Fundamentos y primeras aplicaciones en España de la cirugía no invasiva mediante ultrasonidos concentrados guiados por resonancia magnética (MRgFUS)

Actas del XXVII Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Española de Ingeniería Biomédica (CASEIB09) : Cádiz, 16-18 Noviembre, 2009En este trabajo se presentan los fundamentos y los primeros resultados de aplicación en España de la nueva tecnología de cirugía no invasiva mediante ultrasonidos concentrados guiados por resonancia magnética (Magnetic-Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery, MRgFUS). En la actualidad, esta tecnología está aprobada para el tratamiento de tumores ginecológicos (fibromas uterinos) y el tratamiento paliativo del dolor en las metástasis óseas. Se presentan los primeros resultados sobre un total de 15 fibromas tratados.Agencia IDEA, Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía (Ref. 840392)

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare: applications, availability and societal impact

This report reviews and classifies the current and near-future applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine and Healthcare according to their ethical and societal impact and the availability level of the various technological implementations. It provides conceptual foundations for well-informed policy-oriented work, research, and forward-looking activities that address the opportunities and challenges created in the field of AI in Medicine and Healthcare. This report is aimed for policy developers, but it also makes contributions that are of interest for researchers studying the impact and the future of AI on Healthcare, for scientific and technological stakeholders in this field and for the general public. This report is based on an analysis of the state of the art of research and technology, including software, personal monitoring devices, genetic tests and editing tools, personalized digital models, online platforms, augmented reality devices, and surgical and companion robotics. From this analysis, it is presented the concept of “extended personalized medicine”, and it is explored the public perception of medical AI systems, and how they show, simultaneously, extraordinary opportunities and drawbacks. In addition, this report addresses the transformation of the roles of doctors and patients in an age of ubiquitous information and identifies three main paradigms in AI-supported Medicine: “fake-based”, “patient-generated”, and “scientifically tailored” views. This Report presents: - An updated overview of the many aspects related to the social impact of Artificial Intelligence and its applications in Medicine and Health. A new ‘Technology Availability Scale’ is defined to evaluate and compare their current status. - Recent examples of the growing social concerns and debates in the general press, social media and other web-bases sources. - A ‘Visual Overview of AI and AI-mediated technologies in Medicine and Healthcare’, in which two figures show, respectively, a (newly proposed) classification according to their ethical and social impact, and the most relevant ethical and social aspects considered for such classification. Some key questions, controversies, significant, and conflicting issues are outlined for each aspect. - A ‘Structured Overview’, with a sorted list of technologies and their implementations, including perspectives, conflicting views and potential pitfalls, and a corresponding, extensive list of references. - A conclusive set of policy challenges, namely the need of informed citizens, key aspects (of AI and AI-mediated technologies in Medicine and Healthcare) to evaluate, and some recommendations towards a European leadership in this sector. - We finally relate our study with an update on the use of AI technologies to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 pandemic disease.JRC.A.5-Scientific Developmen

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare: applications, availability and societal impact

Comisión Europea. Joint Research Centre. Serie: JRC Science for Police ReportThis report reviews and classifies the current and near-future applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine and Healthcare according to their ethical and societal impact and the availability level of the various technological implementations. It provides conceptual foundations for well-informed policy-oriented work, research, and forward-looking activities that address the opportunities and challenges created in the field of AI in Medicine and Healthcare. This report is aimed for policy developers, but it also makes contributions that are of interest for researchers studying the impact and the future of AI on Healthcare, for scientific and technological stakeholders in this field and for the general public.This report is based on an analysis of the state of the art of research and technology, including software, personal monitoring devices, genetic tests and editing tools, personalized digital models, online platforms, augmented reality devices, and surgical and companion robotics. From this analysis, it is presented the concept of “extended personalized medicine”, and it is explored the public perception of medical AI systems, and how they show, simultaneously, extraordinary opportunities and drawbacks. In addition, this report addresses the transformation of the roles of doctors and patients in an age of ubiquitous information and identifies three main paradigms in AI-supported Medicine: “fake-based”, “patient-generated”, and “scientifically tailored” views.This Report presents:- An updated overview of the many aspects related to the social impact of Artificial Intelligence and its applications in Medicine and Health. A new ‘Technology Availability Scale’ is defined to evaluate and compare their current status.- Recent examples of the growing social concerns and debates in the general press, social media and other web-bases sources.- A ‘Visual Overview of AI and AI-mediated technologies in Medicine and Healthcare’, in which two figures show, respeComisión Europea. Joint Research Centr

Imaging biomarkers for steatohepatitis and fibrosis detection in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

There is a need, in NAFLD management, to develop non-invasive methods to detect steatohepatitis (NASH) and to predict advanced fibrosis stages. We evaluated a tool based on optical analysis of liver magnetic resonance images (MRI) as biomarkers for NASH and fibrosis detection by investigating patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD who underwent magnetic resonance (MR) protocols using 1.5T General Electric (GE) or Philips devices. Two imaging biomarkers (NASHMRI and FibroMRI) were developed, standardised and validated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis. The results indicated NASHMRI diagnostic accuracy for steatohepatitis detection was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73–0.93) and FibroMRI diagnostic accuracy for significant fibrosis determination was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.77–0.94). These findings were independent of the MR system used. We conclude that optical analysis of MRI has high potential to define non-invasive imaging biomarkers for the detection of steatohepatitis (NASHMRI) and the prediction of significant fibrosis (FibroMRI) in NAFLD patients.Comisión Europea, 7º Programa Marco FP7/2007–2013 HEALTH-F2-2009-241762 Project Fatty Liver Inhibition of Progression (FLIP)Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Salud PI-0488-2012/201

Hyperspectral image processing for the identification and quantification of lentiviral particles in fluid samples

Optical spectroscopic techniques have been commonly used to detect the presence of biofilm-forming pathogens (bacteria and fungi) in the agro-food industry. Recently, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy revealed that it is also possible to detect the presence of viruses in animal and vegetal tissues. Here we report a platform based on visible and NIR (VNIR) hyperspectral imaging for non-contact, reagent free detection and quantification of laboratory-engineered viral particles in fluid samples (liquid droplets and dry residue) using both partial least square-discriminant analysis and artificial feed-forward neural networks. The detection was successfully achieved in preparations of phosphate buffered solution and artificial saliva, with an equivalent pixel volume of 4 nL and lowest concentration of 800 TU·μL−1. This method constitutes an innovative approach that could be potentially used at point of care for rapid mass screening of viral infectious diseases and monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Instituto de Salud Carlos III COV20-00080 and COV20-00173Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación EQC2019-006240-PComisión Europea JRC HUMAINT projec

Electrothermoplasmonic flow in gold nanoparticles suspensions: nonlinear dependence of flow velocity on aggregate concentration

Efficient mixing and pumping of liquids at the microscale is a technology that is still to be optimized. The combination of an AC electric field with a small temperature gradient leads to a strong electrothermal flow that can be used for multiple purposes. Combining simulations and experiments, an analysis of the performance of electrothermal flow is provided when the temperature gradient is generated by illuminating plasmonic nanoparticles in suspension with a near-resonance laser. Fluid flow is measured by tracking the velocity of fluorescent tracer microparticles in suspension as a function of the electric field, laser power, and concentration of plasmonic particles. Among other results, a non-linear relationship is found between the velocity of the fluid and particle concentration, which is justified in terms of multiple scattering-absorption events, involving aggregates of nanoparticles, that lead to enhanced absorption when the concentration is raised. Simulations provide a description of the phenomenon that is compatible with experiments and constitute a way to understand and estimate the absorption and scattering cross-sections of both dispersed particles and/or aggregates. A comparison of experiments and simulations suggests that there is some aggregation of the gold nanoparticles by forming clusters of about 2–7 particles, but no information about their structure can be obtained without further theoretical and experimental developments. This nonlinear behavior could be useful to get very high ETP velocities by inducing some controlled aggregation of the particles.This research has been supported by Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación de la Junta de Andalucía and FEDER, “Una manera de hacer Europa”/Projects P18-FR-3583 and FQM-410-UGR18, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades through Project EQC2018-004693-P, and Grant PID2021-127427NB-I00/ MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER,UE. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA

Virtual holographic recognition and its applications in medicine and other fields

Novel digital applications developed from analog holographic recognition techniques are presented. Virtual Holographic Recognition (VHR) substitutes physical processes in matched filtering by digital equations and calculates light distribution on the observation plane. If a certain image is defined as a reference, bright light spots corresponding to coincidences between the searched element and the image under study can be numerically calculated with a high degree of accuracy. Since peak values and radial symmetry of values define the degree of coincidence with the reference, this method can be used to find elements similar-up to any degree- to a given reference in a complex image. Current applications include detection and location of malignant masses and nodules in mammograms, computed-tomography (CT) chest scans and conventional digitized radiographs. If the image taken by a digital video camera is continuously processed and the position of the peak corresponding to a reference is tracked on a screen, it allows for guiding of persons in complex environments. Application to guiding of disabled in sport courts is also described

Characterization of volcanic structures using ground penetrating radar and additional inverse modelling: Multidisciplinary geophysical investigation in the Timanfaya National Park (Spain)

—A ground penetrating radar survey is presented over a recent lava flow at the volcanic area of Timanfaya National Park (Canary Island, Spain). The purpose was to locate lava tubes into the lava flow through the combination of field and simulated data. Different modelling strategies were used for the analysis and knowledge of the signal behaviour. Finite-difference time-domain algorithm was considered for simulations, and the pattern of reflections generated from previously known volcanic structures were characterized. After the characterization of the radar-wave response, the interpretation achieved was applied over the field data acquired at other non-studied area in which different lava tubes were recognized.Authors thanks to the financial support of the National Parks Network of the Spanish Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (320/2011 – project “Caracterización estructural del Parque Nacional de Timanfaya mediante uso combinado de técnicas y métodos geodésicos y geofísicos”. The staff of National Park of Timanfaya is also acknowledged, as well as the Applied Geotechnologies research group from the University of Vigo for providing the RAMAC/GPR equipment. Additionally, this study is a contribution to the EU funded COST Action TU-1208.Peer reviewe

The Llamas de Cabrera gold district, a new discovery in the Variscan basement of northwest Spain: A fluid inclusion and stable isotope study

[EN] The northwest of the Iberian Massif is well known to host numerous gold mineralizations which were exploited during Roman times. This study presents a multidisciplinary approach leading to the mineralogical, fluid inclusions, and geochemical characterization of the recently rediscovered Roman gold district of Llamas de Cabrera. Gold occurs in extensional quartz veins hosted in the upper layers of the Lower to Middle Ordovician Armorican quartzite and occasionally in the overlaying Middle Ordovician slates from Luarca Formation. The veins are characterized by multistage ore deposition developed along three hydrothermal stages: As–Fe (I), As–Fe (II), and Au–Zn–Cu–Pb, followed by late supergene alteration processes. The fluid inclusion study undertaken on mineralized quartz revealed the presence of three types of fluids: (1) CO2–(CH4) fluid inclusions, (2) aqueous-carbonic fluid inclusions dominated by CO2 and subordinate CH4 related to quartz–arsenopyrite–pyrite deposition, and (3) aqueous fluid inclusions related to the Au-sulfide deposition. In conjunction with arsenopyrite geothermometry and fluid-inclusion data an attempt was made to determine the P–T conditions of ore formation. Changes occurred in the P–T conditions fromarsenopyrite and pyrite deposition in quartz veins from aqueous-carbonic fluids at 300–390 °C and 200–220 MPa towards 180–310 °C and b200 MPa at the stage of gold from aqueous fluids.Mixing of two aqueous fluids of relatively contrasted salinity were favorable factors for decreasing gold solubility and could allow gold deposition. The δ34S values are similar for the two As–Fe stages, +8.0‰ to +16.3‰ and +9.0‰ to +19.5‰ respectively, and for the post-S1 pyrites from siliciclastic Luarca Formation suggesting a comparable sulfur source. Combining calculated δ18O values of fluids of+6.7 to+9.4‰with fluid inclusion data indicates that fluids of unknown origin are largely equilibrated withmetamorphic lithologies at medium–high temperatures. The ascent of some late Variscan magmatic bodies, not exposed at the present day erosion level, provides the heat source for convective water circulation. Gold quartz veins from Llamas de Cabrera display similar features and processes to related deposits of similar type elsewhere in the Variscan belt of western Europe (northwest and central/western Iberia, French Massif Central, BohemianMassif). However Llamas de Cabrera shows certain differences, such as the non-appearance of igneous rocks in the area and the absence of Sb-rich minerals compared to some Variscan Sb–Au deposits, including northern, central, and western Iberia. This last could probably be due to a greater depth of formation for the As–Au veins in comparison to Sb–Au veins.SIThis research has been funded through the research project 2005/ 103, Diputación Provincial de León

Low and high Reynolds number flows inside Taylor cones

Liquid motions inside Taylor cones exhibit interesting features which are not well understood yet. In addition to the flow rate injected through the electrified needle to which the conical meniscus is anchored, the action of the tangential electrical stress on the cone surface induces a recirculating meridional motion, towards the apex along the generatrix and away from it along the axis. Sometimes, a vigorous swirl is observed. The characteristic value of the liquid velocity is found to be highly dependent on both the electrical conductivity and the viscosity of the liquid, so that the Reynolds number of the liquid flow varies from very small values (creeping flow) for the case of highly conducting and viscous liquids to relatively large values for liquids with sufficiently low values of the liquid conductivity and viscosity. Theoretical conical flows for low and high values of the Reynolds number show qualitatively good agreement with photographs of real flows inside Taylor cones. In particular, the existence of a vigorous swirl which is observed in the electrospraying of paraffins and other poorly conducting and low viscosity liquids can be explained as bifurcation of a primarily nonswirling meridional flow when the Reynolds number reaches a critical value.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología PB96-0679-C02-0