Pub Date : 2025-01-18DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00625
Jae Hyeon Ryu , Jeonghyun Baek , Zarin Subah
An alternative food production system using hydroponics is proposed to grow vegetables in a controlled environment that is implementable in space. The proposed system is an autonomous, modular, scalable, and soilless food production platform (ASFP) that can be installed in a spacecraft by meeting requirements and constraints set by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A suite of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors was used to monitor indoor climate as well as water quality in ASFP. Average values of air temperature and relative humidity in the environmentally-controlled room are maintained between 20–24 °C and 48–62 %, while water quality components, including dissolved oxygen (DO, ppm), electrical conductivity (EC, µS/m), pH, and water temperature (WT, Celsius) are monitored by the IoT sensor in real-time during the growing period. Repeated measure analysis is also performed to evaluate the plant growth performance. The result indicates that plant growth is attributed significantly to pH and EC values. A real-time data visualization and sharing platform is another avenue for the space farming ecosystem in the years to come.
{"title":"A low-cost autonomous and scalable hydroponics system for space farming","authors":"Jae Hyeon Ryu , Jeonghyun Baek , Zarin Subah","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An alternative food production system using hydroponics is proposed to grow vegetables in a controlled environment that is implementable in space. The proposed system is an autonomous, modular, scalable, and soilless food production platform (ASFP) that can be installed in a spacecraft by meeting requirements and constraints set by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A suite of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors was used to monitor indoor climate as well as water quality in ASFP. Average values of air temperature and relative humidity in the environmentally-controlled room are maintained between 20–24 °C and 48–62 %, while water quality components, including dissolved oxygen (DO, ppm), electrical conductivity (EC, µS/m), pH, and water temperature (WT, Celsius) are monitored by the IoT sensor in real-time during the growing period. Repeated measure analysis is also performed to evaluate the plant growth performance. The result indicates that plant growth is attributed significantly to pH and EC values. A real-time data visualization and sharing platform is another avenue for the space farming ecosystem in the years to come.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143151991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00624
Namal Jayasuriya , Malith Weerasekara , Oula Ghannoum , Yi Guo , Wen Hu
Horticulture crop growers are moving from conventional to protected crops, aiming for quality food production utilising fewer resources. Skilled labour for monitoring and maintaining crops in these compact environments has been identified as a major cost and can be reduced using automated image-based crop monitoring. There is a range of protected cropping infrastructures targeting different types of crops. Image data collection platforms are needed to be tailored according to the infrastructure and nature of the crop. Available research or commercial-purpose image data collection platforms for indoor crops are mostly targeted at movable and small plants compared to vertically supported tall plants. Customising existing commercial systems for this specific type of crop is costly. This paper proposes a low-cost image data collection platform for monitoring vertically supported tall crops in order to reduce labour costs while expanding the monitoring tasks for maintaining better crop growth. Off-the-shelf hardware and electronic components accessible from Australia are used for this development. The proposed platform runs manually on concrete flow and on pipe rail systems found in state-of-the-art commercial glasshouse settings. The proposed motorised platform has been tested with 30 kg, and speed was measured as an average minimum of 0.06 ms−1 and an average maximum of 0.47 ms−1. The usability of the proposed design has been proved with a published data set and research on plant height estimation. Other use cases and room for further development are also discussed.
{"title":"Spi-VSTL: Image data collection platform using off-the shelf hardware for vertically supported crops in state-of-the-art glasshouses","authors":"Namal Jayasuriya , Malith Weerasekara , Oula Ghannoum , Yi Guo , Wen Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Horticulture crop growers are moving from conventional to protected crops, aiming for quality food production utilising fewer resources. Skilled labour for monitoring and maintaining crops in these compact environments has been identified as a major cost and can be reduced using automated image-based crop monitoring. There is a range of protected cropping infrastructures targeting different types of crops. Image data collection platforms are needed to be tailored according to the infrastructure and nature of the crop. Available research or commercial-purpose image data collection platforms for indoor crops are mostly targeted at movable and small plants compared to vertically supported tall plants. Customising existing commercial systems for this specific type of crop is costly. This paper proposes a low-cost image data collection platform for monitoring vertically supported tall crops in order to reduce labour costs while expanding the monitoring tasks for maintaining better crop growth. Off-the-shelf hardware and electronic components accessible from Australia are used for this development. The proposed platform runs manually on concrete flow and on pipe rail systems found in state-of-the-art commercial glasshouse settings. The proposed motorised platform has been tested with 30 kg, and speed was measured as an average minimum of 0.06 ms<sup>−1</sup> and an average maximum of 0.47 ms<sup>−1</sup>. The usability of the proposed design has been proved with a published data set and research on plant height estimation. Other use cases and room for further development are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00624"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143376677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00615
Robert L. Read , Nathaniel Bechard , Victor Suturin , Antal Zuiderwijk , Michelle Mellenthin
The PolyVent is an open source mechanical ventilator meant for research and education. It prioritizes openness, modularity, repairability, and modifiability. An ESP32 microcontroller controls a proportional valve which precisely modulates pressure and flow from a mixing chamber into the airway. This chamber is fed with pressurized oxygen and medical air. Solenoid valves control both gas mixing and patient inflation. The PolyVent is controllable through a command-line interface over the serial port, a convenient point of access for researchers and instructors. The VentMon, a separate IoT-enabled spirometer, provides convenient instrumentation for classroom teaching and geodistributed research teams. A “cake-dome” design allows the PolyVent to operate with or without its transparent cover in place, for easy troubleshooting and instruction. An open footprint optimizes engineering change rather than compactness. The electronics are packaged into cards on a standardized backplane, allowing one to extend functionality through the addition of new cards. The VentOS open source software that drives the machine makes it a universal and modifiable research software platform. It is intended to be the medical gas production heart of an open source human respiration research and education ecosystem, and aims to be the starting point for open source medical ventilator designs.
{"title":"The PolyVent educational platform: An open mechanical ventilation platform for research and education","authors":"Robert L. Read , Nathaniel Bechard , Victor Suturin , Antal Zuiderwijk , Michelle Mellenthin","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The PolyVent is an open source mechanical ventilator meant for research and education. It prioritizes openness, modularity, repairability, and modifiability. An ESP32 microcontroller controls a proportional valve which precisely modulates pressure and flow from a mixing chamber into the airway. This chamber is fed with pressurized oxygen and medical air. Solenoid valves control both gas mixing and patient inflation. The PolyVent is controllable through a command-line interface over the serial port, a convenient point of access for researchers and instructors. The VentMon, a separate IoT-enabled spirometer, provides convenient instrumentation for classroom teaching and geodistributed research teams. A “cake-dome” design allows the PolyVent to operate with or without its transparent cover in place, for easy troubleshooting and instruction. An open footprint optimizes engineering change rather than compactness. The electronics are packaged into cards on a standardized backplane, allowing one to extend functionality through the addition of new cards. The VentOS open source software that drives the machine makes it a universal and modifiable research software platform. It is intended to be the medical gas production heart of an open source human respiration research and education ecosystem, and aims to be the starting point for open source medical ventilator designs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00615"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783062/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00621
Pablo Raul Yanyachi, Jorch Mendoza-Chok, Brayan Espinoza-Garcia, Juan Carlos Cutipa Luque, Daniel Yanyachi Aco Cardenas
Inertial navigation systems (INS) are widely used in commercial aviation, maritime navigation, and unmanned vehicle guidance. However, these systems are often sensitive, costly, and challenging to access. To address these limitations, an open-source, low-cost platform named INS OpenNavSense has been developed. This platform is built using FreeRTOS, an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) that enables the microcontroller to run parallel individual threads (tasks), providing a practical and effective tool for implementing estimation algorithms that compensate for the use of low-cost microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors instead of high-end sensors in professional INS. The main contribution of this work is the introduction of a FreeRTOS-based platform, which facilitates independent management of computational and processing tasks. The platform incorporates accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) module, and barometer sensors. Sensor data is calibrated and filtered to enhance accuracy, offering researchers a robust and reliable tool for testing their estimation algorithms. To validate this platform, the open-source Mahony library was used for attitude and heading reference system estimation, demonstrating the types of algorithms that can be tested. Tests were conducted with a drone carrying the platform as payload, and results from this low-cost INS were compared to the drone’s INS, showing both similarity and viability as a development platform.
{"title":"OpenNavSense platform: A low-cost, open-source inertial navigation system for the evaluation of estimation algorithms","authors":"Pablo Raul Yanyachi, Jorch Mendoza-Chok, Brayan Espinoza-Garcia, Juan Carlos Cutipa Luque, Daniel Yanyachi Aco Cardenas","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inertial navigation systems (INS) are widely used in commercial aviation, maritime navigation, and unmanned vehicle guidance. However, these systems are often sensitive, costly, and challenging to access. To address these limitations, an open-source, low-cost platform named INS OpenNavSense has been developed. This platform is built using FreeRTOS, an open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) that enables the microcontroller to run parallel individual threads (tasks), providing a practical and effective tool for implementing estimation algorithms that compensate for the use of low-cost microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors instead of high-end sensors in professional INS. The main contribution of this work is the introduction of a FreeRTOS-based platform, which facilitates independent management of computational and processing tasks. The platform incorporates accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) module, and barometer sensors. Sensor data is calibrated and filtered to enhance accuracy, offering researchers a robust and reliable tool for testing their estimation algorithms. To validate this platform, the open-source Mahony library was used for attitude and heading reference system estimation, demonstrating the types of algorithms that can be tested. Tests were conducted with a drone carrying the platform as payload, and results from this low-cost INS were compared to the drone’s INS, showing both similarity and viability as a development platform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00621"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11762629/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143048108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00617
Riley Prince, Kai Roy, Nathan Jesudason, Marc Belinga, Jacob Field, Dylan Heiesy, Aaron Arvidson, Torrey Menne, John Selker, Chet Udell
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an ideal way of researching aquatic environments and determining what species are present in an area the biodiversity of an area, and if any invasive or endangered species are present. Traditional sampling of eDNA consists of manually filtering water, which is labor and cost-intensive for remote locations. Furthermore, commercialized solutions are either expensive or require a field operator to function. We have built a battery-powered eDNA sampler capable of autonomous multi-sampling for a greatly reduced price compared to existing technologies. Environmental DNA collection contains 3 main components: environmental DNA must be preserved, the filtered volume must be accurate, and there must be no cross-contamination between samples. The sampler operates in this way separating eDNA via filters, preserving DNA, and recording the filtered volume per sample. Our PolyWAG eDNA sampler system is a water sampling device that collects DNA samples via 47 mm filter and provides a non-invasive, safe and autonomous means of eDNA collection. The sampler can hold 24 filters and is designed to be easily replaced and reusable. A browser application is used for real-time monitoring, scheduling tasks, and data logging for time, pressure, flow, and filtered volume. Additionally, the sampler design is openly published, modular and is constantly being tested to help us optimize our software and hardware to give us the best results. The 13-step sampling sequence helps reduce cross contamination significantly. Our machine can be deployed for an extended period. It is completely autonomous and costs around $3800 for components or $6000 including labor.
{"title":"PolyWAG: Autonomous filtered water sampling for eDNA","authors":"Riley Prince, Kai Roy, Nathan Jesudason, Marc Belinga, Jacob Field, Dylan Heiesy, Aaron Arvidson, Torrey Menne, John Selker, Chet Udell","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an ideal way of researching aquatic environments and determining what species are present in an area the biodiversity of an area, and if any invasive or endangered species are present. Traditional sampling of eDNA consists of manually filtering water, which is labor and cost-intensive for remote locations. Furthermore, commercialized solutions are either expensive or require a field operator to function. We have built a battery-powered eDNA sampler capable of autonomous multi-sampling for a greatly reduced price compared to existing technologies. Environmental DNA collection contains 3 main components: environmental DNA must be preserved, the filtered volume must be accurate, and there must be no cross-contamination between samples. The sampler operates in this way separating eDNA via filters, preserving DNA, and recording the filtered volume per sample. Our PolyWAG eDNA sampler system is a water sampling device that collects DNA samples via 47 mm filter and provides a non-invasive, safe and autonomous means of eDNA collection. The sampler can hold 24 filters and is designed to be easily replaced and reusable. A browser application is used for real-time monitoring, scheduling tasks, and data logging for time, pressure, flow, and filtered volume. Additionally, the sampler design is openly published, modular and is constantly being tested to help us optimize our software and hardware to give us the best results. The 13-step sampling sequence helps reduce cross contamination significantly. Our machine can be deployed for an extended period. It is completely autonomous and costs around $3800 for components or $6000 including labor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00617"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783023/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00616
Saba Molhemi, Leif Østergaard, Brian Hansen
Awake mouse MRI and spectroscopy (MRS) are valuable techniques for studying biological questions without the confounding effects of anaesthesia. Currently, no off-the-shelf solution exists for awake mouse MRI/S. To address this, we present a Mouse Cradle Suspension System (MCSS) for awake mouse MRI/S. Our design is freely available and offers a low-cost 3D-printed setup compatible with a Bruker Biospec 94/20 scanner and commercially available H/31P surface- and volume-coils, such as coils from Bruker Biospin (T20025V3) and Rapid (O-XL-HL-094). While the focus here is measurements in awake mouse brain, the coils and the presented setup is suitable for both mouse and rat brain, and studies of mouse body organs. Moreover, the design is easily modifiable to suit other applications and hardware configurations. The MCSS reduces gradient-induced coil vibrations and supports cross-coil setups. It features an inner and outer rail system for easy insertion of the coil and customized mouse cradle into the scanner. The cradle is suitable for both anaesthetized and awake mouse scans and existing habituation protocols for awake mouse MRI/S. This MCSS design ensures a smooth workflow for awake mouse MRI/S. The cost is approximately 200€, achieved using 3D-printed and off-the-shelf components.
{"title":"A low-cost open-source 3D-printed mouse cradle suspension system for awake or anaesthetised 1H/31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy","authors":"Saba Molhemi, Leif Østergaard, Brian Hansen","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Awake mouse MRI and spectroscopy (MRS) are valuable techniques for studying biological questions without the confounding effects of anaesthesia. Currently, no off-the-shelf solution exists for awake mouse MRI/S. To address this, we present a Mouse Cradle Suspension System (MCSS) for awake mouse MRI/S. Our design is freely available and offers a low-cost 3D-printed setup compatible with a Bruker Biospec 94/20 scanner and commercially available <span><math><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msup></math></span>H/<sup>31</sup>P surface- and volume-coils, such as coils from Bruker Biospin (T20025V3) and Rapid (O-XL-HL-094). While the focus here is measurements in awake mouse brain, the coils and the presented setup is suitable for both mouse and rat brain, and studies of mouse body organs. Moreover, the design is easily modifiable to suit other applications and hardware configurations. The MCSS reduces gradient-induced coil vibrations and supports cross-coil setups. It features an inner and outer rail system for easy insertion of the coil and customized mouse cradle into the scanner. The cradle is suitable for both anaesthetized and awake mouse scans and existing habituation protocols for awake mouse MRI/S. This MCSS design ensures a smooth workflow for awake mouse MRI/S. The cost is approximately 200€, achieved using 3D-printed and off-the-shelf components.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00622
Huihui Liu , Sunil Kumar , Edwin Garcia , William Flanagan , Jonathan Lightley , Christopher Dunsby , Paul M.W. French
We recently demonstrated polarisation differential phase contrast microscopy (pDPC) as a robust, low-cost single-shot implementation of (semi)quantitative phase imaging based on differential phase microscopy. pDPC utilises a polarisation-sensitive camera to simultaneously acquire four obliquely transilluminated images from which phase images mapping spatial variation of optical path difference can be calculated. pDPC microscopy can be implemented on existing or bespoke microscopes and can utilise radiation at a wide range of visible to near infrared wavelengths and so is straightforward to integrate with fluorescence microscopy. Here we present a low-cost open-source pDPC module that is designed for use with the modular open-source microscope stand “openFrame”. With improved hardware and software, this new pDPC implementation provides a real-time readout of phase across a field of view that facilitates optimisation of system alignment. We also provide protocols for background subtraction and correction of crosstalk.
{"title":"Open-source implementation of polarisation-resolved single-shot differential phase contrast microscopy (pDPC) on a modular openFrame-based microscope","authors":"Huihui Liu , Sunil Kumar , Edwin Garcia , William Flanagan , Jonathan Lightley , Christopher Dunsby , Paul M.W. French","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We recently demonstrated polarisation differential phase contrast microscopy (<em>pDPC</em>) as a robust, low-cost single-shot implementation of (semi)quantitative phase imaging based on differential phase microscopy. <em>pDPC</em> utilises a polarisation-sensitive camera to simultaneously acquire four obliquely transilluminated images from which phase images mapping spatial variation of optical path difference can be calculated. <em>pDPC</em> microscopy can be implemented on existing or bespoke microscopes and can utilise radiation at a wide range of visible to near infrared wavelengths and so is straightforward to integrate with fluorescence microscopy. Here we present a low-cost open-source <em>pDPC</em> module that is designed for use with the modular open-source microscope stand “<em>openFrame</em>”. With improved hardware and software, this new <em>pDPC</em> implementation provides a real-time readout of phase across a field of view that facilitates optimisation of system alignment. We also provide protocols for background subtraction and correction of crosstalk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143060751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00618
Irwansyah , Sho Otsuka , Seiji Nakagawa
Thanks to affordable 3D printers, creating complex designs like anatomically accurate dummy heads is now accessible. This study introduces dummy heads with 3D-printed skulls and silicone skins to explore crosstalk cancellation in bone conduction (BC). Crosstalk occurs when BC sounds from a transducer on one side of the head reach the cochlea on the opposite side. This can disrupt binaural cues essential for sound localization and speech understanding in noise for individuals using BC hearing devices. We provide a step-by-step guide to constructing the dummy head and demonstrate its application in canceling crosstalk. The 3D models used in this study are freely available for replication and further research. Several dummy heads were 3D-printed using ABS for the skull and silicone skins of varying hardness, with a 3-axis accelerometer at the cochlea location to simulate inner ear response. Since the cochlea is inaccessible in humans, we targeted crosstalk cancellation at the mastoid, assessing if this cancellation extended to the cochlea within the dummy heads. We compared these results with our previous experiments conducted on seven human subjects, who had their hearing thresholds measured with and without crosstalk cancellation, to evaluate if the dummy heads could reliably replicate human crosstalk cancellation effects.
{"title":"3D printed dummy heads for crosstalk cancellation studies in bone conduction","authors":"Irwansyah , Sho Otsuka , Seiji Nakagawa","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thanks to affordable 3D printers, creating complex designs like anatomically accurate dummy heads is now accessible. This study introduces dummy heads with 3D-printed skulls and silicone skins to explore crosstalk cancellation in bone conduction (BC). Crosstalk occurs when BC sounds from a transducer on one side of the head reach the cochlea on the opposite side. This can disrupt binaural cues essential for sound localization and speech understanding in noise for individuals using BC hearing devices. We provide a step-by-step guide to constructing the dummy head and demonstrate its application in canceling crosstalk. The 3D models used in this study are freely available for replication and further research. Several dummy heads were 3D-printed using ABS for the skull and silicone skins of varying hardness, with a 3-axis accelerometer at the cochlea location to simulate inner ear response. Since the cochlea is inaccessible in humans, we targeted crosstalk cancellation at the mastoid, assessing if this cancellation extended to the cochlea within the dummy heads. We compared these results with our previous experiments conducted on seven human subjects, who had their hearing thresholds measured with and without crosstalk cancellation, to evaluate if the dummy heads could reliably replicate human crosstalk cancellation effects<em>.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00618"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11733055/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143013421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00619
Ludvik Alkhoury , Giacomo Scanavini , Petras Swissler , Sudhin A. Shah , Disha Gupta , N. Jeremy Hill
In neuroscience, accurately correlating brain activity with stimuli and other events requires precise synchronization between neural data and event timing. To achieve this, purpose-built synchronization devices are often used to detect events. This paper introduces SyncGenie, a programmable synchronization device designed for a range of uses in neuroscience research—primarily as a “trigger box” to align neurophysiological data with physical stimulus events, among other possibilities. It can support both hardware-triggered and software-triggered pulse synchronization and can even serve as a cost-effective digitizer for real-time analysis of analog signals. We provide the complete circuit-board designs, 3D models, and Arduino code necessary to build and use SyncGenie. The board is designed for easy manufacturing and assembly, with components that can be seamlessly soldered. It includes a range of connector types required for common applications, such as 3.5 mm TRS, D-sub25, BNC, and JST-XH. Additionally, SyncGenie features a user-friendly interface that allows for experiment-specific adjustments without requiring coding expertise. Its programmability, supported by our public-domain Arduino library, provides the flexibility to adapt SyncGenie to diverse experimental protocols. Overall, SyncGenie offers enhanced functionality at a lower cost relative to commercially available trigger boxes.
在神经科学中,准确地将大脑活动与刺激和其他事件联系起来需要神经数据和事件时间之间的精确同步。为了实现这一点,通常使用专用的同步设备来检测事件。本文介绍了SyncGenie,一种可编程同步设备,设计用于神经科学研究的一系列用途,主要作为“触发盒”,将神经生理学数据与物理刺激事件对齐,以及其他可能性。它可以支持硬件触发和软件触发的脉冲同步,甚至可以作为一个具有成本效益的数字化仪,用于实时分析模拟信号。我们提供构建和使用SyncGenie所需的完整电路板设计,3D模型和Arduino代码。该板的设计便于制造和组装,组件可以无缝焊接。它包括一系列常见应用所需的连接器类型,如3.5 mm TRS, D-sub25, BNC和JST-XH。此外,SyncGenie具有用户友好的界面,允许实验特定的调整,而不需要编码专业知识。它的可编程性由我们的公共领域Arduino库支持,提供了使SyncGenie适应各种实验协议的灵活性。总的来说,SyncGenie以较低的成本提供了增强的功能,相对于市售的触发盒。
{"title":"SyncGenie: A programmable event synchronization device for neuroscience research","authors":"Ludvik Alkhoury , Giacomo Scanavini , Petras Swissler , Sudhin A. Shah , Disha Gupta , N. Jeremy Hill","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In neuroscience, accurately correlating brain activity with stimuli and other events requires precise synchronization between neural data and event timing. To achieve this, purpose-built synchronization devices are often used to detect events. This paper introduces SyncGenie, a programmable synchronization device designed for a range of uses in neuroscience research—primarily as a “trigger box” to align neurophysiological data with physical stimulus events, among other possibilities. It can support both hardware-triggered and software-triggered pulse synchronization and can even serve as a cost-effective digitizer for real-time analysis of analog signals. We provide the complete circuit-board designs, 3D models, and Arduino code necessary to build and use SyncGenie. The board is designed for easy manufacturing and assembly, with components that can be seamlessly soldered. It includes a range of connector types required for common applications, such as 3.5 mm TRS, D-sub25, BNC, and JST-XH. Additionally, SyncGenie features a user-friendly interface that allows for experiment-specific adjustments without requiring coding expertise. Its programmability, supported by our public-domain Arduino library, provides the flexibility to adapt SyncGenie to diverse experimental protocols. Overall, SyncGenie offers enhanced functionality at a lower cost relative to commercially available trigger boxes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00619"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11743915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143013424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00620
Arjan J. Knulst , Salome Berger , Jorijn van den Boom , Inge Bosch , Noa Nicolai , Suraj Maharjan , Eileen Raaijmakers , Chang-Lung Tsai , Lisa van de Weerd , Jenny Dankelman , Jan-Carel Diehl
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a treatment that promotes healing of chronic wounds. Despite high prevalence of chronic wounds in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), NPWT devices are not available nor affordable. This study aims to improve chronic wound care in LMICs by presenting the Wound Care (WOCA) system, designed for building, testing and use in LMICs. Design requirements were formulated using input from literature, ISO standards, and wound care experts. The WOCA design was developed to provide safe, portable, user-friendly and affordable NPWT to patients in LMICs. The design features an adjustable operating pressure ranging from −75 to −125 mmHg, a battery for portability, a 300 ml canister, overflow protection, and system state alarms. An Arduino controls the pressure and monitors the system state. Three prototypes were developed and built in Nepal, and their performance was evaluated. Pressure control was 125 ± 10 % mmHg, internal leakage was 7.5 ± 4.3 mmHg/min, reserve capacity was 189 ± 16.9 ml/min, and overflow protection and alarm systems were effectively working. Prototype cost was approximately 280 USD. The WOCA demonstrates to be a locally producible NPWT device that can safely generate a stable vacuum. Future research will include clinical trials situated in LMICs.
{"title":"The WOCA negative pressure wound therapy device designed for low resource settings","authors":"Arjan J. Knulst , Salome Berger , Jorijn van den Boom , Inge Bosch , Noa Nicolai , Suraj Maharjan , Eileen Raaijmakers , Chang-Lung Tsai , Lisa van de Weerd , Jenny Dankelman , Jan-Carel Diehl","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is a treatment that promotes healing of chronic wounds. Despite high prevalence of chronic wounds in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), NPWT devices are not available nor affordable. This study aims to improve chronic wound care in LMICs by presenting the Wound Care (WOCA) system, designed for building, testing and use in LMICs. Design requirements were formulated using input from literature, ISO standards, and wound care experts. The WOCA design was developed to provide safe, portable, user-friendly and affordable NPWT to patients in LMICs. The design features an adjustable operating pressure ranging from −75 to −125 mmHg, a battery for portability, a 300 ml canister, overflow protection, and system state alarms. An Arduino controls the pressure and monitors the system state. Three prototypes were developed and built in Nepal, and their performance was evaluated. Pressure control was 125 ± 10 % mmHg, internal leakage was 7.5 ± 4.3 mmHg/min, reserve capacity was 189 ± 16.9 ml/min, and overflow protection and alarm systems were effectively working. Prototype cost was approximately 280 USD. The WOCA demonstrates to be a locally producible NPWT device that can safely generate a stable vacuum. Future research will include clinical trials situated in LMICs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article e00620"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11732568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}