Anatomic Characterization and Profilometry of Tissues with Natural Shape: A Real-time Approach for Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

This master thesis is divided into two major sections. First, anatomic characterization and profilometry of tissues with natural shape: a real-time approach for robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS); and second, design and characterization of a novel tactile array sensor capable of differentiating among different viscoelastic tissues that exhibit time-dependent behaviour. The first part of this thesis is focused on a tissue characterization system for RMIS applications. RMIS has gained immense popularity with the advent of high-precision robotic systems. The lack of haptic feedback, however, is considered as being one of the main drawbacks of present-day RMIS systems. In order to compensate for this deficiency, a novel tissue characterization system is proposed which is inspired from the human haptic system. Hence, kinesthetic and tactile feedback which are constitutive components of human haptic system are used to characterize naturally shaped tissues. Toward this goal, a 5-degree-of-freedom robot which is called Catalys5 is equipped with a ball caster force-cell. The system is used to simulate robotic surgery maneuvers in which an admittance control approach is implemented to design the force feedback controller. The proposed method characterizes naturally shaped tissues, which is capable of touching and palpating to: a) Identify the 2D or 3D surface profile of the target tissue (profilometry), b) Measure the modulus of elasticity of any desired point on the tissue’s surface, c) Find and map the location of any lump in the tissue, and d) Map hardness distribution around the lump. Initially, silicon-rubber materials were used to build tissue phantoms with different curvatures and degrees of softness. The surface profiles were obtained using the developed profilometry algorithm and validated using a 3D scanner. In addition, several experiments were conducted on bovine tissues to evaluate all above mentioned capabilities of the system. The results of experiments on real tissues were also compared to those that are available in current literature. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be used for reliable material characterization for RMIS application. The second part of this thesis is focused on developing an array tactile sensor for distinguishing softness of viscoelastic tissues with time-dependent behaviour for use in MIS and RMIS. Review of literature on tactile sensors reveals that the vast majority deals with determining the applied contact force and object elasticity. In this research, a novel idea is proposed in which a tactile sensor array can measure rate of displacement in addition to force and displacement of any viscoelastic material during the course of a single touch. In order to verify this new array sensor, several experiments were conducted on a range of biological tissues. It was concluded that this novel tactile sensor can distinguish among the softness of real biological tissue with time-dependent behaviour

A Textbook of Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The scope of OMF surgery has expanded; encompassing treatment of diseases, disorders, defects and injuries of the head, face, jaws and oral cavity. This internationally-recognized specialty is evolving with advancements in technology and instrumentation. Specialists of this discipline treat patients with impacted teeth, facial pain, misaligned jaws, facial trauma, oral cancer, cysts and tumors; they also perform facial cosmetic surgery and place dental implants. The contents of this volume essentially complements the volume 1; with chapters that cover both basic and advanced concepts on complex topics in oral and maxillofacial surgery

11th International Conference on Business, Technology and Innovation 2022

Welcome to IC – UBT 2022 UBT Annual International Conference is the 11th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make them be aware of the recent advancements in different research fields, and provide them with a unique forum to share their experiences. It is also the place to support the new academic staff for doing research and publish their work in international standard level. This conference consists of sub conferences in different fields like: Security Studies Sport, Health and Society Psychology Political Science Pharmaceutical and Natural Sciences Mechatronics, System Engineering and Robotics Medicine and Nursing Modern Music, Digital Production and Management Management, Business and Economics Language and Culture Law Journalism, Media and Communication Information Systems and Security Integrated Design Energy Efficiency Engineering Education and Development Dental Sciences Computer Science and Communication Engineering Civil Engineering, Infrastructure and Environment Architecture and Spatial Planning Agriculture, Food Science and Technology Art and Digital Media This conference is the major scientific event of the UBT. It is organizing annually and always in cooperation with the partner universities from the region and Europe. We have to thank all Authors, partners, sponsors and also the conference organizing team making this event a real international scientific event. Edmond Hajrizi, President of UBT UBT – Higher Education Institutio

The acceptance of telemedicine technology among medical doctors in Finland

Historically, healthcare has been seen as a slow adopter of new technology. Telemedicine services and its related technologies currently face significant changes and rapid expansion, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is generally accepted that the success of any new technology relies to a great extent on users’ satisfaction and satisfied medical doctors are therefore one of the key objectives of telemedicine service success. This quantitative study aims to determine which factors predict the adoption of telemedicine technology among medical doctors in Finland. It applies the telemedicine service acceptance model (TSA) which is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and has been previously validated in South Korea. In addition, this study evaluates the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the medical doctors’ attitude towards telemedicine services. To test the hypotheses of the TSA model, an online survey was distributed to medical doctors in Finland. Non-probabilistic “snowballing” sampling technique was used and resulted in 185 responses. Structural equation modeling was applied to evaluate the causal relationships within the model. The results confirm the original TAM constructs: perceived ease of use & perceived usefulness are strong predictors of medical doctors’ behavioral intention to adopt telemedicine technology, and perceived ease of use is a predictor of perceived usefulness. Of the new predictive constructs in the TSA model, self-efficacy and accessibility of medical records were predictors of perceived ease of use, whereas accessibility of patients was a predictor of perceived usefulness. Perceived incentives were not found to be important concerning the intention to use telemedicine technology. Also, having had experience with telemedicine either before or during the Covid-19 pandemic and if the attitude towards telemedicine services had improved during the Covid-19 pandemic, they both predicted a higher behavioral intention to use telemedicine services in the future. This study contributes to the theoretical knowledge of technology acceptance by identifying important factors increasing the medical doctors’ acceptance of telemedicine technology. The results also indicate that the adoption of telemedicine services is likely to further accelerate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Historiallisesti terveydenhuoltoalaa on pidetty hitaana uuden teknologian omaksujana. Etälääketieteen palvelut ja siihen liittyvä teknologia kokevat tällä hetkellä paljon muutoksia ja nopeaa kasvua, osittain Covid-19-pandemiasta johtuen. On yleisesti tunnustettu, että minkä tahansa uuden teknologian menestys riippuu paljolti käyttäjien tyytyväisyydestä ja tyytyväiset lääkärit ovatkin etälääketieteen palveluiden onnistumisen kannalta avainasemassa. Tässä kvantitatiivisessa tutkimuksessa määritetään, mitkä tekijät ennakoivat etälääketieteen teknologian omaksumista lääkäreiden keskuudessa Suomessa. Tutkimuksessa käytetään etälääketieteen palveluiden omaksumismallia (TSA; telemedicine service acceptance), joka perustuu teknologian omaksumismalliin (TAM; technology acceptance model) ja on aikaisemmin validoitu Etelä-Koreassa. Lisäki tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaa Covid-19-pandemian vaikutuksia lääkäreiden asenteisiin etälääketieteen palveluita kohtaan. Etälääketieteen palveuiden omaksumismallin hypoteesien testaamista varten verkkopohjaista kyselyä jaettiin lääkäreille Suomessa. Ei todennäköisyysotantaan perustuvaa ”lumipallotekniikkaa” käytettiin vastausten keräämisessä, jonka seurauksena kyselyyn kertyi 185 vastausta. Rakenneyhtälömallia käytettiin tarkasteltaessa syy-yhetyksiä. Tulokset vahvistavat alkuperäisen teknologian omaksumismallin käsitteitä: koettu käyttöhelppous & koettu hyödyllisyys ennakoivat vahvasti lääkäreiden käyttöaikeita omaksua etälääketieteen teknologiaa sekä koettu käyttöhelppous ennakoi koettua hyödyllisyyttä. Etälääketieteen palveluiden omaksumismallin uusista ennakoivista käsitteistä minäpystyvyys ja pääsy potilasasiakirjoihin ennakoivat koettua käyttöhelppoutta, kun taas potilaiden saavutettavuus ennakoi koettua hyödyllisyyttä. Koettujen kannusteiden ei todeta olevan tärkeä tekijä ennakoimassa etälääketieteen teknologian käyttöä. Lisäksi aikaisempi kokemus etälääketieteestä joko ennen Covid-19-pandemiaa tai sen aikana sekä jos asenne etälääketiedettä kohtaan Covid-19-pandemian aikana oli parantunut ennakoivat molemmat korkeampaa etälääketieteen teknologian käyttöaikeita tulevaisuudessa. Tämä tutkimus edesauttaa teknologian käyttöönoton teoreettista ymmärryspohjaa tunnistamalla niitä tärkeitä tekijöitä, jotka lisäävät etälääketieteen teknologian omaksumista lääkäreiden keskuudessa. Tulokset osoittavat myös, että etälääketieteen palveluiden omaksuminen todennäköisesti kiihtyy entisestään Covid-19-pandemian johdosta

Front-Line Physicians' Satisfaction with Information Systems in Hospitals

Day-to-day operations management in hospital units is difficult due to continuously varying situations, several actors involved and a vast number of information systems in use. The aim of this study was to describe front-line physicians' satisfaction with existing information systems needed to support the day-to-day operations management in hospitals. A cross-sectional survey was used and data chosen with stratified random sampling were collected in nine hospitals. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The response rate was 65 % (n = 111). The physicians reported that information systems support their decision making to some extent, but they do not improve access to information nor are they tailored for physicians. The respondents also reported that they need to use several information systems to support decision making and that they would prefer one information system to access important information. Improved information access would better support physicians' decision making and has the potential to improve the quality of decisions and speed up the decision making process.Peer reviewe

You\u27ve Come A Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture

No matter what brand of feminism one may subscribe to, one thing is indisputable: the role of women in society during the past several decades has changed dramatically, and continues to change in a variety of ways. In You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby, Lilly J. Goren and an impressive group of contributors explore the remarkable advancement achieved by American women in a historically patriarchal social and political landscape, while examining where women stand today and contemplating the future challenges they face worldwide. As comprehensive as it is accessible, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby appeals to anyone interested in confronting the struggles and celebrating the achievements of women in modern society. Lilly J. Goren is associate professor of politics and global studies at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. “Nicely written and accessible.”—Kathy Merlock Jackson, editor of Walt Disney: Conversations “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby brings together a wide array of interesting essays that examine images of women and feminism in popular culture today. The volume makes a much-needed critical contribution to the developing literature of third-wave feminism.”—R. Claire Snyder, author of Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby shows us that feminist criticism can break down and understand texts with humor and insight—and in that sense, we really have come a long way. --Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin While theoretical and historical analysis aligns this book well with advanced undergraduate and graduate work, consideration of popular culture and current trends creates ample interest for general readers. --Social and Behavioral Sciences Some of the articles are down-to-earth, some are down-and-dirty. Some are matter-of-fact, others deliberately argumentative in tone. The book itself is a treasury. --Lincoln County News Offers fresh insights into the role of feminism in America. --Paintsville Heraldhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_womens_studies/1013/thumbnail.jp

John Savage

U radu je realiziran laboratorijski model sustava upravljanja sinkronim strojem sa stalnim magnetima. Prilikom realizacije laboratorijskog modela koristiti se industrijski pretvarač frekvencije i napona Siemens Sinamics S120, programibilni logički kontroler (PLC) Siemens Simatic serije S7-300 i sinkroni stroj sa stalnim magnetima. PLC i pretvarač frekvencije i napona su povezani preko industrijske komunikacijske mreže PROFINET. Programskim paketom Starter konfiguriran je pretvarač i sinkroni motor sa stalnim magnetima, a pomoću TIA Portala izvršava se upravljanje cjelokupnim sustavom.For the realization of the laboratory model we used the Siemens Sinamics S120 industrial frequency and voltage inverter, Siemens Simatic S7-300 programmable logic controller (PLC) and a synchronous machine with permanent magnets. The PLC and the frequency and voltage inverter are connected via the PROFINET industrial communication network. Programming package Starter is used for configuration of inverter and synchronous machine drive with permanent magnets and TIA Portal is used for overall system management