26 research outputs found

    User friendly knowledge acquisition system for medical devices actuation

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    Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia BiomédicaInternet provides a new environment to develop a variety of applications. Hence, large amounts of data, increasing every day, are stored and transferred through the internet. These data are normally weakly structured making information disperse, uncorrelated, non-transparent and difficult to access and share. Semantic Web, proposed by theWorldWideWeb Consortium (W3C), addresses this problem by promoting semantic structured data, like ontologies, enabling machines to perform more work involved in finding, combining, and acting upon information on theWeb. Pursuing this vision, a Knowledge Acquisition System (KAS) was created, written in JavaScript using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) as the data structure and JSON Schema to define that structure. It grants new ways to acquire and store knowledge semantically structured and human readable. Plus, structuring data with a Schema generates a software robust and error – free. A novel Human Computer Interaction (HCI) framework was constructed employing this KAS, allowing the end user to configure and control medical devices. To demonstrate the potential of this tool, we present the configuration and control of an electrostimulator. Nowadays, most of the software for Electrostimulation is made with specific purposes, and in some cases they have complicated user interfaces and large, bulky designs that deter usability and acceptability. The HCI concedes the opportunity to configure and control an electrostimulator that surpasses the specific use of several electrostimulator software. In the configuration the user is able to compile different types of electrical impulses (modes) in a temporal session, automating the control, making it simple and user-friendly

    A Multi-Sensor Platform for Microcurrent Skin Stimulation during Slow Wave Sleep

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    Insu cient and low quality sleep is related to several health issues and social outcomes. Regular sleep study conducted in a sleep laboratory is impractical and expensive. As a result, miniature and non-invasive sleep monitoring devices provide an accessible sleep data. Though not as accurate as polysomnography, these devices provide useful data to the subject by tracking sleep patterns regularly. On the other hand, proactive improvement of sleep quality has been limited to pharmacological solutions and cranial electrotherapy stimulation. An alternative approach and a potential solution to sleep deprivation is a non-pharmacological technique which involves the application of micro-current electrical stimulation on the palm during Slow Wave Sleep (SWS). This thesis presents the development of a miniature device for SWS detection and electrocutaneous stimulation. Several sensors are embedded in the prototype device to measure physiological data such as body movement, electrodermal activity, heart rate, and skin and ambient temperature. Furthermore, the prototype device provides local storage and wireless transfer for data acquisition. The quality of the sensor data during sleep are discussed in this thesis. For future work, the results of this thesis shall be the used as a baseline to develop a more re ned prototype for clinical trials in sleep laboratories

    Modulation of electrical stimulation applied to human physiology and clinical diagnostic

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    The use, manipulation and application of electrical currents, as a controlled interference mechanism in the human body system, is currently a strong source of motivation to researchers in areas such as clinical, sports, neuroscience, amongst others. In electrical stimulation (ES), the current applied to tissue is traditionally controlled concerning stimulation amplitude, frequency and pulse-width. The main drawbacks of the transcutaneous ES are the rapid fatigue induction and the high discomfort induced by the non-selective activation of nervous fibers. There are, however, electrophysiological parameters whose response, like the response to different stimulation waveforms, polarity or a personalized charge control, is still unknown. The study of the following questions is of great importance: What is the physiological effect of the electric pulse parametrization concerning charge, waveform and polarity? Does the effect change with the clinical condition of the subjects? The parametrization influence on muscle recruitment can retard fatigue onset? Can parametrization enable fiber selectivity, optimizing the motor fibers recruitment rather than the nervous fibers, reducing contraction discomfort? Current hardware solutions lack flexibility at the level of stimulation control and physiological response assessment. To answer these questions, a miniaturized, portable and wireless controlled device with ES functions and full integration with a generic biosignals acquisition platform has been created. Hardware was also developed to provide complete freedom for controlling the applied current with respect to the waveform, polarity, frequency, amplitude, pulse-width and duration. The impact of the methodologies developed is successfully applied and evaluated in the contexts of fundamental electrophysiology, psycho-motor rehabilitation and neuromuscular disorders diagnosis. This PhD project was carried out in the Physics Department of Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT-UNL), in straight collaboration with PLUX - Wireless Biosignals S.A. company and co-funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); PLUX - Wireless Biosignals, S.A.; FCT-UNL- CEFITE

    Neurostimulator with Waveforms Inspired by Nature for Wearable Electro-Acupuncture

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    The work presented here has 3 goals: establish the need for novel neurostimulation waveform solutions through a literature review, develop a neurostimulation pulse generator, and verify the operation of the device for neurostimulation applications. The literature review discusses the importance of stimulation waveforms on the outcomes of neurostimulation, and proposes new directions for neurostimulation research that would help in improving the reproducibility and comparability between studies. The pulse generator circuit is then described that generates signals inspired by the shape of excitatory or inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (EPSP, IPSP). The circuit analytical equations are presented, and the effects of the circuit design components are discussed. The circuit is also analyzed with a capacitive load using a simplified Randles model to represent the electrode-electrolyte interface, and the output is measured in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution as the load with acupuncture needles as electrodes. The circuit is designed to be used in different types of neurostimulators depending on the needs of the application, and to study the effects of varying neurostimulation waveforms. The circuit is used to develop a remote-controlled wearable veterinary electro-acupuncture machine. The device has a small form-factor and 3D printed enclosure, and has a weight of 75 g with leads attached. The device is powered by a 500 mAh lithium polymer battery, and was tested to last 6 hours. The device is tested in an electro-acupuncture animal study on cats performed at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, where it showed expected electro-acupuncture effects. Then, a 2-channel implementation of the device is presented, and tested to show independent output amplitude, frequency, and stimulation duration per channel. Finally, the software and hardware requirements for control of the wearable veterinary electro-acupuncture machine are detailed. The number of output channels is limited to the number of hardware PWM timers available for use. The Arduino software implements PWM control for the output amplitude and frequency. The stimulation duration control is provided using software timers. The communications protocol between the microcontroller board and Android App are described, and communications are performed via Bluetooth

    Gas Discharge Visualization (Electrophotonic Imaging, Kirlianography). Theoretical and Applied Aspects, 189 s.

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    The monograph highlights the results of priority clinical-physiological studies of the relationships between gas discharge visualization (electrophotonic imaging, kirlianography) parameters, on the one hand, and electroencephalograms, heart rate variability, immunograms, phagocytosis, the content of the main adaptation hormones (cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, triiodothyronine, calcitonin) in the blood as well as acupuncture points - on the other hand. It is shown that the GDV/EPI method reliably reflects the state of the body's neuro-endocrine-immune complex as well as others parameters and has the right to take its place in the arsenal of physiological/biophysical methods. For biophysicists, physiologists, psychophysiologists, endocrinologists, immunologists, medical rehabilitation specialists. INTRODUCTION Advances in biophysics, biology, functional genomics, neuroscience, psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and other fields suggest the existence of a subtle system of “biofield” interactions that organize biological processes from the subatomic, atomic, molecular, cellular, and organismic to the interpersonal and cosmic levels. Biofield interactions may bring about regulation of biochemical, cellular, and neurological processes through means related to electromagnetism, quantum fields, and perhaps other means of modulating biological activity and information flow. The biofield paradigm, in contrast to a reductionist, chemistry-centered viewpoint, emphasizes the informational content of biological processes; biofield interactions are thought to operate in part via low-energy or “subtle” processes such as weak, nonthermal electromagnetic fields (EMFs) or processes potentially related to consciousness and nonlocality. Biofield interactions may also operate through or be reflected in more well-understood informational processes found in EEG and ECG data. Recent advances have led to the development of a wide variety of therapeutic and diagnostic biofield devices, defined as physical instruments best understood from the viewpoint of a biofield paradigm [Muehsam D et al, 2015]. Biofield devices comprise physical instruments that may be most clearly understood from the viewpoint of a biofield paradigm, and a large and diverse number of devices have been developed to measure or manipulate biofield interactions. These include both diagnostic devices (to measure biofield properties) and therapeutic devices (to manipulate biofield interactions). The study of biofield devices is at a nascent stage of development, and much further research is needed to determine clinical efficacy and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action for many of the devices mentioned here. The biofield devices operate through a variety of modalities rather than a single mechanism. Some biofield devices function through well-understood mechanisms and are already widely used in clinical settings: for example, electroencephalography (EEG)- and electrocardiography (ECG)-based heart rate variability (HRV). Other devices appear to operate through mechanisms that are novel or incompletely understood. However, all of these devices share a common property: rather than functioning primarily in a reductionist, chemistry-centered manner, biofield devices function via the informational content of biological processes and can interact via low-energy or “subtle” processes, including those potentially related to consciousness and nonlocality [Muehsam D et al, 2015]. Here Muehsam D et al [2015] provide a brief overview of the broad categories of biofield devices, with the goal being to stimulate further discussion and research. Authors describe those devices for which thay deemed that sufficient evidence exists to warrant mention. They chose to focus upon devices for which peer-reviewed scientific reports suggesting efficacy are available rather than conference proceedings or manufacturers' white papers. However, in the few cases that specific devices with sufficient promise and relevance lacked a peer-reviewed basis, authors have presented whatever evidence was available. Here, devices are organized according to mode of operation and these modalities include electromagnetic field (EMF)-light, EMF-heat, EMF-nonthermal, electrical current, vibration and sound, physical and mechanical, intentionality and nonlocality, gas and plasma, and other (mode of operation not well understood). Muehsam D et al [2015] deemed that gas discharge visualization (GDV) is an important example of the use of plasma in biofield science. Back in 1880 Nikola Tesla demonstrated that when placing the man in the high-frequency field around the body there is a bright glow [cit. by Korotkov KG, 2001]. In 1892 Nardkevych-Yodko YO recorded glow human hands on photographic plate [cit. by Ciesielska I, 2009]. However, a well-known method of "high-frequency photography" was due to spouses Kirlian SD&VH who in 1939 independently discovered this phenomenon [Kirlian SD & Kirlian VKh, 1961], later called "Kirlian’s effect". This technique has been called corona discharge photography [Boyers DG & Tiller WA, 1973], electrophotography [Earle L, 1975], electrography [Konikiewicz LW, 1979], GDV [Bankovskii NG et al, 1986]. In 1996 Korotkov KG created a new scientific approach, based on the digital videotechnics, modern electronics and computer processing quantitative data, called as method gas discharge visualization (GDV bioelectrography). Parallel uses the terms Kirlianography and Electrophotonic imaging (EPI) [Korotkov KG, 2001; 2007; 2014; Korotkov KG et al, 2002; Wisneski LA & Anderson L, 2009; Jakovleva E & Korotkov K, 2013]. Method of GDV, essence of which consists in registration of photoelectronic emission of skin, induced by high-frequency electromagnetic impulses, allows to estimate integrated psycho-somatic state of organism. The first base parameter of GDV is Area of Gas Discharge Image (GDI) in Right, Frontal and Left projections registered both with and without polyethylene filter. The second base parameter is a coefficient of form/shape (ratio of square of length of external contour of GDI toward his area), which characterizes the measure of serration/fractality of external contour. The third base parameter of GDI is Entropy, id est measure of chaos. It is considered that GDI, taken off without filter, characterizes the functional changes of organism, and with a filter characterizes organic changes. Program estimates also Energy and Asymmetry of virtual Chakras [Korotkov KG, 2001; 2007; 2014]. Nearly 1000 papers have been published (mostly in Russian) on GDV research and a few hundred more in the West. These intriguing data suggest that informatics based upon biofield measurement devices such as the GDV may be useful for gaining deeper understanding of disease states and guiding practitioners and their patients towards states of greater wellness [Muehsam D et al, 2015]. Without regard to the wideuse enough of method in medicine, psychology, valeology and others like that, he yields to the just criticizing for an insufficient physiology ground. There fore we put before itself sweep to analyse relationships between the parameters of GDV - from one side, and by the row of neurodynamics, endocrine, immune. psychophysiological, and other parameters - on the other hand

    A cumulative index to the 1977 issues of a continuing bibliography on aerospace medicine and biology

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    This publication is a cumulative index to the abstracts contained in the Supplements 164 through 175 of Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A Continuing Bibliography. It includes three indexes-- subject, personal author, and corporate source

    Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes

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    This bibliography lists 417 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in March 1985

    Lab-on-PCB Devices

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    Lab-on-PCB devices can be considered an emerging technology. In fact, most of the contributions have been published during the last 5 years. It is mainly focussed on both biomedical and electronic applications. The book includes an interesting guide for using the different layers of the Printed Circuit Boards for developing new devices; guidelines for fabricating PCB-based electrochemical biosensors, and an overview of fluid manipulation devices fabricated using Printed Circuit Boards. In addition, current PCB-based devices are reported, and studies for several aspects of research and development of lab-on-PCB devices are described

    Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Applications

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    The issue is dedicated to applications of Deep Brain Stimulation and, in this issue, we would like to highlight the new developments that are taking place in the field. These include the application of new technology to existing indications, as well as ‘new’ indications. We would also like to highlight the most recent clinical evidence from international multicentre trials. The issue will include articles relating to movement disorders, pain, psychiatric indications, as well as emerging indications that are not yet accompanied by clinical evidence. We look forward to your expert contribution to this exciting issue

    Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 261)

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    This bibliography lists 281 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in July 1984
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