390 research outputs found
Multi-wavelength SPAD photoplethysmography for cardio-respiratory monitoring
There is a growing interest in photoplethysmography (PPG) for the continuous monitoring of cardio-respiratory signals by portable instrumentation aimed at the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, it is conceivable that PPG sensors working at different wavelengths simultaneously can optimize the identification of apneas and the quantification of the associated heart-rate changes or other parameters that depend on the PPG shape (e.g., systematic vascular resistance and pressure), when evaluating the severity of breathing disorders during sleep and in general for health monitoring. Therefore, the objective of this work is to present a novel pulse oximeter that provides synchronous data logging related to three light wavelengths (green, red, and infrared) in transmission mode to optimize both heart rate measurements and a reliable and continuous assessment of oxygen saturation. The transmission mode is considered more robust over motion artifacts than reflection mode, but current pulse oximeters cannot employ green light in transmission mode due to the high absorbance of body tissues at this wavelength. For this reason, our device is based on a Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) with very short deadtime (less than 1 ns) to have, at the same time, the single photon sensitivity and high-count rate that allows acquiring all the wavelengths of interest on the same site and in transmission mode. Previous studies have shown that SPAD cameras can be used for measuring the heart rate through remote PPG, but oxygen saturation and heart-rate measures through contact SPAD-based PPG sensors have never been addressed so far. The results of the preliminary validation on six healthy volunteers reflect the expected physiological phenomena, providing rms errors in the Inter Beat Interval estimation smaller than 70 ms (with green light) and a maximum error in the oxygen saturation smaller than 1% during the apneas. Our prototype demonstrates the reliability of SPAD-based devices for continuous long-term monitoring of cardio-respiratory variables as an alternative to photodiodes especially when minimal area and optical power are required
Multi-wavelength SPAD photoplethysmography for cardio-respiratory monitoring
There is a growing interest in photoplethysmography (PPG) for the continuous monitoring of cardio-respiratory signals by portable instrumentation aimed at the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, it is conceivable that PPG sensors working at different wavelengths simultaneously can optimize the identification of apneas and the quantification of the associated heart-rate changes or other parameters that depend on the PPG shape (e.g., systematic vascular resistance and pressure), when evaluating the severity of breathing disorders during sleep and in general for health monitoring. Therefore, the objective of this work is to present a novel pulse oximeter that provides synchronous data logging related to three light wavelengths (green, red, and infrared) in transmission mode to optimize both heart rate measurements and a reliable and continuous assessment of oxygen saturation. The transmission mode is considered more robust over motion artifacts than reflection mode, but current pulse oximeters cannot employ green light in transmission mode due to the high absorbance of body tissues at this wavelength. For this reason, our device is based on a Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) with very short deadtime (less than 1 ns) to have, at the same time, the single photon sensitivity and high-count rate that allows acquiring all the wavelengths of interest on the same site and in transmission mode. Previous studies have shown that SPAD cameras can be used for measuring the heart rate through remote PPG, but oxygen saturation and heart-rate measures through contact SPAD-based PPG sensors have never been addressed so far. The results of the preliminary validation on six healthy volunteers reflect the expected physiological phenomena, providing rms errors in the Inter Beat Interval estimation smaller than 70 ms (with green light) and a maximum error in the oxygen saturation smaller than 1% during the apneas. Our prototype demonstrates the reliability of SPAD-based devices for continuous long-term monitoring of cardio-respiratory variables as an alternative to photodiodes especially when minimal area and optical power are required
A phase-field model for hydraulic fracture nucleation and propagation in porous media
Many geo-engineering applications, e.g., enhanced geothermal systems, rely on
hydraulic fracturing to enhance the permeability of natural formations and
allow for sufficient fluid circulation. Over the past few decades, the
phase-field method has grown in popularity as a valid approach to modeling
hydraulic fracturing because of the ease of handling complex fracture
propagation geometries. However, existing phase-field methods cannot
appropriately capture nucleation of hydraulic fractures because their
formulations are solely energy-based and do not explicitly take into account
the strength of the material. Thus, in this work, we propose a novel
phase-field formulation for hydraulic fracturing with the main goal of modeling
fracture nucleation in porous media, e.g., rocks. Built on the variational
formulation of previous phase-field methods, the proposed model incorporates
the material strength envelope for hydraulic fracture nucleation through two
important steps: (i) an external driving force term, included in the damage
evolution equation, that accounts for the material strength; (ii) a properly
designed damage function that defines the fluid pressure contribution on the
crack driving force. The comparison of numerical results for two-dimensional
(2D) test cases with existing analytical solutions demonstrates that the
proposed phase-field model can accurately model both nucleation and propagation
of hydraulic fractures. Additionally, we present the simulation of hydraulic
fracturing in a three-dimensional (3D) domain with various stress conditions to
demonstrate the applicability of the method to realistic scenarios
A stringent preemptive protocol reduces cytomegalovirus disease in the first 6 months after kidney transplantation
Background: The optimal strategy to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after kidney transplantation continues to be open to debate. The preemptive approach requires regular determination of CMV viremia and prompt initiation of therapy. Methods: We retrospectively compared the incidence of CMV disease during two periods at our center: A first phase (P1, n=84 kidney recipients), during which time the intensity of surveillance was determined by the responsible physician, was compared to a second phase (P2, n=74), when a stringent protocol of CMV surveillance was required for all patients. The preemptive approach was applied for all CMV risk groups; prophylaxis was optional in the case of treatment for rejection or delayed graft function in the intermediate- and high-risk group. Follow-up was truncated at 6months after transplant surgery. CMV syndrome was differentiated from asymptomatic replication by the presence of at least one systemic symptom, while diagnosis of CMV end-organ disease required histological confirmation. Results: Immunosuppression was similar in the two periods. CMV prophylaxis was used equally (26%) in both periods. The probability for asymptomatic viremia episodes was not different for patients in P1 and P2 regardless of the prevention strategy. For patients following the preemptive strategy, the probability for CMV disease was increased during P1 (p=0.016), despite fewer PCR assays being performed in phase 2. Protocol violations were only observed during P1. Conclusions: The probability of CMV disease episodes (CMV syndrome and CMV end-organ disease) was substantially reduced using a very stringent protocol. This study highlights the crucial importance of a stringent protocol with optimal adherence by all caregivers if the preemptive strategy is to be successfu
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