A quantitative method for representing balance strategies of goal-directed human motions

A movement index termed balance strategy vector (BSV) was developed as a research tool for studying human balance strategies during goal-directed motions. For a given motion (motion capture data), the BSV index quantitatively represents its balance strategy by computing how available body joint DoFs' angular motions affect the formation of the wholebody center-of-mass trajectory. The index facilitates easy and intuitive understanding of balance strategies of various human motions and can assist scientific investigations on human balance strategies. As an example demonstrating the utility of the index, the index was used to explore balance strategies of free-style, sagittal-plane load lifting motions.     

一种可监测人体脉搏波的汽车方向盘辅助装置

目的脉搏波的波形特征与心血管疾病密切相关。本文拟设计一种安装在汽车方向盘上的能独立实时监测脉搏波信号的辅助装置,在驾驶员无意识下获取其血流动力学的相关信息,为监测健康状况提供数据支持。方法该装置利用置于方向盘套表面的反射式脉搏波光电传感器采集脉搏波信号。经过滤波、放大和A／D转换,利用嵌于方向盘助力器内的配套装置对脉搏波信号进行数字处理,实现对脉搏波信号周期的确定、心率和平均动脉压数据的计算,以及信号和数据的存储。最后将处理后的脉搏波波形、心率数据及平均动脉压显示在配套装置的液晶显示屏上,还可通过配套装置中的SD卡接口进行数据传输及存储。结果经受试者实际测试,传感器能够准确测出手指脉搏波并输出,使得方向盘套和助力器具有测量脉搏波、心率及平均动脉压的功能。结论该汽车方向盘辅助器可为用户实时监测脉搏波、心率和平均动脉压,帮助使用者实时监测自己的健康状况。     

一种新的头颈部常规放疗立体定位装置及其使用方法

目的：介绍一种新的自行 地头颈部肿瘤常规放射治疗的立体定位装置及其使用方法。方法：本装置为附加在患者体外的一个带有三维坐标系的框架结构,在ＣＴ影像上构成建立坐标系的标志呈“Ｖ”型,采用义量法确定扫描范围内任一点相对于该坐标系的空间位置。据此可求出靶中心坐标、不同Ｇａｎｔｒｙ角野的大小及形状等各项放疗参数。应用本装置和方法对一模拟靶的各放疗参数进行确定,并应用模拟定位机对其进行验证。结果：通过本装置     

Ultrafiltrate sampling device for continuous monitoring

A light, portable sampling device for the continuous collection and storage of subcutaneous fluid is described. It consists of a hollow-fibre probe for ultrafiltration, a long tube for sample storage and a vacuum tube as driving force. Introduction of a restriction in the flow path allows a constant pulse-free flow as low as 100 nl min⁻¹. The contents of the storage tube reflect the metabolic events that have happened during the 24 h collection period. The ultrafiltrate fluid collected from the subcutaneous tissue is free from large molecules and can be continuously analysed. An application in combination with a bionsensor for the analysis of glucose is described, but the device also allows monitoring of other subcutaneous constituents such as ions, metabolites, drugs and their metabolites.     

Coordination between head and hindlimb motions during the cat scratch response

Coordination between motions of the head and the hindlimb paw ipsilateral to the stimulated pinna were assessed during the scratch cycle in freely moving cats. Motor patterns were determined by electromyographic (EMG) recordings made from epimysial-patch electrodes surgically implanted on the biventer cervicis (BC), complexus (CM), obliquus capitis inferior (OC), and splenius (SP) muscles and by fine-wire EMG electrodes implanted in two ankle muscles, medial gastrocnemius (MG), and tibialis anterior (TA). To assess head motions during the three phases of the scratch cycle (precontact, contact, postcontact), several responses were filmed, and in some cats an in vivo force transducer was implanted on an ankle extensor muscle (MG or plantaris, PL) to determine the tension profile during the scratch cycle. During the scratch cycle, the head's trajectory was usually characterized by a small oscillation in which the head was pushed away during paw contact (as hindlimb joints extended) and then repositioned during the noncontact phases (as hindlimb joints flexed). Neck muscle activity did not occur during all responses or during all cycles of a single multicycle scratch response, and when it occurred, neck muscle EMG was characterized as phasic (a single burst during the cycle) or tonic (low-level activity during the entire cycle). Neck muscles ipsilateral (i) to the scratching limb exhibited phasic bursts more than contralateral (c) muscles, and phasic activity was most frequently observed in the iBC, iSP, iOC, and cOC muscles. The cOC was reciprocally active with the ipsilateral muscles, and its burst coincided with the postcontact phase and the ankle flexor (TA) burst. The ipsilateral muscles (iOC, iSP, iBC) were active during paw contact, and the termination of all three bursts occurred synchronously just after peak tension of the ankle extensor was reached. The iBC was active before the onset of paw contact and may have been responsible for repositioning the head, along with the cOC, during the precontact phase. The iOC became active after the onset of paw contact (22 ms) and was recruited more often when the peak extensor tendon force was high (10–16 N). The iSP, in contrast, was active during the contact phase of most scratch cycles examined and its recruitment appeared to be unrelated to tendon forces. Our data suggest that phasic neck muscle activity is not obligatory during the cat scratch response, but is related to certain conditions such as a higher than average tendon force of an ankle extensor during contact and the need to reposition the head during the noncontact phases of the cycle. During contact it is possible that active muscle contraction helps to minimize head motion to provide a stable contact surface for the paw, thereby maximizing the possibility of the scratch stimulus being dislodged from the pinna. Possible neural mechanisms, both reflexes and central commands, responsible for coordinating motions of the head and hindlimb during the scratch cycle are discussed.     

An acoustic device for monitoring bronchial patency

Scientific-Research Physico-Technical Institute, Far East State University, Vladivostok. Vladivostok State Medical Institute. Translated from Meditsinskaya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 20–23, September–October, 1995.     

CoSTEL: a computer peripheral remote sensing device for 3-dimensional monitoring of human motion

Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing - An automatic system (CoSTEL) which permits the reconstruction of the instantaneous 3-dimensional position of target points (infra-red light...     

A simple inexpensive device for monitoring patient respiration

A simple device is described that monitors respiration by sounding an alarm if respiration ceases. It is light and portable and performs well, even in a 60dB noise environment.     

Development of a small wireless device for perspiration monitoring

A small and wireless device that can capture the temporal pattern of perspiration by a novel structure of water vapor collection combined with reusable desiccant has been developed. The novel device consists of a small cylindrical case with a temperature/relative humidity sensor, battery-driven data logger, and silica gel (desiccant). Water vapor of perspiration was detected by the change in relative humidity and then adsorbed by silica gel, allowing continuous recording of perspiration within a closed and wireless chamber, which has not been previously achieved. By comparative experiments using the commercially-available perspiration monitoring device, the developed device could measure perspiration as efficiently as the conventional one, with a normalized cross coefficient of 0.738 with 6 s delay and the interclass correlation coefficient [ICC(2, 1)] of 0.84. These results imply a good agreement between the conventional and developed devices, and thus suggest the applicability of the developed device for perspiration monitoring.