Design and analysis of a novel long-distance double tendon-sheath transmission device for breast intervention robots under MRI field

Cancer represents a major threat to human health. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides superior performance to other imaging-based examination methods in the detection of tumors and offers distinct advantages in biopsy and seed implantation. However, because of the MRI environment, the material requirements for actuating devices for the medical robots used in MRI are incredibly demanding. This paper describes a novel double tendon-sheath transmission device for use in MRI applications. LeBus grooves are used in the original transmission wheels, thus enabling the system to realize long-distance and large-stroke transmission with improved accuracy. The friction model of the transmission system and the transmission characteristics model of the novel tendon-sheath structure are then established. To address the problem that tension sensors cannot be installed in large-stroke transmission systems, a three-point force measurement method is used to measure and set an appropriate preload in the novel tendon-sheath transmission system. Additionally, experiments are conducted to verify the accuracy of the theoretical model and multiple groups of tests are performed to explore the transmission characteristics. Finally, the novel tendon-sheath transmission system is compensated to improve its accuracy and the experimental results acquired after compensation show that the system satisfies the design requirements

The fidelity of general bosonic channels with pure state input

We first derive for the general form of the fidelity for various bosonic channels. Thereby we give the fidelity of different quantum bosonic channel, possibly with product input and entangled input respectively, as examples. The properties of the fidelity are carefully examined.Comment: 3 pages, comments welcom

3D Dynamic Motion Planning for Robot-Assisted Cannula Flexible Needle Insertion into Soft Tissue

In robot-assisted needle-based medical procedures, insertion motion planning is a crucial aspect. 3D dynamic motion planning for a cannula flexible needle is challenging with regard to the nonholonomic motion of the needle tip, the presence of anatomic obstacles or sensitive organs in the needle path, as well as uncertainties due to the dynamic environment caused by the movements and deformations of the organs. The kinematics of the cannula flexible needle is calculated in this paper. Based on a rapid and robust static motion planning algorithm, referred to as greedy heuristic and reachability-guided rapidly-exploring random trees, a 3D dynamic motion planner is developed by using replanning. Aiming at the large detour problem, the convergence problem and the accuracy problem that replanning encounters, three novel strategies are proposed and integrated into the conventional replanning algorithm. Comparisons are made between algorithms with and without the strategies to verify their validity. Simulations showed that the proposed algorithm can overcome the above-noted problems to realize real-time replanning in a 3D dynamic environment, which is appropriate for intraoperative planning. © 2016 Author

A necessary and sufficient criterion for multipartite separable states

We present a necessary and sufficient condition for the separability of multipartite quantum states, this criterion also tells us how to write a multipartite separable state as a convex sum of separable pure states. To work out this criterion, we need to solve a set of equations, actually it is easy to solve these quations analytically if the density matrix of the given quantum state has few nonzero eigenvalues.Comment: 4 pages, Revte

Antibiotics in the offshore waters of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea in China: Occurrence, distribution and ecological risks

The ocean is an important sink of land-based pollutants. Previous studies showed that serious antibiotic pollution occurred in the coastal waters, but limited studies focused on their presence in offshore waters. In this study, eleven antibiotics in three different categories were investigated in offshore waters of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea in China. The results indicated that three antibiotics dehydration erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim occurred throughout the offshore waters at concentrations of 0.10-16.6 ng L-1 and they decreased exponentially from the rivers to the coastal and offshore waters. The other antibiotics all presented very low detection rates (<10%) and concentrations (<0.51 ng L-1). Although the concentrations were very low, risk assessment based on the calculated risk quotients (RQs) showed that sulfamethoxazole, dehydration erythromycin and clarithromycin at most of sampling sites posed medium or low ecological risks (0.01 < RQ < 1) to some sensitive aquatic organisms, including Synechococcus leopoliensis and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The ocean is an important sink of land-based pollutants. Previous studies showed that serious antibiotic pollution occurred in the coastal waters, but limited studies focused on their presence in offshore waters. In this study, eleven antibiotics in three different categories were investigated in offshore waters of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea in China. The results indicated that three antibiotics dehydration erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim occurred throughout the offshore waters at concentrations of 0.10-16.6 ng L-1 and they decreased exponentially from the rivers to the coastal and offshore waters. The other antibiotics all presented very low detection rates (<10%) and concentrations (<0.51 ng L-1). Although the concentrations were very low, risk assessment based on the calculated risk quotients (RQs) showed that sulfamethoxazole, dehydration erythromycin and clarithromycin at most of sampling sites posed medium or low ecological risks (0.01 < RQ < 1) to some sensitive aquatic organisms, including Synechococcus leopoliensis and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved