashida, Tomoko; Hori, Yuzo; Kiyosue, Hiro

    2004-01-01

    This study describes the imaging features of the intrahepatic portohepatic venous (PHV) shunt, which is a potential cause of portosystemic encephalopathy in Rendu-Osler-Weber disease. Six patients with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease (two men, four women; age range 42-73 years) were retrospectively studied. There were two from one family and three from another family. Of these patients, one was diagnosed with definitive portosystemic encephalopathy because of a psychiatric disorder. We retrospectively reviewed the radiological examinations, including abdominal angiography (n=6), three-phase dynamic helical computed tomography (CT; n=3), and conventional enhanced CT (n=1). In one patient, CT during angiography and CT angioportography were also performed. Evaluation was placed on the imaging features of intrahepatic PHV shunts. On angiography, intrahepatic PHV shunts showing multiple and small shunts <5 mm in diameter in an apparent network were detected in all patents. In two patients, a large shunt with a size of either 7 or 10 mm was associated. These intrahepatic PHV shunts were predominantly distributed in the peripheral parenchyma. Intrahepatic PHV shunts would be characterized by small and multiple shunts in an apparent network on the periphery with or without a large shunt. (orig.)

  14. Effect of Electrode Belt and Body Positions on Regional Pulmonary Ventilation- and Perfusion-Related Impedance Changes Measured by Electric Impedance Tomography.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elin Ericsson

    Full Text Available Ventilator-induced or ventilator-associated lung injury (VILI/VALI is common and there is an increasing demand for a tool that can optimize ventilator settings. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT can detect changes in impedance caused by pulmonary ventilation and perfusion, but the effect of changes in the position of the body and in the placing of the electrode belt on the impedance signal have not to our knowledge been thoroughly evaluated. We therefore studied ventilation-related and perfusion-related changes in impedance during spontaneous breathing in 10 healthy subjects in five different body positions and with the electrode belt placed at three different thoracic positions using a 32-electrode EIT system. We found differences between regions of interest that could be attributed to changes in the position of the body, and differences in impedance amplitudes when the position of the electrode belt was changed. Ventilation-related changes in impedance could therefore be related to changes in the position of both the body and the electrode belt. Perfusion-related changes in impedance were probably related to the interference of major vessels. While these findings give us some insight into the sources of variation in impedance signals as a result of changes in the positions of both the body and the electrode belt, further studies on the origin of the perfusion-related impedance signal are needed to improve EIT further as a tool for the monitoring of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion.

  15. Calibration of piezoelectric RL shunts with explicit residual mode correction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høgsberg, Jan Becker; Krenk, Steen

    2017-01-01

    Piezoelectric RL (resistive-inductive) shunts are passive resonant devices used for damping of dominant vibration modes of a flexible structure and their efficiency relies on the precise calibration of the shunt components. In the present paper improved calibration accuracy is attained by an exte......Piezoelectric RL (resistive-inductive) shunts are passive resonant devices used for damping of dominant vibration modes of a flexible structure and their efficiency relies on the precise calibration of the shunt components. In the present paper improved calibration accuracy is attained...... by an extension of the local piezoelectric transducer displacement by two additional terms, representing the flexibility and inertia contributions from the residual vibration modes not directly addressed by the shunt damping. This results in an augmented dynamic model for the targeted resonant vibration mode...

  16. Fuzzy Inference System Approach for Locating Series, Shunt, and Simultaneous Series-Shunt Faults in Double Circuit Transmission Lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swetapadma, Aleena; Yadav, Anamika

    2015-01-01

    Many schemes are reported for shunt fault location estimation, but fault location estimation of series or open conductor faults has not been dealt with so far. The existing numerical relays only detect the open conductor (series) fault and give the indication of the faulty phase(s), but they are unable to locate the series fault. The repair crew needs to patrol the complete line to find the location of series fault. In this paper fuzzy based fault detection/classification and location schemes in time domain are proposed for both series faults, shunt faults, and simultaneous series and shunt faults. The fault simulation studies and fault location algorithm have been developed using Matlab/Simulink. Synchronized phasors of voltage and current signals of both the ends of the line have been used as input to the proposed fuzzy based fault location scheme. Percentage of error in location of series fault is within 1% and shunt fault is 5% for all the tested fault cases. Validation of percentage of error in location estimation is done using Chi square test with both 1% and 5% level of significance.

  17. New structure for accelerating heavy ions; Une nouvelle structure acceleratrice d'ions lourds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pottier, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1969-06-01

    A new type of accelerating structure is described which is particular suited to heavy ions (high wavelength, high shunt impedance, small size). Its properties are analyzed and compared to those of other structures (more particularly the lines). It is shown that a mode of operation exists of which the shunt impedance in the station mode has 80 per cent of its value for the progressive mode. Finally results are given obtained with a small experimental apparatus which uses this structure. (author) [French] On decrit un nouveau type de structure acceleratrice, particulierement appropriee aux ions lourds (grande longueur d'onde, forte impedance-shunt, faibles dimensions). Ses proprietes sont analysees et comparees a celles d'autres structures (plus particulierement les lignes). On met en evidence un mode de fonctionnement pour lequel l'impedance shunt en regime stationnaire vaut 80 pour cent de l'impedance shunt en regime progressif. Enfin on decrit les resultats obtenus a l'aide d'une petite machine experimentale mettant en oeuvre cette structure. (auteur)

  18. Impedance Scaling and Impedance Control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, W.; Griffin, J.

    1997-06-01

    When a machine becomes really large, such as the Very Large Hadron Collider (VLHC), of which the circumference could reach the order of megameters, beam instability could be an essential bottleneck. This paper studies the scaling of the instability threshold vs. machine size when the coupling impedance scales in a ''normal'' way. It is shown that the beam would be intrinsically unstable for the VLHC. As a possible solution to this problem, it is proposed to introduce local impedance inserts for controlling the machine impedance. In the longitudinal plane, this could be done by using a heavily detuned rf cavity (e.g., a biconical structure), which could provide large imaginary impedance with the right sign (i.e., inductive or capacitive) while keeping the real part small. In the transverse direction, a carefully designed variation of the cross section of a beam pipe could generate negative impedance that would partially compensate the transverse impedance in one plane

  19. An unusual case of intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    vena cava (IVC) (most common). Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts are rare vascular anomalies that may be detected in asymptomatic patients, given the recent advances in radiological imaging techniques. Accurate shunt evaluation and classification can be performed with ultrasound and multi-detector computed.

  20. Measurements on the SPS 200 MHz Travelling Wave Cavity towards an Impedance Model

    CERN Document Server

    Roggen, Toon; Caspers, Fritz; Vollinger, Christine; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

    2016-01-01

    This note discusses the contribution of the SPS 200 MHz TWC (Travelling Wave Cavity) to the SPS longitudinal impedance model. The measurement method and setup is briefly explained and a comparison with simulations is discussed for both the fundamental pass band (FPB) as well as the Higher Order Modes (HOMs). In addition a number of improvements to the measurement setup are discussed.

  1. Textrode-enabled transthoracic electrical bioimpedance measurements - towards wearable applications of impedance cardiography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Carlos Márquez Ruiz

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available During the last decades the use of Electrical Bioimpedance (EBI in the medical field has been subject of extensive research, especially since it is an affordable, harmless and non-invasive technology. In some specific applications such as body composition assessment where EBI has proven a good degree of effectiveness and reliability, the use of textile electrodes and measurement garments have shown a good performance and reproducible results. Impedance Cardiography (ICG is another modality of EBI that can benefit from the implementation and use of wearable sensors. ICG technique is based on continuous impedance measurements of a longitudinal segment across the thorax taken at a single frequency. The need for specific electrode placement on the thorax and neck can be easily ensured with the use of a garment with embedded textile electrodes, textrodes. The first step towards the implementation of ICG technology into a garment is to find out if ICG measurements with textile sensors give a good enough quality of the signal to allow the estimation of the fundamental ICG parameters. In this work, the measurement performance of a 2-belt set with incorporated textrodes for thorax and neck was compared against ICG measurements obtained with Ag/AgCl electrodes. The analysis was based on the quality of the fundamental ICG signals (∆Z, dZ/dt and ECG, systolic time intervals and other ICG parameters. The obtained results indicate the feasibility of using textrodes for ICG measurements with consistent measurements and relatively low data dispersion. Thus, enabling the development of measuring garments for ICG measurements.

  2. Impedance measurements on Au microelectrodes using controlled atmosphere high temperature scanning probe microscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Yuehua; Hansen, Karin Vels; Jacobsen, Torben

    2011-01-01

    High temperature impedance measurements on Au microelectrodes deposited on polished yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) pellets were demonstrated using a newly designed controlled atmosphere high temperature scanning probe microscope (CAHT-SPM). Probes based on Pt0.8Ir0.2 were fabricated and employed...

  3. Body fat measurement by bioelectrical impedance and air displacement plethysmography: a cross-validation study to design bioelectrical impedance equations in Mexican adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valencia Mauro E

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The study of body composition in specific populations by techniques such as bio-impedance analysis (BIA requires validation based on standard reference methods. The aim of this study was to develop and cross-validate a predictive equation for bioelectrical impedance using air displacement plethysmography (ADP as standard method to measure body composition in Mexican adult men and women. Methods This study included 155 male and female subjects from northern Mexico, 20–50 years of age, from low, middle, and upper income levels. Body composition was measured by ADP. Body weight (BW, kg and height (Ht, cm were obtained by standard anthropometric techniques. Resistance, R (ohms and reactance, Xc (ohms were also measured. A random-split method was used to obtain two samples: one was used to derive the equation by the "all possible regressions" procedure and was cross-validated in the other sample to test predicted versus measured values of fat-free mass (FFM. Results and Discussion The final model was: FFM (kg = 0.7374 * (Ht2 /R + 0.1763 * (BW - 0.1773 * (Age + 0.1198 * (Xc - 2.4658. R2 was 0.97; the square root of the mean square error (SRMSE was 1.99 kg, and the pure error (PE was 2.96. There was no difference between FFM predicted by the new equation (48.57 ± 10.9 kg and that measured by ADP (48.43 ± 11.3 kg. The new equation did not differ from the line of identity, had a high R2 and a low SRMSE, and showed no significant bias (0.87 ± 2.84 kg. Conclusion The new bioelectrical impedance equation based on the two-compartment model (2C was accurate, precise, and free of bias. This equation can be used to assess body composition and nutritional status in populations similar in anthropometric and physical characteristics to this sample.

  4. Above-cutoff impedance measurements of pumping holes for the Collider Liner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walling, L.; Barts, T.; Ruiz, E.; Turner, W.; Spayd, N.

    1994-04-01

    A holed liner was considered for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) Collider Ring because of vacuum problems caused by photon-induced desorption. The liner would serve to shield the cold surface of the beam tube from the synchrotron radiation and the holes (or slots) would allow distributed pumping by gas-absorption material that could be placed between the liner and the beam tube. The impedance of holes and slots in a liner were studied by means of simulations using both MAFIA and HFSS, analytical modelling, wire measurements and electron beam measurements

  5. Shunt occlusion for portosystemic shunt syndrome related refractory hepatic encephalopathy-A single-center experience in 21 patients from Kerala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philips, Cyriac Abby; Kumar, Lijesh; Augustine, Philip

    2017-09-01

    Large spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSS) are seen in a subset of patients with liver disease and medically refractory recurrent/persistent hepatic encephalopathy (MRHE). Shunt occlusion has been shown to improve clinical outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed patient characteristics, SPSS attributes, procedural features, baseline clinical and investigational parameters, neurological outcomes, adverse effects (procedure and portal hypertension related), and risk factors predicting outcomes in liver disease patients undergoing shunt occlusion procedure for MRHE. Between October 2016 and July 2017, 21 patients (Child-Pugh score, CTP 6 to 13) with mean model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) and MELD-sodium scores 15.7 and 19.3 respectively with MRHE [3-cirrhotic Parkinsonism (CP)] were diagnosed to have single or multiple large SPSSs. A total of 29 shunts were occluded (1 surgical, 20 non-surgical). Recurrent and persistent HE and CP markedly improved in the short (n=20, 1 to 3 months), intermediate (n=12, 3 to 6 months), and long (n=7, 6 to 9 months) follow up. None had spontaneous or persistent HE at a median follow up 105 (30 to 329) days (p11 predicted mortality post shunt occlusion (p=0.04). Embolization of large SPSS in liver disease patients with MRHE and modestly preserved liver function is safe and efficacious and associated with improved quality of life and can function as a bridge to liver transplantation in accurately selected patients.

  6. Uterine perforation by a cystoperitoneal shunt, an unusual cause of recurrent vaginal discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poilblanc, Mathieu; Sentilhes, Loïc; Mercier, Philippe; Lefèbvre, Céline; Descamps, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    We describe the first reported case of uterine perforation by a cystoperitoneal shunt. The mechanism of this unusual complication is unclear. A 17-year-old patient had a cystoperitoneal shunt for a porencephalic cyst. She presented with recurrent watery vaginal discharge. A pelvic ultrasound examination showed that the uterus had been perforated by the distal tip of the shunt. The cystoperitoneal shunt was converted to a ventriculo-atrial shunt, and the vaginal discharge subsequently resolved. The appearance of light and clear vaginal discharge in a patient with a cystoperitoneal shunt raises the possibility of uterine perforation. This can be confirmed by ultrasound and analysis of the discharge. Removal of the shunt leads to spontaneous closure of the uterine defect.

  7. Aberrant hepatic lipid storage and metabolism in canine portosystemic shunts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindsay Van den Bossche

    Full Text Available Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is a poorly understood multifactorial pandemic disorder. One of the hallmarks of NAFLD, hepatic steatosis, is a common feature in canine congenital portosystemic shunts. The aim of this study was to gain detailed insight into the pathogenesis of steatosis in this large animal model. Hepatic lipid accumulation, gene-expression analysis and HPLC-MS of neutral lipids and phospholipids in extrahepatic (EHPSS and intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (IHPSS was compared to healthy control dogs. Liver organoids of diseased dogs and healthy control dogs were incubated with palmitic- and oleic-acid, and lipid accumulation was quantified using LD540. In histological slides of shunt livers, a 12-fold increase of lipid content was detected compared to the control dogs (EHPSS P<0.01; IHPSS P = 0.042. Involvement of lipid-related genes to steatosis in portosystemic shunting was corroborated using gene-expression profiling. Lipid analysis demonstrated different triglyceride composition and a shift towards short chain and omega-3 fatty acids in shunt versus healthy dogs, with no difference in lipid species composition between shunt types. All organoids showed a similar increase in triacylglycerols after free fatty acids enrichment. This study demonstrates that steatosis is probably secondary to canine portosystemic shunts. Unravelling the pathogenesis of this hepatic steatosis might contribute to a better understanding of steatosis in NAFLD.

  8. Evaluation of hepatic steatosis in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts using Oil-Red-O staining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, GB; Luff, J; Daniel, L; Van den Bergh, R.

    2015-01-01

    The aims of this prospective study were to quantify steatosis in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts using a fat-specific stain, to compare the amount of steatosis in different lobes of the liver, and to evaluate intra- and inter-Observer variability in lipid point counting. Computer-assisted point counting of lipid droplets was undertaken following Oil-Red-O staining in 21 dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts and 9 control dogs. Dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts had significantly more small lipid droplets ( 9 μ) and lipogranulomas per tissue point (p = 0.023 and 0.01, respectively). In conclusion, computer-assisted counting of lipid droplets following Oil Red O staining of liver biopsy samples allows objective measurement and detection of significant differences between dogs with CPS and normal dogs. This method will allow future evaluation of the relationship between different presentations of CPS (anatomy, age, breed) and lipidosis, as well as the impact of hepatic lipidosis on outcomes following surgical shunt attenuation. PMID:23528942

  9. Nonlinear surface impedance of YBCO thin films: Measurements, modeling, and effects in devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oates, D.E.; Koren, G.; Polturak, E.

    1995-01-01

    High-T c thin films continue to be of interest for passive device applications at microwave frequencies, but nonlinear effects may limit the performance. To understand these effects we have measured the nonlinear effects may limit the performance. To understand these effects we have measured the nonlinear surface impedance Z s in a number of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x thin films as a function of frequency from 1 to 18 GHz, rf surface magnetic field H rf to 1500 Oe, and temperature from 4 K to T c . The results at low H rf are shown to agree quantitatively with a modified coupled-grain model and at high H rf with hysteresis-loss calculations using the Bean critical-state model applied to a thin strip. The loss mechanisms are extrinsic properties resulting from defects in the films. We also report preliminary measurements of the nonlinear impedance of Josephson junctions, and the results are related to the models of nonlinear Z s . The implications of nonlinear Z s for devices are discussed using the example of a five-pole bandpass filter

  10. Monitoring of pipelines in nuclear power plants by measuring laser-based mechanical impedance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyeonseok; Sohn, Hoon; Yang, Suyoung; Yang, Jinyeol

    2014-01-01

    Using laser-based mechanical impedance (LMI) measurement, this study proposes a damage detection technique that enables structural health monitoring of pipelines under the high temperature and radioactive environments of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The applications of conventional electromechanical impedance (EMI) based techniques to NPPs have been limited, mainly due to the contact nature of piezoelectric transducers, which cannot survive under the high temperature and high radiation environments of NPPs. The proposed LMI measurement technique aims to tackle the limitations of the EMI techniques by utilizing noncontact laser beams for both ultrasound generation and sensing. An Nd:Yag pulse laser is used for ultrasound generation, and a laser Doppler vibrometer is employed for the measurement of the corresponding ultrasound responses. For the monitoring of pipes covered by insulation layers, this study utilizes optical fibers to guide the laser beams to specific target locations. Then, an outlier analysis is adopted for autonomous damage diagnosis. Validation of the proposed LMI technique is carried out on a carbon steel pipe elbow under varying temperatures. A corrosion defect chemically engraved in the specimen is successfully detected. (papers)

  11. Monitoring of pipelines in nuclear power plants by measuring laser-based mechanical impedance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyeonseok; Sohn, Hoon; Yang, Suyoung; Yang, Jinyeol

    2014-06-01

    Using laser-based mechanical impedance (LMI) measurement, this study proposes a damage detection technique that enables structural health monitoring of pipelines under the high temperature and radioactive environments of nuclear power plants (NPPs). The applications of conventional electromechanical impedance (EMI) based techniques to NPPs have been limited, mainly due to the contact nature of piezoelectric transducers, which cannot survive under the high temperature and high radiation environments of NPPs. The proposed LMI measurement technique aims to tackle the limitations of the EMI techniques by utilizing noncontact laser beams for both ultrasound generation and sensing. An Nd:Yag pulse laser is used for ultrasound generation, and a laser Doppler vibrometer is employed for the measurement of the corresponding ultrasound responses. For the monitoring of pipes covered by insulation layers, this study utilizes optical fibers to guide the laser beams to specific target locations. Then, an outlier analysis is adopted for autonomous damage diagnosis. Validation of the proposed LMI technique is carried out on a carbon steel pipe elbow under varying temperatures. A corrosion defect chemically engraved in the specimen is successfully detected.

  12. Analysis of postural sway in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus: effects of shunt implantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Czerwosz L

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Poor postural balance is one of the major risk factors for falling in normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH. Postural instability in the clinic is commonly assessed based upon force platform posturography. In this study we focused on the identification of changes in sway characteristics while standing quiet in patients with NPH before and after shunt implantation. Postural sway area and sway radius were analyzed in a group of 9 patients and 46 controls of both genders. Subject's spontaneous sway was recorded while standing quiet on a force platform for 30-60 s, with eyes open and then closed. Both analyzed sway descriptors identified between-group differences and also an effect of shunt implantation in the NPH group. Sway radius and sway area in patients exhibited very high values compared with those in the control group. Importantly, the effect of eyesight in patients was not observed before shunt implantation and reappeared after the surgical treatment. The study documents that static force platform posturography may be a reliable measure of postural control improvement due to shunt surgery.

  13. Electrodynamic characterisitcs measurements of higher order modes in S-band cavity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donetsky, R.; Lalayan, M.; Sobenin, N. P.; Orlov, A.; Bulygin, A.

    2017-12-01

    The 800 MHz superconducting cavities with grooved beam pipes were suggested as one of the harmonic cavities design options for High Luminosity LHC project. Cavity simulations were carried out and scaled aluminium prototype having operational mode frequency of 2400 MHz was manufactured for testing the results of simulations. The experimental measurements of transverse shunt impedance with error estimation for higher order modes TM 110 and TE 111 for S-band elliptical cavity were done. The experiments using dielectric and metallic spherical beads and with ring probe were carried out. The Q-factor measurements for two-cell structure and array of two cells were carried out.

  14. Comparative performance analysis of shunt and series passive filter for LED lamp

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarwono, Edi; Facta, Mochammad; Handoko, Susatyo

    2018-03-01

    Light Emitting Diode lamp or LED lamp nowadays is widely used by consumers as a new innovation in the lighting technologies due to its energy saving for low power consumption lamps for brighter light intensity. How ever, the LED lamp produce an electric pollutant known as harmonics. The harmonics is generated by rectifier as part of LED lamp circuit. The present of harmonics in current or voltage has made the source waveform from the grid is distorted. This distortion may cause inacurrate measurement, mall function, and excessive heating for any element at the grid. This paper present an analysis work of shunt and series filters to suppress the harmonics generated by the LED lamp circuit. The work was initiated by conducting several tests to investigate the harmonic content of voltage and currents. The measurements in this work were carried out by using HIOKI Power Quality Analyzer 3197. The measurement results showed that the harmonics current of tested LED lamps were above the limit of IEEE standard 519-2014. Based on the measurement results shunt and series filters were constructed as low pass filters. The bode analysis were appled during construction and prediction of the filters performance. Based on experimental results, the application of shunt filter at input side of LED lamp has reduced THD current up to 88%. On the other hand, the series filter has significantly reduced THD current up to 92%.

  15. Measurements of impedances for determinating the minimum short-circuit current in main systems 500 V of underground mining establishments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rittinghaus, D

    1981-09-01

    The complex short-circuit impedances of energized low-voltage main systems were measured with a double-bridge in underground mining operation. The magnitude of the short-circuit currents depends on these impedances. Customary calculations of such currents depend on empirical approximations. To verify the accuracy of these approximations, the measured impedances of 61 nodes in three different main systems were compared with the results of the calculations. The comparison made between the short-circuit currents determined by measurable quantities and the values calculated according to VDE 0118 shows that the stipulated coefficients for calculating the minimum short-circuit currents lie very far on the safe side. An amendment for calculating the short-circuit in accordance with VDE 0118 is therefore suggested.

  16. The use of abdominal binders to treat over-shunting headaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sklar, Frederick H; Nagy, Laszlo; Robertson, Brian D

    2012-06-01

    Headaches are common in children with shunts. Headaches associated with over-shunting are typically intermittent and tend to occur later in the day. Lying down frequently makes the headaches better. This paper examines the efficacy of using abdominal binders to treat over-shunting headaches. Over an 18-year period, the senior author monitored 1027 children with shunts. Office charts of 483 active patients were retrospectively reviewed to identify those children with headaches and, in particular, those children who were thought to have headaches as a result of over-shunting. Abdominal binders were frequently used to treat children with presumed over-shunting headaches, and these data were analyzed. Of the 483 patients undergoing chart review, 258 (53.4%) had headache. A clinical diagnosis of over-shunting was made in 103 patients (21.3% overall; 39.9% of patients with headache). In 14 patients, the headaches were very mild (1-2 on a 5-point scale) and infrequent (1 or 2 per month), and treatment with an abdominal binder was not thought indicated. Eighty-nine patients were treated with a binder, but 19 were excluded from this retrospective study for noncompliance, interruption of the binder trial, or lack of follow-up. The remaining 70 pediatric patients, who were diagnosed with over-shunting headaches and were treated with abdominal binders, were the subjects of a more detailed retrospective study. Significant headache improvement was observed in 85.8% of patients. On average, the patients wore the binders for approximately 1 month, and headache relief usually persisted even after the binders were discontinued. However, the headaches eventually did recur in many of the patients more than a year later. In these patients, reuse of the abdominal binder was successful in relieving headaches in 78.9%. The abdominal binder is an effective, noninvasive therapy to control over-shunting headaches in most children. This treatment should be tried before any surgery is

  17. Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus in Newborns: Clinical Characteristics and Role of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inn-Chi Lee

    2009-02-01

    Conclusion: Patients who were shunt-dependent had worse neurodevelopmental outcomes and greater mortality than those without shunts. The results appeared to depend on how far the hydrocephalus had progressed and on the degree of IVH, but the necessity of VP shunts requires reevaluation before they are implanted.

  18. Development of in vivo impedance spectroscopy techniques for measurement of micropore formation following microneedle insertion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brogden, Nicole K; Ghosh, Priyanka; Hardi, Lucia; Crofford, Leslie J; Stinchcomb, Audra L

    2013-06-01

    Microneedles (MNs) provide a minimally invasive means to enhance skin permeability by creating micron-scale channels (micropores) that provide a drug delivery pathway. Adequate formation of the micropores is critical to the success of this unique drug delivery technique. The objective of the current work was to develop sensitive and reproducible impedance spectroscopy techniques to monitor micropore formation in animal models and human subjects. Hairless guinea pigs, a Yucatan miniature pig, and human volunteers were treated with 100 MN insertions per site following an overnight prehydration period. Repeated measurements were made pre- and post-MN treatment using dry and gel Ag/AgCl electrodes applied with light verses direct pressure to hold the electrode to the skin surface. Impedance measurements dropped significantly post-MN application at all sites (p micropore formation. In the Yucatan pig and human subjects, gel electrodes with direct pressure yielded the lowest variability (demonstrated by lower %relative standard deviation), whereas dry electrodes with direct pressure were superior in the guinea pigs. These studies confirm that impedance measurements are suitable for use in both clinical and animal research environments to monitor the formation of new micropores that will allow for drug delivery through the impermeable skin layers. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Automated AC Electrical Impedance Measurement of Ceramic Oxides by means of a Lock-in Amplifier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Khawaja, S.; Al-Sous, M. B.; Nasrallah, F.

    2009-06-01

    In this study, the electrical impedance of some ceramic oxides has been investigated employing the Perkin Elmer DSP 7280 Lock-in amplifier, while recording the electric response versus frequency and temperature at constant amplitude. Via integral automation of this lock-in with other delicate electrical measuring devices, a control program has been developed to accurately and swiftly acquire the frequency response of the sample, in order to lately infer the resulting samples' impedance in volt and ampere. Two maxima peaks characterising the impedance, in the curve of the doped molybdenum oxide have been observed discerning two phases in the sample (doped with 40% of niobium oxide), which shows a remarkable relaxation related to improvement in its ionic conductivity within the solid phase, with respect to increasing frequency. (author)

  20. Gravitational shunt units may cause under-drainage in bedridden patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaestner, S; Kruschat, T; Nitzsche, N; Deinsberger, W

    2009-03-01

    Implantation of a shunt in a hydrocephalic patient still carries a risk of complications such as over-drainage and under-drainage. Gravitational shunt units are especially designed to minimize the problem of over-drainage. Nevertheless, these valves carry a risk of under-drainage. The best choice of valve for a patient is still challenging. The purpose of this survey was to identify in which patients a gravitational shunt valve is liable to lead to under-drainage. Patients with hydrocephalus entered prospectively into a data base were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were treated between January 2006 to the end of Feb 2007 and those experiencing under- or over-drainage were identified. Thirty-five ventriculo-peritoneal shunt systems were implanted in adult patients. The cause of the hydrocephalus was: normal pressure hydrocephalus in 18 patients, post-haemorrhagic following subarachnoid or intracerebral haemorrhage in 11, associated with a tumour in four and followed a head injury in two patients. Three different valves were used: an adjustable shunt valve with gravitational unit (Pro-GAV 0-20/25 in 21 patients), a gravitational shunt valve with fixed opening pressure (GAV 5/30 in nine patients) and an adjustable differential valve (Hakim medos in five patients). Four patients developed severe, valve-related under-drainage. Each had received a gravitational shunt valve and all were bedridden. In two of these patients it was necessary to change the valve. One patient who had received a differential valve, after regaining mobility developed severe over-drainage with bilateral subdural haematomas. Over-drainage was not seen in long-term bedridden patients with a differential shunt valve. If a bedridden patient with a gravitational shunt valve system lies with a slightly elevated head, this leads to activation of the gravitational unit and this may cause under drainage. As a result, we advise not using an anti-siphon devices in a patient who is bedridden for a

  1. RHIC injection kicker impedance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mane, V.; Peggs, S.; Trbojevic, D.; Zhang, W.

    1995-01-01

    The longitudinal impedance of the RHIC injection kicker is measured using the wire method up to a frequency of 3 GHz. The mismatch between the 50 ohm cable and the wire and pipe system is calibrated using the TRL calibration algorithm. Various methods of reducing the impedance, such as coated ceramic pipe and copper strips are investigated

  2. An Electronic Measurement Instrumentation of the Impedance of a Loaded Fuel Cell or Battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aglzim, El-Hassane; Rouane, Amar; El-Moznine, Reddad

    2007-10-17

    In this paper we present an inexpensive electronic measurement instrumentationdeveloped in our laboratory, to measure and plot the impedance of a loaded fuel cell orbattery. Impedance measurements were taken by using the load modulation method. Thisinstrumentation has been developed around a VXI system stand which controls electroniccards. Software under Hpvee ® was developed for automatic measurements and the layout ofthe impedance of the fuel cell on load. The measurement environment, like the ambienttemperature, the fuel cell temperature, the level of the hydrogen, etc..., were taken withseveral sensors that enable us to control the measurement. To filter the noise and theinfluence of the 50Hz, we have implemented a synchronous detection which filters in a verynarrow way around the useful signal. The theoretical result obtained by a simulation underPspice ® of the method used consolidates the choice of this method and the possibility ofobtaining correct and exploitable results. The experimental results are preliminary results ona 12V vehicle battery, having an inrush current of 330A and a capacity of 40Ah (impedancemeasurements on a fuel cell are in progress, and will be the subject of a forthcoming paper).The results were plotted at various nominal voltages of the battery (12.7V, 10V, 8V and 5V)and with two imposed currents (0.6A and 4A). The Nyquist diagram resulting from theexperimental data enable us to show an influence of the load of the battery on its internalimpedance. The similitude in the graph form and in order of magnitude of the valuesobtained (both theoretical and practical) enables us to validate our electronic measurementinstrumentation. One of the future uses for this instrumentation is to integrate it with several control sensors, on a vehicle as an embedded system to monitor the degradation of fuel cell membranes.

  3. An Electronic Measurement Instrumentation of the Impedance of a Loaded Fuel Cell or Battery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reddad El-Moznine

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we present an inexpensive electronic measurement instrumentationdeveloped in our laboratory, to measure and plot the impedance of a loaded fuel cell orbattery. Impedance measurements were taken by using the load modulation method. Thisinstrumentation has been developed around a VXI system stand which controls electroniccards. Software under Hpvee® was developed for automatic measurements and the layout ofthe impedance of the fuel cell on load. The measurement environment, like the ambienttemperature, the fuel cell temperature, the level of the hydrogen, etc..., were taken withseveral sensors that enable us to control the measurement. To filter the noise and theinfluence of the 50Hz, we have implemented a synchronous detection which filters in a verynarrow way around the useful signal. The theoretical result obtained by a simulation underPspice® of the method used consolidates the choice of this method and the possibility ofobtaining correct and exploitable results. The experimental results are preliminary results ona 12V vehicle battery, having an inrush current of 330A and a capacity of 40Ah (impedancemeasurements on a fuel cell are in progress, and will be the subject of a forthcoming paper.The results were plotted at various nominal voltages of the battery (12.7V, 10V, 8V and 5Vand with two imposed currents (0.6A and 4A. The Nyquist diagram resulting from theexperimental data enable us to show an influence of the load of the battery on its internalimpedance. The similitude in the graph form and in order of magnitude of the valuesobtained (both theoretical and practical enables us to validate our electronic measurementinstrumentation. One of the future uses for this instrumentation is to integrate it with several control sensors, on a vehicle as an embedded system to monitor the degradation of fuel cell membranes.

  4. Optimization of impedance spectroscopy techniques for measuring cutaneous micropore formation after microneedle treatment in an elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelchen, Megan N; Holdren, Grant O; Farley, Matthew J; Zimmerman, M Bridget; Fairley, Janet A; Brogden, Nicole K

    2014-12-01

    The objective of this study was to optimize a reproducible impedance spectroscopy method in elderly subjects as a means to evaluate the effects of microneedles on aging skin. Human volunteers were treated with microneedles at six sites on the upper arm. Repeated impedance measurements were taken pre- and post-microneedle insertion. Two electrode types were evaluated (dry vs. gel), using either light or direct pressure to maintain contact between the electrode and skin surface. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured as a complementary technique. Five control subjects and nine elderly subjects completed the study. Microneedle insertion produced a significant decrease in impedance from baseline in all subjects (p micropore formation. This was supported by a complementary significant increase in TEWL (p micropore formation in elderly subjects, which will be essential for future studies describing microneedle-assisted transdermal delivery in aging populations.

  5. Valved or valveless ventriculoperitoneal shunting in the treatment of post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreasen, Trine Hjorslev; Holst, Anders Vedel; Lilja, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Implant infection and obstruction are major complications for ventriculoperitoneal shunts in patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus. In an effort to (1) reduce the incidence of these complications, (2) reduce the rate of shunt failure and (3) shorten the duration of neurosurgical...... hospitalisation, we have implemented valveless ventriculoperitoneal shunts at our department for adult patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus and haemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid at the time of shunt insertion. METHODS: All adult patients (>18 years old) treated for post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus.......3 %, p = 0.02), but a higher rate of overdrainage (10.3 % vs 2.6 %, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The use of a valveless shunting for patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus results in shorter duration of neurosurgical hospitalisation and lower rate of shunt infection, although these advantages should...

  6. Measurements of the dynamic input impedance of a dc SQUID

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilbert, C.; Clarke, J.

    1985-01-01

    The impedance of a circuit coupled magnetically via a mutual inductance M/sub i/ to a dc SQUID of geometric inductance L is modified by the dynamic input impedance of the SQUID, which can be characterized by the flux-to-current transfer function J/sub Phi/approx. =partialJ/partialPhi; J is the current circulating in the SQUID loop and ∫ is the flux applied to the loop. At the same time, the SQUID is modified by the presence of the input circuit in the lumped circuit approximation, one expects its inductance to be reduced to L'(1-α/sub e/ 2 )L, where α/sub e/ is an effective coupling coefficient. Calculations of J/sub Phi/ using an analog simulator are described and presented in the form of a dynamic inductance L and a dynamic resistance R versus bias current I and Phi. Experimental measurements of L and R were made on a planar, thin-film SQUID tightly coupled to a spiral input coil that was connected in series with a capacitor C/sub i/ to form a resonant circuit. Thus, J/sub Phi/ was determined from the change in the resonant frequency and quality factor of this circuit as a function of I and Phi. At low bias currents (low Josephson frequencies) the measured values of L were in reasonable agreement with values simulated for the reduced SQUID, while at higher bias currents (higher Josephson frequencies) the measured values were in better agreement with values simulated for the unscreened SQUID. Similar conclusions were reached in the comparison of the experimental and simulated values of the flux-to-voltage transfer function V/sub Phi/

  7. Clinical outcomes of temporary shunting for infants with cerebral pseudomeningocele.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattei, Tobias A; Sambhara, Deepak; Bond, Brandon J; Lin, Julian

    2014-02-01

    Although in the case of subdural collections temporary shunting has been suggested as a viable alternative for definitive drainage of the accumulated fluid until restoration of the normal CSF dynamics, there is no agreement on the best management strategy for pseudomeningocele. The authors performed a retrospective chart review in order to evaluate the clinical outcomes of infants temporarily shunted for pseudomeningocele without encephalocele at our institution (The University of Illinois at Peoria/Illinois Neurological Institute) in the period from 2004 to 2012. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical management, and final outcomes of such subpopulation were compared with a control group which received temporary shunting for subdural hematomas (SDH) during the same period. Four patients (100% male) ranging in age from 8.9 to 27.1 months (mean = 13.88) with pseudomeningocele and 17 patients (64.7% male) ranging in age from 1.9 to 11.8 months (mean = 4.15) with SDH were identified. Although the initial management included sequential percutaneous subdural tapping in 82% of the patients, all children ultimately failed such strategy, requiring either subdural-peritoneal (81% of the cases) or subgaleal-peritoneal (19% of the cases) shunting. The mean implant duration was 201 days for the pseudomeningocele group and 384 days for the SDH one. Mean post-shunt hospitalization was 2 days for patients with pseudomeningocele and 4 days for patients with SDH. There was no statistical difference in terms of complications, length of hospitalization post-shunting, or clinical outcomes between the patients with pseudomeningocele and those with SDH. Temporary shunting of infants with pseudo-meningocele constitutes a viable therapeutic alternative with favorable clinical outcomes and a low risk of shunt dependency similar to those of children with SDH.

  8. Comparison between laboratory measurements, simulations, and analytical predictions of the transverse wall impedance at low frequencies

    CERN Document Server

    Roncarolo, F; Kroyer, T; Metral, E; Mounet, N; Salvant, B; Zotter, B

    2009-01-01

    The prediction of the transverse wall beam impedance at the first unstable betatron line (8 kHz) of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is of paramount importance for understanding and controlling the related coupled-bunch instabilities. Until now only novel analytical formulas were available at this frequency. Recently, laboratory measurements and numerical simulations were performed to cross-check the analytical predictions. The experimental results based on the measurement of the variation of a probe coil inductance in the presence of (i) sample graphite plates, (ii) stand-alone LHC collimator jaws, and (iii) a full LHC collimator assembly are presented in detail. The measurement results are compared to both analytical theories and simulations. In addition, the consequences for the understanding of the LHC impedance are discussed.

  9. Clinical results of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Auh Whan; Sim, Jae In; Ryeom, Hun Kyu; Kim, Yong Joo [Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    1994-04-15

    To evaluate the clinical results of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS) for the control of variceal bleeding. TIPS creation was attempted in 23 patients with endoscopically confirmed variceal bleeding. Most patients had multiple episodes of bleeding in the past and have been treated with multiple endoscopic sclerotherapies. Pre-and post-procedural hepatic and portal vein pressures were measured. After creation of TIPS patients were followed up at regular intervals. TIPS has been successfully accomplished in 22 of 23 patients using Wallstent(n = 21) and Strecker stent(n = 1). Immediate bleeding control was achieved in all patients with shunt creation. No procedure-related complication was noted. Portal vein pressure was reduced from 30.7 {+-} 5.8 mmHg to 20.8 {+-} 4.7 mmHg. The mean pressure gradient of portosystemic shunt dropped from 22.8 {+-} 6.0 prior to TIPS to 12.2 {+-} 4.1 immediately after. During the follow-up period (6-556 days, mean; 10 months), seven patients died; progressive hepatic failure (n 4), variceal rebleeding (n = 2), and respiratory failure(n = 1). Hepatic encephalopathy after TIPS was noted in 7 patients(31.8%). Variceal rebleeding occurred in 3 patients(13.6%). The remaining 15 patients have survived an average of 11 months. This results suggest that TIPS is a safe and effective method for lowering portal pressure and controlling variceal bleeding. Furthermore if these initial results are encouraged by further long-term observation, TIPS could replace endoscopic and risky surgical intervention.

  10. Scoliosis and Syringomyelia With Chiari Malformation After Lumbar Shunting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsin-Hung Chen

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Unsteady gait was noted in a 2-year-old boy with a lumboperitoneal (LP shunt that had been inserted 1 year earlier for increased head circumference caused by communicating hydrocephalus. Scoliosis was also noted during postoperative follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed new hindbrain tonsillar herniation and an extensive syrinx from C3 to L1. The malfunctioning LP shunt was removed and posterior fossa decompression with ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion was performed. The unsteady gait recovered completely and scoliosis improved. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated resolution of the syrinx and tonsillar herniation. Acquired Chiari I malformation after LP shunt is well documented; usually, patients have no symptoms. This is the first report to have all the cause and effect mechanisms among syringomyelia, scoliosis and Chiari I malformation in 1 patient. We review the literature and discuss the possible mechanisms.

  11. Epidural haematoma: pathophysiological significance of extravasation and arteriovenous shunting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habash, A.H.; Sortland, O.; Zwetnow, N.N.

    1982-01-01

    35 patients with epidural bleeding operated on at Rikshospitalet, Oslo, during the period 1965 - 1980 had preoperative angiography with visualization of the external carotid artery. Twenty-one patients had extravasation of contrast medium from meningeal arteries. Seventeen of the 21 had also shunting of contrast medium from meningeal arteries to meningeal or diploic veins, while 20 of the 21 also had bled from a ruptured meningeal artery at operation. It was further found that of 20 patients who deteriorated after trauma 18 had an epidural arteriovenous shunt or extravasation. Conversely, of 15 patients who improved after trauma 12 had no evidence of a shunt. The strong correlation between the clinical course and the occurrence of extravasation supports previous experimental and clinical data, indicating the epidural arteriovenous shunt to be a major factor in the pathophysiology and the outcome of epidural bleeding. (author)

  12. Sound Propagation An impedance Based Approach

    CERN Document Server

    Kim, Yang-Hann

    2010-01-01

    In Sound Propagation: An Impedance Based Approach , Professor Yang-Hann Kim introduces acoustics and sound fields by using the concept of impedance. Kim starts with vibrations and waves, demonstrating how vibration can be envisaged as a kind of wave, mathematically and physically. One-dimensional waves are used to convey the fundamental concepts. Readers can then understand wave propagation in terms of characteristic and driving point impedance. The essential measures for acoustic waves, such as dB scale, octave scale, acoustic pressure, energy, and intensity, are explained. These measures are

  13. Corrosion monitoring of iron, protected by an organic coating, with the aid of impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hubrecht, J.; Piens, M.; Vereecken, J.

    1984-01-01

    The ac impedance measurement has proved to be a useful electrochemical technique for mainly qualitative studies of electrochemical and corrosion systems. Even for complicated systems such as coated metals in corrosive environments this technique has been used with success. The system chosen for the present study is an ARMCO iron plate, coated with a SrCrO 4 -pigmented styrene acrylic polymer, and immersed for several weeks in an aqueous NaCl solution. Impedance measurements analyze a system under test into its constituting phenomena. The dependence of system parameters on coating layer thickness, NaCl concentration, and pigmentation of the coating during the immersion time provides insight into the corrosion and protection mechanisms at the coating/metal interface, besides the behavior of the coating itself

  14. A Batteryless Sensor ASIC for Implantable Bio-Impedance Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Saul; Ollmar, Stig; Waqar, Muhammad; Rusu, Ana

    2016-06-01

    The measurement of the biological tissue's electrical impedance is an active research field that has attracted a lot of attention during the last decades. Bio-impedances are closely related to a large variety of physiological conditions; therefore, they are useful for diagnosis and monitoring in many medical applications. Measuring living tissues, however, is a challenging task that poses countless technical and practical problems, in particular if the tissues need to be measured under the skin. This paper presents a bio-impedance sensor ASIC targeting a battery-free, miniature size, implantable device, which performs accurate 4-point complex impedance extraction in the frequency range from 2 kHz to 2 MHz. The ASIC is fabricated in 150 nm CMOS, has a size of 1.22 mm × 1.22 mm and consumes 165 μA from a 1.8 V power supply. The ASIC is embedded in a prototype which communicates with, and is powered by an external reader device through inductive coupling. The prototype is validated by measuring the impedances of different combinations of discrete components, measuring the electrochemical impedance of physiological solution, and performing ex vivo measurements on animal organs. The proposed ASIC is able to extract complex impedances with around 1 Ω resolution; therefore enabling accurate wireless tissue measurements.

  15. Alteration of brain viscoelasticity after shunt treatment in normal pressure hydrocephalus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freimann, Florian Baptist; Sprung, Christian [Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Neurosurgical Department, Berlin (Germany); Streitberger, Kaspar-Josche; Klatt, Dieter; Sack, Ingolf [Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Charite Mitte, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Lin, Kui; McLaughlin, Joyce [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mathematics Department, Troy, NY (United States); Braun, Juergen [Charite - University Medicine Campus Benjamin Franklin, Institute of Medical Informatics, Berlin (Germany)

    2012-03-15

    Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) represents a chronic neurological disorder with increasing incidence. The symptoms of NPH may be relieved by surgically implanting a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid. However, the pathogenesis of NPH is not yet fully elucidated, and the clinical response of shunt treatment is hard to predict. According to current theories of NPH, altered mechanical properties of brain tissue seem to play an important role. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a unique method for measuring in vivo brain mechanics. In this study cerebral MRE was applied to test the viscoelastic properties of the brain in 20 patients with primary (N = 14) and secondary (N = 6) NPH prior and after (91 {+-} 16 days) shunt placement. Viscoelastic parameters were derived from the complex modulus according to the rheological springpot model. This model provided two independent parameters {mu} and {alpha}, related to the inherent rigidity and topology of the mechanical network of brain tissue. The viscoelastic parameters {mu} and {alpha} were found to be decreased with -25% and -10%, respectively, compared to age-matched controls (P < 0.001). Interestingly, {alpha} increased after shunt placement (P < 0.001) to almost normal values whereas {mu} remained symptomatically low. The results indicate the fundamental role of altered viscoelastic properties of brain tissue during disease progression and tissue repair in NPH. Clinical improvement in NPH is associated with an increasing complexity of the mechanical network whose inherent strength, however, remains degraded. (orig.)

  16. Alteration of brain viscoelasticity after shunt treatment in normal pressure hydrocephalus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freimann, Florian Baptist; Sprung, Christian; Streitberger, Kaspar-Josche; Klatt, Dieter; Sack, Ingolf; Lin, Kui; McLaughlin, Joyce; Braun, Juergen

    2012-01-01

    Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) represents a chronic neurological disorder with increasing incidence. The symptoms of NPH may be relieved by surgically implanting a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid. However, the pathogenesis of NPH is not yet fully elucidated, and the clinical response of shunt treatment is hard to predict. According to current theories of NPH, altered mechanical properties of brain tissue seem to play an important role. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a unique method for measuring in vivo brain mechanics. In this study cerebral MRE was applied to test the viscoelastic properties of the brain in 20 patients with primary (N = 14) and secondary (N = 6) NPH prior and after (91 ± 16 days) shunt placement. Viscoelastic parameters were derived from the complex modulus according to the rheological springpot model. This model provided two independent parameters μ and α, related to the inherent rigidity and topology of the mechanical network of brain tissue. The viscoelastic parameters μ and α were found to be decreased with -25% and -10%, respectively, compared to age-matched controls (P < 0.001). Interestingly, α increased after shunt placement (P < 0.001) to almost normal values whereas μ remained symptomatically low. The results indicate the fundamental role of altered viscoelastic properties of brain tissue during disease progression and tissue repair in NPH. Clinical improvement in NPH is associated with an increasing complexity of the mechanical network whose inherent strength, however, remains degraded. (orig.)

  17. Assessment of surgical portosystemic shunts and associated complications: The diagnostic and therapeutic role of radiologists

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taslakian, Bedros, E-mail: btaslakian@gmail.com [Department of Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Faraj, Walid, E-mail: wf07@aub.edu.lb [Department of General Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Khalife, Mohammad, E-mail: mk12@aub.edu.lb [Department of General Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Al-Kutoubi, Aghiad, E-mail: mk00@aub.edu.lb [Department of Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); El-Merhi, Fadi, E-mail: fe19@aub.edu.lb [Department of Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Saade, Charbel, E-mail: cs39@aub.edu.lb [Department of Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Hallal, Ali, E-mail: ah05@aub.edu.lb [Department of General Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon); Haydar, Ali, E-mail: ah24@aub.edu.lb [Department of Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Riad El-Solh 1107 2020—PO Box: 11-0236, Beirut (Lebanon)

    2015-08-15

    Highlights: • Portal hypertension is the pathological increase in portal venous pressure. • Surgical portosystemic shunting is an accepted methods to decrease portal venous pressure. • Surgical portosystemic shunts are divided into selective and nonselective. • Shunt thrombosis is a serious complication, resulting in shunt dysfunction. • Imaging is essential in the assessment of the shunt function and anatomy. - Abstract: Surgical portosystemic shunting, the formation of a vascular connection between the portal and systemic venous circulation, has been used as a treatment to reduce portal venous pressure. Although the use of portosystemic shunt surgery in the management of portal hypertension has declined during the past decade in favour of alternative therapies, and subsequently surgeons and radiologists became less familiar with the procedure, it remains a well-established treatment. Knowledge of different types of surgical portosystemic shunts, their pathophysiology and complications will help radiologists improve communication with surgeons and enhance their understanding of the diagnostic and therapeutic role of radiology in the assessment and management of these shunts. Optimal assessment of the shunt is essential to determine its patency and allow timely intervention. Both non-invasive and invasive imaging modalities complement each other in the evaluation of surgical portosystemic shunts. Interventional radiology plays an important role in the management of complications, such as shunt thrombosis and stenosis. This article describes the various types of surgical portosystemic shunts, explains the anatomy and pathophysiology of these shunts, illustrates the pearls and pitfalls of different imaging modalities in the assessment of these shunts and demonstrates the role of radiologists in the interventional management of complications.

  18. Assessment of surgical portosystemic shunts and associated complications: The diagnostic and therapeutic role of radiologists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taslakian, Bedros; Faraj, Walid; Khalife, Mohammad; Al-Kutoubi, Aghiad; El-Merhi, Fadi; Saade, Charbel; Hallal, Ali; Haydar, Ali

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Portal hypertension is the pathological increase in portal venous pressure. • Surgical portosystemic shunting is an accepted methods to decrease portal venous pressure. • Surgical portosystemic shunts are divided into selective and nonselective. • Shunt thrombosis is a serious complication, resulting in shunt dysfunction. • Imaging is essential in the assessment of the shunt function and anatomy. - Abstract: Surgical portosystemic shunting, the formation of a vascular connection between the portal and systemic venous circulation, has been used as a treatment to reduce portal venous pressure. Although the use of portosystemic shunt surgery in the management of portal hypertension has declined during the past decade in favour of alternative therapies, and subsequently surgeons and radiologists became less familiar with the procedure, it remains a well-established treatment. Knowledge of different types of surgical portosystemic shunts, their pathophysiology and complications will help radiologists improve communication with surgeons and enhance their understanding of the diagnostic and therapeutic role of radiology in the assessment and management of these shunts. Optimal assessment of the shunt is essential to determine its patency and allow timely intervention. Both non-invasive and invasive imaging modalities complement each other in the evaluation of surgical portosystemic shunts. Interventional radiology plays an important role in the management of complications, such as shunt thrombosis and stenosis. This article describes the various types of surgical portosystemic shunts, explains the anatomy and pathophysiology of these shunts, illustrates the pearls and pitfalls of different imaging modalities in the assessment of these shunts and demonstrates the role of radiologists in the interventional management of complications

  19. Small-Diameter PTFE Portosystemic Shunts: Portocaval vs Mesocaval

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Shields

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Fifty-seven patients with failed sclerotherapy received a mesocaval interposition shunt with an externally supported, ringed polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis of either 10 or 12 mm diameter. Thirty-one patients had Child-Pugh gradeA disease and 26 grade B; all had a liver volume of 1000– 2500 ml. Follow-up ranged from 16 months to 6 years 3 months. Three patients (5 per cent died in the postoperative period. There were two postoperative recurrences of variceal haemorrhage and one recurrent bleed in the second year after surgery. The cumulative shunt patency rate was 95 per cent and the incidence of encephalopathy 9 per cent; the latter was successfully managed by protein restriction and/or lactulose therapy. The actuarial survival rate for the whole group at 6 years was 78 per cent, for those with Child-Pugh grade A 88 per cent and for grade B 67 per cent. Small-lumen mesocaval interposition shunting achieves portal decompression, preserves hepatopetal flow, has a low incidence of shunt thrombosis, prevents recurrent variceal bleeding and is not associated with significant postoperative encephalopathy.

  20. Passivation of mechanically polished, chemically etched and anodized zirconium in various aqueous solutions: Impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abo-Elenien, G.M.; Abdel-Salam, O.E.

    1987-01-01

    Zirconium and its alloys are finding increasing applications especially in water-cooled nuclear reactors. Because of the fact that zirconium is electronegative (E 0 = -1.529V) its corrosion resistance in aqueous solutions is largely determined by the existence of a thin oxide film on its surface. The structure and properties of this film depend in the first place on the method of surface pre-treatment. This paper presents an experimental study of the nature of the oxide film on mechanically polished, chemically etched and anodized zirconium. Ac impedance measurements carried out in various acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions show that the film thickness depends on the method of surface pre-treatment and the type of electrolyte solution. The variation of the potential and impedance during anodization of zirconium at low current density indicates that the initial stages of polarization consist of oxide build-up at a rate dependent on the nature of the electrode surface and the electrolyte. Oxygen evolution commences at a stage where oxide thickening starts to decline. The effect of frequency on the measured impedance indicates that the surface reactivity, and hence the corrosion rate, decreases in the following order: mechanically polished > chemically etched > anodized

  1. Bench measurement of vacuum chamber impedances with wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shafer, R.E.

    1979-01-01

    Particle beams travelling in an accelerator or storage ring vacuum chamber produce electric and magnetic fields which interact with the walls of the chamber. The induced wall currents in turn generate secondary fields which can interact with the beam, giving rise to both energy loss and other effects which can cause beam instability. In many simple geometries these effects can be calculated. In more complex geometries the calculations are difficult and very approximate. For this reason it is important that the effects be measured if possible prior to installation. As accelerators become larger and the number of vacuum chamber components more numerous, and as more severe beam intensity and stability requirements are placing lower limits on the longitudinal and transverse impedances, a less than adequate component will be more likely to limit machine performance

  2. Embolization of portal-systemic shunts in cirrhotic patients with chronic recurrent hepatic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakurabayashi, Shin; Sezai, Shuichi; Yamamoto, Yoshihiro; Hirano, Masanori; Oka, Hiroshi

    1997-01-01

    Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of embolization of portal-systemic shunts in cirrhotic patients with chronic recurrent hepatic encephalopathy (CRHE). Methods. Seven cirrhotic patients with CRHE refractory to medical treatment (3 men and 4 women, mean age 66 years) were studied. Five patients had splenorenal shunts, 1 had a gastrorenal shunt, and 1 had an intrahepatic portal vein-hepatic vein shunt. Shunt embolization was performed using stainless steel coils, with a percutaneous transhepatic portal vein approach in 4 patients and a transrenal vein approach in 3 patients. Results. After embolization, the shunt disappeared in 4 patients on either ultrasound pulsed Doppler monitoring or portography. Complications observed in the 7 patients were fever, transient pleural effusion, ascites, and mild esophageal varices. For 3-6 months after embolization, the 4 patients whose shunts disappeared showed minimal or no reappearance of a shunt, and had no recurrence of encephalopathy. The serum ammonia levels decreased and electroencephalograms also improved. One of the 4 patients, who developed mild esophageal varices, required no treatment. Treatment was effective in 3 of the 4 patients (75%) who underwent embolization via a transhepatic portal vein. Conclusion. Transvascular embolization of shunts improved the outcome in 4 of 7 patients. The most effective embolization was achieved via the percutaneous transhepatic portal vein approach

  3. Digital PIV Measurements of Acoustic Particle Displacements in a Normal Incidence Impedance Tube

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphreys, William M., Jr.; Bartram, Scott M.; Parrott, Tony L.; Jones, Michael G.

    1998-01-01

    Acoustic particle displacements and velocities inside a normal incidence impedance tube have been successfully measured for a variety of pure tone sound fields using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The DPIV system utilized two 600-mj Nd:YAG lasers to generate a double-pulsed light sheet synchronized with the sound field and used to illuminate a portion of the oscillatory flow inside the tube. A high resolution (1320 x 1035 pixel), 8-bit camera was used to capture double-exposed images of 2.7-micron hollow silicon dioxide tracer particles inside the tube. Classical spatial autocorrelation analysis techniques were used to ascertain the acoustic particle displacements and associated velocities for various sound field intensities and frequencies. The results show that particle displacements spanning a range of 1-60 microns can be measured for incident sound pressure levels of 100-130 dB and for frequencies spanning 500-1000 Hz. The ability to resolve 1 micron particle displacements at sound pressure levels in the 100 dB range allows the use of DPIV systems for measurement of sound fields at much lower sound pressure levels than had been previously possible. Representative impedance tube data as well as an uncertainty analysis for the measurements are presented.

  4. Transdiaphragmatic Approach to Attenuate Porto-Azygos Shunts Inserting in the Thorax.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Or, Matan; Kitshoff, Adriaan; Devriendt, Nausikaa; De Ridder, Marianne; Quist-Rybachuk, Galena; de Rooster, Hilde

    2016-11-01

    To describe the surgical technique and document the application of a transdiaphragmatic approach to attenuate porto-azygos shunts inserting in the thoracic section of the azygos vein. Cadaveric study and prospective case series. Canine cadavers (n=6) and client-owned dogs with porto-azygos shunts inserting in the thoracic section of the azygos vein (n=9). In the cadavers, the azygos vein was filled with aqueous latex. Landmarks were established for creating a safe transdiaphragmatic approach to the caudal intrathoracic portion of the azygos vein. In the clinical cases, porto-azygos communication was diagnosed by trans-splenic portal scintigraphy. All shunts were attenuated close to their insertion site via ventral midline celiotomy and a transdiaphragmatic approach to the shunt. Perioperative complications were recorded. A 3-5 cm incision, 0.5-1 cm ventral and lateral to the level of the aortic hiatus, was made in the pars lumbalis part of the diaphragm. Stay sutures at both sides of the diaphragmatic incision were placed to open up the incision and a retractor was used to push the esophagus away from the aorta. Intrathoracic insertion of the shunt was confirmed intraoperative. Exposure of the shunt insertion site at the azygos vein was excellent in all clinical cases. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. If thoracic attenuation of a porto-azygos shunt is considered, a transdiaphragmatic approach exposes the insertion site for shunt attenuation. This approach is straightforward, without unnecessary abdominal organ manipulation, and since attenuates at the insertion, avoids missing additional contributing branches. © Copyright 2016 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  5. High-Flow Arterio-Hepatic Venous Shunt in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Use of Multi-Electrode Radiofrequency for Shunt Obliteration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pua, Uei, E-mail: druei@yahoo.com [Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Radiology (Singapore)

    2015-10-15

    Intra-tumoral arterio-hepatic venous shunting (AHVS) poses an impediment to transarterial chemoembolization of liver tumors. Not only does it present a potential hazard for systemic shunting and embolization, but also the altered flow dynamics may also result in poor delivery of drug/embolics to the target tumor bed. Current available techniques to overcome AVHS include arterial embolization (particles, coils, glue, etc.) or temporary venous occlusion using balloons. We hereby illustrate the use of radiofrequency ablation to obliterate a complex AHVS consisting of a varix-like venous aneurysm.

  6. Migration of the peritoneal catheter of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ventricular shunt is a well-established modality in the management of hydrocephalus. However, it can be associated with numerous complications and disastrous consequences. The reported incidence of intra-abdominal complications in infants and children after ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt procedures is about 24% ...

  7. [The 2,3-diphosphoglycerate shunt and stabilization of the ATP level in mammalian erythrocytes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ataullakhanov, A I; Ataullakhanov, F I; Vitvitskiĭ, V M; Zhabotinskiĭ, A M; Pichugin, A V

    1985-06-01

    The mechanisms of regulation of energy metabolism in erythrocytes of various mammalian species were investigated. In native erythrocytes of man, sheep, cow, dog and mouse the dependencies of the rates of glucose uptake on ATP concentration (i.e., regulatory parameters of glycolysis) were measured. These parameters plotted in normalized coordinates are not species-specific (invariant). The dependence of the rate of ATP-consuming processes on ATP concentration has been studied for the first time in intact mammalian erythrocytes. This dependence was found to be linear only in the species, in whose erythrocytes the activity of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate shunt is practically zero. In all species under study, the stabilization of ATP level is provided for mainly by the hexokinase-phosphofructokinase system. A comparison of regulatory mechanisms of energy metabolism in mammalian (sheep, cow) erythrocytes, in which the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate shunt is absent, with human and animal erythrocytes, in which this pathway is active, points to the important role of the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate shunt in regulation of energy conversion in erythrocytes. This shunt operates as an additional stabilizer protecting the cell from extremal influences.

  8. Shunted Piezoelectric Vibration Damping Analysis Including Centrifugal Loading Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, James B.; Duffy, Kirsten P.; Provenza, Andrew J.

    2011-01-01

    Excessive vibration of turbomachinery blades causes high cycle fatigue problems which require damping treatments to mitigate vibration levels. One method is the use of piezoelectric materials as passive or active dampers. Based on the technical challenges and requirements learned from previous turbomachinery rotor blades research, an effort has been made to investigate the effectiveness of a shunted piezoelectric for the turbomachinery rotor blades vibration control, specifically for a condition with centrifugal rotation. While ample research has been performed on the use of a piezoelectric material with electric circuits to attempt to control the structural vibration damping, very little study has been done regarding rotational effects. The present study attempts to fill this void. Specifically, the objectives of this study are: (a) to create and analyze finite element models for harmonic forced response vibration analysis coupled with shunted piezoelectric circuits for engine blade operational conditions, (b) to validate the experimental test approaches with numerical results and vice versa, and (c) to establish a numerical modeling capability for vibration control using shunted piezoelectric circuits under rotation. Study has focused on a resonant damping control using shunted piezoelectric patches on plate specimens. Tests and analyses were performed for both non-spinning and spinning conditions. The finite element (FE) shunted piezoelectric circuit damping simulations were performed using the ANSYS Multiphysics code for the resistive and inductive circuit piezoelectric simulations of both conditions. The FE results showed a good correlation with experimental test results. Tests and analyses of shunted piezoelectric damping control, demonstrating with plate specimens, show a great potential to reduce blade vibrations under centrifugal loading.

  9. A mm-wave planar microcavity structure for electron linear accelerator system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Y.W.; Kustom, R.; Mills, F.; Mavrogenes, G.; Henke, H.

    1993-01-01

    The muffin-tin cavity structure is planar and well suited for mm-wave accelerator with silicon etching techniques. A constant impedance traveling-wave structure is considered for design simplicity. The RF parameters are calculated and the shunt impedance is compared with the shunt impedance of a disk loaded cylindrical structure

  10. Mechanical Impedance Modeling of Human Arm: A survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puzi, A. Ahmad; Sidek, S. N.; Sado, F.

    2017-03-01

    Human arm mechanical impedance plays a vital role in describing motion ability of the upper limb. One of the impedance parameters is stiffness which is defined as the ratio of an applied force to the measured deformation of the muscle. The arm mechanical impedance modeling is useful in order to develop a better controller for system that interacts with human as such an automated robot-assisted platform for automated rehabilitation training. The aim of the survey is to summarize the existing mechanical impedance models of human upper limb so to justify the need to have an improved version of the arm model in order to facilitate the development of better controller of such systems with ever increase in complexity. In particular, the paper will address the following issue: Human motor control and motor learning, constant and variable impedance models, methods for measuring mechanical impedance and mechanical impedance modeling techniques.

  11. Complex numbers in chemometrics: examples from multivariate impedance measurements on lipid monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geladi, Paul; Nelson, Andrew; Lindholm-Sethson, Britta

    2007-07-09

    Electrical impedance gives multivariate complex number data as results. Two examples of multivariate electrical impedance data measured on lipid monolayers in different solutions give rise to matrices (16x50 and 38x50) of complex numbers. Multivariate data analysis by principal component analysis (PCA) or singular value decomposition (SVD) can be used for complex data and the necessary equations are given. The scores and loadings obtained are vectors of complex numbers. It is shown that the complex number PCA and SVD are better at concentrating information in a few components than the naïve juxtaposition method and that Argand diagrams can replace score and loading plots. Different concentrations of Magainin and Gramicidin A give different responses and also the role of the electrolyte medium can be studied. An interaction of Gramicidin A in the solution with the monolayer over time can be observed.

  12. What is the risk of infecting a cerebrospinal fluid-diverting shunt with percutaneous tapping?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiegelman, Lindsey; Asija, Richa; Da Silva, Stephanie L; Krieger, Mark D; McComb, J Gordon

    2014-10-01

    Most CSF-diverting shunt systems have an access port that can be percutaneously tapped. Tapping the shunt can yield valuable information as to its function and whether an infection is present. The fear of causing a shunt infection by tapping may limit the physician's willingness to do so. The authors of this study investigate the risk of infecting a shunt secondary to percutaneous tapping. Following institutional review board approval, CSF specimens obtained from tapping an indwelling CSF-diverting shunt during the 2011 and 2012 calendar years were identified and matched with clinical information. A culture-positive CSF sample was defined as an infection. If results were equivocal, such as a broth-only-positive culture, a repeat CSF specimen was examined. The CSF was obtained by tapping the shunt access port with a 25-gauge butterfly needle after prepping the unshaven skin with chlorhexidine. During the study period, 266 children underwent 542 shunt taps. With 541 taps, no clinical evidence of a subsequent shunt infection was found. One child's CSF went from sterile to infected 11 days later; however, this patient had redness along the shunt tract at the time of the initial sterile tap. The risk of infection from tapping a shunt is remote if the procedure is done correctly.

  13. Numerical and experimental studies of stack shunt current for vanadium redox flow battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin, Cong; Guo, Shaoyun; Fang, Honglin; Liu, Jiayi; Li, Yang; Tang, Hao

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A coupled three-dimensional model of VRB cell stack is developed. • Shunt current of the stack is studied with the model and experiment. • Increased electrolyte resistance in channel and manifold lowers the shunt current. • Shunt current loss increases with stack cell number nonlinearly. - Abstract: The stack shunt current of VRB (vanadium redox flow battery) was investigated with experiments and 3D (three-dimensional) simulations. In the proposed model, cell voltages and electrolyte conductivities were calculated based on electrochemical reaction distributions and SOC (state of charge) values, respectively, while coulombic loss was estimated according to shunt current and vanadium ionic crossover through membrane. Shunt current distributions and coulombic efficiency are analyzed in terms of electrolyte conductivities and stack cell numbers. The distributions of cell voltages and shunt currents calculated with proposed model are validated with single cell and short stack tests. The model can be used to optimize VRB stack manifold and channel designs to improve VRB system efficiency

  14. Prophylactic antibiotics in pediatric shunt surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biyani, N; Grisaru-Soen, G; Steinbok, P; Sgouros, S; Constantini, S

    2006-11-01

    The optimal antibiotic prophylaxis for pediatric shunt-related procedures is not clear. There is much inconsistency among different medical centers. This paper summarizes and analyzes the various prophylactic antibiotic regiments used for shunt-related surgeries at different pediatric neurosurgery centers in the world. A survey questionnaire was distributed through the Pediatric Neurosurgery list-server (an e-mail-based special interest group in pediatric neurosurgery). Forty-five completed questionnaires were received, one per medical center, primarily from pediatric neurosurgeons with the following geographic breakdown: 25 from North America, 13 from Europe, and 7 from Asia and other countries. All centers routinely administered prophylactic antibiotics for shunt-related procedures. The drugs of choice were first-generation cephalosporins (23), second-generation cephalosporins (10), naficillin/oxacillin (4), vancomycin (3), clindamycin (1), amoxicillin (1), and mixed protocols in three centers. The initial drug administration ("first dose") was: in the department before transfer to operating room (5), upon arrival to operating room (11), at induction of anesthesia (13), and at initial skin incision (16). The duration of antibiotic dosage also varied: single dose (13), 24-h administration (26), 48-h administration (2), and longer than 48 h in four centers. Two general tendencies were noted, common to the majority of participating centers. There was a general trend to modify antibiotic treatment protocol in "high-risk" populations. The second common theme noted in more than half of responding centers was the use of long-term antibiotic treatment for externalized devices (such as externalized shunts, external ventricular drains or lumbar drains), usually till the device was in place.

  15. Multi-resonant electromagnetic shunt in base isolation for vibration damping and energy harvesting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pei, Yalu; Liu, Yilun; Zuo, Lei

    2018-06-01

    This paper investigates multi-resonant electromagnetic shunts applied to base isolation for dual-function vibration damping and energy harvesting. Two multi-mode shunt circuit configurations, namely parallel and series, are proposed and optimized based on the H2 criteria. The root-mean-square (RMS) value of the relative displacement between the base and the primary structure is minimized. Practically, this will improve the safety of base-isolated buildings subjected the broad bandwidth ground acceleration. Case studies of a base-isolated building are conducted in both the frequency and time domains to investigate the effectiveness of multi-resonant electromagnetic shunts under recorded earthquake signals. It shows that both multi-mode shunt circuits outperform traditional single mode shunt circuits by suppressing the first and the second vibration modes simultaneously. Moreover, for the same stiffness ratio, the parallel shunt circuit is more effective at harvesting energy and suppressing vibration, and can more robustly handle parameter mistuning than the series shunt circuit. Furthermore, this paper discusses experimental validation of the effectiveness of multi-resonant electromagnetic shunts for vibration damping and energy harvesting on a scaled-down base isolation system.

  16. Impedance of SOFC electrodes: A review and a comprehensive case study on the impedance of LSM:YSZ cathodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jimmi; Hjelm, Johan

    2014-01-01

    It was shown through a comprehensive impedance spectroscopy study that the impedance of the classic composite LSM:YSZ (lanthanum strontium manganite and yttria stabilized zirconia) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode can be described well with porous electrode theory. Furthermore, it was illustr......It was shown through a comprehensive impedance spectroscopy study that the impedance of the classic composite LSM:YSZ (lanthanum strontium manganite and yttria stabilized zirconia) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode can be described well with porous electrode theory. Furthermore......, it was illustrated through a literature review on SOFC electrodes that porous electrode theory not only describes the classic LSM:YSZ SOFC cathode well, but SOFC electrodes in general. The extensive impedance spectroscopy study of LSM:YSZ cathodes consisted of measurements on cathodes with three different sintering...... temperatures and hence different microstructures and varying degrees of LSM/YSZ solid state interactions. LSM based composite cathodes, where YSZ was replaced with CGO was also studied in order to acquire further knowledge on the chemical compatibility between LSM and YSZ. All impedance measurements were...

  17. Impedance measurements of nanoporosity in electrodeposited ZnO films for DSSC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dupuy, L.; Haller, S.; Rousset, J.; Donsanti, F.; Guillemoles, J.-F.; Lincot, D. [Institute of R and D on Photovoltaic Energy (IRDEP), UMR 7174 EDF-CNRS-Chimie Paristech, 6 quai Watier, 78400 Chatou (France); Decker, F. [Chemistry Department, ' ' Sapienza' ' Universita di Roma, 00185 Roma (Italy)

    2010-05-15

    Porous ZnO/dye hybrid films have been deposited by cathodic electrodeposition, and their active surface area after dye desorption was evaluated by impedance measurements with the semiconducting electrode polarized in accumulation. Surface area ratios have been deduced for a large number of films from imaginary part Z' vs. frequency measurements, having a constant rate over the frequency range from 0.5 Hz to > 50 Hz. The active surface increased by a factor of roughly 150 per every micron of film with respect to the area of a flat ZnO electrode: this linear relationship held from less than 1 {mu}m up to 9 {mu}m thick films. (author)

  18. The measurement of water transport in porous materials using impedance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ball, R J; Allen, G C

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the application of electrical measurements to monitor the extraction (movement of water from the mortar) of water from calcium lime, natural hydraulic lime and Portland cement mortars placed on an adsorbent brick substrate. Impedance measurements were used to identify the changes in bulk resistance of the mortar. A model has been developed combining sharp front theory and Boltzmann's distribution law of statistical thermodynamics to identify the point at which no further absorption of water into the brick occurs. A linear relationship was found between the exponential of bulk resistance and the square root of time during dewatering. A change in gradient was attributed to the end of dewatering.

  19. Demonstration of arterioportal shunt by dynamic computed tomography and its diagnostic value

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakayama, Takatsune; Hiyama, Yoshiaki; Saitoh, Masayuki

    1983-01-01

    Sixty-one patients, 41 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 20 with liver cirrhosis, were examined by dynamic computed tomography (CT) and all but one with hepatocellular carcinoma were examined by celiac angiography. Dynamic CT disclosed arterioportal shunting in eleven cases of hepatocellular carcinima and in one of cirrhotics. All of them were confirmed by angiography except one case in which angiography could not be performed. In ten of these eleven cases arterioportal shunt was adjacent to a mass lesion on dynamic CT, suggesting tumor invasion into the portal branch. In one with hepatocellular carcinoma, the shunt was remote from the mass. In one with cirrhosis, there was no mass. In these last two cases, the shunt might have been caused by prior percutaneus needle puncture. In another case of hepatocellular carcinoma, celiac angiography but not CT demonstrated an arterioportal shunt. Thus dynamic CT was nearly as diagnostic as celiac arterigraphy for the demonstration of arterioportal shunt due to portal invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma and percutaneus needle puncture. (author)

  20. Demonstration of arterioportal shunt by dynamic computed tomography and its diagnostic value

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakayama, Takatsune; Hiyama, Yoshiaki; Saitoh, Masayuki

    1983-11-01

    Sixty-one patients, 41 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 20 with liver cirrhosis, were examined by dynamic computed tomography (CT) and all but one with hepatocellular carcinoma were examined by celiac angiography. Dynamic CT disclosed arterioportal shunting in eleven cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and in one of cirrhotics. All of them were confirmed by angiography except one case in which angiography could not be performed. In ten of these eleven cases arterooportal shunt was adjacent to a mass lesion on dynamic CT, suggesting tumor invasion into the portal branch. In one with hepatocellular carcinoma, the shunt was remote from the mass. In one with cirrhosis, there was no mass. In these last two cases, the shunt might have been caused by prior percutaneus needle puncture. In another case of hepatocellular carcinoma, celiac angiography but not CT demonstrated an arterioportal shunt. Thus dynamic CT was nearly as diagnostic as celiac arterigraphy for the demonstration of arterioportal shunt due to portal invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma and percutaneus needle puncture.

  1. Splenophrenic portosystemic shunt in dogs with and without portal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The possible existence of the same pattern of porto-caval connection in dogs having a single congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) and in dogs having multiple acquired portosystemic shunt (MAPSS) secondary to portal hypertension (PH) was evaluated. Retrospective evaluation of all CT examinations of patients having ...

  2. Electron microscopic evaluation of a gold glaucoma micro shunt after explantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berk, Thomas A; Tam, Diamond Y; Werner, Liliana; Mamalis, Nick; Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K

    2015-03-01

    We present a case of an explanted gold glaucoma micro shunt (GMS Plus) and the subsequent light and electron microscopic analyses. The shunt was implanted in a patient with medically refractive glaucoma. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was stable at 12 mm Hg 6 months postoperatively but spiked to 26 mm Hg 6 months later; membranous growth was visible on the implant gonioscopically. A second gold micro shunt was placed 2 years after the first. The IOP was 7 mm Hg 1 week postoperatively but increased to 23 mm Hg 3 weeks later; similar membranous growth was visible on this implant. One of the shunts was explanted, and light and scanning electron microscopic analyses revealed encapsulation around the shunt exterior and connective tissue invasion of the microstructure. This represents the first electron microscopic analysis of an explanted gold glaucoma micro shunt and the first unequivocal images of the fibrotic pseudo-capsule traversing its microchannels and fenestrations. Dr. Ahmed is a consultant to and has received research grants from Solx, Inc. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Symptomatic spinal cord deformity secondary to a redundant intramedullary shunt catheter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quencer, R.M.; Montalvo Morse, B.M.; Green, B.A.; Eismont, F.J.

    1985-01-01

    Right arm pain, motor and sensory loss in the right arm and right facial numbness recurred in a 27 year old quadraplegic shortly after a posttraumatic spinal cord cyst (PTSCC) was shunted via a catheter into the adjacent subarachnoid space. Although shunt malfunction was clinically suspected, metrizamide computed tomography (MCT) suggested that redundancy of the catheter had caused deformity of the spinal cord. This hypothesis was confirmed at surgery when intraoperative spinal sonography (IOSS) showed that the spinal cord deformity at C 1 -C 2 disappeared when the catheter was withdrawn. This case shows that new or recurrent spinal cord symptoms may be due to a mechanical deformity of the cord rather than shunt malfunction, that restricting the length of the shunt catheter which is used to decompress PTSCCs is important, and that IOSS is an indispensible tool for visualizing the changes in spinal cord morphology during shunting procedures. (orig.)

  4. Intrahepatic portal-hepatic venous shunt diagnosed by ultrasonography and computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinagawa, Takashi; Iino, Yasuo; Ukaji, Haruyasu; Ishizuka, Masaharu

    1986-01-01

    Two cases of intrahepatic portal-hepatic venous shunt found by ultrasonography and computed tomography are reported. The first case came to the hospital because of hematuria. A large shunt between the portal vein and the hepatic vein was demonstrated by ultrasonography done for screening, and confirmed by percutaneous transhepatic portography (PTP). The second case was admitted because of cholelithiasis. Computed tomography with contrast enhancement revealed a dilated portal vein in the upper portion of the right lobe. It was subsequently shown by PTP to be a portal-hepatic venous shunt. Portal vein pressure and histological finding of the liver were normal in both cases. The etiology of the shunt was thought to be congenital in these cases for lack of liver disease, portal hypertension and history of trauma. Both cases had no history of hepatic encephalopathy and did not show any symptom attributable to the shunt. (author)

  5. Neurological and neuropsychological effects of cerebral spinal fluid shunting in children with assumed arrested ("normal pressure") hydrocephalus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torkelson, R D; Leibrock, L G; Gustavson, J L; Sundell, R R

    1985-08-01

    Normocephalic children found to have ventriculomegaly during evaluation of long-standing (4.5-8.5 years) neurological disorder were tested for academic achievement, intellectual quotient and neuropsychological functioning. Radioactive iodinated serum cisternography, pre and post-shunt electrophysiological studies (visual evoked responses, brainstem auditory evoked potentials, sleep electroencephalograms) and radiological studies (skull radiographs computed tomography) were recorded. Four children who have been followed more than one year after insertion of ventricular-peritoneal shunts are presented. All demonstrated improvement in psychometric findings along with some improvement in CT scan and EEG studies. The most marked initial changes were noted on measures of neuropsychological performance, accompanied later by improvement in measures of intelligence. Achievement test scores showed no consistent pattern of change. This sample suggests that there is a group of asymptomatic children with apparent clinically stable (arrested) hydrocephalus in whom abnormal neuropsychological testing indicates the need for cerebrospinal fluid shunting, with subsequent improvement.

  6. Kinetic mechanism of steel corrosion in clay soils by impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arpaia, M.; Pernice, P.; Costantini, A.

    1990-01-01

    The corrosion of steel in clay soil at m.c. 15% has been studied for a long exposure time by electrochemical methods. A.c. impedance measurements results show that at a short exposure time the corrosion process is controlled by the diffusion of H + coupled with a rate determining homogeneous reaction, whereas at a long exposure time the process is controlled by pure diffusion. We have hypothesized that the rate determining homogeneous reaction might be the clay particles cations exchange. (orig.)

  7. Determining the optimal portal blood volume in a shunt before surgery in extrahepatic portal hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yurchuk Vladimir A

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study: To determine the necessary shunt diameter and assess the optimal portal blood volume in a shunt in children with extrahepatic portal hypertension before the portosystemic shunt surgery. Changes in the liver hemodynamics were studied in 81 children aged from 4 to 7 years with extrahepatic portal hypertension. We established that it is necessary to calculate the shunt diameter and the blood volume in a shunt in patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension before the portosystemic shunt surgery. It allows us to preserve the hepatic portal blood flow and effectively decrease the pressure in the portal system. Portosystemic shunt surgery in patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension performed in accordance with the individualized shunt volume significantly decreases portal pressure, preserves stable hepatic hemodynamics and prevents gastro-esophageal hemorrhage.

  8. Electrical impedance spectroscopy for measuring the impedance response of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates

    KAUST Repository

    Almuhammadi, Khaled

    2017-02-16

    Techniques that monitor the change in the electrical properties of materials are promising for both non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs). However, achieving reliable monitoring using these techniques requires an in-depth understanding of the impedance response of these materials when subjected to an alternating electrical excitation, information that is only partially available in the literature. In this work, we investigate the electrical impedance spectroscopy response at various frequencies of laminates chosen to be representative of classical layups employed in composite structures. We clarify the relationship between the frequency of the electrical current, the conductivity of the surface ply and the probing depth for different CFRP configurations for more efficient electrical signal-based inspections. We also investigate the effect of the amplitude of the input signal.

  9. Impedance Spectroscopy of Dielectrics and Electronic Conductors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonanos, Nikolaos; Pissis, Polycarpos; Macdonald, J. Ross

    2013-01-01

    Impedance spectroscopy is used for the characterization of materials, such as electroceramics, solid and liquid electrochemical cells, dielectrics and also fully integrated devices, such as fuel cells. It consists of measuring the electrical impedance - or a closely related property, such as admi......Impedance spectroscopy is used for the characterization of materials, such as electroceramics, solid and liquid electrochemical cells, dielectrics and also fully integrated devices, such as fuel cells. It consists of measuring the electrical impedance - or a closely related property......, such as admittance or dielectric constant - as a function of frequency and comparing the results with expectations based on physical, chemical, and microstructural models. This article reviews the principles and practical aspects of the technique, the representations of the results, the analysis of data......, and procedures for the correction of measurement errors. The applications of impedance spectroscopy are illustrated with examples from electroceramics and polymer-based dielectric systems. The way in which the technique is applied to the two classes of materials is compared with reference to the different models...

  10. Electrical impedance spectroscopy for measuring the impedance response of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates

    KAUST Repository

    Almuhammadi, Khaled; Bera, Tushar Kanti; Lubineau, Gilles

    2017-01-01

    impedance spectroscopy response at various frequencies of laminates chosen to be representative of classical layups employed in composite structures. We clarify the relationship between the frequency of the electrical current, the conductivity of the surface

  11. Experimental Comparison of Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive Shunt Dampers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asnani, Vivake M.; Deng, Zhangxian; Scheidler, Justin J.; Dapino, Marcelo J.

    2016-01-01

    A novel mechanism called the vibration ring is being developed to enable energy conversion elements to be incorporated into the driveline of a helicopter or other rotating machines. Unwanted vibration is transduced into electrical energy, which provides a damping effect on the driveline. The generated electrical energy may also be used to power other devices (e.g., health monitoring sensors). PZT (piezoceramic) and PMN-30%PT (single crystal) stacks, as well as a Tb_0.3 Dy_0.7 Fe_1.92 (Terfenol-D) rod with a bias magnet array and a pickup coil, were tested as alternative energy conversion elements to use within the vibration ring. They were tuned for broadband damping using shunt resistors, and dynamic compression testing was conducted in a high-speed load frame. Energy conversion was experimentally optimized at 750Hz by tuning the applied bias stress and resistance values. Dynamic testing was conducted up to 1000Hz to determine the effective compressive modulus, shunt loss factor, internal loss factor, and total loss factor. Some of the trends of modulus and internal loss factor versus frequency were unexplained. The single crystal device exhibited the greatest shunt loss factor whereas the Terfenol-D device had the highest internal and total loss factors. Simulations revealed that internal losses in the Terfenol-D device were elevated by eddy current effects, and an improved magnetic circuit could enhance its shunt damping capabilities. Alternatively, the Terfenol-D device may be simplified to utilize only the eddy current dissipation mechanism (no pickup coil or shunt) to create broadband damping.

  12. Experimental comparison of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive shunt dampers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asnani, Vivake M.; Deng, Zhangxian; Scheidler, Justin J.; Dapino, Marcelo J.

    2016-04-01

    A novel mechanism called the vibration ring is being developed to enable energy conversion elements to be incorporated into the driveline of a helicopter or other rotating machines. Unwanted vibration is transduced into electrical energy, which provides a damping effect on the driveline. The generated electrical energy may also be used to power other devices (e.g., health monitoring sensors). PZT (`piezoceramic') and PMN-30%PT (`single crystal') stacks, as well as a Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.92 (`Terfenol-D') rod with a bias magnet array and a pickup coil, were tested as alternative energy conversion elements to use within the vibration ring. They were tuned for broadband damping using shunt resistors, and dynamic compression testing was conducted in a high-speed load frame. Energy conversion was experimentally optimized at 750Hz by tuning the applied bias stress and resistance values. Dynamic testing was conducted up to 1000Hz to determine the effective compressive modulus, shunt loss factor, internal loss factor, and total loss factor. Some of the trends of modulus and internal loss factor versus frequency were unexplained. The single crystal device exhibited the greatest shunt loss factor whereas the Terfenol-D device had the highest internal and total loss factors. Simulations revealed that internal losses in the Terfenol-D device were elevated by eddy current effects, and an improved magnetic circuit could enhance its shunt damping capabilities. Alternatively, the Terfenol-D device may be simplified to utilize only the eddy current dissipation mechanism (no pickup coil or shunt) to create broadband damping.

  13. CT-control of the H-graft interposition mesocaval shunt patency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Partanen, P L.K.; Oksala, I

    1984-02-01

    A method for assessing the patency of the H-graft interposition mesocaval shunts by computerized tomography is described. Five patients with such shunts were examined with a 5.5 second CT scanner. After locating the graft a 50 cc bolus of 76% diatrizoate was injected into a cubital vein and 3-4 scans were executed at a preselected level. A distinct vessel like enhancement appeared if the shunt was open. With dynamic CT-scanning the flow can be demonstrated in graphical form as time-density curves.

  14. Transluminal angioplasty of a stenotic surgical splenorenal shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beers, B. van; Roche, A.; Cauquil, P.

    1988-01-01

    A stenosis of a side-to-side splenorenal shunt was treated by percutaneous angioplasty two years after the performance of the shunt. After dilatation, there was a fall of the splenorenal pressure gradient from 28 to 17 cm H 2 O and good transanastomotic flow was re-estabilshed. As in other arterial and venous territories, angioplasty may be an interesting alternative to surgery. (orig.)

  15. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... bear denotes child-specific content. Related Articles and Media Radiation Dose in X-Ray and CT Exams Contrast Materials Venography Images related to Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Sponsored ...

  16. Determination of beam coupling impedance in the frequency domain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niedermayer, Uwe

    2016-07-01

    simulations always contain simplifications, therefore they have to be confirmed by dedicated measurements. However, the beam coupling impedance of a single accelerator component cannot be measured directly. Therefore, a dedicated RF-laboratory was established at GSI, in order to measure broadband beam coupling impedances on the bench by means of the wire method, i.e. without beam. A detailed analysis of measurement methods is given by comparison of analytical, numerical, and measurement results for simplified accelerator devices. One conclusion is, that also the bench measurements have to be validated by dedicated electromagnetic simulations. The thesis closes with selected impedance induced effects on the beam revolving in the synchrotron and relevant impedance results for the future SIS-100 synchrotron for the FAIR project at GSI.

  17. Determination of blood flow through arteriovenous fistulae and shunts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lantz, B.M.T.; Holcroft, J.W.; Foerster, J.M.; Link, D.P.; Reid, M.H.

    1979-01-01

    A videodensitometric method for estimating relative flow was employed in a patient with a bovine arteriovenous fistula. Analogous arteriovenous communications of different sizes were created in two dogs for comparison. Local and general hemodynamic parameters were measured. The videodensitometric method proved to be highly accurate compared to electromagnetic flow readings and is the method of choice in estimating shunt flow in connection with routine angiography. (Auth.)

  18. Shunted-Josephson-junction model. II. The nonautonomous case

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Belykh, V. N.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig; Sørensen, O. H.

    1977-01-01

    The shunted-Josephson-junction model with a monochromatic ac current drive is discussed employing the qualitative methods of the theory of nonlinear oscillations. As in the preceding paper dealing with the autonomous junction, the model includes a phase-dependent conductance and a shunt capacitance....... The mathematical discussion makes use of the phase-space representation of the solutions to the differential equation. The behavior of the trajectories in phase space is described for different characteristic regions in parameter space and the associated features of the junction IV curve to be expected are pointed...... out. The main objective is to provide a qualitative understanding of the junction behavior, to clarify which kinds of properties may be derived from the shunted-junction model, and to specify the relative arrangement of the important domains in the parameter-space decomposition....

  19. Conversion of Low-Flow Priapism to High-Flow State Using T-Shunt with Tunneling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistry, Neil A; Tadros, Nicholas N; Hedges, Jason C

    2017-01-01

    Introduction . The three types of priapism are stuttering, arterial (high-flow, nonischemic), and venoocclusive (low-flow, ischemic). These are usually distinct entities and rarely occur in the same patient. T-shunts and other distal shunts are frequently combined with tunneling, but a seldom recognized potential complication is conversion to a high-flow state. Case Presentation . We describe 2 cases of men who presented with low-flow priapism episodes that were treated using T-shunts with tunneling that resulted with both men having recurrent erections shortly after surgery that were found to be consistent with high-flow states. Case 1 was a 33-year-old male with sickle cell anemia and case 2 was a 24-year-old male with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. In both cases the men were observed over several weeks and both men returned to normal erectile function. Conclusions . Historically, proximal shunts were performed only in cases when distal shunts failed and carry a higher risk of serious complications. T-shunts and other distal shunts combined with tunneling are being used more frequently in place of proximal shunts. These cases illustrate how postoperative erections after T-shunts with tunneling can signify a conversion from low-flow to high-flow states and could potentially be misdiagnosed as an operative failure.

  20. Brain abscesses associated with right-to-left shunts in adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memon, Kashif A; Cleveland, Kerry O; Gelfand, Michael S

    2012-04-01

    Although brain abscesses are frequently cryptogenic in origin, bacteria must reach the brain either by direct or hematogenous spread. Right-to-left shunts, caused either by intrapulmonary vascular malformations or congenital heart defects, may allow microorganisms to evade the normal host defenses in the lungs and lead to development of brain abscesses. Two patients recently presented with brain abscesses and were found to have conditions associated with right-to-left shunts. The diagnosis of brain abscess should prompt the clinician to consider right-to-left shunts as a possible predisposing condition for brain abscess.

  1. Balanced calibration of resonant shunt circuits for piezoelectric vibration control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høgsberg, Jan; Krenk, Steen

    2012-01-01

    Shunting of piezoelectric transducers and suitable electric circuits constitutes an effective passive approach to resonant vibration damping of structures. Most common design concepts for resonant resistor-inductor (RL) shunt circuits rely on either maximization of the attainable modal damping...

  2. Wearable impedance monitoring system for dialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnet, S; Bourgerette, A; Gharbi, S; Rubeck, C; Arkouche, W; Massot, B; McAdams, E; Montalibet, A; Jallon, P

    2016-08-01

    This paper describes the development and the validation of a prototype wearable miniaturized impedance monitoring system for remote monitoring in home-based dialysis patients. This device is intended to assess the hydration status of dialysis patients using calf impedance measurements. The system is based on the low-power AD8302 component. The impedance calibration procedure is described together with the Cole parameter estimation and the hydric volume estimation. Results are given on a test cell to validate the design and on preliminary calf measurements showing Cole parameter variations during hemodialysis.

  3. Percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement in patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sane, S.S.; Towbin, A.; Bergey, E.A.; Kaye, R.D.; Fitz, C.R.; Albright, L.; Towbin, R.B. [Department of Radiology, Children`s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

    1998-07-01

    Objective. The purpose of this study is to determine the risk of CNS and/or peritoneal infection in children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts in whom a percutaneous gastrostomy tube is placed. Materials and methods. We placed 205 gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy tubes from January of 1991 to December 1996. Twenty-three patients (10 boys, 13 girls) had ventriculoperitoneal shunts at the time of placement. All shunts were placed at least 1 month prior to placement of the gastrostomy tube. The patients ranged in age from 8 months to 16 years with a mean age of 6 years, 9 months. Patient weight ranged from 2 kg to 60 kg. All 23 children required long-term nutritional support due to severe neurologic impairment. No prophylactic antibiotics were given prior to the procedure. Of the patients, 21/23 had a 14-F Sacks-Vine gastrostomy tube with a fixed terminal retention device inserted, using percutaneous fluoroscopic antegrade technique. Two of the 23 patients had a Ross 14-F Flexi-flo gastrostomy tube which required a retrograde technique due to a small caliber esophagus in these children. Results. All 23 children had technically successful placements of percutaneous gastrostomy (7) or gastrojejunostomy (16) tubes. Of the children, 21/23 (91 %) had no complications from the procedure. Two of 23 (9 %) patients demonstrated signs of peritonitis after placement of their gastrostomy tubes and subsequently had shunt infections. In both, children CSF culture grew gram-positive cocci. The antegrade technique was used in both children who developed peritonitis. Conclusion. Our study indicates children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts who undergo percutaneous gastrostomy are at greater risk for infection and subsequent shunt malfunction. Therefore, we recommend prophylactic antibiotic therapy to cover for skin and oral flora. (orig.) With 1 fig., 7 refs.

  4. Metallurgical Effects of Shunting Current on Resistance Spot-Welded Joints of AA2219 Sheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari Vardanjani, M.; Araee, A.; Senkara, J.; Jakubowski, J.; Godek, J.

    2016-08-01

    Shunting effect is the loss of electrical current via the secondary circuit provided due to the existence of previous nugget in a series of welding spots. This phenomenon influences on metallurgical aspects of resistance spot-welded (RSW) joints in terms of quality and performance. In this paper RSW joints of AA2219 sheets with 1 mm thickness are investigated metallurgically for shunted and single spots. An electro-thermal finite element analysis is performed on the RSW process of shunted spot and temperature distribution and variation are obtained. These predictions are then compared with experimental micrographs. Three values of 5 mm, 20 mm, and infinite (i.e., single spot) are assumed for welding distance. Numerical and experimental results are matching each other in terms of nugget and HAZ geometry as increasing distance raised nugget size and symmetry of HAZ. In addition, important effect of shunting current on nugget thickness, microstructure, and Copper segregation on HAZ grain boundaries were discovered. A quantitative analysis is also performed about the influence of welding distance on important properties including ratio of nugget thickness and diameter ( r t), ratio of HAZ area on shunted and free side of nugget ( r HA), and ratio of equivalent segregated and total amount of Copper, measured in sample ( r Cu) on HAZ. Increasing distance from 5 mm to infinite, indicated a gain of 111.04, -45.55, and -75.15% in r t, r HA, and r Cu, respectively, while obtained ratios for 20 mm welding distance was suitable compared to single spot.

  5. Congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt associated with heterotaxy and polysplenia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newman, Beverley [Lucile Packard Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Feinstein, Jeffrey A. [Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Lucile Packard Children' s Hospital, Stanford (United States); Cohen, Ronald A.; Patel, Hitendra [Children' s Hospital and Research Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oakland, CA (United States); Feingold, Brian; Kreutzer, Jacqueline [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Chan, Fandics P. [Stanford University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Imaging Section, Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children' s Hospital, Stanford, CA (United States)

    2010-07-15

    Heterotaxy with polysplenia is associated with many cardiovascular anomalies including the occasional occurrence of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (CEPS). Missing this anomaly can lead to inappropriate and ineffective therapy. To emphasize the importance and associated anatomy of CEPS in conjunction with heterotaxy with polysplenia. Review of three young children who presented with cyanosis and pulmonary hypertension without a cardiac etiology. They were known (1) or discovered (2) to have heterotaxy with polysplenia. There was absence of the intrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) with azygos or hemiazygos continuation in all three cases. In spite of normal liver function, they were discovered to have large portosystemic shunts, splenorenal in location, along with diffuse peripheral pulmonary arterial dilatation suggestive of CEPS (Abernethy malformation) with hepatopulmonary or, more accurately, portopulmonary syndrome. All CEPS were ipsilateral to the spleens. Patency of the portal veins in these cases allowed for percutaneous shunt closure with resolution of cyanosis. CEPS is associated with heterotaxy with polysplenia and can be symptomatic because of pulmonary arteriovenous (AV) shunting. Portal and hepatic vein patency are critical for determining feasibility of CEPS closure. (orig.)

  6. A rare cause of pediatric urinary incontinence: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt with bladder perforation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel C See IV

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available We present a case of 2-year-old boy with long term dysuria and intermittent incontinence, and new onset of fever and headache. Significant past medical history includes congenital hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement two years prior to consult. On physical examination, a tubular structure was noted underneath the prepuce suspected to be the distal tip of ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which was confirmed by kidney, ureter and bladder (KUB X-ray and CT scan. Patient was treated with a novel approach of extraperitoneal removal of ventriculoperitoneal shunt distal tip with cystorrhaphy via a low transverse pfannenstiel incision, separate left ventriculostomy tube insertion and complete removal of ventriculoperitoneal shunt from the right ventricle. This report accounts a rare pediatric case with ventriculoperitoneal shunt perforation into a normal bladder successfully treated with mini-open surgery.

  7. Advanced impedance modeling of solid oxide electrochemical cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graves, Christopher R.; Hjelm, Johan

    2014-01-01

    Impedance spectroscopy is a powerful technique for detailed study of the electrochemical and transport processes that take place in fuel cells and electrolysis cells, including solid oxide cells (SOCs). Meaningful analysis of impedance measurements is nontrivial, however, because a large number...... techniques to provide good guesses for the modeling parameters, like transforming the impedance data to the distribution of relaxation times (DRT), together with experimental parameter sensitivity studies, is the state-of-the-art approach to achieve good EC model fits. Here we present new impedance modeling...... electrode and 2-D gas transport models which have fewer unknown parameters for the same number of processes, (ii) use of a new model fitting algorithm, “multi-fitting”, in which multiple impedance spectra are fit simultaneously with parameters linked based on the variation of measurement conditions, (iii...

  8. Prenatal surgery for myelomeningocele and the need for cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tulipan, Noel; Wellons, John C.; Thom, Elizabeth A.; Gupta, Nalin; Sutton, Leslie N.; Burrows, Pamela K.; Farmer, Diana; Walsh, William; Johnson, Mark P.; Rand, Larry; Tolivaisa, Susan; D’Alton, Mary E.; Adzick, N. Scott

    2016-01-01

    Object The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) was a multicenter randomized trial comparing the safety and efficacy of prenatal and postnatal closure of myelomeningocele. The trial was stopped early because of the demonstrated efficacy of prenatal surgery, and outcomes on 158 of 183 pregnancies were reported. Here, the authors update the 1-year outcomes for the complete trial, analyze the primary and related outcomes, and evaluate whether specific prerandomization risk factors are associated with prenatal surgery benefit. Methods The primary outcome was a composite of fetal loss or any of the following: infant death, CSF shunt placement, or meeting the prespecified criteria for shunt placement. Primary outcome, actual shunt placement, and shunt revision rates for prenatal versus postnatal repair were compared. The shunt criteria were reassessed to determine which were most concordant with practice, and a new composite outcome was created from the primary outcome by replacing the original criteria for CSF shunt placement with the revised criteria. The authors used logistic regression to estimate whether there were interactions between the type of surgery and known prenatal risk factors (lesion level, gestational age, degree of hindbrain herniation, and ventricle size) for shunt placement, and to determine which factors were associated with shunting among those infants who underwent prenatal surgery. Results Ninety-one women were randomized to prenatal surgery and 92 to postnatal repair. The primary outcome occurred in 73% of infants in the prenatal surgery group and in 98% in the postnatal group (p < 0.0001). Actual rates of shunt placement were only 44% and 84% in the 2 groups, respectively (p < 0.0001). The authors revised the most commonly met criterion to require overt clinical signs of increased intracranial pressure, defined as split sutures, bulging fontanelle, or sunsetting eyes, in addition to increasing head circumference or hydrocephalus. Using

  9. Clopidogrel in infants with systemic-to-pulmonary-artery shunts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wessel, David L; Berger, Felix; Li, Jennifer S

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease palliated with placement of a systemic-to-pulmonary-artery shunt are at risk for shunt thrombosis and death. We investigated whether the addition of clopidogrel to conventional therapy reduces mortality from any cause and morbidity relate......-related morbidity. (Funded by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00396877.)....

  10. Phenotypic and chemotypic characterization of GABA-shunt mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana

    OpenAIRE

    Mekonnen, Dereje Worku

    2013-01-01

    Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four carbon non protein amino acid, and the pathway that involves its production and degradation is called the GABA shunt. The GABA shunt is a short enzymatic pathway that involves three enzymes: glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA transaminase (GABA-T) and succinic semi aldehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH). GABA shunt is conserved almost in all organisms studied so far. The pathway starts in the cytosol and finishes in mitochondria in higher organisms like plant...

  11. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available Toggle navigation Test/Treatment Patient Type Screening/Wellness Disease/Condition Safety En Español More Info Images/Videos About Us News Physician Resources Professions Site Index A-Z Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt ( ...

  12. Right heart ejection fraction, ventricular volumes, and left to right cardiac shunt measurements with a conventional Anger camera in congenital heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, S.A.; Go, R.T.; MacIntyre, W.J.; Moodie, D.S.; Houser, T.S.; Ceimo, J.; Underwood, D.; Yiannikas, J.

    1982-01-01

    The object of this investigation was to demonstrate that a conventional Anger camera can be used for measurement of right heart ejection fraction, ventricular volumes and left to right shunts in routine clinical determinations. The automatic selection of chamber and lung regions, the recirculation subtraction of recirculation, and the filtering of the right heart ejection fraction dilution curves are all done entirely without operator intervention. Thus, this entire evaluation has been incorporated into the routine procedures of patient care

  13. Effect of impedance and higher order chromaticity on the measurement of linear chromaticity

    OpenAIRE

    V. H. Ranjbar; C. Y. Tan

    2011-01-01

    The combined effect of impedance and higher order chromaticity can act on the beam in a nontrivial manner which can cause a tune shift which depends on the relative momenta with respect to the “on momentum” particle (Δp/p). Experimentally, this tune shift affects the measurement of the linear chromaticity which is traditionally measured with a change of Δp/p. The theory behind this effect will be derived in this paper. Computer simulations and experimental data from the Tevatron will be used ...

  14. An Effective Measured Data Preprocessing Method in Electrical Impedance Tomography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenglong Yu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available As an advanced process detection technology, electrical impedance tomography (EIT has widely been paid attention to and studied in the industrial fields. But the EIT techniques are greatly limited to the low spatial resolutions. This problem may result from the incorrect preprocessing of measuring data and lack of general criterion to evaluate different preprocessing processes. In this paper, an EIT data preprocessing method is proposed by all rooting measured data and evaluated by two constructed indexes based on all rooted EIT measured data. By finding the optimums of the two indexes, the proposed method can be applied to improve the EIT imaging spatial resolutions. In terms of a theoretical model, the optimal rooting times of the two indexes range in [0.23, 0.33] and in [0.22, 0.35], respectively. Moreover, these factors that affect the correctness of the proposed method are generally analyzed. The measuring data preprocessing is necessary and helpful for any imaging process. Thus, the proposed method can be generally and widely used in any imaging process. Experimental results validate the two proposed indexes.

  15. Validation of the force and frequency characteristics of the activator adjusting instrument: effectiveness as a mechanical impedance measurement tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, T S; Colloca, C J; Fuhr, A W

    1999-02-01

    To determine the dynamic force-time and force-frequency characteristics of the Activator Adjusting Instrument and to validate its effectiveness as a mechanical impedance measurement device; in addition, to refine or optimize the force-frequency characteristics of the Activator Adjusting Instrument to provide enhanced dynamic structural measurement reliability and accuracy. An idealized test structure consisting of a rectangular steel beam with a static stiffness similar to that of the human thoracolumbar spine was used for validation of a method to determine the dynamic mechanical response of the spine. The Activator Adjusting Instrument equipped with a load cell and accelerometer was used to measure forces and accelerations during mechanical excitation of the steel beam. Driving point and transfer mechanical impedance and resonant frequency of the beam were determined by use of a frequency spectrum analysis for different force settings, stylus masses, and stylus tips. Results were compared with beam theory and transfer impedance measurements obtained by use of a commercial electronic PCB impact hammer. The Activator Adjusting Instrument imparted a very complex dynamic impact comprising an initial high force (116 to 140 N), short duration pulse (analysis of the Activator Adjusting Instrument impulse indicated that the Activator Adjusting Instrument has a variable force spectrum and delivers its peak energy at a frequency of 20 Hz. Added masses and different durometer stylus tips had very little influence on the Activator Adjusting Instrument force spectrum. The resonant frequency of the beam was accurately predicted by both the Activator Adjusting Instrument and electronic PCB impact hammer, but variations in the magnitude of the driving point impedance at the resonant frequency were high (67%) compared with the transfer impedance measurements obtained with the electronic PCB impact hammer, which had a more uniform force spectrum and was more repeatable (frequency

  16. PREFACE: XV International Conference on Electrical Bio-Impedance (ICEBI) & XIV Conference on Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pliquett, Uwe

    2013-04-01

    Over recent years advanced measurement methods have facilitated outstanding achievements not only in medical instrumentation but also in biotechnology. Impedance measurement is a simple and innocuous way to characterize materials. For more than 40 years biological materials, most of them based on cells, have been characterized by means of electrical impedance for quality control of agricultural products, monitoring of biotechnological or food processes or in health care. Although the list of possible applications is long, very few applications successfully entered the market before the turn of the century. This was, on the one hand, due to the low specificity of electrical impedance with respect to other material properties because it is influenced by multiple factors. On the other hand, equipment and methods for many potential applications were not available. With the appearance of microcontrollers that could be easily integrated in applications at the beginning of the 1980s, impedance measurement advanced as a valuable tool in process optimization and lab automation. However, established methods and data processing were mostly used in a new environment. This has changed significantly during the last 10 years with a dramatic growth of the market for medical instrumentation and also for biotechnological applications. Today, advanced process monitoring and control require fast and highly parallel electrical characterization which in turn yields incredible data volumes that must be handled in real time. Many newer developments require miniaturized but precise sensing methods which is one of the main parts of Lab-on-Chip technology. Moreover, biosensors increasingly use impedometric transducers, which are not compatible with the large expensive measurement devices that are common in the laboratory environment. Following the achievements in the field of bioimpedance measurement, we will now witness a dramatic development of new electrode structures and electronics

  17. Alzheimer's disease pathology and shunt surgery outcome in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sevil Yasar

    Full Text Available We aimed to determine whether presence of AD neuropathology predicted cognitive, gait and balance measures in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH after shunt surgery. This is a prospective study of gait and balance measured by Timed Up and Go (TUG and Tinetti tests, and cognitive function measured by Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE, before and after shunt surgery in participants 65 years and older with iNPH at the Johns Hopkins University. Random effects models were used and adjusted for confounders. 88 participants were included in the analysis with a median (IQR time of 104 (57-213 days between surgery and follow-up. 23 (25% participants had neuritic plaques present (NP+ and were significantly older [76.4 (6.0 years], but were otherwise similar in all demographics and outcome measures, when compared to the group without neuritic plaques (NP-. NP- and NP+ participants equally improved on measures of TUG (β = -3.27, 95% CI -6.24, -0.30, p = 0.03; β = -2.37, 95% CI -3.90, -0.86, p = 0.02, respectively, Tinetti-total (β = 1.95, 95% CI 1.11, 2.78, p<0.001; β = 1.72, 95% CI 0.90, 2.53, p<0.001, respectively, -balance (β = 0.81, 95% CI 0.23, 1.38, p = 0.006; β = 0.87, 95% CI 0.40, 1.34, p<0.001, respectively and -gait (β = 1.03, 95% CI 0.61, 1.45, p<0.001; β = 0.84, 95% CI 0.16, 1.53, p = 0.02, respectively, while neither NP- nor NP+ showed significant improvement on MMSE (β = 0.10, 95% CI -0.27, 0.46, p = 0.61, β = 0.41, 95% CI -0.27, 1.09, p = 0.24, respectively. In summary, 26% of participants with iNPH had coexisting AD pathology, which does not significantly influence the clinical response to shunt surgery.

  18. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... a stent is placed to keep the connection open and allow it to bring blood draining from ... veins within the liver. The shunt is kept open by the placement of a small, tubular metal ...

  19. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography and volume-rendered imaging for evaluation of cellophane banding in a dog with extrahepatic portosystemic shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Yoon

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available A 4-year-old, 1.8 kg, male, castrated Maltese was presented for evaluation of urolithiasis. Urinary calculi were composed of ammonium biurate. Preprandial and postprandial bile acids were 44.2 and 187.3 μmol/ , respectively (reference ranges 0–10 and 0–20 μmol/ , respectively. Single-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA with volume-rendered imaging (VRI was obtained. VRI revealed a portocaval shunt originating just cranial to a tributary of the gastroduodenal vein and draining into the caudal vena cava at the level of the epiploic foramen. CTA revealed a 3.66 mm-diameter shunt measured at the level of the termination of the shunt and a 3.79 mm-diameter portal vein measured at the level between the origin of the shunt and the porta of the liver. Surgery was performed using cellophane banding without attenuation. Follow-up single-phase CTA with VRI was obtained 10 weeks after surgery. VRI revealed no evidence of portosystemic communication on the level of a cellophane band and caudal to the cellophane band. CTA demonstrated an increased portal vein diameter (3.79–5.27 mm measured at the level between the origin of the shunt and the porta of the liver. Preprandial and postprandial bile acids were 25 and 12.5 μmol/ , respectively (aforementioned respective reference ranges, 3 months post-surgery. No problems were evident at 6 months.

  20. Communicating hydrocephalus due to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul T Chakor

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVT is a rare cerebrovascular disease with variable presentation. CVT rarely causes hydrocephalus. Communicating hydrocephalus due to CVT is extremely rare. We describe a patient of CVT presenting with chronic headache and communicating hydrocephalus. The patient was successfully treated with ventriculoperitoneal (VP shunt. A 40 year old man presented with moderate to severe headache since six months and progressive visual loss since two months. Head Computed tomogram showed mild hydrocephalus without obstruction. Lumbar puncture (LP demonstrated elevated pressure but was otherwise normal. Magnetic resonance venogram showed extensive CVT. Repeated CSF drainage and thecoperitoneal shunt did not relieve the severe headache hence a VP shunt was placed. Post shunt headache subsided with resolution of hydrocephalus. CVT can present as communicating hydrocephalus. Gradual reduction of intra-ventricular pressure by repeated LPs followed by VP shunt can safely treat hydrocephalus due to CVT.

  1. Renal Arteriovenous Shunts: Clinical Features, Imaging Appearance, and Transcatheter Embolization Based on Angioarchitecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruno, Miyuki; Kiyosue, Hiro; Tanoue, Shuichi; Hongo, Norio; Matsumoto, Shunro; Mori, Hiromu; Sagara, Yoshiko; Kashiwagi, Junji

    2016-01-01

    Renal arteriovenous (AV) shunt, a rare pathologic condition, is divided into two categories, traumatic and nontraumatic, and can cause massive hematuria, retroperitoneal hemorrhage, pain, and high-output heart failure. Although transcatheter embolization is a less-invasive and effective treatment option, it has a potential risk of complications, including renal infarction and pulmonary embolism, and a potential risk of recanalization. The successful embolization of renal AV shunt requires a complete occlusion of the shunted vessel while preventing the migration of embolic materials and preserving normal renal arterial branches, which depends on the selection of adequate techniques and embolic materials for individual cases, based on the etiology and imaging angioarchitecture of the renal AV shunts. A classification of AV malformations in the extremities and body trunk could precisely correspond with the angioarchitecture of the nontraumatic renal AV shunts. The selection of techniques and choice of adequate embolic materials such as coils, vascular plugs, and liquid materials are determined on the basis of cause (eg, traumatic vs nontraumatic), the classification, and some other aspects of the angioarchitecture of renal AV shunts, including the flow and size of the fistulas, multiplicity of the feeders, and endovascular accessibility to the target lesions. Computed tomographic angiography and selective digital subtraction angiography can provide precise information about the angioarchitecture of renal AV shunts before treatment. Color Doppler ultrasonography and time-resolved three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography represent useful tools for screening and follow-up examinations of renal AV shunts after embolization. In this article, the classifications, imaging features, and an endovascular treatment strategy based on the angioarchitecture of renal AV shunts are described. (©)RSNA, 2016.

  2. Design and development of line type modulators for high impedance electron gun

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dixit, Kavita P.; Tillu, Abhijit; Chavan, Ramchandra; Yadav, Vivek; Sarukte, Hemant, E-mail: kavidi@barc.gov.in [Accelerator and Pulse Power Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

    2014-07-01

    Conventional line type modulators are routinely used for powering pulsed power microwave devices such as magnetrons and klystrons used for radar, medical and scientific applications. The load impedance (operating point) is fairly well defined in these cases, and makes the design of the discharging circuit of the modulator straight forward. This paper describes the Line type modulators that have been developed and being routinely used for powering the Triode Electron Gun of industrial electron linacs. The beam parameters of such guns are user defined and the pulse current varies from few mA to 800mA (typ). The beam energies requirement varies from 40 keV to 80 keV. Hence the impedance offered by the electron gun to the power source (modulator) is not well defined. The load capacitance which is inclusive of the various stray capacitances along with the intrinsic gun capacitance is ∼ 200-400 pF. This capacitance, which depends on the configuration, shunts the load and makes the effective load highly capacitive with the resistive part varying over a wide range. The paper describes the design and development of conventional line type modulators for powering Electron gun load of the type described above. (author)

  3. Study on the Automatic Detection Method and System of Multifunctional Hydrocephalus Shunt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xuan; Wang, Guangzhen; Dong, Quancheng; Li, Yuzhong

    2017-07-01

    Aiming to the difficulty of micro pressure detection and the difficulty of micro flow control in the testing process of hydrocephalus shunt, the principle of the shunt performance detection was analyzed.In this study, the author analyzed the principle of several items of shunt performance detection,and used advanced micro pressure sensor and micro flow peristaltic pump to overcome the micro pressure detection and micro flow control technology.At the same time,This study also puted many common experimental projects integrated, and successfully developed the automatic detection system for a shunt performance detection function, to achieve a test with high precision, high efficiency and automation.

  4. Identification of irradiated potatoes by impedance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Rita; Singh, Antaryami; Wadhawan, A.K.

    1997-01-01

    The electrical impedance of potatoes irradiated at 60, 90, 150 and 1000 Gy was measured using various frequencies of alternating current. The impedance of the irradiated potatoes was higher than the unirradiated potatoes particularly in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. The ratio of the impedance at 5 kHz to that at 50 Hz (Z5k/Z50) was found to be the best indicator for detection of radiation treatment. (author). 4 refs., 2 figs

  5. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)? What are some common uses of the procedure? How should I prepare? What does the equipment look like? How does the procedure work? How is the procedure performed? What will I ...

  6. Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Instead of Shunt Revision in Children Younger Than 3 Years of Age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Rui; Shi, Wei; Yang, Haowei; Li, Hao

    2016-04-01

    Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a valuable option in the treatment of shunt failure, but no clinical data exist for young children. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of ETV in patients younger than 3 years of age with shunt malfunction. A cohort of 37 patients younger than 3 years of age with shunt malfunction underwent ETV instead of shunt revision. Patients' preoperative condition and medical history were studied to determine the impact of a number of variables on outcome. The Fisher exact test was used to assess differences among groups. Median age at ETV was 21.6 months (8-36 months). Diagnosis was obstructive hydrocephalus in 24 patients and communicating hydrocephalus in 13. Median age at initial shunt placement was 3.2 months (10 days to 30 months). The etiology of shunt malfunction was obstruction (n = 27) or infection (n = 10). Overall ETV failure rate was 40.5% (15/37). Patients whose age at initial shunt placement was <6 months and/or who had a preterm birth history had higher relative rates of ETV failure. Other variables, including type of hydrocephalus, interval between initial shunt placement and ETV, history of intraventricular bleeding and/or infection, and etiology of shunt malfunction, did not significantly affect the final outcome. Patients younger than 3 years with obstructive or communicating hydrocephalus may benefit from ETV in the event of shunt malfunction and have about a 60% probability of becoming shunt free. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Percutaneous Transjugular Direct Porto-caval Shunt in Patients with Budd-Chiari Syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quateen, A.; Pech, M.; Berg, T.; Bergk, A.; Podrabsky, P.; Felix, R.; Ricke, J.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of direct porto-caval shunts in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) in whom there is no access to the hepatic veins during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS). We included six consecutive patients with fulminant/acute Budd-Chiari syndrome (mean age: 35 years) in whom a conventional TIPSS was not possible due to inaccessible hepatic veins. We performed a direct porto-caval shunt via a transhepatic approach. Patients were followed up by means of clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and Doppler ultrasound. TIPSS implantation from the inferior vena cava (IVC) was successful in all six patients (100%). The median transhepatic shunt length was 9 cm (8-10 cm). No procedure-related complications were observed in our patients. Early shunt occlusion occurred in three out of six patients (50%). In all three of these patients, the stent used to stabilize the shunt ended 1-2 cm before reaching the IVC. All occlusions were successfully recanalized. One of these patients developed recurrent early shunt as well as mesenteric and splenic vein occlusions. She died 7 days after TIPSS placement due to an unmanageable coagulation disorder. The remaining five patients were followed up by planned clinical examination and laboratory investigations (mean follow-up time was 15 months; patient 1 was followed up for 13 months, patient 2 for 14 months, patient 3 for 15 months, and patients 4 and 5 for 16 months) and all displayed a complete and durable resolution of liver failure and ascites without reintervention. In patients with acute liver failure originating from BCS and inaccessible hepatic veins, a direct transhepatic porto-caval shunt can be performed safely and effectively under ultrasound guidance. Future studies in larger patient groups should investigate if the patency of transcaval TIPSS with long transhepatic shunt segments is similar compared to conventional TIPSS via

  8. Geometric beam coupling impedance of LHC secondary collimators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frasciello, Oscar; Tomassini, Sandro; Zobov, Mikhail; Salvant, Benoit; Grudiev, Alexej; Mounet, Nicolas

    2016-02-01

    The High Luminosity LHC project is aimed at increasing the LHC luminosity by an order of magnitude. One of the key ingredients to achieve the luminosity goal is the beam intensity increase. In order to keep beam instabilities under control and to avoid excessive power losses a careful design of new vacuum chamber components and an improvement of the present LHC impedance model are required. Collimators are among the major impedance contributors. Measurements with beam have revealed that the betatron coherent tune shifts were higher by about a factor of 2 with respect to the theoretical predictions based on the LHC impedance model up to 2012. In that model the resistive wall impedance has been considered as the dominating impedance contribution for collimators. By carefully simulating also their geometric impedance we have contributed to the update of the LHC impedance model, reaching also a better agreement between the measured and simulated betatron tune shifts. During the just ended LHC Long Shutdown I (LSI), TCS/TCT collimators were replaced by new devices embedding BPMs and TT2-111R ferrite blocks. We present here preliminary estimations of their broad-band impedance, showing that an increase of about 20% is expected in the kick factors with respect to previous collimators without BPMs.

  9. Spontaneous knot; a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt blockage.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Mohammed, Wail

    2011-02-01

    A 14-year old X linked congenital hydrocephalus presented with unexplained headaches and vomiting. He had external ventricular drain and intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP). Subsequently, he underwent exploration and removal of previously inserted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. On retrieval of peritoneal catheters a double knot was noted between his two distal catheters. This case illustrates a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction.

  10. Spontaneous knot; a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt blockage.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Mohammed, Wail

    2012-02-01

    A 14-year old X linked congenital hydrocephalus presented with unexplained headaches and vomiting. He had external ventricular drain and intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP). Subsequently, he underwent exploration and removal of previously inserted ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. On retrieval of peritoneal catheters a double knot was noted between his two distal catheters. This case illustrates a rare cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction.

  11. An electrode polarization impedance based flow sensor for low water flow measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Tinghu; Sabic, Darko

    2013-01-01

    This note describes an electrode polarization impedance based flow sensor for low water flow measurement. It consists of two pairs of stainless steel electrodes set apart and inserted into a non-conductive flow tube with each pair of electrodes placed diametrically at the opposite sides. The flow sensor is modeled as a typical four-electrode system of which two electrodes are current-carrying and the other two serve as output pick ups. The polarization impedances of the two current carrying electrodes are affected by water flows resulting in changes of differential potential between the two pick-up electrodes which are separated by the same fluid. The interrogation of the two excitation electrodes with dc biased ac signals offers significantly higher sensor sensitivities to flow. The prototype flow sensor constructed for a 20 mm diameter pipeline was able to measure water flow rate as low as tested at 1.06 l h −1 and remained sensitive at a flow rate of 25.18 l h −1 when it was driven with a sinusoidal voltage at 1000 Hz with a peak ac amplitude of 2 V and a dc offset of +8 V. The nonlinear characteristics of the sensor response indicate that the sensor is more sensitive at low flows and will not be able to measure at very high flows. Additional experiments are needed to evaluate the influences of impurities, chemical species, ions constituents, conductivity and temperature over a practical range of residential water conditions, the effects of fluctuating ground signals, measurement uncertainty, power consumption, compensation of effects and practical operations. The flow sensor (principle) presented may be used as (in) a secondary sensor in combination with an existing electronic water meter to extend the low end of measurement range in residential water metering. (technical design note)

  12. Secondary pediatric encephalocele after ventriculosubgaleal shunting for posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seeburg, Daniel; Ahn, Edward; Huisman, Thierry

    2014-08-01

    Intraventricular hemorrhage and posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus continue to be common complications in very low-birth-weight premature infants, often requiring ventricular shunting for cerebrospinal fluid diversion. We report on two infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus that developed a secondary encephalocele after ventriculosubgaleal shunting. Encephaloceles can act as a source of seizure activity and can result in various additional complications including meningitis, abscess formation, and infarction of herniated brain parenchyma. With continued improvements in neonatal intensive care, the survival of infants with significant medical comorbidities-including those that develop posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus requiring ventricular shunting-continues to increase. It is thus important for the radiologist and treating physician to be aware of this rare, potential complication. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  13. Creation of transcatheter aortopulmonary and cavopulmonary shunts using magnetic catheters: feasibility study in swine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levi, Daniel S; Danon, Saar; Gordon, Brent; Virdone, Nicky; Vinuela, Fernando; Shah, Sanjay; Carman, Greg; Moore, John W

    2009-05-01

    Surgical shunts are the basic form of palliation for many types of congenital heart disease. The Glenn shunt (superior cavopulmonary connection) and central shunt (aortopulmonary connection) represent surgical interventions that could potentially be accomplished by transcatheter techniques. We sought to investigate the efficacy of using neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnetic catheters to create transcatheter cavopulmonary and aortopulmonary shunts. NdFeB magnets were machined and integrated into catheters. "Target" catheters were placed in the pulmonary arteries (PAs), and radiofrequency "perforation" catheters were placed in either the descending aorta (DAo) for central shunts or the superior vena cava (SVC) for Glenn shunts. The magnet technique or "balloon target" method was used to pass wires from the DAo or the SVC into the PA. Aortopulmonary and cavopulmonary connections were then created using Atrium iCAST covered stents. Magnet catheters were used to perforate the left pulmonary artery from the DAo, thereby establishing a transcatheter central shunt. Given the orientation of the vasculature, magnetic catheters could not be used for SVC-to-PA connections; however, perforation from the SVC to the right pulmonary artery was accomplished with a trans-septal needle and balloon target. Transcatheter Glenn or central shunts were successfully created in four swine.

  14. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... story about radiology? Share your patient story here Images × Image Gallery Radiologist and patient consultation. View full size ... X-Ray and CT Exams Contrast Materials Venography Images related to Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Sponsored ...

  15. Effect of impedance and higher order chromaticity on the measurement of linear chromaticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. H. Ranjbar

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The combined effect of impedance and higher order chromaticity can act on the beam in a nontrivial manner which can cause a tune shift which depends on the relative momenta with respect to the “on momentum” particle (Δp/p. Experimentally, this tune shift affects the measurement of the linear chromaticity which is traditionally measured with a change of Δp/p. The theory behind this effect will be derived in this paper. Computer simulations and experimental data from the Tevatron will be used to support the theory.

  16. Forty years of shunt surgery at Rigshospitalet, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mansson, Philip Kofoed; Johansson, Sofia; Ziebell, Morten

    2017-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study is to review our experience of shunt surgery by investigating 40years of development in terms of rates of revision and infection, shunt survival and risk factors. Design and participants Medical records and operative reports were reviewed retrospectively...... for all patients who underwent primary shunt surgery at our department in the years 2010 to 2012. All results were compared with a previous study from our department. A mixed population consisting of 434 patients was included. Adults (≥15years) accounted for 89.9% of all patients and the mean follow.......1-54.9). Within 4weeks postoperatively, 3.2% had an infection and overall infection rate was 5.5%. Short duration of surgery and the use of antibiotic prophylaxis were associated with a lower risk of infection. The most frequent causes of revision were valve defects (18.4%) and proximal defects or obstructions...

  17. AN ADVANCED CALIBRATION PROCEDURE FOR COMPLEX IMPEDANCE SPECTRUM MEASUREMENTS OF ADVANCED ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    William H. Morrison; Jon P. Christophersen; Patrick Bald; John L. Morrison

    2012-06-01

    With the increasing demand for electric and hybrid electric vehicles and the explosion in popularity of mobile and portable electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones, e-readers, tablet computers and the like, reliance on portable energy storage devices such as batteries has likewise increased. The concern for the availability of critical systems in turn drives the availability of battery systems and thus the need for accurate battery health monitoring has become paramount. Over the past decade the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Montana Tech of the University of Montana (Tech), and Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI) have been developing the Smart Battery Status Monitor (SBSM), an integrated battery management system designed to monitor battery health, performance and degradation and use this knowledge for effective battery management and increased battery life. Key to the success of the SBSM is an in-situ impedance measurement system called the Impedance Measurement Box (IMB). One of the challenges encountered has been development of an accurate, simple, robust calibration process. This paper discusses the successful realization of this process.

  18. Pulmonary Vascular Input Impedance is a Combined Measure of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance and Stiffness and Predicts Clinical Outcomes Better than PVR Alone in Pediatric Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Kendall S.; Lee, Po-Feng; Lanning, Craig J.; Ivy, D. Dunbar; Kirby, K. Scott; Claussen, Lori R.; Chan, K. Chen; Shandas, Robin

    2011-01-01

    Background Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is the current standard for evaluating reactivity in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, PVR measures only the mean component of right ventricular afterload and neglects pulsatile effects. We recently developed and validated an method to measure pulmonary vascular input impedance, which revealed excellent correlation between the zero-harmonic impedance value and PVR, and suggested a correlation between higher harmonic impedance values and pulmonary vascular stiffness (PVS). Here we show that input impedance can be measured routinely and easily in the catheterization laboratory, that impedance provides PVR and PVS from a single measurement, and that impedance is a better predictor of disease outcomes compared to PVR. Methods Pressure and velocity waveforms within the main PA were measured during right-heart catheterization of patients with normal PA hemodynamics (n=14) and those with PAH undergoing reactivity evaluation (49 subjects; 95 conditions). A correction factor needed to transform velocity into flow was obtained by calibrating against cardiac output. Input impedance was obtained off-line by dividing Fourier-transformed pressure and flow waveforms. Results Exceptional correlation was found between the indexed zero harmonic of impedance and indexed PVR (y=1.095·x+1.381, R2=0.9620). Additionally, the modulus sum of the first two harmonics of impedance was found to best correlate with indexed pulse pressure over stroke volume (PP/SV) (y=13.39·x-0.8058, R2=0.7962). Amongst a subset of PAH patients (n=25), cumulative logistic regression between outcomes to total indexed impedance was better (RL2=0.4012) than between outcomes and indexed PVR (RL2=0.3131). Conclusions Input impedance can be consistently and easily obtained from PW Doppler and a single catheter pressure measurement, provides comprehensive characterization of the main components of RV afterload, and better predicts patient

  19. Evaluation of the usefulness of visceral fat area measurement by the bioelectrical impedance method during workplace health screening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igarashi, Chiyo

    2008-01-01

    In the field of occupational health, health guidance concerning obesity is often conducted in order to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. With recent awareness of the concept of metabolic syndrome, measurement of the visceral fat area (VFA) by CT has been useful for health guidance, but it is difficult in workplace health screening. Presently, the BMI (Body Mass Index), body fat percentage measured by the bioelectrical impedance method, and waist girth at the umbilical level (abdominal girth) are practical indices of obesity used in such health screening. In this study, VAF was measured in 590 clerical or sales workers in the manufacturing industry using a body fat meter capable of a visceral fat measurement by the bioelectrical impedance method. The relationship of this value to the results of biochemical tests and lifestyle was then evaluated using analysis of covariance structures. Analysis indicated that the risk of lifestyle-related disease was closely related to the degree of obesity. Among indices of the degree of obesity, VFA was more closely related than BMI or body fat percentage, and only slightly less closely related than abdominal girth to the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Since VFA is effective in screening for latent obesity, health guidance based on digital data, and the subjects' body imaging, its measurement by the bioelectrical impedance method is considered useful for workplace health management. (author)

  20. Shunt hybrid active power filter for harmonic mitigation: A practical ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The increasing importance of Power Quality problems has been responsible for several improvements in Active Power Filter (APF) typologies in the last decade. The increased cost and switching losses make a pure shunt APF economically impractical for high power applications. In higher power levels shunt Hybrid Active ...

  1. Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Sponsored by Please note RadiologyInfo.org is not a medical facility. Please contact your ... links: For the convenience of our users, RadiologyInfo .org provides links to relevant websites. RadiologyInfo.org , ACR ...

  2. Liver perfusion scintigraphy prior to and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) in patients with portal hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willkomm, P.; Schomburg, A.; Reichmann, K.; Bangard, M.; Overbeck, B.; Biersack, H.J.; Brensing, K.A.; Sauerbruch, T.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: This investigation was performed to compare the hemodynamic results of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, a new interventional treatment for portal hypertension, with those observed after the established surgical shunt interventions. Methods: We examined 22 patients with portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis before and after elective TIPS by liver perfusion scintigraphy. The relative portal perfusion was determined before and after the shunt procedure. Additionally, we measured the portal pressure gradient (PPG: Portal-central venous pressure, mmHg). Results: Prior to TIPS, the relative portal perfusion was significantly reduced to 22±9.1%. After the intervention we calculated values of 23.1±10.7% in the TIPS-group (p=0.67; not significant). In spite of unchanged portal perfusion, the portal pressure was significantly (p [de

  3. Biophysical shunt theory for neuropsychopathology: Part I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naisberg, Y; Avnon, M; Weizman, A

    1995-11-01

    We present a new model of the origin of schizophrenia based on biophysical ionic shunts in neuronal (electrical) pathways. Microstructural and molecular evidence is presented for the way in which changes in the neuronal membrane ionic channels may facilitate membrane property rearrangement, leading to a change in the density and composition of the ion channel charge which in turn causes a change in ionic flow orientation and distribution. We suggest that, under abnormal conditions, ionic flow shunts are created which redirect the biophysical collateral neuronal (electrical) pathways, resulting in psychiatric signs and symptoms. This model is complementary to the biological basis of schizophrenia.

  4. Rock properties influencing impedance spectra (IS) studied by lab measurements on porous model systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Volkmann, J.; Klitzsch, N.; Mohnke, O. [RWTH Aachen Univ. (Germany). Applied Geophysics and Geothermal Energy; Schleifer, N. [Wintershall Holding GmbH, Barnstorf (Germany)

    2013-08-01

    The wetting condition of reservoir rocks is a crucial parameter for the estimation of reservoir characteristics like permeability and saturation with residual oil or water. Since standard methods are often costly, at least in terms of time, we aim at assessing wettability of reservoir rocks using impedance spectroscopy (IS), a frequency dependent measurement of complex electric resistivity. This approach is promising, because IS is sensitive to the electrochemical properties of the inner surface of rocks which, on the other hand, are decisively influencing wettability. Unfortunately, there is large number of rock parameters - besides wettability - influencing the impedance spectra often not exactly known for natural rock samples. Therefore, we study model systems to improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and to quantify the influencing parameters. The model systems consist of sintered porous silica beads of different sizes leading to samples with different pore sizes. The main advantage of these samples compared to natural rocks is their well-defined and uniform mineralogical composition and thus their uniform electrochemical surface property. In order to distinguish pore geometry and fluid electrochemistry effects on the IS properties we measured the IS response of the fully water saturated model systems in a wide frequency range - from 1 mHz to 35 MHz - to capture different often overlapping polarization processes. With these measurements we study the influence of pore or grain size, fluid conductivity, and wettability (contact angle) on the impedance spectra. The influence of wettability was studied by modifying the originally hydrophilic inner surface into a hydrophobic state. The wettability change was verified by contact angle measurements. As results, we find pore size dependent relaxation times and salinity dependent chargeabilities for the hydrophilic samples in the low frequency range (< 10 kHz), whereas for the hydrophobic samples

  5. Development of a generalized correlation for phase-velocity measurements obtained from impedance-probe pairs in two-phase flow systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, C.T.; Keshock, E.G.; McGill, R.N.

    1983-01-01

    A flag type electrical impedance probe has been developed at the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) to measure liquid- and vapor-phase velocities in steam-water mixtures flowing through rod bundles. Measurements are made by utilizing the probes in pairs, installed in line, parallel to the flow direction, and extending out into the flow channel. The present study addresses performance difficulties by examining from a fundamental point of view the two-phase flow system which the impedance probes typically operate in. Specifically, the governing equations (continuity, momentum, energy) were formulated for both air-water and steam-water systems, and then subjected to a scaling analysis. The scaling analysis yielded the appropriate dimensionless parameters of significance in both kinds of systems. Additionally, with the aid of experimental data obtained at ORNL, those parameters of significant magnitude were established. As a result, a generalized correlation was developed for liquid and vapor phase velocities that makes it possible to employ the impedance probe velocity measurement technique in a wide variety of test configurations and fluid combinations

  6. Detection of intracardiac shunts with contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manning, W.J.; Atkinson, D.J.; Parker, J.A.; Edelman, R.R.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on ultrafast MR imaging with bolus administration of Gd-DTPA used to detect intracardiac shunts. Ten patients who had recently undergone cardiac catheterization or first-pass radionuclide evaluation were selected for study. These included five patients without intracardiac shunts and five patients with shunts (three with atrial septal defect, two with ventricular septal defect). Resting four-chamber cardiac images were obtained during intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA (0.02 mmol/kg) with an ultrafast, T1-weighted sequence. Images were acquired over 380 msec, with repetitive images obtained with each QRS for 50 beats. In addition, standard MR cine examinations were performed

  7. Leakage Inductance Calculation for Planar Transformers with a Magnetic Shunt

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jun; Ouyang, Ziwei; Duffy, Maeve C.

    2014-01-01

    with a magnetic shunt by means of the stored magnetic energy in the primary and secondary sides of the transformer using the magnetomotive force (MMF) variation method, as well as the stored energy in the shunt based on the reluctance model. The detailed calculation method is described. Both the FEA simulation...

  8. Wire measurement of impedance of an X-band accelerating structure

    CERN Document Server

    Baboi, N; Dolgashev, V A; Jones, R M; Lewandowski, J R; Tantawi, S G; Wang, J W

    2004-01-01

    Several tens of thousands of accelerator structures will be needed for the next generation of linear collders known as the GLC/NLC (Global Linear Collider/Next Linear Collider). To prevent the beam being driven into a disruptive BBU (Beam Break Up) mode or at the very least, the emittance being signifcantly diluted, it is important to damp down the wakefield left by driving bunches to a manageable level. Manufacturing errors and errors in design need to be measurable and compared with predictions. We develop a circuit model of wire-loaded X-band accelerator structures. This enables the wakefield (the inverse transform of the beam impedance) to be readily computed and compared with the wire measurement. We apply this circuit model to the latest series of accelerating for the GLC/NLC. This circuit model is based upon the single-cell model developed in [1] extended here to complete, multi-cell structures.

  9. Radionuclide cisternography in diagnostics of obstruction hydrocephalus in introduced ventricculoperitoneal shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cernochova, I.; Lipina, R.

    2004-01-01

    To confirm or exclude a diagnosis of internal obstruction hydrocephalus in an 8-year old girl with an introduced ventriculoperitoneal (V-P) shunt Establishing the V-P shunt is indisputably the route of choice in non-communicating hydrocephalus. The existence of a V-P shunt, however, is connected with numerous risks, especially of injuries, infection as well as increased intraabdominal pressure - e.g. in pregnancy. The development of endoscopy in neurosurgery allows the creation of communication via the bottom of the third ventricle with basal cisterns, and the subsequent cancellation of a V-P shunt. We describe the case of an 8-year old girl with congenital internal hydrocephalus with an assumed obliteration of the Sylvian aqueduct with an established V-P shunt. An MR scan described the membrane in the area of the Sylvian aqueduct, but the disproportion between the dilatation of the lateral ventricles, third ventricle and fourth ventricle led the physician to doubt as to the accuracy of the diagnosis of internal obstruction hydrocephalus. Therefore we performed a radionuclide cisternography (in a modified manner), which proved an existing communication between the third and fourth cerebral ventricle and which contradicted the clinical diagnosis of obstruction hydrocephalus. (author)

  10. Shunt-dependent hydrocephalus: management style among members of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraemer, Mark R; Sandoval-Garcia, Carolina; Bragg, Taryn; Iskandar, Bermans J

    2017-09-01

    OBJECTIVE The authors conducted a survey to evaluate differences in the understanding and management of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus among members of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons (ASPN). METHODS Surveys were sent to all 204 active ASPN members in September 2014. One hundred thirty responses were received, representing a 64% response rate. Respondents were asked 13 multiple-choice and free-response questions regarding 4 fundamental problems encountered in shunted-hydrocephalus management: shunt malfunction, chronic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overdrainage, chronic headaches, and slit ventricle syndrome (SVS). RESULTS Respondents agreed that shunt malfunction occurs most often as the result of ventricular catheter obstruction. Despite contrary evidence in the literature, most respondents (66%) also believed that choroid plexus is the tissue most often found in obstructed proximal catheters. However, free-text responses revealed that the respondents' understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of shunt obstruction was highly variable and included growth, migration, or adherence of choroid plexus, CSF debris, catheter position, inflammatory processes, and CSF overdrainage. Most respondents considered chronic CSF overdrainage to be a rare complication of shunting in their practice and reported wide variation in treatment protocols. Moreover, despite a lack of evidence in the literature, most respondents attributed chronic headaches in shunt patients to medical reasons (for example, migraines, tension). Accordingly, most respondents managed headaches with reassurance and/or referral to pain clinics. Lastly, there were variable opinions on the etiology of slit ventricle syndrome (SVS), which included early shunting, chronic overdrainage, and/or loss of brain compliance. Beyond shunt revision, respondents reported divergent SVS treatment preferences. CONCLUSIONS The survey shows that there is wide variability in the understanding and management of

  11. Successful Embolization of a Spontaneous Mesocaval Shunt Using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boixadera, Helena; Tomasello, Alejandro; Quiroga, Sergi; Cordoba, Joan; Perez, Mercedes; Segarra, Antoni

    2010-01-01

    A 48-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy was found to have a large, spontaneous mesocaval shunt. The shunt was successfully occluded with the use of an Amplatzer Vascular Plug. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of this device to embolize a mesocaval shunt involving the superior mesenteric vein.

  12. Impedance Measurements Could Accelerate Phage-Based Identification of Bacillus anthracis and Other Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Impedance Measurements Could Accelerate Phage-Based Identification of Bacillus anthracis And Other Bacteria Thomas Brown, Salwa Shan, Teresa...infection can be detected as early as one hour after exposing as few as 105 CFU bacteria to the stressor. We predicted that similar responses could be used... bacteria to form confluent growth and for phage-induced plaques to appear. Techniques that permit faster detection of species-specific bacteria /phage

  13. Two-port laparoscopic management of a giant pseudocyst complicating ventriculoperitoneal shunt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandesh V Parelkar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Insertion of a ventriculo-peritoneal (VP shunt is the most common operative procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus in children. Of the several causes of shunt malfunction, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF pseudocyst is relatively uncommon. There are several modalities to treat a CSF pseudocyst. Laparotomy is required, at times, more than once. We managed a patient of CSF pseudocyst with two-port laparoscopy, by deroofing the psuedocyst and repositioning of the shunt. This minimally invasive technique avoids morbidity associated with laparotomy and aids in early recovery.

  14. Impedance of porous IT-SOFC LSCF:CGO composite cathodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jimmi; Jacobsen, Torben; Wandel, Marie

    2011-01-01

    The impedance of technological relevant LSCF:CGO composite IT-SOFC cathodes was studied over a very wide performance range. This was experimentally achieved by impedance measurements on symmetrical cells with three different microstructures in the temperature range 550–850 °C. In order to account...... for the impedance spectra of the poor performing cathodes the Finite-Length-Gerischer (FLG) impedance was derived and applied to the impedance data. The FLG impedance describes for a given microstructure the situation where the cathode is made too thin from a cathode development point of view. The moderate...... performing cathodes showed a slightly suppressed Gerischer impedance, while the impedance spectra of the well performing cathodes showed the presence of an arc due to oxygen gas diffusion. The overall impedance of the well performing cathodes could be described with a slightly suppressed Gerischer impedance...

  15. Tunable band gaps in acoustic metamaterials with periodic arrays of resonant shunted piezos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Sheng-Bing; Wen Ji-Hong; Wang Gang; Wen Xi-Sen

    2013-01-01

    Periodic arrays of resonant shunted piezoelectric patches are employed to control the wave propagation in a two-dimensional (2D) acoustic metamaterial. The performance is characterized by the finite element method. More importantly, we propose an approach to solving the conventional issue of the nonlinear eigenvalue problem, and give a convenient solution to the dispersion properties of 2D metamaterials with periodic arrays of resonant shunts in this article. Based on this modeling method, the dispersion relations of a 2D metamaterial with periodic arrays of resonant shunted piezos are calculated. The results show that the internal resonances of the shunting system split the dispersion curves, thereby forming a locally resonant band gap. However, unlike the conventional locally resonant gap, the vibrations in this locally resonant gap are unable to be completely localized in oscillators consisting of shunting inductors and piezo-patches

  16. Correlation between electrochemical impedance measurements and corrosion rate of magnesium investigated by real-time hydrogen measurement and optical imaging

    OpenAIRE

    Curioni, M.; Scenini, F.; Monetta, T.; Bellucci, F.

    2015-01-01

    The corrosion behaviour of magnesium in chloride-containing aqueous environment was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) performed simultaneously with real-time hydrogen evolution measurements and optical imaging of the corroding surface. The potentiodynamic investigation revealed substantial deviations from linearity in close proximity of the corrosion potential. In particular, differences in the slope of the current/potential curves w...

  17. A novel method for passing cerebrospinal fluid shunt tubing: a proof of principle study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tubbs, R Shane; Goodrich, Dylan; Tubbs, Isaiah; Loukas, Marios; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A

    2014-12-01

    Few innovations in the method of tunneling shunt tubing for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt diversion have been made since this treatment of hydrocephalus was first developed. Therefore, this feasibility study was performed with the hope of identifying an improved technique that could potentially carry fewer complications. On 10 cadaver sides and when placed in the supine position, small skin incisions were made at the clavicle and ipsilateral subcostal region, and magnets were used to pass standard shunt tubing between the two incisions. Nickel-plated magnets were less effective in pulling the shunt tubing below the skin compared with ceramic magnets. Of these, magnets with pull strengths of 150-200 lbs were the most effective in dragging the subcutaneous tubing between the two incisions. No obvious damage to the skin from the overlying magnet was seen in any specimen. Few options exist for tunneling distal shunt tubing for CSF shunt procedures. Future patient studies are needed to determine if the technique described herein is superior to current methods, particularly when examining patient groups that are at a greater risk for injury during tunneling shunt catheters.

  18. Smart Multi-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Spectrometer for BIA and BIVA Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harder, Rene; Diedrich, Andre; Whitfield, Jonathan S; Buchowski, Macie S; Pietsch, John B; Baudenbacher, Franz J

    2016-08-01

    Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a noninvasive and commonly used method for the assessment of body composition including body water. We designed a small, portable and wireless multi-frequency impedance spectrometer based on the 12 bit impedance network analyzer AD5933 and a precision wide-band constant current source for tetrapolar whole body impedance measurements. The impedance spectrometer communicates via Bluetooth with mobile devices (smart phone or tablet computer) that provide user interface for patient management and data visualization. The export of patient measurement results into a clinical research database facilitates the aggregation of bioelectrical impedance analysis and biolectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) data across multiple subjects and/or studies. The performance of the spectrometer was evaluated using a passive tissue equivalent circuit model as well as a comparison of body composition changes assessed with bioelectrical impedance and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in healthy volunteers. Our results show an absolute error of 1% for resistance and 5% for reactance measurements in the frequency range of 3 kHz to 150 kHz. A linear regression of BIA and DXA fat mass estimations showed a strong correlation (r(2)=0.985) between measures with a maximum absolute error of 6.5%. The simplicity of BIA measurements, a cost effective design and the simple visual representation of impedance data enables patients to compare and determine body composition during the time course of a specific treatment plan in a clinical or home environment.

  19. Noise suppression in curved glass shells using macro-fiber-composite actuators studied by the means of digital holography and acoustic measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Mokrý

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents methods and experimental results of the semi-active control of noise transmission in a curved glass shell with attached piezoelectric macro fiber composite (MFC actuators. The semi-active noise control is achieved via active elasticity control of piezoelectric actuators by connecting them to an active electric shunt circuit that has a negative effective capacitance. Using this approach, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the glass shell in the normal direction with respect to its surface and to increase the acoustic transmission loss of the piezoelectric MFC-glass composite structure. The effect of the MFC actuators connected to the negative capacitance shunt circuit on the surface distribution of the normal vibration amplitude is studied using frequency-shifted digital holography (FSDH. The principle of the used FSDH method is described in the paper. The frequency dependence of the acoustic transmission loss through the piezoelectric MFC-glass composite structure is estimated using measurements of the specific acoustic impedance of the curved glass shell. The specific acoustic impedance is measured using two microphones and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV. The results from the LDV measurements are compared with the FSDH data. The results of the experiments show that using this approach, the acoustic transmission loss in a glass shell can be increased by 36 dB in the frequency range around 247 Hz and by 25 dB in the frequency range around 258 Hz. The experiments indicate that FSDH measurements provide an efficient tool that can be used for fast and accurate measurements of the acoustic transmission loss in large planar structures.

  20. Nonconventional mesocaval prosthetic shunt interposition in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    years demonstrates shunt patency and normal development ... However, the child's condition and growth ... The child has satisfactory weight and growth gain. (40kg .... infants and toddlers: replacement with decellularized branched pulmonary.

  1. Imaging of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related complications in infants and children with hydrocephalus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeon, Se Ok; Kim, Ji Hye; Oh, Eun Young; Hwang, Hee Young; Lee, Seon Kyu; Lee, Eun Joo; Kwak, Min Sook; Kim, Hyung Sik

    1999-01-01

    To evaluate the frequency and imaging findings of various ventriculo-peritoneal shunt-related complications in pediatric patients with hydrocephalus. We retrospectively reviewed 246 plain radiographs, three shuntograms, 53 ultrasounds, 133 CT scans, and 24 MR images obtained before and after the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt procedure in 33 pediatric patients with hydrocephalus. Using preoperative images, the etiology of the hydrocephalus was assessed. Changes in the size and shape of the ventricles, the location and continuity of shunt apparatus, and the presence of any abnormal enhancement, hemorrhage, edema or tissue loss, or other findings of complications, were analyzed on postoperative images ; the frequency and imaging findings of shunt-related complications such as shunt malfunction, infection, homorrhage or isolated ventricle, and complications caused by overdrainage, were thus evaluated. The frequency of such complications was analyzed according to the etiology of the hydrocephalus, and in addition, medical records were reviewed and correlated with imaging findings. In 18 of the 33 patients(54%), a total of 31 complications was detected. These were present in four of five cases (80%) of hydrocephalus caused by meningitis and ventriculitis, seven of twelve (58%) intraventricular hemorrhage, two of four (50%) unknown cases, three of nine (33%) congenital malformations, one of two (50%) tumors, and one (100%) congenital infection. Shunt malfunction was most common (n=15), and was accompanied by findings of enlarged ventricles, periventricular and peritubal edema, and abnormal location of the shunt tube. Symptoms and signs of increased intracranial pressure were also noted. Subdural hemorrhage and infection were present in four cases each ; findings of infection were enhancement of the ventricular wall, meninges, and parenchyma, as well as sonographically noted intraventricular septation and increased ventricular wall echo. Isolated lateral ventricle (n=4) or 4

  2. Detection of irradiated potatoes by impedance measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Toru; Sugiyama, Junnichi; Otobe, Kazuki; Todoriki, Setsuko

    1993-01-01

    The impedance ratio at 5kHz to 50kHz (Z 6K /Z 50K ) determined at 22degC at an apical region of potato tuber which was pre-incubated at 22degC for 3 days or longer resulted in the best detection of radian treatment. Irradiated potatoes of 10 cultivars could be detected with this method, and potatoes 'Danshaku' commercially irradiated at Shihoro could be distinguished from unirradiated 'Danshaku'. (author)

  3. Transmicrocatheter local injection of ethanol to treat hepatocellular carcinoma with high flow arteriovenous shunts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan Shouhai; Shan Hong; Jiang Zaibo; Huang Mingsheng; Zhu Kangshun; Li Zhengran; Meng Xiaochun

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of embolization therapy in treating the high flow hepatic arteriovenous shunts in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by locally injected ethanol through microcatheter. Methods: Forty-one branches of arteriovenous shunts were treated by local ethanol infusion through microcatheter in 29 patients suffered with HCC. Angiography was performed to observe the embolization effect and influence to non-targeted vessels. Result: Forty-one branches of arteriovenous shunts in 29 patients were injected with ethanol locally. Each single shunt was infused 1-6 times. The dose of ethanol was 2-3 ml per time, and the total dose of ethanol was 2-12 ml. All shunting tracts were embolized, and all non-target vessels were protected fluently. Iodine-oil deposition was well in continued TACE. Their syndromes were improved or disappeared. Conclusion: Transmicrocatheter injection of ethanol could safely and effectively treat the hepatic arteriovenous shunts and make advantages to TACE in HCC

  4. Impedance measures in analysis and characterization of multistable structures subjected to harmonic excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harne, Ryan L.; Goodpaster, Benjamin A.

    2018-01-01

    Structural components susceptible to adverse, post-buckled dynamic behaviors have long challenged the success of applications requiring lightweight, slender curved structures, while researchers have begun to leverage such bistable systems in emerging applications for novel energy attenuation and shape-changing properties. To expedite development and deployment of these built-up platforms containing post-buckled constituents, efficient approaches are required to complement time-consuming full-field models in the prediction of the near- and far-from-equilibrium dynamics. This research meets the need by introducing a semi-analytical model framework to enable the characterization of steady-state responses in multi degree-of-freedom (DOF) and multistable structural systems subjected to harmonic excitation. In so doing, the pathway for assessing impedance measures is created here so as to identify how energy travels and returns within built-up multistable structures. Verified by simulations and qualitatively validated by experiments, the analysis is shown to accurately reproduce both near- and far-from-equilibrium responses including different classes of energetic snap-through dynamics that only exist in such multistable structures. A first look at the impedance measures of different dynamic regimes reveals a connection between damping in multistable structures and the sustainability of far-from-equilibrium oscillations.

  5. Bioelectrical impedance analysis of bovine milk fat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veiga, E. A.; Bertemes-Filho, P.

    2012-12-01

    Three samples of 250ml at home temperature of 20°C were obtained from whole, low fat and fat free bovine UHT milk. They were analysed by measuring both impedance spectra and dc conductivity in order to establish the relationship between samples related to fat content. An impedance measuring system was developed, which is based on digital oscilloscope, a current source and a FPGA. Data was measured by the oscilloscope in the frequency 1 kHz to 100 kHz. It was showed that there is approximately 7.9% difference in the conductivity between whole and low fat milk whereas 15.9% between low fat and free fat one. The change of fatness in the milk can be significantly sensed by both impedance spectra measurements and dc conductivity. This result might be useful for detecting fat content of milk in a very simple way and also may help the development of sensors for measuring milk quality, as for example the detection of mastitis.

  6. Bioelectrical impedance analysis of bovine milk fat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veiga, E A; Bertemes-Filho, P [Department of Electrical Eng., State University of Santa Catarina, Joinville (Brazil)

    2012-12-20

    Three samples of 250ml at home temperature of 20 Degree-Sign C were obtained from whole, low fat and fat free bovine UHT milk. They were analysed by measuring both impedance spectra and dc conductivity in order to establish the relationship between samples related to fat content. An impedance measuring system was developed, which is based on digital oscilloscope, a current source and a FPGA. Data was measured by the oscilloscope in the frequency 1 kHz to 100 kHz. It was showed that there is approximately 7.9% difference in the conductivity between whole and low fat milk whereas 15.9% between low fat and free fat one. The change of fatness in the milk can be significantly sensed by both impedance spectra measurements and dc conductivity. This result might be useful for detecting fat content of milk in a very simple way and also may help the development of sensors for measuring milk quality, as for example the detection of mastitis.

  7. Bioelectrical impedance analysis of bovine milk fat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veiga, E A; Bertemes-Filho, P

    2012-01-01

    Three samples of 250ml at home temperature of 20°C were obtained from whole, low fat and fat free bovine UHT milk. They were analysed by measuring both impedance spectra and dc conductivity in order to establish the relationship between samples related to fat content. An impedance measuring system was developed, which is based on digital oscilloscope, a current source and a FPGA. Data was measured by the oscilloscope in the frequency 1 kHz to 100 kHz. It was showed that there is approximately 7.9% difference in the conductivity between whole and low fat milk whereas 15.9% between low fat and free fat one. The change of fatness in the milk can be significantly sensed by both impedance spectra measurements and dc conductivity. This result might be useful for detecting fat content of milk in a very simple way and also may help the development of sensors for measuring milk quality, as for example the detection of mastitis.

  8. Cryptococcal cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection treated with fluconazole

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Eymard

    1993-01-01

    Full Text Available A 37-year-old woman with a cadaveric renal allotransplantation required intra-cranial shunting devices after a presumptive episode of tuberculous meningitis. Six months later, she developed a culture-proven cryptococcal meningitis. Without having her ventriculo-auricular shunt removed, she was successfully treated with a short course of amphotericin B (335 mg and flucytosine (nine days followed by prolonged therapy with oral fluconazole (400 mg daily for 72 days. Three years post treatment she had no evidence of relapse, and normal renal graft function.

  9. Pictorial essay: trans-jugular intra-hepatic porto-systemic shunt (TIPS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao Anuradha, T.N.; Rastogi, H.; Pandey, U.C.

    2001-01-01

    TIPS is an interventional radiologic method of creating a portosystemic shunt by percutaneous means. It is a relatively new weapon in the armamentarium of the management of portal hypertension with variceal bleeding or intractable ascites. Using needles, angioplasty balloon catheters and expandable metallic stents, a shunt is established directly inside the liver parenchyma connecting a large hepatic vein with a main portal vein branch. Depending on the diameter of the expandable stent used, the created TIPS diverts various amounts of portal blood into the systemic circulation and results in significant portal decompression, cessation of hemorrhage from esophageal varices and resolution of ascites. TIPS is not only an effective and safe alternative to shunt surgery but is life saving in cases of variceal hemorrhage. The use of TIPS seems to be a valid alternative to surgery and has several advantages over either esophageal transection or surgical shunts. TIPS avoids a general anesthetic, laparotomy, and disruption of the hepatic venous system that may adversely affect subsequent hepatic transplantation. TIPS has been performed on patients without interfering with successful transplantation

  10. Hepatocyte transplants improve liver function and encephalopathy in portacaval shunted rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogel, Wieslawa Agnieszka; Stasiak, Anna; Maksymowicz, Michał; Kobos, Jozef; Unzeta, Mercedes; Mussur, Miroslaw

    2014-07-01

    Rats with portacaval shunt (PCS) are useful experimental models of human hepatic encephalopathy in chronic liver dysfunction. We have previously shown that PCS modifies amine neurotransmitter systems in the CNS and increases voluntary alcohol intake by rats. Hepatocyte transplantation, used in acute liver failure, has recently also been applied to chronic liver diseases, which prompted us to investigate whether the altered brain amine system and the drinking behavior in long-term shunted rats could be normalized by hepatocyte transplants. Hepatocytes, isolated from syngeneic donors by collagenase digestion, were injected (3 × 10(6) cells/rat) into the pancreatic tail region, 6 months after PCS. Hepatic function was evaluated by measuring urine urea and plasma L-histidine concentrations. A free choice test with two bottles (tap water and 10% ethyl alcohol) was performed for 3 days to assess the rats' preference for alcohol. The rats were euthanized 2 months posttransplantation. Brain histamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels were measured by radioenzymatic assay and by HPLC-EC, respectively, N-tele-methylhistamine by GC/MS while MAOA and MAOB activities by isotopic procedures. Portacaval shunt rats with hepatocyte transplants gave more urea than before transplantation, with lower plasma L-His levels and higher body weight versus the PCS counterparts. Also, those rats consumed less alcohol. The CNS amines and 5-HIAA concentrations, as well as MAO-B activity, being abnormally high in untreated PCS rats, significantly reduced after PCS hepatocyte treatment. The results support the therapeutic values of hepatocyte transplants in chronic liver diseases and the temporary character of PCS-exerted CNS dysfunctions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Impedance of accelerator components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corlett, J.N.

    1996-05-01

    As demands for high luminosity and low emittance particle beams increase, an understanding of the electromagnetic interaction of these beams with their vacuum chamber environment becomes more important in order to maintain the quality of the beam. This interaction is described in terms of the wake field in time domain, and the beam impedance in frequency domain. These concepts are introduced, and related quantities such as the loss factor are presented. The broadband Q = 1 resonator impedance model is discussed. Perturbation and coaxial wire methods of measurement of real components are reviewed

  12. [Extracorporeal ventriculoatrial shunt with the use of one-way ball valve].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubo, Shigeki; Takimoto, Hiroshi; Hosoi, Kazuki; Toyota, Shingo; Takakura, Shuji; Hayashi, Yasuhiro; Ueno, Masato; Morisako, Toshitaka; Karasawa, Jun; Ninaga, Hideo; Yoshimine, Toshiki

    2002-04-01

    We developed a simple system of an "extracorporeal" ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt using a one-way ball valve (Acty valve II, Kaneka Medix) to release the patient from postoperative constraint during the ventricular drainage. The system is constructed in such a way that the ventricular drainage tube is connected to the central venous catheter via a one-way valve. The CSF is regulated by using the valve and is diverted into the systemic circulation as in the conventional ventriculoatrial shunt. After 2 or 3 weeks of CSF diversion through the extracorporeal VA shunt, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is placed if hydrocephalus is apparent by temporary occlusion of the system. We applied this system to 4 patients with hydrocephalus, and we found it useful and free from adverse effects. The patient was freed from physical constraint involved in conventional ventricular drainage and an effective program of early rehabilitation was able to be started.

  13. Small Signal Loudspeaker Impedance Emulator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iversen, Niels Elkjær; Knott, Arnold

    2014-01-01

    Specifying the performance of audio amplifiers is typically done by playing sine waves into a pure ohmic load. However real loudspeaker impedances are not purely ohmic but characterized by the mechanical resonance between the mass of the diaphragm and the compliance of its suspension which vary...... from driver to driver. Therefore, a loudspeaker emulator capable of adjusting its impedance to that of a given driver is desired for measurement purposes. This paper proposes a loudspeaker emulator circuit for small signals. Simulations and experimental results are compared and show that it is possible...... to emulate the loudspeaker impedance with an electric circuit and that its resonance frequency can be changed by tuning two resistors....

  14. Small-signal Loudspeaker Impedance Emulator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knott, Arnold; Iversen, Niels Elkjær

    2014-01-01

    Specifying the performance of audio ampliers is typically done by playing sine waves into a pure ohmic load. However real loudspeaker impedances are not purely ohmic but characterised by the mechanical resonance between the mass of the diaphragm and the compliance of its' suspension which vary from...... driver to driver. Therefore a loudspeaker emulator capable of adjusting its' impedance to a given driver is in need for measurement purposes. This paper proposes a loudspeaker emulator circuit for small signals. Simulations and experimental results are compared and show that it is possible to emulate...... the loudspeaker impedance with an electric circuit and that its' resonance frequency can be changed by tuning two resistors....

  15. Our initial experience with ventriculo-epiplooic shunt in treatment of hydrocephalus in two centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grigorean, Valentin Titus; Sandu, Aurelia Mihaela; Popescu, Mihai; Florian, Ioan Stefan; Lupascu, Cristian Dumitru; Ursulescu, Corina Lupascu

    Hydrocephalus represents impairment in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics. If the treatment of hydrocephalus is considered difficult, the repeated revisions of ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunts are even more challenging. The aim of this article is to evaluate the efficiency of ventriculo-epiplooic (VEp) shunt as a feasible alternative in hydrocephalic patients. A technical modification regarding the insertion of peritoneal catheter was imagined: midline laparotomy 8-10cm long was performed in order to open the peritoneal cavity; the great omentum was dissected between its two layers; we placed the distal end of the catheter between the two epiplooic layers; a fenestration of 4cm in diameter into the visceral layer was also performed. A retrospective study of medical records of 15 consecutive patients with hydrocephalus treated with VEp shunt is also presented. Between 2008 and 2014 we performed VEp shunt in 15 patients: 5 with congenital hydrocephalus, 8 with secondary hydrocephalus and 2 with normal pressure hydrocephalus. There were 7 men and 8 women. VEp shunt was performed in 13 patients with multiple distal shunt failures and in 2 patients, with history of abdominal surgery, as de novo extracranial drainage procedure. The outcome was favorable in all cases, with no significant postoperative complications. VEp shunt is a new, safe and efficient surgical technique for the treatment of hydrocephalus. VEp shunt is indicated in patients with history of recurrent distal shunt failures, and in patients with history of open abdominal surgery and high risk for developing abdominal complications. Copyright © 2017 Polish Neurological Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  16. Assessment of chest impedance in relation to phonocardiography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zimmermann, Niels Henrik; Møller, Henrik; Hammershøi, Dorte

    2010-01-01

    the surface of the skin to the transducer. If the impedance of the skin is known, it may be possible to optimize the transducer to achieve an improved signal for a certain frequency range, while attenuating disturbing noise. Further, from a classical stethoscope it is known, that the sound picked up...... by the stethoscope can be influenced by changing the pressure on the chest piece of the stethoscope. A high pressure will stretch the skin similar to a drum skin, and attenuate lower frequencies, while lighter pressure will broaden the frequency range. By using an impedance tube (also known as standing wave tube......), it is possible to measure the impedance of the surface of the skin and at the same time investigate the influence of different pressures and diameters of a transducer. The impedance tube is made specifically with the purpose of measuring chest impedances in the frequency range from 50 Hz to 5 kHz. An MLS...

  17. Evaluation of electrical broad bandwidth impedance spectroscopy as a tool for body composition measurement in cows in comparison with body measurements and the deuterium oxide dilution method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäff, C T; Pliquett, U; Tuchscherer, A; Pfuhl, R; Görs, S; Metges, C C; Hammon, H M; Kröger-Koch, C

    2017-05-01

    Body fatness and degree of body fat mobilization in cows vary enormously during their reproduction cycle and influence energy partitioning and metabolic adaptation. The objective of the study was to test bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) as a method for predicting fat depot mass (FDM), in living cows. The FDM is defined as the sum of subcutaneous, omental, mesenteric, retroperitoneal, and carcass fat mass. Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy is compared with the prediction of FDM from the deuterium oxide (DO) dilution method and from body conformation measurements. Charolais × Holstein Friesian (HF; = 18; 30 d in milk) crossbred cows and 2 HF (lactating and nonlactating) cows were assessed by body conformation measurements, BIS, and the DO dilution method. The BCS of cows was a mean of 3.68 (SE 0.64). For the DO dilution method, a bolus of 0.23 g/kg BW DO (60 atom%) was intravenously injected and deuterium (D) enrichment was analyzed in plasma and whey by stabile isotope mass spectrometry, and total body water content was calculated. Impedance measurement was performed using a 4-electrode interface and time domain-based measurement system consisting of a voltage/current converter for applying current stimulus and an amplifier for monitoring voltage across the sensor electrodes. For the BIS, we used complex impedances over three frequency decades that delivers information on intra- and extracellular water and capacity of cell membranes. Impedance data (resistance of extra- and intracellular space, cell membrane capacity, and phase angle) were extracted 1) by simple curve fit to extract the resistance at direct current and high frequency and 2) by using an electrical equivalent circuit. Cows were slaughtered 7 d after BIS and D enrichment measurements and dissected for the measurement of FDM. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to predict FDM based on data obtained from body conformation measurements, BIS, and D enrichment, and applied

  18. Measurement of RF characteristics of magnetic alloys for an RF cavity of the accumulator cooler ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, M.; Chiba, Y.; Katayama, T.; Koseki, T.; Ohtomo, K.; Tsutsui, H.

    2004-01-01

    The magnetic alloy (MA)-loaded RF cavity has been studied for an RF stacking system of the accumulator cooler ring (ACR). RF characteristics of several high-permeability MA cores were measured in the frequency range between 1 and 50 MHz. The effects of the cut-core configuration, cutting the core and leaving air gaps between two circular halves, were also investigated. The results show that the shunt impedance remains high and the appropriate inductance and Q-value can be obtained by increasing the gap width of the cut core in the frequency region of the ACR cavity

  19. Reversible Venting Stitch for Fenestrating Valve-less Glaucoma Shunts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akil, Handan; Vu, Priscilla Q; Nguyen, Anhtuan H; Nugent, Alexander; Chopra, Vikas; Francis, Brian A; Tan, James C

    2017-12-01

    The purpose of this is to describe a venting stitch modification for valveless glaucoma aqueous shunts and characterize early postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma medication use following the modification. Retrospective chart review of 61 sequential patients undergoing Baerveldt glaucoma implant (BGI)-350 implantation at the Doheny Eye Institute. Twenty-four patients received a glaucoma shunt with venting stitch modification (modified BGI) and 37 patients received an unmodified shunt (BGI-only). IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and number of hypotony cases (intraocular pressure ≤5 mm Hg) were compared between the groups. T-tests were used for statistical analysis. At postoperative-day 1, mean IOP was significantly lower compared with preoperatively in the modified BGI group (14 mm Hg; reduced by 51%; P<0.0001) but not the BGI-only group (27 mm Hg; P=0.06). IOP difference between groups persisted till immediately before tube opening (P=0.005) and fewer IOP-lowering medications needed in the modified BGI group (P<0.0001). One case (4.2%) of postoperative hypotony was encountered with BGI modification, which resolved after the stitch was removed in clinic. The venting stitch valveless shunt modification allows for effective, reliable, and safe control of early postoperative IOP.

  20. Cellophane banding for the gradual attenuation of single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in eleven dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youmans, K R; Hunt, G B

    1998-08-01

    To evaluate the efficacy and short term effects of a cellophane banding technique for progressive attenuation of canine single extrahepatic portosystemic shunts. A prospective trial of 11 dogs with single congenital extrahepatic shunts. Rectal ammonia tolerance testing and routine biochemical tests were performed preoperatively on all dogs. In seven dogs, preoperative abdominal Doppler ultrasonography was also performed. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a single extrahepatic portocaval shunt in each animal, which was attenuated using a cellophane band with an internal diameter of 2 to 3 mm. The abdomen was closed routinely. Follow-up biochemical analysis and abdominal Doppler ultrasonography or splenoportography were performed postoperatively. The shunt was not amenable to total ligation in 11 dogs, based upon reported criteria. All dogs recovered uneventfully from surgery without evidence of portal hypertension, and showed clinical improvement thereafter. Shunt occlusion was deemed to have occurred in 10 dogs based on resolution of biochemical and/or sonographic abnormalities. One dog continued to have sonographic evidence of portosystemic shunting when evaluated 3 weeks after surgery, despite normal ammonia tolerance, but was lost to subsequent follow-up. Two dogs, in which 3 mm cellophane bands were placed, experienced delayed shunt occlusion. Cellophane banding is simple to perform, and causes progressive attenuation of single extrahepatic shunts in dogs. Further work is needed to determine the maximum diameter of a cellophane band which will produce total attenuation, and the long-term safety and reliability of the treatment.

  1. Impedance measurements on a fast transition-edge sensor for optical and near-infrared range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taralli, E; Portesi, C; Lolli, L; Monticone, E; Rajteri, M; Novikov, I; Beyer, J

    2010-01-01

    Impedance measurements of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) are a powerful tool to obtain information about the TES thermal and electrical properties. We apply this technique to a 20 μm x 20 μm Ti/Au TES, suitable for application in the optical and near-infrared range, and extend the measurements up to 250 kHz in order to obtain a complete frequency response in the complex plane. From these measurements we obtain important thermal and electrical device parameters such as heat capacity C, thermal conductance G and effective thermal time constant τ eff that will be compared with the corresponding values obtained from noise measurements.

  2. Vascularização temporária de membros isquêmicos por meio de shunt arteriomedular: trabalho experimental Temporary vascularization on ischemic limbs through arterial-medullar shunt: an experimental work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronaldo André Poerschke

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXTO: Os autores idealizaram um shunt temporário entre a artéria femoral e o canal medular de ossos longos para manter a viabilidade dos membros agudamente isquêmicos, enquanto não é possível estabelecer um tratamento definitivo. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a perviedade de shunts temporários arteriomedulares e a perfusão dos membros, durante duas horas em cães de experimentação, que tiveram a artéria femoral ligada. MÉTODOS: Alocaram-se aleatoriamente dois grupos, com três cães no Grupo Controle e seis no Grupo Intervenção. Os controles tiveram a artéria femoral comum direita ligada. O Grupo Intervenção, além da ligadura da artéria, recebeu um shunt. Após duas horas, realizou-se a medida de pH dos membros isquêmicos; avaliação do fluxo arterial por meio de um sonar Doppler; avaliação da coloração do sangramento na extremidade distal do membro e foram retirados em bloco torácico os pulmões para análise anatomopatológica. RESULTADOS: A média do pH do sangue capilar das extremidades do membros no Grupo Controle foi de 6,97 (±0,39; no Grupo Intervenção o pH foi de 7,25 (±0,46, com pBACKGROUND: The authors idealized a temporary shunt between the femoral artery and the medullar canal on long bones to keep the viability of acutely ischemic limbs, while waiting for a definitive treatment. OBJECTIVE: To assess the flow on temporary shunts between the femoral artery and the marrow canal of the tibia during two hours in experimental dogs, which had the femoral artery interrupted. METHODS: Two groups with three dogs on the Control Group and six on the Intervention Group were allocated at random. The controls had the right femoral common artery interrupted. The Intervention Group received a shunt between the iliac external artery and the medullar canal of the right tibia in addition. After two hours, the measure of the pH, blood coloration, blood flow in sonar Doppler on the ischemic limbs were performed. The lungs were

  3. Management of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infections in Adults: Analysis of Risk Factors Associated With Treatment Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelegrín, Iván; Lora-Tamayo, Jaime; Gómez-Junyent, Joan; Sabé, Nuria; García-Somoza, Dolors; Gabarrós, Andreu; Ariza, Javier; Viladrich, Pedro Fernández; Cabellos, Carmen

    2017-04-15

    Little is known regarding the optimal treatment of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections in adults. Our aim was to assess the efficacy of treatment strategies and to identify factors that predict failure. Retrospective, observational study of patients aged ≥12 years with VP shunt infections (1980 -2014). Therapeutic approaches were classified under 4 headings: only antibiotics (OA), one-stage shunt replacement (OSSR), two-stage shunt replacement (TSSR), and shunt removal without replacement (SR). The primary endpoint was failure of the treatment strategy, defined as the absence of definite cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sterilization or related mortality. The parameters that predicted failure were analyzed using logistic regression. Of 108 episodes (51% male, median age 50 years), 86 were analyzed. Intravenous antibiotics were administered for a median of 19 days. Eighty episodes were treated using strategies that combined antibiotic and surgical treatment (37 TSSR, 24 SR, 19 OSSR) and 6 with OA. Failure occurred in 30% of episodes, mostly due to lack of CSF sterilization in OSSR and OA groups. Twelve percent died of related causes and 10% presented superinfection of the CSF temporary drainage/externalized peritoneal catheter. TSSR was the most effective strategy when VP shunt replacement was attempted. The only independent risk factor that predicted failure was retention of the VP shunt, regardless of the strategy. This is the largest series of VP shunt infections in adults reported to date. VP shunt removal, particularly TSSR when the patient is shunt dependent, remains the optimal choice of treatment and does not increase morbidity. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Broadband electrical impedance matching for piezoelectric ultrasound transducers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Haiying; Paramo, Daniel

    2011-12-01

    This paper presents a systematic method for designing broadband electrical impedance matching networks for piezoelectric ultrasound transducers. The design process involves three steps: 1) determine the equivalent circuit of the unmatched piezoelectric transducer based on its measured admittance; 2) design a set of impedance matching networks using a computerized Smith chart; and 3) establish the simulation model of the matched transducer to evaluate the gain and bandwidth of the impedance matching networks. The effectiveness of the presented approach is demonstrated through the design, implementation, and characterization of impedance matching networks for a broadband acoustic emission sensor. The impedance matching network improved the power of the acquired signal by 9 times.

  5. Producing of Impedance Tube for Measurement of Acoustic Absorption Coefficient of Some Sound Absorber Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Golmohammadi

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Noise is one of the most important harmful agents in work environment. In spit of industrial improvements, exposure with over permissible limit of noise is counted as one of the health complication of workers. In Iran, do not exact information of the absorption coefficient of acoustic materials. Iranian manufacturer have not laboratory for measured of sound absorbance of their products, therefore using of sound absorber is limited for noise control in industrial and non industrial constructions. The goal of this study was to design an impedance tube based on pressure method for measurement of the sound absorption coefficient of acoustic materials.Materials & Methods: In this study designing of measuring system and method of calculation of sound absorption based on a available equipment and relatively easy for measurement of the sound absorption coefficient related to ISO10534-1 was performed. Measuring system consist of heavy asbestos tube, a pure tone sound generator, calibrated sound level meter for measuring of some commonly of sound absorber materials was used. Results: In this study sound absorption coefficient of 23 types of available acoustic material in Iran was tested. Reliability of results by three repeat of measurement was tested. Results showed that the standard deviation of sound absorption coefficient of study materials was smaller than .Conclusion: The present study performed a necessary technology of designing and producing of impedance tube for determining of acoustical materials absorption coefficient in Iran.

  6. Frontal and occipital horn ratio is associated with multifocal intraparenchymal hemorrhages in neonatal shunted hydrocephalus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oushy, Soliman; Parker, Jonathon J; Campbell, Kristen; Palmer, Claire; Wilkinson, Corbett; Stence, Nicholas V; Handler, Michael H; Mirsky, David M

    2017-11-01

    OBJECTIVE Placement of a cerebrospinal fluid diversion device (i.e., shunt) is a routine pediatric neurosurgical procedure, often performed in the first weeks of life for treatment of congenital hydrocephalus. In the postoperative period, shunt placement may be complicated by subdural, catheter tract, parenchymal, and intraventricular hemorrhages. The authors observed a subset of infants and neonates who developed multifocal intraparenchymal hemorrhages (MIPH) following shunt placement and sought to determine any predisposing perioperative variables. METHODS A retrospective review of the electronic medical record at a tertiary-care children's hospital was performed for the period 1998-2015. Inclusion criteria consisted of shunt placement, age hydrocephalus. Markers of severity of ventriculomegaly (FOR) and ventricular response to CSF diversion (∆FOR) were significantly associated with occurrence of MIPH. Choice of shunt and etiology of hydrocephalus were also significantly associated with MIPH. After adjusting for corrected age, etiology of hydrocephalus, and shunt setting, the authors found that ∆FOR after shunting was still associated with MIPH. A prospective study of MIPH prevention strategies and assessment of possible implications for patient outcomes is needed.

  7. Hypoxia and GABA shunt activation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salminen, Antero; Jouhten, Paula; Sarajärvi, Timo; Haapasalo, Annakaisa; Hiltunen, Mikko

    2016-01-01

    We have previously observed that the conversion of mild cognitive impairment to definitive Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with a significant increase in the serum level of 2,4-dihydroxybutyrate (2,4-DHBA). The metabolic generation of 2,4-DHBA is linked to the activation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt, an alternative energy production pathway activated during cellular stress, when the function of Krebs cycle is compromised. The GABA shunt can be triggered by local hypoperfusion and subsequent hypoxia in AD brains caused by cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) is a key enzyme in the GABA shunt, converting succinic semialdehyde (SSA) into succinate, a Krebs cycle intermediate. A deficiency of SSADH activity stimulates the conversion of SSA into γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), an alternative route from the GABA shunt. GHB can exert not only acute neuroprotective activities but unfortunately also chronic detrimental effects which may lead to cognitive impairment. Subsequently, GHB can be metabolized to 2,4-DHBA and secreted from the brain. Thus, the activation of the GABA shunt and the generation of GHB and 2,4-DHBA can have an important role in the early phase of AD pathogenesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. ARTIFICIAL SHUNTING OF CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    HOEKSTRA, A

    A compact three-stage shunt valve system (Orbis SigmaTM Valve) which operates as a flow regulator within certain differential pressure values has been clinically evaluated in the treatment of hydrocephalus. Clinical trials were performed in 134 cases, covering 128 patients aged from 1 day to 79

  9. A Modified Shunt System for the Management of Pyogenic Hydrocephalus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Naveed Khan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To describe the structure and efficacy of a modified cerebrospinal fluid (CSF shunt system with Bhatti CSF access chamber and ventriculoperitoneal shunt, for the management of hydrocephalus associated with pyogenic ventriculitis. METHODS: This was an observational study performed at the National Medical Center and Ziauddin Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan. Chemically bonded Bhatti CSF access chamber and ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted into 443 patients with hydrocephalus and pyogenic ventriculitis to allow injection of antibiotics into the lateral ventricles. RESULTS: In all patients, symptoms and signs of hydrocephalus were relieved immediately after shunt insertion and infection brought under control within two weeks of intraventricular injection of antibiotics (vancomycin or linezolid, via the CSF access chamber. In two patients peritoneal catheter was blocked by a precipitate of vancomycin. Reduction in the dose of intraventricular vancomycin from 50mg to 20mg and increased dilution (additional 2ml of 0.9% N/S solution prevented recurrence of this complication. All patients recovered from ventriculitis within two weeks of initiating this treatment. Follow-up was from 3 months to 2 years to monitor continued relief of hydrocephalus and absence of recurrence of ventriculitis. CONCLUSION: Bhatti CSF access chamber and the ventriculoperitoneal shunt is the only system available at present that fulfills the management of hydrocephalus associated with pyogenic ventriculitis. It provides continuous internal drainage of CSF combined with access to the ventricles for injection of antibiotics.

  10. RHIC ABORT KICKER WITH REDUCED COUPLING IMPEDANCE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HAHN, H.; DAVINO, D.

    2002-01-01

    Kicker magnets typically represent the most important contributors to the transverse impedance budget of accelerators and storage rings. Methods of reducing the impedance value of the SNS extraction kicker presently under construction and, in view of a future performance upgrade, that of the RHIC abort kicker have been thoroughly studied at this laboratory. In this paper, the investigation of a potential improvement from using ferrite different from the BNL standard CMD5005 is reported. Permeability measurements of several ferrite types have been performed. Measurements on two kicker magnets using CMD5005 and C2050 suggest that the impedance of a magnet without external resistive damping, such as the RHIC abort kicker, would benefit

  11. Complex Impedance of Fast Optical Transition Edge Sensors up to 30 MHz

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hattori, K.; Kobayashi, R.; Numata, T.; Inoue, S.; Fukuda, D.

    2018-03-01

    Optical transition edge sensors (TESs) are characterized by a very fast response, of the order of μs, which is 10^3 times faster than TESs for X-ray and gamma-ray. To extract important parameters associated with the optical TES, complex impedances at high frequencies (> 1 MHz) need to be measured, where the parasitic impedance in the circuit and reflections of electrical signals due to discontinuities in the characteristic impedance of the readout circuits become significant. This prevents the measurements of the current sensitivity β , which can be extracted from the complex impedance. In usual setups, it is hard to build a circuit model taking into account the parasitic impedances and reflections. In this study, we present an alternative method to estimate a transfer function without investigating the details of the entire circuit. Based on this method, the complex impedance up to 30 MHz was measured. The parameters were extracted from the impedance and were compared with other measurements. Using these parameters, we calculated the theoretical limit on an energy resolution and compared it with the measured energy resolution. In this paper, the reasons for the deviation of the measured value from theoretically predicted values will be discussed.

  12. Shunts to divert aqueous humor to distant epithelialized cavities after keratoprosthesis surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohlman, Claes H; Grosskreutz, Cynthia L; Chen, Teresa C; Pasquale, Louis R; Rubin, Peter A D; Kim, Eva C; Durand, Marlene

    2010-02-01

    Glaucoma is a frequent and often severe problem in patients needing keratoprosthesis (KPro) surgery. Standard glaucoma shunts in these cases often develop a very dense capsule that obstructs flow and causes intraocular pressure elevation. Therefore, we developed shunts that deliver aqueous to distant epithelialized cavities where an obstructing capsule is less likely to form. In this retroactive study of such shunts, the risk of postoperative infection (especially endophthalmitis) has been assessed. Ahmed shunts were connected with a tube to the lacrimal sac or ethmoid sinuses. In subsequent designs the polypropylene plate was eliminated, the valve was enclosed and a distal tube added (New World Medical Inc, Rancho Cucamonga, CA). The latter shunts were connected to the maxillary sinus or lower lid fornix. Between 2001 and 2005 the devices were implanted in 34 patients with very severe ocular disease. (31 had KPro implanted). Thus, the distal tube was led to the lacrimal sac (2 cases), to the ethmoid sinuses (6), to the maxillary sinus (16 cases), and to the lower lid fornix (10 cases). The patients were followed for cumulatively 145 shunt years, with a mean follow-up of 4 years and 3 months. They were instructed to administer low-dose topical antibiotics indefinitely. Only 1 case of acute bacterial endophthalmitis occurred, thus an incidence of 0.7% per shunt year. A slow-growing Mycobacterium was cultured in a disintegrating eye and 1 bacterial maxillary sinusitis occurred, both in autoimmune diseases. Three valves became exposed and had to be removed (1 replaced). Four eyes developed hypotony, probably from valve failure. The shunt arrangement, which connects the anterior chamber to potentially microbe-populated cavities or to the lower lid fornix and its flora, might be suspected to allow rapid retrograde invasion of infective agents, resulting in endophthalmitis. In this series of KPro patients, however, the incidence of severe infection was very low, in fact

  13. Bioelectrical impedance analysis for bovine milk: Preliminary results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertemes-Filho, P.; Valicheski, R.; Pereira, R. M.; Paterno, A. S.

    2010-04-01

    This work reports the investigation and analysis of bovine milk quality by using biological impedance measurements using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The samples were distinguished by a first chemical analysis using Fourier transform midinfrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and flow citometry. A set of milk samples (100ml each) obtained from 17 different cows in lactation with and without mastitis were analyzed with the proposed technique using EIS. The samples were adulterated by adding distilled water and hydrogen peroxide in a controlled manner. FTIR spectroscopy and flow cytometry were performed, and impedance measurements were made in a frequency range from 500Hz up to 1MHz with an implemented EIS system. The system's phase shift was compensated by measuring saline solutions. It was possible to show that the results obtained with the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) technique may detect changes in the milk caused by mastitis and the presence of water and hydrogen peroxide in the bovine milk.

  14. Treatment of Portosystemic Shunt Myelopathy with a Stent Graft Deployed through a Transjugular Intrahepatic Route

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, Deepak; Arora, Ankur; Deka, Pranjal; Mukund, Amar; Bhatnagar, Shorav; Jindal, Deepti; Kumar, Niteen; Pamecha, Viniyendra

    2013-01-01

    A case of surgically created splenorenal shunt complicated with shunt myelopathy was successfully managed by placement of a stent graft within the splenic vein to close the portosystemic shunt and alleviate myelopathy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of shunt myelopathy in a patient with noncirrhotic portal fibrosis without cirrhosis treated by a novel technique wherein a transjugular intrahepatic route was adopted to deploy the stent graft

  15. Distance Protection Impedance Measurement for Inhomogeneous Multiple-Circuit 400/150 kV Transmission Lines with Shared Towers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bak, Claus Leth; Sigurbjörnsson, Ragnar; Bukh, Bjarne

    2016-01-01

    are interconnected in a simple way but via transformers and infeed from remaining parts of the network. Distance relay measured fault loop impedance shows wide ranges of variations for both phase-phase loops as well as phase-earth loops. No simple relations exist. Simulation models can be used to study fault loop...... impedance for combined faults and thereby shed light on relay trips. This study uses actual fault records, analytical method and PSCAD simulation studies to analyse combined faults in an existing 400 and 150 kV transmission line owned by Danish TSO Energinet.dk. The results clearly show that an accurate...

  16. Superior vena cava syndrome after pulsatile bidirectional Glenn shunt procedure: Perioperative implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neema Praveen

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Bidirectional superior cavopulmonary shunt (bidirectional Glenn shunt is generally performed in many congenital cardiac anomalies where complete two ventricle circulations cannot be easily achieved. The advantages of BDG shunt are achieved by partially separating the pulmonary and systemic venous circuits, and include reduced ventricular preload and long-term preservation of myocardium. The benefits of additional pulsatile pulmonary blood flow include the potential growth of pulmonary arteries, possible improvement in arterial oxygen saturation, and possible prevention of development of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. However, increase in the systemic venous pressure after BDG with additional pulsatile blood flow is known. We describe the peri-operative implications of severe flow reversal in the superior vena cava after pulsatile BDG shunt construction in a child who presented for surgical interruption of the main pulmonary artery.

  17. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related infections caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis: pathogenesis and implications for treatment.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Stevens, Niall T

    2012-12-01

    The insertion of medical devices, such as intraventricular shunts, is often complicated by infection leading to ventriculitis. Frequently, such infections result from colonisation and subsequent biofilm formation on the surfaces of the shunts by Staphylococcus epidermidis. The pathogenesis of neurosurgical shunt-related infection is complex with interactions between the pathogen, the device and the unique local immunological environment of the central nervous system (CNS). An ability to form biofilm, the main virulence determinant of Staphylococcus epidermidis, facilitates protection of the organism from the host defences while still initiating an immunological response. The presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and the biofilm itself also complicates treatment, which presents many challenges when managing shunt infections. A greater understanding of the interplay between S. epidermidis and the CNS could potentially improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of such infections. This review describes the pathogenesis, treatment and implications of S. epidermidis ventriculoperitoneal shunt-related infections, concentrating on recent research and the implications for treatment.

  18. Impact of SSSC on Measured Impedance in Single Phase to Ground Fault Condition on 220 kV Transmission Line

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed ZELLAGUI

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents and compares the impact of SSSC on measured impedance for single phase to ground fault condition. The presence of Static Synchronous SSSC on a transmission line has a great influence on the ZRelay in distance protection. The protection of the high voltage 220 kV single circuit transmission line in eastern Algerian electrical transmission networks is affected in the case with resistance fault RF. The paper investigate the effect of Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC on the measured impedance (Relay taking into account the distance fault point (n and fault resistance (RF. The resultants simulation is performed in MATLAB software environment.

  19. Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography for measuring electrical conductivity during electroporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kranjc, M; Miklavčič, D; Bajd, F; Serša, I

    2014-01-01

    The electroporation effect on tissue can be assessed by measurement of electrical properties of the tissue undergoing electroporation. The most prominent techniques for measuring electrical properties of electroporated tissues have been voltage–current measurement of applied pulses and electrical impedance tomography (EIT). However, the electrical conductivity of tissue assessed by means of voltage–current measurement was lacking in information on tissue heterogeneity, while EIT requires numerous additional electrodes and produces results with low spatial resolution and high noise. Magnetic resonance EIT (MREIT) is similar to EIT, as it is also used for reconstruction of conductivity images, though voltage and current measurements are not limited to the boundaries in MREIT, hence it yields conductivity images with better spatial resolution. The aim of this study was to investigate and demonstrate the feasibility of the MREIT technique for assessment of conductivity images of tissues undergoing electroporation. Two objects were investigated: agar phantoms and ex vivo liver tissue. As expected, no significant change of electrical conductivity was detected in agar phantoms exposed to pulses of all used amplitudes, while a considerable increase of conductivity was measured in liver tissue exposed to pulses of different amplitudes. (paper)

  20. Design strategy for the combined system of shunt passive and series active filters

    OpenAIRE

    Fujita, Hideki; Akagi, Hirofumi

    1991-01-01

    A design strategy for the combined power filter for a three-phase twelve-pulse thyristor rectifier is proposed. The shunt passive filter, which can minimize the output voltage of the series active filter, is designed and tested in a prototype model. A specially designed shunt passive filter makes it possible to reduce the required rating of the series active filter to 60% compared with a conventional shunt passive filter

  1. Characterization of the coagulation profile in children with liver disease and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beattie, William; Magnusson, Maria; Hardikar, Winita; Monagle, Paul; Ignjatovic, Vera

    2017-03-01

    Chronic liver disease causes a disruption of procoagulant and anticoagulant factors, resulting in a fragile state, prone to increased rates of both bleeding and thrombosis. Currently, there is limited literature describing the changes observed in pediatric liver disease and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt. This study aimed to describe the changes that occur in children with chronic liver disease and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt. We measured the concentration and activity of key procoagulant and anticoagulant factors in children with liver disease, children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt, and healthy children. Children with severe liver disease had coagulopathic changes, including either decreased concentration or activity of factor II, factor V, and factor VII. Nineteen percent (8/42) of the cohort had significant bleeding. Thrombophilic changes were also observed, including decreased concentration or activity of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin and increased concentration and activity of factor VIII and Von Willebrand factor. Similar coagulation factor changes were observed in children with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt. There was a trend toward greater changes in coagulation factor activity compared to concentration. This study provides a detailed description of the changes in both the concentration and activity of coagulation factors in pediatric liver disease and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction or shunt. Interestingly, procoagulant and anticoagulant factors were deranged in portal vein obstruction or shunt to a similar degree as in liver disease. An improved understanding of the coagulation profile in the pediatric setting will contribute to the improved management of liver disease and extrahepatic portal obstruction or shunt. PELD: pediatric end-stage liver disease score; MELD: model for end-stage liver disease score; ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; MCRI: Murdoch Childrens

  2. Myocardial blood flow and V/sub O2/ in conscious lambs with an aortopulmonary shunt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toorop, G.P.; Hardjowijono, R.; Dalinghaus, M.; Gerding, A.M.; Koers, J.H.; Zijlstra, W.G.; Kuipers, J.R.G.

    1987-01-01

    The authors measured myocardial blood flow (q/sub LVFW/) using radioactively-labeled microspheres and O 2 consumption of the left ventricular free wall (V/sub O 2 , LVFW/) in 13 chronically instrumented, 7-wk-old lambs with an aortopulmonary left-to-right shunt (S) and in 10 control lamps without a shunt (C). The measured V/sub O 2 , LVFW/ was compared with the calculated values obtained by two predictive indexes, the rate-pressure product (RPP) and the pressure-work index (PWI). Measured V/sub O 2 , LVFW/ in S lambs was significantly higher than in C lambs. This was achieved by the significantly higher q/sub LVFW/, since the arteriovenous O 2 difference across the left ventricular free wall was similar in both groups of lambs. Total coronary blood flow per unit body mass in S lambs was higher than in C lambs, not only because of the increased V/sub O 2 , LVFW/ per unit muscle mass, but also because of the increased total heart weight. Correct estimation of V/sub O 2 /, LVFW/ by means of the RPP and the PWI was only possible in C lambs. In S lambs the estimated values were significantly lower than the measured ones. They conclude that since V/sub O 2 , LVFW/ in S lambs is twice as high as in C lambs, the data support the view that a volume load caused by a left-to-right shunt may have a more profound effect on myocardial O 2 consumption than could be anticipated on the basis of previous work

  3. Two cases of esophageal cancer with portal hypertension: esophagectomy with venous shunt procedure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, T; Motohara, T; Kaneko, Y; Shikishima, H; Okushiba, S; Kondo, S; Kato, H

    2001-01-01

    We performed venous shunt procedure in the reconstruction of the esophagus after esophagectomy using the gastric tube in two cases of esophageal cancer with portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis. In both cases, the short-term postoperative course was uneventful, without congestion in the gastric tube. In Case 1 where the short gastric vein had been used as the shunt vein, the long-term postoperative course was also uneventful, without hepatic encephalopathy or hemorrhage from deterioration of the varices of the gastric tube. However, in Case 2 where the left gastroepiploic vein had been used, hepatic encephalopathy developed due to excessive shunt flow. These results suggested that appropriate shunt flow could be expected by using short gastric vein.

  4. Pulmonary vascular input impedance is a combined measure of pulmonary vascular resistance and stiffness and predicts clinical outcomes better than pulmonary vascular resistance alone in pediatric patients with pulmonary hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Kendall S; Lee, Po-Feng; Lanning, Craig J; Ivy, D Dunbar; Kirby, K Scott; Claussen, Lori R; Chan, K Chen; Shandas, Robin

    2008-01-01

    Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is the current standard for evaluating reactivity in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, PVR measures only the mean component of right ventricular afterload and neglects pulsatile effects. We recently developed and validated a method to measure pulmonary vascular input impedance, which revealed excellent correlation between the zero harmonic impedance value and PVR and suggested a correlation between higher-harmonic impedance values and pulmonary vascular stiffness. Here we show that input impedance can be measured routinely and easily in the catheterization laboratory, that impedance provides PVR and pulmonary vascular stiffness from a single measurement, and that impedance is a better predictor of disease outcomes compared with PVR. Pressure and velocity waveforms within the main pulmonary artery were measured during right heart catheterization of patients with normal pulmonary artery hemodynamics (n = 14) and those with PAH undergoing reactivity evaluation (49 subjects, 95 conditions). A correction factor needed to transform velocity into flow was obtained by calibrating against cardiac output. Input impedance was obtained off-line by dividing Fourier-transformed pressure and flow waveforms. Exceptional correlation was found between the indexed zero harmonic of impedance and indexed PVR (y = 1.095x + 1.381, R2 = 0.9620). In addition, the modulus sum of the first 2 harmonics of impedance was found to best correlate with indexed pulse pressure over stroke volume (y = 13.39x - 0.8058, R2 = 0.7962). Among a subset of patients with PAH (n = 25), cumulative logistic regression between outcomes to total indexed impedance was better (R(L)2 = 0.4012) than between outcomes and indexed PVR (R(L)2 = 0.3131). Input impedance can be consistently and easily obtained from pulse-wave Doppler and a single catheter pressure measurement, provides comprehensive characterization of the main components of RV afterload, and

  5. Reduction of shunt obstructions by using a peel-away sheath technique? A multicenter prospective randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kehler, Uwe; Langer, Niels; Gliemroth, Jan; Meier, Ullrich; Lemcke, Johannes; Sprung, Christian; Schlosser, Hans-Georg; Kiefer, Michael; Eymann, Regina; Heese, Oliver

    2012-05-01

    Shunt obstructions may partly be caused by brain debris, which intrude into the ventricular catheter during ventricle puncture. Avoiding contact between the catheter and brain tissue, by using a peel-away sheath, should reduce the number of shunt failures caused by obstruction. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a randomized, prospective multicenter study. 201 patients from 6 different neurosurgical centers in Germany receiving a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt were included in this study. Of these, 177 patients completed a 1-year follow-up period. Surgery was randomized in a 1 to 1 fashion, such that out of 177 procedures, 91 were performed using a peel-away sheath and 86 were performed without. The rate of surgical re-interventions and shunt obstructions within a 12-month period was recorded. Within 1 year post-surgery, 17 shunt obstructions (9.6%) leading to shunt revisions were recorded. However, no difference was found between surgeries performed using a peel-away sheath (9.9%) or not (9.3%). The overall shunt infection rate was 2.8% and the shunt revision rate for overdrainage was 3.9%. The theoretical advantages attributed to the use of a peel-away sheath to introduce a ventricular catheter could not be confirmed in this randomized study, suggesting that the proposed role of brain debris in shunt obstructions may be overestimated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Impedance analysis on organic ultrathin layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bom, Sidhant; Wagner, Veit [Jacobs University Bremen, School of Engineering and Science, Campus Ring 8, 28759 Bremen (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Impedance spectroscopy is a standard technique for thin film analysis to obtain important information as thicknesses, diffusion properties of mobile ions and leakage currents. The measured electrical impedance of a sample is modeled by a physical equivalent circuit of resistors and capacitors. In the present work this information is obtained as a function of frequency also for ultrathin organic layers in the monolayer regime. A series of semiconducting and insulating polymers (regioregular poly-3-hexylthiophene (rr-P3HT), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)) and self assembled monolayers (octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), thiolated phospholipids) were deposited either on highly n-doped silicon wafers or on gold surfaces. E.g. ultrathin layers were obtained by dip coating a silicon wafer in rr-P3HT solution in chloroform. The thickness of 2 nm determined for this system by impedance measurement agrees well with the atomic force microscopy analysis and corresponds to a single layer of polymer chains. The leakage current is seen as an ohmic contribution at low frequencies and allows a systematic optimization of process parameters. In summary, impedance spectroscopy allows very fast and convenient analysis of thin organic layers even down to the monolayer regime.

  7. A cell impedance measurement device for the cytotoxicity assay dependent on the velocity of supplied toxic fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Yoon-Tae; Kim, Min-Ji; Cho, Young-Ho

    2018-04-01

    We present a cell impedance measurement chip capable of characterizing the toxic response of cells depending on the velocity of the supplied toxic fluid. Previous impedance-based devices using a single open-top chamber have been limited to maintaining a constant supply velocity, and devices with a single closed-top chamber present difficulties in simultaneous cytotoxicity assay for varying levels of supply velocities. The present device, capable of generating constant and multiple levels of toxic fluid velocity simultaneously within a single stepwise microchannel, performs a cytotoxicity assay dependent on toxic fluid velocity, in order to find the effective velocity of toxic fluid to cells for maximizing the cytotoxic effect. We analyze the cellular toxic response of 5% ethanol media supplied to cancer cells within a toxic fluid velocity range of 0-8.3 mm s-1. We observe the velocity-dependent cell detachment rate, impedance, and death rate. We find that the cell detachment rate decreased suddenly to 2.4% at a velocity of 4.4 mm s-1, and that the change rates of cell resistance and cell capacitance showed steep decreases to 8% and 41%, respectively, at a velocity of 5.7 mm s-1. The cell death rate and impedance fell steeply to 32% at a velocity of 5.7 mm s-1. We conclude that: (1) the present device is useful in deciding on the toxic fluid velocity effective to cytotoxicity assay, since the cellular toxic response is dependent on the velocity of toxic fluid, and; (2) the cell impedance analysis facilitates a finer cellular response analysis, showing better correlation with the cell death rate, compared to conventional visual observation. The present device, capable of performing the combinational analysis of toxic fluid velocity and cell impedance, has potential for application to the fine cellular toxicity assay of drugs with proper toxic fluid velocity.

  8. 21 CFR 882.5550 - Central nervous system fluid shunt and components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Central nervous system fluid shunt and components... Central nervous system fluid shunt and components. (a) Identification. A central nervous system fluid... central nervous system to an internal delivery site or an external receptacle for the purpose of relieving...

  9. Intrahepatic Portosystemic Venous Shunt: Successful Embolization Using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Young Ju; Shin, Byung Seok; Lee, In Ho; Ohm, Joon Young; Lee, Byung Seok; Ahn, Moon Sang [Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ho Jun [Dept. of Radiology, Konyang University Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-11-15

    A 67-year-old woman presented with memory impairment and behavioral changes. Brain MRI indicated hepatic encephalopathy. Abdominal CT scans revealed an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt that consisted of two shunt tracts to the aneurysmal sac that communicated directly with the right hepatic vein. The large tract was successfully occluded by embolization using the newly available AMPLATZERTM Vascular Plug II and the small tract was occluded by using coils. The patient's symptoms disappeared after shunt closure and she remained free of recurrence at the 3-month follow-up evaluation.

  10. Wall-plug efficiency analysis of semi-active piezoelectric shunt damping systems

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Václavík, Jan; Kodejška, M.; Mokrý, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 20, September (2014), 1077546314548910 ISSN 1077-5463 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1206; GA ČR GA13-10365S Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Piezoelectric shunt damping * vibration isolation * negative capacitor * wall-plug efficiency * mechanical power measurement * power supply optimization Subject RIV: BI - Acoustics Impact factor: 4.355, year: 2013 http://jvc.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/09/17/1077546314548910

  11. Laparoscopic assisted ventriculoperitoneal shunt revisions as an option for pediatric patients with previous intraabdominal complications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda O. de Carvalho

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Multiple shunt failure is a challenge in pediatric neurosurgery practice and one of the most feared complications of hydrocephalus. Objective: To demonstrate that laparoscopic procedures for distal ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure may be an effective option for patients who underwent multiple revisions due to repetitive manipulation of the peritoneal cavity, abdominal pseudocyst, peritonitis or other situations leading to a “non reliable” peritoneum. Method: From March 2012 to February 2013, the authors reviewed retrospectively the charts of six patients born and followed up at our institution, which presented with previous intra-peritoneal complications and underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt revision assisted by video laparoscopy. Results: After a mean follow-up period of nine months, all patients are well and no further shunt failure was identified so far. Conclusion: Laparoscopy assisted shunt revision in children may be, in selected cases, an effective option for patients with multiple peritoneal complications due to ventriculo-peritoneal shunting.

  12. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy versus ventriculoperitoneal shunt ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Patients' medical records, operative notes, and neural tube database records were used to complete a structured questionnaire. The difference in ... likely after 6 months. Keywords: obstructive hydrocephalus; endoscopic third ventriculostomy; ventriculoperitoneal shunt; children; paediatric surgery; neurosurgery; Ethiopia ...

  13. The application of impedance measurement to assess biofilm development on technical materials used for water supply system construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf Mirela

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The lack of biological stability of water which is introduced into the network, leads primarily to its secondary contamination during transport to the consumer. The water that is biologically unstable creates ideal conditions for colonization of the inner surface of pipelines by microorganisms and adhesion of their products (biocorrosion. The studies was conducted using the identified microorganisms isolated from the water supply network which accounted inocula in continuous culture of biofilm in CDC reactor. As a result of studies it was revealed the presence of biofilm formed on different materials polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polybutylene. Microbiological biodiversity of organisms inhabiting a biofilm of the diversity of nucleic acids was used. It was observed the amount of the psychrophilic bacteria oscillation in the effluent from the reactor. It was also determined the affinity of various bacteria to the plastic through adhesion measurement using impedance spectroscopy. For impedance measurements apparatus SIGNAL RECOVERY 7280 DSP LOCK-IN AMPLIFIER was used, recording impedance components (real and imaginary. The results will allow for the creation of biosensor systems that can be used in predicting health risks in connection with drinking water and taking corrective actions.

  14. The application of impedance measurement to assess biofilm development on technical materials used for water supply system construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Mirela; Traczewska, Teodora; Grzebyk, Tomasz

    2017-11-01

    The lack of biological stability of water which is introduced into the network, leads primarily to its secondary contamination during transport to the consumer. The water that is biologically unstable creates ideal conditions for colonization of the inner surface of pipelines by microorganisms and adhesion of their products (biocorrosion). The studies was conducted using the identified microorganisms isolated from the water supply network which accounted inocula in continuous culture of biofilm in CDC reactor. As a result of studies it was revealed the presence of biofilm formed on different materials polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polybutylene. Microbiological biodiversity of organisms inhabiting a biofilm of the diversity of nucleic acids was used. It was observed the amount of the psychrophilic bacteria oscillation in the effluent from the reactor. It was also determined the affinity of various bacteria to the plastic through adhesion measurement using impedance spectroscopy. For impedance measurements apparatus SIGNAL RECOVERY 7280 DSP LOCK-IN AMPLIFIER was used, recording impedance components (real and imaginary). The results will allow for the creation of biosensor systems that can be used in predicting health risks in connection with drinking water and taking corrective actions.

  15. A comparison study of electrodes for neonate electrical impedance tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahal, Mohamad; Demosthenous, Andreas; Khor, Joo Moy; Tizzard, Andrew; Bayford, Richard

    2009-01-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging technique that has the potential to be used for studying neonate lung function. The properties of the electrodes are very important in multi-frequency EIT (MFEIT) systems, particularly for neonates, as the skin cannot be abraded to reduce contact impedance. In this work, the impedance of various clinical electrodes as a function of frequency is investigated to identify the optimum electrode type for this application. Six different types of self-adhesive electrodes commonly used in general and neonatal cardiology have been investigated. These electrodes are Ag/AgCl electrodes from the Ambu® Cardiology Blue sensors range (BR, NF and BRS), Kendall (KittyCat(TM) and ARBO®) and Philips 13953D electrodes. In addition, a textile electrode without gel from Textronics was tested on two subjects to allow comparison with the hydrogel-based electrodes. Two- and four-electrode measurements were made to determine the electrode-interface and tissue impedances, respectively. The measurements were made on the back of the forearm of six healthy adult volunteers without skin preparation with 2.5 cm electrode spacing. Impedance measurements were carried out using a Solartron SI 1260 impedance/gain-phase analyser with a frequency range from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. For the electrode-interface impedance, the average magnitude decreased with frequency, with an average value of 5 kΩ at 10 kHz and 337 Ω at 1 MHz; for the tissue impedance, the respective values were 987 Ω and 29 Ω. Overall, the Ambu BRS, Kendall ARBO® and Textronics textile electrodes gave the lowest electrode contact impedance at 1 MHz. Based on the results of the two-electrode measurements, simple RC models for the Ambu BRS and Kendall-ARBO and Textronics textile electrodes have been derived for MFEIT applications

  16. Modeling degradation in SOEC impedance spectra

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Søren Højgaard; Hauch, Anne; Knibbe, Ruth

    2013-01-01

    Solid oxide cell (SOC) performance is limited by various processes. One way to investigate these processes is by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In order to quantify and characterize the processes, an equivalent circuit can be used to model the SOC impedance spectra (IS). Unfortunately......, the optimal equivalent circuit is often unknown and to complicate matters further, several processes contribute to the SOC impedance - making detailed process characterization difficult. In this work we analyze and model a series of IS measured during steam electrolysis operation of an SOC. During testing......, degradation is only observed in the Ni/YSZ electrode and not in the electrolyte or the LSM/YSZ electrode. A batch fit of the differences between the IS shows that a modified Gerischer element provides a better fit to the Ni/YSZ electrode impedance than the frequently used RQ element - albeit neither...

  17. Treatment of Occluded Distal Splenorenal Shunts with Endovascular Stents: A Report of Two Cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez-Medina, Antonio; Peiro, Javier; Gonzalez de Garay, Miguel; Antonana, Miguel A.; Sustacha, Jon; Grande, Domingo

    2001-01-01

    Surgical treatment of an occluded or stenotic portosystemic shunt is difficult and carries a high risk of mortality. We report two cases of early thrombosis of distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) successfully treated by transcatheter recanalization and stent placement. At 18-month follow-up, the patients remained asymptomatic and control venograms showed continued patency of the shunt with no evidence of stenosis or collaterals

  18. Beam impedance of ferrite kicker magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voelker, F.; Lambertson, G.

    1989-03-01

    We have measured the longitudinal beam impedance of a typical pulsed magnet that will be used in the Advanced Light Source. The magnets are of a ferrite window-frame design with a single plate conductor on each side. Two separate power supplies are used to drive current in opposite directions in the two conductors. The continuity of the ferrite yoke is interrupted by two copper plates 1 mm thick in the center of the top and bottom of the window frame. This increases the reluctance of the magnetic path, and thus decreases the flux which couples the beam. The measurements were made by exciting a 1/8'' rod along the beam path through the magnet. This makes a 185 ohm transmission line, and it was terminated in a resistive divider at the exit end. A 3 GHz network analyzer was used to measure S 21 through the magnet, and longitudinal beam impedance was calculated from this data. The impedance is dominated by two low frequency resonances in the magnet winding and drive current. 8 figs

  19. Validity of bioelectrical impedance measurement in predicting fat-free mass of Chinese children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lin; Hui, Stanley Sai-chuen; Wong, Stephen Heung-sang

    2014-11-15

    The current study aimed to examine the validity of various published bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) equations in estimating FFM among Chinese children and adolescents and to develop BIA equations for the estimation of fat-free mass (FFM) appropriate for Chinese children and adolescents. A total of 255 healthy Chinese children and adolescents aged 9 to 19 years old (127 males and 128 females) from Tianjin, China, participated in the BIA measurement at 50 kHz between the hand and the foot. The criterion measure of FFM was also employed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). FFM estimated from 24 published BIA equations was cross-validated against the criterion measure from DEXA. Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine alternative BIA equation for the studied population. FFM estimated from the 24 published BIA equations yielded high correlations with the directly measured FFM from DEXA. However, none of the 24 equations was statistically equivalent with the DEXA-measured FFM. Using multiple linear regression and cross-validation against DEXA measurement, an alternative prediction equation was determined as follows: FFM (kg)=1.613+0.742×height (cm)2/impedance (Ω)+0.151×body weight (kg); R2=0.95; SEE=2.45 kg; CV=6.5, 93.7% of the residuals of all the participants fell within the 95% limits of agreement. BIA was highly correlated with FFM in Chinese children and adolescents. When the new developed BIA equations are applied, BIA can provide a practical and valid measurement of body composition in Chinese children and adolescents.

  20. Impedance pattern of vaginal and vestibular mucosa in cyclic goats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivo Křivánek

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The changes of vaginal and vestibular impedance during the oestrous cycle in goats were examined. The onset of oestrus was teased with a buck once a day during the experiment. Impedance was mea­sured by a four-terminal method. The vaginal impedance was recorded under slight pressure of electrodes to the vaginal dorsal wall at the cervix. The vestibular impedance was recorded under slight pressure of electrodes to the vestibular dorsal wall 5 cm from the vulva and at the vulva. The im­pe­dan­ce was measured once a day from 4 days before the expected oestrus to 6 days after onset of oestrus. The vaginal impedance at the cervix decreased during pro-oestrus (P < 0.01 and increased du­ring oestrus (P < 0.01. The vestibular impedance 5 cm from the vulva decreased during pro-oestrus (P < 0.01 and increased after oestrus (P < 0.01. The decrease of vaginal impedance during peri-oestrus was nearly twofold in comparison with the vestibular impedance 5 cm from the vulva. No sig­ni­fi­cant decrease of the vestibular impedance at the vulva was found during the oestrous cycle. The results indicate that the vaginal impedance at the cervix and vestibular impedance 5 cm from the vulva measured by means of a four-terminal method during the oestrous cycle display cyclic changes that are closely related to the oestrous behaviour of goats.