Solid metabolic waste transport and stowage investigation

The basic Waste Collection System (WCS) design under consideration utilized air flow to separate the stool from the WCS user and to transport the fecal material to a slinger device for subsequent deposition on a storage bowel. The major parameters governing stool separation and transport were found to be the area of the air inlet orifices, the configuration of the air inlet orifice and the transport air flow. Separation force and transport velocity of the stool were studied. The developed inlet orifice configuration was found to be an effective design for providing fecal separation and transport. Simulated urine tests and female user tests in zero gravity established air flow rates between 0.08 and 0.25 cu sm/min (3 and 9 scfm) as satisfactory for entrapment, containment and transport of urine using an urinal. The investigation of air drying of fecal material as a substitute for vacuum drying in a WCS breadboard system showed that using baseline conditions anticipated for the shuttle cabin ambient atmosphere, flow rates of 0.14 cu sm/min (5 cfm) were adequate for drying and maintaining biological stability of the fecal material

An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for the conservative and nonpharmacological management of female pelvic floor dysfunction

There has been an increasing need for the terminology on the conservative management of female pelvic floor dysfunction to be collated in a clinically based consensus report.This Report combines the input of members and elected nominees of the Standardization and Terminology Committees of two International Organizations, the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) and the International Continence Society (ICS), assisted at intervals by many external referees. An extensive process of nine rounds of internal and external review was developed to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by collective opinion (consensus). Before opening up for comments on the webpages of ICS and IUGA, five experts from physiotherapy, neurology, urology, urogynecology, and nursing were invited to comment on the paper.A Terminology Report on the conservative management of female pelvic floor dysfunction, encompassing over 200 separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically based, with the most common symptoms, signs, assessments, diagnoses, and treatments defined. Clarity and ease of use have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in all the different specialty groups involved in female pelvic floor dysfunction. Ongoing review is not only anticipated, but will be required to keep the document updated and as widely acceptable as possible.A consensus-based terminology report for the conservative management of female pelvic floor dysfunction has been produced, aimed at being a significant aid to clinical practice and a stimulus for research

Anal Incontinence

This open access book describes the latest advances in the anal incontinence diagnostic and therapeutic processes. Anal incontinence is a devastating condition heavily impacting on the patients’ lives. Those suffering from this disorder are generally very embarrassed and reluctant to undergo an appropriate clinical evaluation, thus becoming more isolated and worsening the quality of their life. Luckily, nowadays a wide range of treatments is available to improve this oppressive condition; however, the recognition of the related pathophysiological alterations is mandatory to grant its successful management. This volume will help the surgeons community to keep abreast of developments in diagnostics and treatment of this impairing condition. and will provide all health professionals with the appropriate tools to face this impairing condition

Applications of aerospace technology in the public sector

Current activities of the program to accelerate specific applications of space related technology in major public sector problem areas are summarized for the period 1 June 1971 through 30 November 1971. An overview of NASA technology, technology applications, and supporting activities are presented. Specific technology applications in biomedicine are reported including cancer detection, treatment and research; cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis, and treatment; medical instrumentation; kidney function disorders, treatment, and research; and rehabilitation medicine

Fecal Incontinence

Fecal incontinence is a common and disabling condition that unfortunately remains an “orphan” in terms of medical research and effective therapies. This book provides a brief review of the pathophysiology of fecal incontinence with specific focus on women and children. Authorship is drawn internationally, with a strong surgical input. Contributions from the authors provide critical reviews of the evaluation of function, with illustrations of a range of surgical interventions which might be applied should medical therapies fail

Design and Testing Novel Wearable Instrumentation for Assessing Pelvic Floor Function and Exploring Continence Mechanisms

Urinary incontinence (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI) affect 20% of North Americans, with a higher prevalence in women and the elderly. The prevention and treatment of these conditions unfortunately leaves much to be desired, despite the $88B and$49B annual U.S. costs associated with managing UI and FI, respectively. Recent research suggests that the major problem lies with the sphincters themselves, rather than other structures. More needs to be learned about how age, injury and disease affect these sphincters. The literature is reviewed in Chapter 1, knowledge gaps are identified and testable hypotheses formulated. In Chapter 2, we describe the first subject-specific, 3-D, biomechanics model of the urethra capable of contracting the three individual muscle layers along their lines of action. This was developed to better understand how the different layers contribute to urethral closure during activities of daily living. Exploratory studies of the vascular plexus suggest a role in affecting functional urethral length. While this model helps one to understand which muscles contribute to continence, it could not provide insights into the amount of urine leaked which, after all, is what bothers women the most. In Chapter 3, we describe a novel approach for quantifying urine leakage both in and out of the clinic. While one can presently obtain micturition flowmetry in the seated posture in the clinic, this precludes the possibility of any information being gathered on leakage during activities of daily living (ADL). Instead, a patient must keep a leakage diary for several days, which unfortunately is prone to recall bias and other errors. Therefore, a novel wearable personal uroflowmeter (PUF) was invented and developed to attach over the urethral meatus in women to collect urine flow rate and leakage data during ADL leakage episodes. This was connected with a waist-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide data on the pose and ADL associated with the volume of each leakage episode. Chapter 4 describes the first-in-human testing of the PUF in women in and outside the clinic, demonstrating the feasibility of wearable uroflowmetry. Moreover, theoretical studies of labia majora coaptation suggest that the labia can inadvertently form a potential reservoir for urine leakage during a sneeze or cough. This insight will help eliminate the confusion over the relationship between the ADL causing the passage of urine through the urethra (i.e., a cough) and that which later causes urine to leak from the labial reservoir (i.e., rising from a chair). A few incidents of this phenomenon were measured for the first time while testing the PUF in women. In terms of anorectal function, Chapter 5 reports the design and development of a disposable point-of-service instrumented anorectal manometry glove (“digital manometry”, DM) for testing anal sphincter and anorectal function at an order of magnitude lower cost than the standard high resolution anorectal manometry (HR-ARM). Chapter 6 reports first-in-human testing of the DM device in patients with and without FI and chronic constipation. Comparisons of the DM and HR-ARM results show reasonable agreement. In addition, the DM also provided myoelectric information useful for identifying paradoxical contraction of the anorectal muscle in patients with dyssynergic defecation. In summary, the dissertation provides novel and inexpensive approaches for a clinician or researcher to better document and understand incontinence.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163121/1/attari_1.pd

Constipation

Constipation is common in both adults and children. Estimates would suggest a median prevalence of around 12-16% in the general population. While regarded as a minor nuisance in some cases, its consequences can be severe, with a substantial impact on quality of life. Secondary faecal soiling has a profound psychological effect at all ages. This book provides contributions from authors with a range of backgrounds which clarify the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of constipation for the general population and also for certain high risk groups

Hygiene and Sanitation Software: An Overview of Approaches

A review of the state of the art in methods and techniques for sanitation and hygiene behaviour change, and other non-hardware aspects of sanitation programming. Includes introductory text and detailed entries on more than 20 approaches and techniques, with key references, summary information on effectiveness and implementation and an assessment of when different approaches should be used