FPGA-based efficient hardware/software co-design for industrial systems with systematic sensor selection

This work presents a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based embedded software platform coupled with a software-based plant, forming a Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) that is used to validate a systematic sensor selection framework. The systematic sensor selection framework combines multi-objective optimization, Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG)-type control, and the nonlinear model of a maglev suspension. A robustness analysis of the closed-loop is followed (prior to implementation) supporting the appropriateness of the solution under parametric variation. The analysis also shows that quantization is robust under different controller gains. While the LQG controller is implemented on an FPGA, the physical process is realized in a high-level system modeling environment. FPGA technology enables rapid evaluation of the algorithms and test designs under realistic scenarios avoiding heavy time penalty associated with Hardware Description Language (HDL) simulators. The HIL technique facilitates significant speed-up in the required execution time when compared to its software-based counterpart model

New Artificial Urinary Sphincter Devices in the Treatment of Male Iatrogenic Incontinence

Severe persistent stress incontinence following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer treatment, although not very common, remains the most annoying complication affecting patient’s quality of life, despite good surgical oncological results. When severe incontinence persists after the first postoperative year and conservative treatment has been failed, surgical treatment has to be considered. In these cases it is generally accepted that artificial urinary sphincter is the gold standard treatment. AUS 800 by American Medical Systems has been successfully used for more than 35 years. Recently three more sphincter devices, the Flow-Secure, the Periurethral Constrictor, and the ZSI 375, have been developed and presented in the market. A novel type of artificial urinary sphincter, the Tape Mechanical Occlusive Device, has been inserted in live canines as well as in human cadavers. These new sphincter devices are discussed in this paper focusing on safety and clinical results

Surgical Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: State of the Art Liver Resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the third most common cause of cancer-related death, showing incremental growth rates throughout the last decades. HCC requires multidisciplinary approach in a group of patients suffering from underlying chronic liver disease, usually in the setting of cirrhosis. The mainstay of treatment in resectable cases is surgery, with anatomic and non-anatomic liver resections widely implemented, as well as liver transplantation in well-selected individuals. Nowadays, there is a variety of liver parenchyma transection devices used by hepatobiliary surgeons in specialized centers, which has significantly improved postoperative outcomes in HCC patients. Therefore, hepatectomy is considered safe and feasible and should be the main therapeutic option for HCC patients, candidates for resection. Liver resection utilizing cavitron ultrasonic aspirator in combination with bipolar radiofrequency ablation is safe and effective for the treatment of HCC with favorable clinical and oncological outcomes

TCT-117 Impact of Proximal Cap Ambiguity on the Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention: Insights From the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

Background: The impact of proximal cap ambiguity on procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. Methods: We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 11,169 CTO PCIs performed in 10,932 patients at 42 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2022. Results: Proximal cap ambiguity was present in 35% of CTO lesions. Patients whose lesions had proximal cap ambiguity were more likely to have had prior PCI (65% vs 59%; P \u3c 0.01) and prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (37% vs 24%; P \u3c 0.01). Lesions with proximal cap ambiguity were more complex with higher J-CTO score (3.1 ± 1.0 vs 2.0 ± 1.2; P \u3c 0.01) and lower technical (79% vs 90%; P \u3c 0.01) and procedural success (77% vs 89%; P \u3c 0.01) rates compared with non-ambiguous CTO lesions. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was higher in cases with proximal cap ambiguity (2.5% vs 1.7%; P \u3c 0.01). The retrograde approach was more commonly used among cases with ambiguous proximal cap (51% vs 21%; P \u3c 0.01) and was more likely to be the final successful crossing strategy (29% vs 13%; P \u3c 0.01). PCIs of CTOs with ambiguous proximal cap required longer procedure time (140 [95-195] vs 105 [70-150] min; P \u3c 0.01) and more contrast volume (225 [160-305] vs 200 [150-280] mL; P \u3c 0.01). Conclusion: Proximal cap ambiguity in CTO lesions is associated with higher utilization of the retrograde approach, lower technical and procedural success rates, and higher incidence of in-hospital MACE. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

TCT-171 Predicting the Risk of Perforation Requiring Pericardiocentesis in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The PROGRESS-CTO Pericardiocentesis Score

Background: Estimating the risk for complications facilitates risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We analyzed the PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention; NCT02061436) and created a risk score for pericardiocentesis. Patients with histories of coronary artery bypass graft surgery were excluded. Logistic regression prediction modeling was used to identify independently associated variables, and the model was internally validated with bootstrapping. Results: Of the 7,672 CTO PCI cases performed between 2012 and 2022 at 40 centers, 83 (1.1%) required pericardiocentesis. The final prediction model identified predictors of pericardiocentesis: age ≥ 65 years (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.27-3.46), 1 point; female sex (OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.39-3.63), 1 point; moderate to severe calcification (OR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.96-5.49), 1 point; antegrade dissection re-entry (OR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.45-5.51), 1 point; and retrograde strategy (OR: 3.50; 95% CI: 2.08-5.87), 2 points; with a bootstrap corrected C statistic of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72-0.83). The calculated risk percentages for pericardiocentesis on the basis of the PROGRESS-CTO mortality score ranged from 0.18% to 8.74% for pericardiocentesis, and 55% of patients had PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis scores of 1 or 2, corresponding to a pericardiocentesis risk of 0.4% to 1.6%. Conclusions: The PROGRESS-CTO pericardiocentesis risk score can facilitate risk-benefit assessment and procedural planning in patients undergoing CTO PCI. Categories: CORONARY: Complex and Higher Risk Procedures for Indicated Patients (CHIP

EuReCa ONE—27 Nations, ONE Europe, ONE Registry A prospective one month analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in 27 countries in Europe

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of the EuReCa ONE study was to determine the incidence, process, and outcome for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) throughout Europe.MethodsThis was an international, prospective, multi-centre one-month study. Patients who suffered an OHCA during October 2014 who were attended and/or treated by an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) were eligible for inclusion in the study. Data were extracted from national, regional or local registries.ResultsData on 10,682 confirmed OHCAs from 248 regions in 27 countries, covering an estimated population of 174 million. In 7146 (66%) cases, CPR was started by a bystander or by the EMS. The incidence of CPR attempts ranged from 19.0 to 104.0 per 100,000 population per year. 1735 had ROSC on arrival at hospital (25.2%), Overall, 662/6414 (10.3%) in all cases with CPR attempted survived for at least 30 days or to hospital discharge.ConclusionThe results of EuReCa ONE highlight that OHCA is still a major public health problem accounting for a substantial number of deaths in Europe.EuReCa ONE very clearly demonstrates marked differences in the processes for data collection and reported outcomes following OHCA all over Europe. Using these data and analyses, different countries, regions, systems, and concepts can benchmark themselves and may learn from each other to further improve survival following one of our major health care events

Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The Performance of Serum Inflammatory Markers for the Diagnosis and Follow-up of Patients With Osteomyelitis

Serum inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cells (WBC), and procalcitonin (PCT), have been used for the diagnosis of foot infections in patients with diabetes. However, little is known about their changes during treatment of patients with foot infections. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the performance of serum inflammatory markers for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with osteomyelitis. A total of 61 patients (age 63.1 +/- 7.0 years, 45 men and 16 women, 7 with type 1 and 54 with type 2 diabetes) with untreated foot infection (34 with soft-tissue infection and 27 with osteomyelitis) were recruited. Diagnosis of osteomyelitis was based on clinical examination and was confirmed by imaging studies (X-ray, scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging). Determination of the inflammatory markers was performed at baseline, after 1 week, after 3 weeks, and after 3 months of treatment. At baseline, the values of CRP, ESR, WBC, and PCT were significantly higher in patients with osteomyelitis than in those with soft-tissue infections. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of osteomyelitis of CRP (cutoff value >14 mg/L) were 0.85 and 0.83, of ESR (cutoff value >67 mm/h) 0.84 and 0.75, of WBC (cutoff value >14 x 10(9)/L) 0.75 and 0.79, and of PCT (cutoff value >0.30 ng/mL) 0.81 and 0.71, respectively. All values declined after initiation of treatment with antibiotics; the WBC, CRP, and PCT values returned to near-normal levels at day 7, whereas the values of ESR remained high until month 3 only in patients with bone infection. From the inflammatory markers, ESR is recommended to be used for the follow-up of patients with osteomyelitis