Advanced Applications of Rapid Prototyping Technology in Modern Engineering

Rapid prototyping (RP) technology has been widely known and appreciated due to its flexible and customized manufacturing capabilities. The widely studied RP techniques include stereolithography apparatus (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), three-dimensional printing (3DP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), 3D plotting, solid ground curing (SGC), multiphase jet solidification (MJS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM). Different techniques are associated with different materials and/or processing principles and thus are devoted to specific applications. RP technology has no longer been only for prototype building rather has been extended for real industrial manufacturing solutions. Today, the RP technology has contributed to almost all engineering areas that include mechanical, materials, industrial, aerospace, electrical and most recently biomedical engineering. This book aims to present the advanced development of RP technologies in various engineering areas as the solutions to the real world engineering problems

Haptic Training Simulator for Pedicle Screw Insertion in Scoliosis Surgery

This thesis develops a haptic training simulator that imitates the sensations experienced by a surgeon in pedicle screw insertions in a scoliosis surgery. Pedicle screw insertion is a common treatment for fixing spinal deformities in idiopathic scoliosis. Surgeons using the free hand technique are guided primarily by haptic feedback. A vital step in this free hand technique is the use of a probe to make a channel through the vertebrae pedicle. This is a sensitive process which carries risk of serious mechanical, neurological and vascular complications. Surgeons are currently trained using cadavers or live patients. Cadavers often have vertebrae that are softer than the real surgeons would typically encounter, while training on live patients carries the obvious issue of increased risk of complications to the patient. In this thesis, a haptic virtual reality simulator is designed and studied as a training tool for surgeons in this procedure. Creating a pathway through the pedicle by the free-hand technique is composed of two main degrees of freedom: rotation and linear progression. The rotary stage of the device which was developed by a previous student, is enhanced in this research by adding hardware, improving the haptic model and proposing techniques to couple the rotary and linear degree of freedom. Haptic model parameters for a spine surgery with normal bone density are then clinically tuned within a user study. Over ten surgeons of varying experience levels used the simulator and were able to change various parameters in order to tune the simulator to what felt most realistic. The surgeons also evaluated the simulator for its feasibility and usefulness. Four research questions were investigated. First, can a reference set of values be found that replicate the surgeon's interpretation of the surgical scenario? Second, how are the rotary stage parameters influenced in the presence of linear effects? Third, do the results differ across different expertise levels? Finally, can the simulator serve as a useful tool in the education of surgical trainees for teaching channel creation in pedicle screw insertion? Statistical analysis are carried out to examine the research questions. The results indicates the feasibility of the simulator for surgical education

Nanotechnology in peripheral nerve repair and reconstruction

The recent progress in biomaterials science and development of tubular conduits (TCs) still fails in solving the current challenges in the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs), in particular when disease-related and long-gap defects need to be addressed. Nanotechnology-based therapies that seemed unreachable in the past are now being considered for the repair and reconstruction of PNIs, having the power to deliver bioactive molecules in a controlled manner, to tune cellular behavior, and ultimately guide tissue regeneration in an effective manner. It also offers opportunities in the imaging field, with a degree of precision never achieved before, which is useful for diagnosis, surgery and in the patientâ s follow-up. Nanotechnology approaches applied in PNI regeneration and theranostics, emphasizing the ones that are moving from the lab bench to the clinics, are herein overviewed.The authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the financial support provided to Joaquim M. Oliveira (IF/01285/2015) and Joana Silva-Correia (IF/00115/2015) under the program “Investigador FCT”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Southern Plains hunter-gatherer adaptations during the Late Archaic: A study in optimal foraging.

In this study, optimal foraging theory is used to evaluate hunting and butchering practices as well as the residence patterns of Late Archaic hunter-gatherers from the southern Plains. Their behavior is represented in the archaeological record by sites, features, and artifacts. Prior to exploring the data, the tenants of optimal foraging theory and central-place foraging, are presented. The first aspect of central-place foraging is that a group will venture from a home base to acquire resources. The second aspect of the theory states that special task groups are used to acquire the said resources. Once located, the resources were returned to the base. In order to better explain the task group aspect of the equation, the group foraging size theorem is employed. The theorem states that the task group's success is contingent on the appropriate number of individuals being available coupled with the appropriate resource placement on the landscape. To check the validity of this argument, two test implications are formulated using the above theoretical constructs. Test #1 is used for Beaver Dam (reliance on a home base) whereas Test #2 is applied to L. E. Certain (employment of a resource encounter and exploitation site). Initially, I set forth the expectations. Then, utilizing the evidence found at the sites, the implications are discussed. Beaver Dam, the base camp, is discussed first since this is where forays into the surrounding biomes originate. This discussion is followed by an assessment of L. E. Certain, a special extractive camp. The data revealed that Late Archaic groups maximized net energy intake while reducing energy expenditure by using a base of operation, that base being situated in an area where multiple resources were gathered just a short distance from camp. When a resource was abundant and some distance from camp, the strategy was to harvest the resource using a specially qualified group. In this study, the groups were bison hunting taskforces. These hunters embarked on their mission with a set of highly specialized stone tools to kill and process the game. The bison meat was procured utilizing butchering techniques that produced large amounts of meat and other byproducts quickly. While some of the meat was eaten on-site, most was dried and returned to camp. That this response was successful is indicated by the fact that large-scale bison kills were conducted at the L. E. Certain site for over 500 years

Book of Abstracts 15th International Symposium on Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering and 3rd Conference on Imaging and Visualization

In this edition, the two events will run together as a single conference, highlighting the strong connection with the Taylor & Francis journals: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering (John Middleton and Christopher Jacobs, Eds.) and Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging and Visualization (JoãoManuel R.S. Tavares, Ed.). The conference has become a major international meeting on computational biomechanics, imaging andvisualization. In this edition, the main program includes 212 presentations. In addition, sixteen renowned researchers will give plenary keynotes, addressing current challenges in computational biomechanics and biomedical imaging. In Lisbon, for the first time, a session dedicated to award the winner of the Best Paper in CMBBE Journal will take place. We believe that CMBBE2018 will have a strong impact on the development of computational biomechanics and biomedical imaging and visualization, identifying emerging areas of research and promoting the collaboration and networking between participants. This impact is evidenced through the well-known research groups, commercial companies and scientific organizations, who continue to support and sponsor the CMBBE meeting series. In fact, the conference is enriched with five workshops on specific scientific topics and commercial software.info:eu-repo/semantics/draf

Medical Robotics

The first generation of surgical robots are already being installed in a number of operating rooms around the world. Robotics is being introduced to medicine because it allows for unprecedented control and precision of surgical instruments in minimally invasive procedures. So far, robots have been used to position an endoscope, perform gallbladder surgery and correct gastroesophogeal reflux and heartburn. The ultimate goal of the robotic surgery field is to design a robot that can be used to perform closed-chest, beating-heart surgery. The use of robotics in surgery will expand over the next decades without any doubt. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a revolutionary approach in surgery. In MIS, the operation is performed with instruments and viewing equipment inserted into the body through small incisions created by the surgeon, in contrast to open surgery with large incisions. This minimizes surgical trauma and damage to healthy tissue, resulting in shorter patient recovery time. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the state-of-art, to present new ideas, original results and practical experiences in this expanding area. Nevertheless, many chapters in the book concern advanced research on this growing area. The book provides critical analysis of clinical trials, assessment of the benefits and risks of the application of these technologies. This book is certainly a small sample of the research activity on Medical Robotics going on around the globe as you read it, but it surely covers a good deal of what has been done in the field recently, and as such it works as a valuable source for researchers interested in the involved subjects, whether they are currently “medical roboticists” or not