3D printed lattice metal structures for enhanced heat transfer in latent heat storage systems

The low thermal conductivity of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), e.g., paraffin waxes, is one of the main drawbacks of latent heat storage, especially when fast charging and discharging cycles are required. The introduction of highly conductive fillers in the PCM matrix may be an effective solution; however, it is difficult to grant their stable and homogeneous dispersion, which therefore limits the resulting enhancement of the overall thermal conductivity. Metal 3D printing or additive manufacturing, instead, allows to manufacture complex geometries with precise patterns, therefore allowing the design of optimal paths for heat conduction within the PCM. In this work, a device-scale latent heat storage system operating at medium temperatures (∼ 90 °C) was manufactured and characterized. Its innovative design relies on a 3D Cartesian metal lattice, fabricated via laser powder bed fusion, to achieve higher specific power densities. Numerical and experimental tests demonstrated remarkable specific power (approximately 714 ± 17 W kg−1 and 1310 ± 48 W kg−1 during heat charge and discharge, respectively). Moreover, the device performance remained stable over multiple charging and discharging cycles. Finally, simulation results were used to infer general design guidelines to further enhance the device performance. This work aims at promoting the use of metal additive manufacturing to design efficient and responsive thermal energy storage units for medium-sized applications, such as in the automotive sector (e.g. speed up of the engine warm up or as an auxiliary for other enhanced thermal management strategies

Automated carbon dioxide digital angiography for lower-limb arterial disease evaluation: safety assessment and comparison with standard iodinated contrast media angiography

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been validated as a contrast agent in a large series of studies. A particular advantages of CO2 over iodinated contrast medium (ICM) is the absence of nephrotoxicity and allergic reactions. One of the limitations of CO2 angiography is the difficulty of CO2 manual injection due to its compressibility. The manual gas injection does not permit optimal control of the gas output. Development of an automated CO2 injector has overcome these problems

Characteristics and outcomes of immunotherapy-related liver injury in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma versus other advanced solid tumours

Background & aims: Immune-related liver injury (irLI) is commonly observed in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We aimed to compare the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of irLI between patients receiving ICIs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vs. other solid tumours. Methods: Two separate cohorts were included: 375 patients with advanced/unresectable HCC, Child-Pugh A class treated with first-line atezolizumab+bevacizumab from the AB-real study, and a non-HCC cohort including 459 patients treated with first-line ICI therapy from the INVIDIa-2 multicentre study. IrLI was defined as a treatment-related increase of aminotransferase levels after exclusion of alternative aetiologies of liver injury. The incidence of irLI was adjusted for the duration of treatment exposure. Results: In patients with HCC, the incidence of any grade irLI was 11.4% over a median treatment exposure of 4.4 months (95% CI 3.7-5.2) vs. 2.6% in the INVIDIa-2 cohort over a median treatment exposure of 12.4 months (95% CI 11.1-14.0). Exposure-adjusted-incidence of any grade irLI was 22.1 per 100-patient-years in patients with HCC and 2.1 per 100-patient-years in patients with other solid tumours (p <0.001), with median time-to-irLI of 1.4 and 4.7 months, respectively. Among patients who developed irLI, systemic corticosteroids were administered in 16.3% of patients with HCC and 75.0% of those without HCC (p <0.001), and irLI resolution was observed in 72.1% and 58.3%, respectively (p = 0.362). In patients with HCC, rates of hepatic decompensation and treatment discontinuation due to irLI were 7%. Grade 1-2 irLI was associated with improved overall survival only in patients with HCC (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.96). Conclusions: Despite higher incidence and earlier onset, irLI in patients with HCC is characterised by higher rates of remission and lower requirement for corticosteroid therapy (vs. irLI in other solid tumours), low risk of hepatic decompensation and treatment discontinuation, not negatively affecting oncological outcomes