Optical Structural Health Monitoring Device

This non-destructive, optical fatigue detection and monitoring system relies on a small and unobtrusive light-scattering sensor that is installed on a component at the beginning of its life in order to periodically scan the component in situ. The method involves using a laser beam to scan the surface of the monitored component. The device scans a laser spot over a metal surface to which it is attached. As the laser beam scans the surface, disruptions in the surface cause increases in scattered light intensity. As the disruptions in the surface grow, they will cause the light to scatter more. Over time, the scattering intensities over the scanned line can be compared to detect changes in the metal surface to find cracks, crack precursors, or corrosion. This periodic monitoring of the surface can be used to indicate the degree of fatigue damage on a component and allow one to predict the remaining life and/or incipient mechanical failure of the monitored component. This wireless, compact device can operate for long periods under its own battery power and could one day use harvested power. The prototype device uses the popular open-source TinyOS operating system on an off-the-shelf Mica2 sensor mote, which allows wireless command and control through dynamically reconfigurable multi-node sensor networks. The small size and long life of this device could make it possible for the nodes to be installed and left in place over the course of years, and with wireless communication, data can be extracted from the nodes by operators without physical access to the devices. While a prototype has been demonstrated at the time of this reporting, further work is required in the system s development to take this technology into the field, especially to improve its power management and ruggedness. It should be possible to reduce the size and sensitivity as well. Establishment of better prognostic methods based on these data is also needed. The increase of surface roughness with fatigue is closely connected to the microstructure of the metal, and ongoing research is seeking to connect this observed evidence of the fatigue state with microstructural theories of fatigue evolution to allow more accurate prognosis of remaining component life. Plans are also being discussed for flight testing, perhaps on NASA s SOFIA platform

In Vivo Evaluation of Quantitative Percussion Diagnostics for Determining Implant Stability

PURPOSE: A percussion instrument (Periometer(®), Perimetrics LLC, Newport Beach, CA, USA) and rat model were used to test the hypothesis: percussion diagnostics provides reliable, reproducible indications of osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Titanium implants were placed in femurs of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats. Each animal was assigned to one of six groups of six defined by one of three time points (2, 4, or 8 weeks post-placement) and one of two treatments (MMP inhibitor or vehicle). Percussion testing was conducted three times/subject at implant placement and at one of the time points. For each time point, there was an experimental group that received daily intraperitoneal injections of GM6001, and a control group that received no MMP inhibitor. The percussion data consisted of loss coefficient (LC) values that characterize energy dissipation. Statistical analysis was performed on the LC values for two animal groups using the paired Student t test to assess differences as a function of time, and the independent t test to compare mean LC for the study groups at sacrifice (α=0.05). Histological evaluation using the osteogenic CD40 protein marker was also performed. RESULTS: A nearly significant difference in mean LC at the 2-week time point was observed between the two treatments with the GM6001 group having the higher value (p = 0.053). There was a greater difference between the mean LC values for the 4-week GM6001 and vehicle groups (p = 0.001). The histological evidence for subjects in these two groups confirmed reduction of osteogenesis at the implant interface after administration of the MMP inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Lower vehicle LC values relative to the GM6001 therapeutic group were observed, consistent with the effect MMP inhibition has on matrix remodeling at the implant bone interface. This finding in conjunction with histological observations confirms that osseointegration can be monitored using percussion diagnostics

Determinants of serum levels of vitamin D: a study of life-style, menopausal status, dietary intake, serum calcium, and PTH

Background: Low blood levels of vitamin D (25-hydroxy D3, 25OHD3) in women have been associated with an increased risk of several diseases. A large part of the population may have suboptimal 25OHD3 levels but high-risk groups are not well known. The aim of the present study was to identify determinants for serum levels of 25OHD3 in women, i.e. factors such as lifestyle, menopausal status, diet and selected biochemical variables. Methods: The study was based on women from the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS), a prospective, population-based cohort study in Malmo, Sweden. In a previous case-control study on breast cancer, 25OHD3 concentrations had been measured in 727 women. In these, quartiles of serum 25OHD3 were compared with regard to age at baseline, BMI (Body Max Index), menopausal status, use of oral contraceptives or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), life-style (e. g. smoking and alcohol consumption), socio-demographic factors, season, biochemical variables (i.e. calcium, PTH, albumin, creatinine, and phosphate), and dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium. In order to test differences in mean vitamin D concentrations between different categories of the studied factors, an ANOVA test was used followed by a t-test. The relation between different factors and 25OHD3 was further investigated using multiple linear regression analysis and a logistic regression analysis. Results: We found a positive association between serum levels of 25OHD3 and age, oral contraceptive use, moderate alcohol consumption, blood collection during summer/autumn, creatinine, phosphate, calcium, and a high intake of vitamin D. Low vitamin D levels were associated with obesity, being born outside Sweden and high PTH levels. Conclusions: The present population-based study found a positive association between serum levels of 25OHD3 and to several socio-demographic, life-style and biochemical factors. The study may have implications e. g. for dietary recommendations. However, the analysis is a cross-sectional and it is difficult to suggest Lifestyle changes as cause-effect relationships are difficult to assess