Feasibility analysis of an ultrasound on line diagnostic approach for oral and bone surgery

During implant surgery procedures, surgical precision is an essential prerequisite for the functional and aesthetic success of the prosthetic crown to be placed on the dental implant. A modern implant surgical approach should be standardized as much as possible to guarantee extreme precision in the insertion of the implant into the upper and lower bone jaws. Among the most common surgical errors during implant surgery there is the over-preparation of the surgical alveolus with possible damage to the contiguous anatomical structures. To avoid this problem, in the recent years, there has been an increasing attention to the development of new control techniques. In this paper, we describe an innovative ultrasound approach, which exploits the integration of an electro-acoustic transducer with the surgical drill used for realizing the alveolus in the bone that will host the implant. Specifically, he proposed approach is based on the "time-of-flight" detection technique for measuring the thickness of the residual bone subjected to the drilling. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, here we report on a detailed numerical analysis aimed at studying the propagation of ultrasonic waves through the drill-bit and through the involved tissues. The obtained results confirm the validity of our approach, and enable for a future first prototype implementation of a hi-tech surgical drill-bit, which in general is suitable not only for dental implant surgery but also for other uses in oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery and for bone surgery

Bilagro-Software per la simulazione dei risultati economici dell'azienda agraria.

Centro per la Formazione in Economia e Politica dello Sviluppo Rurale, Portici

Feasibility analysis of an ultrasound on line diagnostic approach for oral and bone surgery

During implant surgery procedures, surgical precision is an essential prerequisite for the functional and aesthetic success of the prosthetic crown to be placed on the dental implant. A modern implant surgical approach should be standardized as much as possible to guarantee extreme precision in the insertion of the implant into the upper and lower bone jaws. Among the most common surgical errors during implant surgery there is the over-preparation of the surgical alveolus with possible damage to the contiguous anatomical structures. To avoid this problem, in the recent years, there has been an increasing attention to the development of new control techniques. In this paper, we describe an innovative ultrasound approach, which exploits the integration of an electro-acoustic transducer with the surgical drill used for realizing the alveolus in the bone that will host the implant. Specifically, he proposed approach is based on the "time-of-flight" detection technique for measuring the thickness of the residual bone subjected to the drilling. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, here we report on a detailed numerical analysis aimed at studying the propagation of ultrasonic waves through the drill-bit and through the involved tissues. The obtained results confirm the validity of our approach, and enable for a future first prototype implementation of a hi-tech surgical drill-bit, which in general is suitable not only for dental implant surgery but also for other uses in oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery and for bone surgery

Preparation and characterization of conductive foams based on PBS, carbon nanofibers and expanded graphite nanocomposites

Recently, conductive polymeric foams have aroused considerable research interest owing to their attractive properties associated with conventional polymers and unique electronic properties of metals or semiconductors. Large surface area, lower density and higher specific properties make them promising candidates for broad applications in energy conversion and storage, sensors, actuators, and biomedical devices. This work reports on the preparation and characterization of novel conductive polymeric foams based on a biodegradable polymer (Polybutylene succinate, PBS) and carbon nanoparticles (carbon nanofibres and expanded graphite). Foaming has been performed on PBS/CNF and PBS/CNF/EG nanocomposites using a batch process by using supercritical CO2as blowing agent. The control of foaming parameters allowed to prepare foams with tailored morphologies, and cellular structures with macro to micro sized cells were obtained. An in deep discussion about the general design rules, advantages, and also the actual limitations of such novel conductive polymeric foams are provided. Results demonstrate their potential applications as active electrode materials for next-generation biodegradable energy storage