Sensors for Vital Signs Monitoring

Sensor technology for monitoring vital signs is an important topic for various service applications, such as entertainment and personalization platforms and Internet of Things (IoT) systems, as well as traditional medical purposes, such as disease indication judgments and predictions. Vital signs for monitoring include respiration and heart rates, body temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, blood glucose concentration, brain waves, etc. Gait and walking length can also be regarded as vital signs because they can indirectly indicate human activity and status. Sensing technologies include contact sensors such as electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), non-contact sensors such as ballistocardiography (BCG), and invasive/non-invasive sensors for diagnoses of variations in blood characteristics or body fluids. Radar, vision, and infrared sensors can also be useful technologies for detecting vital signs from the movement of humans or organs. Signal processing, extraction, and analysis techniques are important in industrial applications along with hardware implementation techniques. Battery management and wireless power transmission technologies, the design and optimization of low-power circuits, and systems for continuous monitoring and data collection/transmission should also be considered with sensor technologies. In addition, machine-learning-based diagnostic technology can be used for extracting meaningful information from continuous monitoring data

Evaluation of the median nerve within the wrist during functional hand activity using ultrasonography

Over the last 20 years, an increasing number of research studies have shown that ultrasonography can provide a valid and accurate assessment of the median nerve and the pathological changes associated with median nerve disorders. More recently ultrasonographic technology has advanced and it now allows for dynamic imaging of the nerve during physical movement of the hand. However dynamic ultrasonographic imaging is still a relatively new application as is yet to be explored to its full potential in the study of median nerve dynamics and the associated pathological changes. The primary aim of this research is to study median nerve activity during physical hand movement using ultrasonography with 8-16MHz linear array transducer. The objectives are to establish an ultrasonographic technique for the dynamic imaging of the median nerve, along with an analytical method that can quantify its changing size, shape and location during four hand movements. The data obtained from participants with normal median nerve function is compared to values from participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, to investigate whether the novel method and technique could distinguish between the groups. Three studies were designed to investigate median nerve activity during physical movement using ultrasonography. The aim of the first study was to investigate if the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could measure the changing parameters of the median nerve between the start and end positions of a finger grip, power grip, pinch grip and thumb opposition movement, in non-symptomatic participants who have normal median nerve function. The second study investigated whether the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could distinguish between the non-symptomatic participants and participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, during each movement. The third study examined the change in size, shape and location of the median nerve at five intervals during the four movements and compared the data obtained from the non-symptomatic group with the values obtained from the moderate and fully symptomatic groups. The findings from the studies show that the dynamic ultrasonographic technique can be used to image the median nerve during physical activity of the hand and that the novel quantification method can be used to measure the change in the parameters of the median nerve during physical hand activity and distinguish significant differences between the non-symptomatic median nerve and those symptomatic of an median nerve disorder

Evaluation of the median nerve within the wrist during functional hand activity using ultrasonography

Over the last 20 years, an increasing number of research studies have shown that ultrasonography can provide a valid and accurate assessment of the median nerve and the pathological changes associated with median nerve disorders. More recently ultrasonographic technology has advanced and it now allows for dynamic imaging of the nerve during physical movement of the hand. However dynamic ultrasonographic imaging is still a relatively new application as is yet to be explored to its full potential in the study of median nerve dynamics and the associated pathological changes. The primary aim of this research is to study median nerve activity during physical hand movement using ultrasonography with 8-16MHz linear array transducer. The objectives are to establish an ultrasonographic technique for the dynamic imaging of the median nerve, along with an analytical method that can quantify its changing size, shape and location during four hand movements. The data obtained from participants with normal median nerve function is compared to values from participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, to investigate whether the novel method and technique could distinguish between the groups. Three studies were designed to investigate median nerve activity during physical movement using ultrasonography. The aim of the first study was to investigate if the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could measure the changing parameters of the median nerve between the start and end positions of a finger grip, power grip, pinch grip and thumb opposition movement, in non-symptomatic participants who have normal median nerve function. The second study investigated whether the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could distinguish between the non-symptomatic participants and participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, during each movement. The third study examined the change in size, shape and location of the median nerve at five intervals during the four movements and compared the data obtained from the non-symptomatic group with the values obtained from the moderate and fully symptomatic groups. The findings from the studies show that the dynamic ultrasonographic technique can be used to image the median nerve during physical activity of the hand and that the novel quantification method can be used to measure the change in the parameters of the median nerve during physical hand activity and distinguish significant differences between the non-symptomatic median nerve and those symptomatic of an median nerve disorder

Evaluation of the median nerve within the wrist during functional hand activity using ultrasonography

Over the last 20 years, an increasing number of research studies have shown that ultrasonography can provide a valid and accurate assessment of the median nerve and the pathological changes associated with median nerve disorders. More recently ultrasonographic technology has advanced and it now allows for dynamic imaging of the nerve during physical movement of the hand. However dynamic ultrasonographic imaging is still a relatively new application as is yet to be explored to its full potential in the study of median nerve dynamics and the associated pathological changes. The primary aim of this research is to study median nerve activity during physical hand movement using ultrasonography with 8-16MHz linear array transducer. The objectives are to establish an ultrasonographic technique for the dynamic imaging of the median nerve, along with an analytical method that can quantify its changing size, shape and location during four hand movements. The data obtained from participants with normal median nerve function is compared to values from participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, to investigate whether the novel method and technique could distinguish between the groups. Three studies were designed to investigate median nerve activity during physical movement using ultrasonography. The aim of the first study was to investigate if the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could measure the changing parameters of the median nerve between the start and end positions of a finger grip, power grip, pinch grip and thumb opposition movement, in non-symptomatic participants who have normal median nerve function. The second study investigated whether the novel quantification method and ultrasonographic technique could distinguish between the non-symptomatic participants and participants who are either moderately symptomatic or fully symptomatic of a median nerve disorder, during each movement. The third study examined the change in size, shape and location of the median nerve at five intervals during the four movements and compared the data obtained from the non-symptomatic group with the values obtained from the moderate and fully symptomatic groups. The findings from the studies show that the dynamic ultrasonographic technique can be used to image the median nerve during physical activity of the hand and that the novel quantification method can be used to measure the change in the parameters of the median nerve during physical hand activity and distinguish significant differences between the non-symptomatic median nerve and those symptomatic of an median nerve disorder

Oscillations in microvascular flow:their relationship to tissue oxygenation, cellular metabolic function and their diagnostic potential for detecting skin melanoma - clinical, experimental and theoretical investigations

Tumour vasculature is known to be inefficient and abnormal due to poorly regulated angiogenesis during tumour growth. This leads to irregular patterns of blood flow which are spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Many investigations into the characteristics of tumours are invasive and performed on animal models. However, continuous technological and theoretical advancement is leading to the use of non-invasive imaging techniques, providing in vivo information on humans. Here, data recorded using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in malignant melanoma and control lesions are analysed using techniques designed for application to non-stationary, time-varying data. Many studies utilising LDF have previously revealed increased blood flow in malignant lesions, but very little attention has been paid to the dynamics of this blood flow, or how it changes over time. As it has been demonstrated previously that the oscillations observed within blood flow data are physiologically significant, failure to extract these characteristics loses information about the underlying dynamical system from which the blood flow data were recorded. Significant differences in blood flow dynamics are revealed and used in the development of a diagnostic test for melanoma. In addition to the characterization of the blood flow dynamics in melanoma, possible causes for the observed changes are investigated and related to two widely observed characteristics of cancer, intermittent hypoxia and altered cellular energy metabolism. The former is explored through the analysis of blood flow and oxygenation data recorded during dry static apnoea, whilst the latter is modelled using coupled phase oscillators

Sensing and Signal Processing in Smart Healthcare

In the last decade, we have witnessed the rapid development of electronic technologies that are transforming our daily lives. Such technologies are often integrated with various sensors that facilitate the collection of human motion and physiological data and are equipped with wireless communication modules such as Bluetooth, radio frequency identification, and near-field communication. In smart healthcare applications, designing ergonomic and intuitive human–computer interfaces is crucial because a system that is not easy to use will create a huge obstacle to adoption and may significantly reduce the efficacy of the solution. Signal and data processing is another important consideration in smart healthcare applications because it must ensure high accuracy with a high level of confidence in order for the applications to be useful for clinicians in making diagnosis and treatment decisions. This Special Issue is a collection of 10 articles selected from a total of 26 contributions. These contributions span the areas of signal processing and smart healthcare systems mostly contributed by authors from Europe, including Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Netherlands. Authors from China, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Ecuador are also included

New Technologies for the Treatment of Coronary and Structural Heart Diseases

There has been significant progress in the field of interventional cardiology, from the development of newer devices to newer applications of technology, resulting in improved cardiovascular outcomes. The goal of this Special Issue is to update practicing clinicians and provide a comprehensive collection of original articles, reviews, and editorials. To this end, we invited state-of-the-art reviews, including reviews of new technology and therapeutics, as well as original research in this area to be considered for inclusion in this issue. Examples include the history and evolution of interventional techniques, reviews of specific devices and technologies for coronary artery disease (i.e., stent technology, atherectomy devices, coronary physiology, intracoronary imaging, and robotics), structural heart diseases (i.e., ASD: atrial septal defect; LAAC: left atrial appendage closure; MC: MitraClip; PFO: patent foramen ovale; TAVI: transcatheter aortic valve implantation), advances in the management of challenging coronary anatomy, new biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (noncoding RNAs, etc.), and interventional techniques in the management of heart failure, peripheral arterial diseases, and pulmonary embolism. This Special Issue presents the most recent advances in the field of coronary and structural heart diseases as well as their implications for future patient care