Open Biomedical Engineering Journal最新文献

Large number of studies showed that landing with great impact forces may be a risk factor for knee injuries. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the different landing loads to lower extremity of both genders and examine the relationships among selected lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during the landing of a stop-jump task. A total of 35 male and 35 female healthy subjects were recruited in this study. Each subject executed five experiment actions. Lower extremity kinematics and kinetics were synchronously acquired. The comparison of lower extremity kinematics for different genders showed significant difference. The knee and hip maximum flexion angle, peak ground reaction force and peak knee extension moment have significantly decreased during the landing of the stop-jump task among the female subjects. The hip flexion angle at the initial foot contact phase showed significant correlation with peak ground reaction force during landing of the stop-jump task (r=-0.927, p<0.001). The knee flexion angle at the initial foot contact phase had significant correlation with peak ground reaction force and vertical ground reaction forces during landing of the stop-jump task (r=-0.908, p<0.001; r=0.812, P=0.002). A large hip and knee flexion angles at the initial foot contact with the ground did not necessarily reduce the impact force during landing, but active hip and knee flexion motions did. The hip and knee flexion motion of landing was an important technical factor that affects anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) loading during the landing of the stop-jump task.

Based on the data from 30 provincial regions in China, an assessment and empirical analysis was carried out on the utilizing and sharing of the large-scale scientific equipment with a comprehensive assessment model established on the three dimensions, namely, equipment, utilization and sharing. The assessment results were interpreted in light of relevant policies. The results showed that on the whole, the overall development level in the provincial regions in eastern and central China is higher than that in western China. This is mostly because of the large gap among the different provincial regions with respect to the equipped level. But in terms of utilizing and sharing, some of the Western provincial regions, such as Ningxia, perform well, which is worthy of our attention. Policy adjustment targeting at the differentiation, elevation of the capacity of the equipment management personnel, perfection of the sharing and cooperation platform, and the promotion of the establishment of open sharing funds, are all important measures to promote the utilization and sharing of the large-scale scientific equipment and to narrow the gap among different regions.

Suture line stress concentration and intimal hyperplasia are related to the long-term complications of end-toside and side-to-side anastomosis. Several factors, such as hemodynamic effects, biological activities and the mechanical properties of the blood vessels, are identified to influence the problem. Yet, it is not completely clear which are the factors that influence most the long-term complications and in what specific way. This study aims to examine if elastic (compliance) mismatch increases the stress concentration and intimal thickening at the suture line. Better compliance may be obtained by using grafts with similar mechanical properties to the host artery or by anastomosis techniques that utilize vein patches and cuffs (Taylor-patch and Miller-cuff anastomosis). The anastomosis model used in this study is a circular cylindrical system consisting of two semi-cylinders, interconnected by two hinges. The internal blood pressure is applied on the arterial walls. The static and dynamic responses are analytically derived in terms of radial and tangential displacements, internal forces and strains of the two blood vessels and rotation of their cross-section. Results suggest that increased elastic mismatch between the artery and the graft may promote elevated intimal thickening due to large incompatible angles at the junction, whereas there is no correlation between elastic mismatch and elevated stress concentration at the suture line. Another interesting application of the present model is the patching of arteries as applied in carotid endarterectomy.

Head model and an efficient method for computing the forward EEG (electroencephalography)problem are essential to dipole source localization(DSL). In this paper, we use less expensive ovoid geometry to approximate human head, aiming at investigating the effects of head shape and dipole source parameters on EEG fields. The application of point least squares (PLS) based on meshless method was introduced for solving EEG forward problem and numerical simulation is implemented in three kinds of ovoid head models. We present the performances of the surface potential in the face of varying dipole source parameters in detail. The results show that the potential patterns are similar for different dipole position in different head shapes, but the peak value of potential is significantly influenced by the head shape. Dipole position induces a great effect on the peak value of potential and shift of peak potential. The degree of variation between sphere head model and non-sphere head models is seen at the same time. We also show that PLS method with the trigonometric basis is superior to the constant basis, linear basis, and quadratic basis functions in accuracy and efficiency.

The present contribution has originated from a critical biomedical engineering issue e.g., loosening of metallic prostheses fixed with poly(methyl methylacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement especially in the case of hip joint replacement which ultimately forces the patient to undergo a revision surgery. Subsequently surgeons invented a cementless fixation technology introducing a bioactive hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating to the metallic implant surface. A wide variety of different coating methods have been developed to make the HAp coating on metallic implants more reliable; of which ultimately the plasma spraying method has been commercially accepted. However, the story was not yet finished at all, as many questions were raised regarding coating adherence, stability and bio-functionality in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Moreover, it has been now realized that the conventional high power plasma spraying (i.e. conventional atmospheric plasma spraying, CAPS) coating method creates many disadvantages in terms of phase impurity; reduced porosity limiting osseointegration and residual stresses which ultimately lead to inadequate mechanical properties and delamination of the coating. Further, poor crystallinity of HAp deposited by CAPS accelerates the rate of bioresorption, which may cause poor adhesion due to quick mass loss of HAp coatings. Therefore, in the present work a very recently developed method e.g. low power microplasma spraying method was utilized to coat HAp on SS316L substrates to minimize the aforementioned problems associated with commercial CAPS HAp coatings. Surgical grade SS316L has been chosen as the substrate material because it is more cost effective than Ti6Al4V and CoCrMo alloys.

Hypoacusis is the most prevalent sensory disability in the world and consequently, it can lead to impede speech in human beings. One best approach to tackle this issue is to conduct early and effective hearing screening test using Electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG based hearing threshold level determination is most suitable for persons who lack verbal communication and behavioral response to sound stimulation. Auditory evoked potential (AEP) is a type of EEG signal emanated from the brain scalp by an acoustical stimulus. The goal of this review is to assess the current state of knowledge in estimating the hearing threshold levels based on AEP response. AEP response reflects the auditory ability level of an individual. An intelligent hearing perception level system enables to examine and determine the functional integrity of the auditory system. Systematic evaluation of EEG based hearing perception level system predicting the hearing loss in newborns, infants and multiple handicaps will be a priority of interest for future research.

Hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HAp) and calcium phosphate ceramic materials and coatings are widely used in medicine and dentistry because of their ability to enhance the tissue response to implant surfaces and promote bone ingrowth and osseoconduction processes. The deposition conditions have a great influence on the structure and biofunctionality of calcium phosphate coatings. Corrosion processes and poor adhesion to substrate material reduce the lifetime of implants with calcium phosphate coatings. The research has focused on the development of advanced methods to deposit double-layered ceramic oxide/calcium phosphate coatings by a hybrid technique of magnetron sputtering and thermal methods. The thermal method can promote the crystallization and the formation of HAp coatings on titanium alloy Ti6Al4V substrates at low temperature, based on the principle that the solubility of HAp in aqueous solutions decreases with increasing substrate temperature. By this method, hydroxyapatite directly coated the substrate without precipitation in the initial solution. Using a thermal substrate method, calcium phosphate coatings were prepared at substrate temperatures of 100-105 (o)C. The coated metallic implant surfaces with ceramic bond coats and calcium phosphate layers combine the excellent mechanical properties of metals with the chemical stability of ceramic materials. The corrosion test results show that the ceramic oxide (alumina) coatings and the double-layered alumina-calcium phosphate coatings improve the corrosion resistance compared with uncoated Ti6Al4V and single-layered Ti6Al4V/calcium phosphate substrates. In addition, the double-layered alumina/hydroxyapatite coatings demonstrate the best biocompatibility during in vitro tests.

Chlorapatite can be considered a potential biomaterial for orthopaedic applications. Its use as plasma-sprayed coating could be of interest considering its thermal properties and particularly its ability to melt without decomposition unlike hydroxyapatite. Chlorapatite (ClA) was synthesized by a high-temperature ion exchange reaction starting from commercial stoichiometric hydroxyapatites (HA). The ClA powder showed similar characteristics as the original industrial HA powder, and was obtained in the monoclinic form. The HA and ClA powders were plasma-sprayed using a low-energy plasma spraying system with identical processing parameters. The coatings were characterized by physical-chemical methods, i.e. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, including distribution mapping of the main phases detected such as amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), oxyapatite (OA), and HA or ClA. The unexpected formation of oxyapatite in ClA coatings was assigned to a side reaction with contaminating oxygenated species (O2, H2O). ClA coatings exhibited characteristics different from HA, showing a lower content of oxyapatite and amorphous phase. Although their adhesion strength was found to be lower than that of HA coatings, their application could be an interesting alternative, offering, in particular, a larger range of spraying conditions without formation of massive impurities.