Search results for: lumbar interspinous process fixation device

Authors: Chih-Wei Chao, Jiashing Yu

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Microfluidic devices have recently emerged as promising tools for the fabrication of scaffolds for cell culture. To mimic the natural circumstances of organism for cells to grow, here we present three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds fabricated by microfluidics for cells cultivation. This work aims at investigating the behavior in terms of the viability and the proliferation capability of rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes in the gelatin 3D scaffolds by fluorescent images.

Keywords: microfluidic device, H9c2, tissue engineering, 3D scaffolds

Procedia PDF Downloads 406

Authors: Vladyslav Povoroznyuk, Anna Musiienko, Nataliia Zaverukha, Roksolana Povoroznyuk

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Along with the global aging of population, the number of people with somatic diseases is increasing, including such interrelated pathologies as obesity, osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP). The objective of the study is to examine the connection between body mass index (BMI), OA and bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, femoral neck and trabecular bone score (TBS) in postmenopausal women with OA. We have observed 359 postmenopausal women (50-89 years old) and divided them into four groups by age: 50-59 yrs, 60-69 yrs, 70-79 yrs and over 80 years old. In addition, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Clinical classification criteria for knee and hip OA, we divided them into 2 groups: group I – 117 females with symptomatic OA (including 89 patients with knee OA, 28 patients with hip OA) and group II –242 women with a normal functional activity of large joints. Analysis of data was performed taking into account their BMI, classified by World Health Organization (WHO). Diagnosis of obesity was established when BMI was above 30 kg/m². In woman with obesity, a symptomatic OA was detected in 44 postmenopausal women (41.1%), a normal functional activity of large joints - in 63 women (58.9%). However, in women with normal BMI – 73 women, who account for 29.0% of cases, a symptomatic OA was detected. According to a chi-squared (χ2) test, a significantly higher level of BMI was detected in postmenopausal women with OA (χ2 = 5.05, p = 0.02). Women with a symptomatic OA had a significantly higher BMD of lumbar spine compared with women who had a normal functional activity of large joints. No significant differences of BMD of femoral necks or TBS were detected in either the group with OA or with a normal functional activity of large joints.

Keywords: bone mineral density, body mass index, obesity, overweight, postmenopausal women, osteoarthritis

Procedia PDF Downloads 101

Authors: Johanna Goeß

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In this field study, it is hypothesised that affiliation motivation is relevant to dark terminal technology readiness. The theoretical basis for this work was the TAM 2, focusing on the social process variables and the short-scale technology readiness. Two hypotheses to be tested are the focus of consideration:
 H1: The TAM constructs are independently positively related to dark device use. H2: Sense of social belonging is positively related to dark device use.
 In this quantitative study, 30 male subjects participated with their dark devices. Using a post-basket exercise, affiliation is manipulated by content items on the website to investigate whether affiliation between computers and people and smartphones and people leads to similar effects as an affiliation between people. The entire scientific study, including the questionnaire, took about 30 minutes. This study contributes to the current literature and draws attention to the fact that male users' terminal devices have an influence in the form of affiliation effects.

Keywords: human-computer-interaction, computers, smartphones, addiction, social affiliation effects, TAM 2, pyramid of needs, social actors

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Jyh J. Chen, Fu H. Yang, Ming H. Liao

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This study describes a capillary-based device integrated with the heating and cooling modules for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The device consists of the reaction polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) capillary, the aluminum blocks, and is equipped with two cartridge heaters, a thermoelectric (TE) cooler, a fan, and some thermocouples for temperature control. The cartridge heaters are placed into the heating blocks and maintained at two different temperatures to achieve the denaturation and the extension step. Some thermocouples inserted into the capillary are used to obtain the transient temperature profiles of the reaction sample during thermal cycles. A 483-bp DNA template is amplified successfully in the designed system and the traditional thermal cycler. This work should be interesting to persons involved in the high-temperature based reactions and genomics or cell analysis.

Keywords: polymerase chain reaction, thermal cycles, capillary, TE cooler

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Authors: Manish Kumar Prajapat, Vishwajeet Sikchi

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In the present scenario, many motorized stair climbing wheelchairs are available in the western countries which are significantly expensive and hence are not popular in developing countries. Also, such wheelchairs tend to be bulkier and heavy which makes their use for normal conditions difficult. Manually operated solutions are rarely explored in this space. Therefore, this project aims at developing a manually operated cost effective solution for the same. Differently abled people are not required to climb stairs frequently in their daily use. Because of this, carrying a stair climbing mechanism attached to the wheelchair permanently adds redundant weight to the wheelchair which reduces ease of use of the wheelchair. Hence, the idea of add-on device for stair climbing was envisaged wherein the wheelchair is mounted onto add-on only at the time when climbing the stairs is required. This work analyses in detail the mechanism for stair climbing of conventional wheelchair followed by analysis and iterations on multiple mechanisms to identify the most suitable mechanism for application in the add-on device. Further, this work imparts specific attention to optimize the force and time required for stair climbing of wheelchairs. The most suitable mechanism identified was validated by building and testing a prototype.

Keywords: add-on device, Rocker-Bogie, stair climbing, star wheel, y wheel

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Pattarachaya Preechakasedkit, Kota Osada, Koji Suzuki, Daniel Citterio, Orawon Chailapakul

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A paper-based lateral flow device for screening thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is reported. A sandwich immunoassay was performed using two mouse monoclonal TSH antibodies (anti-hTSH 5403 and 5404) as immobilized and labeled antibodies for capturing TSH samples. Test (anti-hTSH 5403) and control (goat anti-Mouse IgG) lines were fabricated on nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) using ballpoint pen printed with a speed of 3 cm/s and thickness setting of 1. The novel gold nanoparticles europium complex (AuNPs@Eu) was used as fluorescence label compared to conventional AuNPs label. The results obtained with this device can be visually assessed by the naked eyes and under UV hand lamps, and quantitative analysis can be performed using the ImageJ program. The limit of detection (LOD) under UV hand lamps (0.1 µIU/mL) provided 50-fold greater sensitivity than AuNPs (5 µIU/mL), which is suitable for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism screening within 30 min. A linear relationship between the red intensity and the logarithmic concentrations of TSH was observed with a good correlation (R²=0.992). Furthermore, the device can be effectively applied for screening TSH in the spiked human serum with recovery range of 96.80-104.45% and RSD of 2.18-3.63%. Therefore, the developed device is an alternative method for TSH screening which provides a lot of advantages including low cost, short time analysis, ease of use, disposability, portability, and on-site measurement.

Keywords: thyroid stimulating hormone, paper-based lateral flow, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism

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Authors: Soon Ok Jo, Han Kyu Jeung, Si Woo Park

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With the process of consistent expansion of carbon fiber in width (Carbon Fiber Tow Spreading Technique), it can be expected that such process can enhance the production of carbon fiber reinforced composite material and quality of the product. In this research, the method of mechanically expanding carbon fiber and increasing its width was investigated by using various geometric rolls. In addition, experimental type of carbon fiber expansion device was developed and tested using 12K carbon fiber. As a result, the effects of expansion of such fiber under optimized operating conditions and geometric structure of an elliptical roll, were analyzed.

Keywords: carbon fiber, tow spreading fiber, pre-preg, roll structure

Procedia PDF Downloads 328

Authors: Arash Sepehri bonab

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One of the regions of critical development in medical devices has been the part of the software - as an indispensable component of a therapeutic device, as a standalone device, and more as of late, as applications on portable gadgets. The chance related to a breakdown of the standalone computer program utilized inside healthcare is in itself not a model for its capability or not as a medical device. It is, subsequently, fundamental to clarify a few criteria for the capability of a stand-alone computer program as a medical device. The number of computer program items and therapeutic apps is persistently expanding and so as well is used in wellbeing education (e. g., in clinics and doctors' surgeries) for determination and treatment. Within the last decade, the use of information innovation in healthcare has taken a developing part. In reality, the appropriation of an expanding number of computer devices has driven several benefits related to the method of quiet care and permitted simpler get to social and health care assets. At the same time, this drift gave rise to modern challenges related to the usage of these modern innovations. The program utilized in healthcare can be classified as therapeutic gadgets depending on the way they are utilized and on their useful characteristics. In the event that they are classified as therapeutic gadgets, they must fulfill particular directions. The point of this work is to show a computer program improvement system that can permit the generation of secure and tall, quality restorative gadget computer programs and to highlight the correspondence between each program advancement stage and the fitting standard and/or regulation.

Keywords: medical devices, regulation, software, development, healthcare

Procedia PDF Downloads 91

Authors: Mardani Ali Serah, Yuriadi Kusuma, Chandrasa Soekardi

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The improvement of flow strategy was implemented in the intake system of the engine to produce better Compressed Natural Gas engine performance. Three components were studied, designed, simulated, developed,tested and validated in this research. The components are: the mixer, swirl device and fuel cooler device. The three components were installed to produce pressurised turbulent flow with higher fuel volume in the intake system, which is ideal condition for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuelled engine. A combination of experimental work with simulation technique were carried out. The work included design and fabrication of the engine test rig; the CNG fuel cooling system; fitting of instrumentation and measurement system for the performance testing of both gasoline and CNG modes. The simulation work was utilised to design appropriate mixer and swirl device. The flow test rig, known as the steady state flow rig (SSFR) was constructed to validate the simulation results. Then the investigation of the effect of these components on the CNG engine performance was carried out. A venturi-inlet holes mixer with three variables: number of inlet hole (8, 12, and 16); the inlet angles (300, 400, 500, and 600) and the outlet angles (200, 300, 400, and 500) were studied. The swirl-device with number of revolution and the plane angle variables were also studied. The CNG fuel cooling system with the ability to control water flow rate and the coolant temperature was installed. In this study it was found that the mixer and swirl-device improved the swirl ratio and pressure condition inside the intake manifold. The installation of the mixer, swirl device and CNG fuel cooling system had successfully increased 5.5%, 5%, and 3% of CNG engine performance respectively compared to that of existing operating condition. The overall results proved that there is a high potential of this mixer and swirl device method in increasing the CNG engine performance. The overall improvement on engine performance of power and torque was about 11% and 13% compared to the original mixer.

Keywords: intake system, Compressed Natural Gas, volumetric efficiency, engine performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 326

Authors: Anindita Sen

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Oral fluid is a promising diagnostic matrix for drugs of abuse compared to urine and serum. Detection of methamphetamine in oral fluid would pave way for the easy evaluation of impairment in drivers during roadside drug testing as well as ensure safe working environments by facilitating evaluation of impairment in employees at workplaces. A membrane-based point-of-care (POC) friendly pre-treatment technique has been developed which aided elimination of interferences caused by salivary proteins and facilitated the demonstration of methamphetamine detection in saliva using a gold nanoparticle based colorimetric aptasensor platform. It was found that the colorimetric response in saliva was always suppressed owing to the matrix effects. By navigating the challenging interfering issues in saliva, we were successfully able to detect methamphetamine at nanomolar levels in saliva offering immense promise for the translation of these platforms for on-site diagnostic systems. This subsequently motivated the development of a handheld portable light meter device that can reliably transduce the aptasensors colorimetric response into absorbance, facilitating quantitative detection of analyte concentrations on-site. This is crucial due to the prevalent unreliability and sensitivity problems of the conventional drug testing kits. The fabricated light meter device response was validated against a standard UV-Vis spectrometer to confirm reliability. The portable and cost-effective handheld detector device features sensitivity comparable to the well-established UV-Vis benchtop instrument and the easy-to-use device could potentially serve as a prototype for a commercial device in the future.

Keywords: aptasensors, colorimetric gold nanoparticle assay, point-of-care, oral fluid

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Authors: Mohammad Syed Ali Molla, Mohammed Azim, Mohammad Esharuzzaman

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Centrifugal-casting machine is used in manufacturing special machine components like multi-layer journal bearing used in all internal combustion engine, steam, gas turbine and air craft turboengine where isotropic properties and high precisions are desired. Moreover, this machine can be used in manufacturing thin wall hightech machine components like cylinder liners and piston rings of IC engine and other machine parts like sleeves, and bushes. Heavy-duty machine component like railway wheel can also be prepared by centrifugal casting. A lot of technological developments are required in casting process for production of good casted machine body and machine parts. Usually defects like blowholes, surface roughness, chilled surface etc. are found in sand casted machine parts. But these can be removed by centrifugal casting machine using rotating metallic die. Moreover, die rotation, its temperature control, and good pouring practice can contribute to the quality of casting because of the fact that the soundness of a casting in large part depends upon how the metal enters into the mold or dies and solidifies. Poor pouring practice leads to variety of casting defects such as temperature loss, low quality casting, excessive turbulence, over pouring etc. Besides these, handling of molten metal is very unsecured and dangerous for the workers. In order to get rid of all these problems, the need of an automatic pouring device arises. In this research work, a robot assisted pouring device and a centrifugal casting machine are designed, developed constructed and tested experimentally which are found to work satisfactorily. The robot assisted pouring device is further modified and developed for using it in actual metal casting process. Lot of settings and tests are required to control the system and ultimately it can be used in automation of centrifugal casting machine to produce high-tech machine parts with desired precision.

Keywords: bearing, centrifugal casting, cylinder liners, robot

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Authors: Zefry Darmawan, Shigeyuki Haruyama, Ken Kaminishi

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Product development is a big issue in the industrial competition and takes a serious part in development of technology. Product development process could adapt high changes of market needs and transform into engineering concept in order to produce high-quality product. One of the latest methods in product development is Analysis-Led-Design (ALD). It utilizes digital engineering design tools with finite analysis to perform product robust analysis and valuable for product reliability assurance. Heavy machinery which operates under severe condition should maintain safety to the customer when faced with potential hazard. Cab frame should able to absorb the energy while collision. Through ALD, a series of improvement of cab frame to increase energy absorption was made and analyzed. Improvement was made by modifying shapes of frame and-or install absorption device in certain areas. Simulation result showed that install absorption device could increase absorption energy than modifying shape.

Keywords: ALD, ROPS, energy absorption, cab frame

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Authors: Rachel Danielson, Brendan Bohannan, S.M. Tsai, Kyle Meyer, Jorge L.M. Rodrigues

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The Amazon Rainforest is a global diversity hotspot and crucial carbon sink, but approximately 20% of its total extent has been deforested- primarily for the establishment of cattle pasture. Understanding the impact of this large-scale disturbance on soil microbial community composition and activity is crucial in understanding potentially consequential shifts in nutrient or greenhouse gas cycling, as well as adding to the body of knowledge concerning how these complex communities respond to human disturbance. In this study, surface soils (0-10cm) were collected from three forests and three 45-year-old pastures in Rondonia, Brazil (the Amazon state with the greatest rate of forest destruction) in order to determine the impact of forest conversion on microbial communities involved in nitrogen fixation. Soil chemical and physical parameters were paired with measurements of microbial activity and genetic profiles to determine how community composition and process rates relate to environmental conditions. Measuring both the natural abundance of 15N in total soil N, as well as incorporation of enriched 15N2 under incubation has revealed that conversion of primary forest to cattle pasture results in a significant increase in the rate of nitrogen fixation by free-living diazotrophs. Quantification of nifH gene copy numbers (an essential subunit encoding the nitrogenase enzyme) correspondingly reveals a significant increase of genes in pasture compared to forest soils. Additionally, genetic sequencing of both nifH genes and transcripts shows a significant increase in the diversity of the present and metabolically active diazotrophs within the soil community. Levels of both organic and inorganic nitrogen tend to be lower in pastures compared to forests, with ammonium rather than nitrate as the dominant inorganic form. However, no significant or consistent differences in total, extractable, permanganate-oxidizable, or loss-on-ignition carbon are present between the two land-use types. Forest conversion is associated with a 0.5- 1.0 unit pH increase, but concentrations of many biologically relevant nutrients such as phosphorus do not increase consistently. Increases in free-living diazotrophic community abundance and activity appear to be related to shifts in carbon to nitrogen pool ratios. Furthermore, there may be an important impact of transient, low molecular weight plant-root-derived organic carbon on free-living diazotroph communities not captured in this study. Preliminary analysis of nitrogenase gene variant composition using NovoSeq metagenomic sequencing indicates that conversion of forest to pasture may significantly enrich vanadium-based nitrogenases. This indication is complemented by a significant decrease in available soil molybdenum. Very little is known about the ecology of diazotrophs utilizing vanadium-based nitrogenases, so further analysis may reveal important environmental conditions favoring their abundance and diversity in soil systems. Taken together, the results of this study indicate a significant change in nitrogen cycling and diazotroph community composition with the conversion of the Amazon Rainforest. This may have important implications for the sustainability of cattle pastures once established since nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for forage grass productivity.

Keywords: free-living diazotrophs, land use change, metagenomic sequencing, nitrogen fixation

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Authors: Francisco Duarte, Adelino Ferreira, Paulo Fael

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With the growing need for alternative energy sources, research into energy harvesting technologies has increased considerably in recent years. The particular case of energy harvesting on road pavements is a very recent area of research, with different technologies having been developed in recent years. However, none of them have presented high conversion efficiencies nor technical or economic viability. This paper deals with the development of a mechanical system to implement on a road pavement energy harvesting electromechanical device, to transmit energy from the device surface to an electrical generator. The main goal is to quantify the energy harvesting, transmission and conversion efficiency of the proposed system and compare it with existing systems. Conclusions about the system’s efficiency are presented.

Keywords: road pavement, energy harvesting, energy conversion, system modelling

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Authors: Kuhelee Chandel, Julia Åhlén, Stefan Seipel

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This study evaluates the accuracy of Microsoft HoloLens (Version 1) for small-scale industrial activities, comparing its measurements to ground truth data from a Kuka Robotics arm. Two experiments were conducted to assess its position-tracking capabilities, revealing that the HoloLens device is effective for measuring the position of dynamic objects with small dimensions. However, its precision is affected by the velocity of the trajectory and its position within the device's field of view. While the HoloLens device may be suitable for small-scale tasks, its limitations for more complex and demanding applications requiring high precision and accuracy must be considered. The findings can guide the use of HoloLens devices in industrial applications and contribute to the development of more effective and reliable position-tracking systems.

Keywords: augmented reality (AR), Microsoft HoloLens, object tracking, industrial processes, manufacturing processes

Procedia PDF Downloads 109

Authors: Tolga Hayit, Ucman Ergun, Ugur Fidan

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Being healthy is undoubtedly an indispensable necessity for human life. With technological improvements, in the literature, various health monitoring and imaging systems have been developed to satisfy your health needs. In this context, the work of monitoring and recording the data of individual health monitoring data via wireless technology is also being part of these studies. Nowadays, mobile devices which are located in almost every house and which become indispensable of our life and have wireless technology infrastructure have an important place of making follow-up health everywhere and every time because these devices were using in the health monitoring systems. In this study, Arduino an open-source microcontroller card was used in which a sample sugar measuring device was connected in series. In this way, the glucose data (glucose ratio, time) obtained with the glucometer is transferred to the mobile device based on the Android operating system with the Bluetooth technology channel. A mobile application was developed using the Apache Cordova framework for listing data, presenting graphically and reading data over Arduino. Apache Cordova, HTML, Javascript and CSS are used in coding section. The data received from the glucometer is stored in the local database of the mobile device. It is intended that people can transfer their measurements to their mobile device by using wireless technology and access the graphical representations of their data. In this context, the aim of the study is to be able to perform health monitoring by using different wireless technologies in mobile devices that can respond to different wireless technologies at present. Thus, that will contribute the other works done in this area.

Keywords: Arduino, Bluetooth, glucose measurement, mobile health monitoring

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Authors: Ghada M. R. Koura, Mohamed N. Mohamed, Ahmed M. F. El Shiwi

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Chronic mechanical Low back dysfunction (CMLBD) is the most common problem of the working-age population in modern industrial sociaty; it causes a substantial economic burden due to the wide use of medical services and absence from work. Aim of work: the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of positional release technique on patients with chronic mechanical low back pain. Materials and Methods: Thirty two patients from both sexes were diagnosed with CMLBP, aged 20 to 45 years and were divided randomly into two equal groups; sixteen patients each; group A (control group) received therapeutic exercises that include (Stretch and Strength exercises for back and abdominal muscles). Group B (experimental group) received therapeutic exercises with positional release technique; treatment was applied 3 days/week for 4 weeks. Pain was measured by Visual Analogue Scale, Lumbar range of motion was measured by Inclinometer and Functional disability was measured by Oswestry disability scale. Measurements were taken at two intervals pre-treatment and post-treatment. Results: Data obtained was analyzed via paired and unpaired t-Test. There were statistical differences between the 2 groups, where the experimental group showed greater improvement than control group. Conclusion: Positional release technique is considered as an effective treatment for reducing pain, functional disability and increasing lumbar range of motion in individuals with chronic mechanical low back pain.

Keywords: chronic mechanical low back pain, traditional physical therapy program, positional release technique, randomized controlled trial

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Authors: Diptoshi Roy, G. Sreevidya Varma, S. Asokan, Chandasree Das

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Germanium Telluride based quaternary thin film switching devices with composition Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag_24, have been deposited in sandwich geometry on glass substrate with aluminum as top and bottom electrodes. The bulk glassy form of the said composition is prepared by melt quenching technique. In this technique, appropriate quantity of elements with high purity are taken in a quartz ampoule and sealed under a vacuum of 10^-5 mbar. Then, it is allowed to rotate in a horizontal rotary furnace for 36 hours to ensure homogeneity of the melt. After that, the ampoule is quenched into a mixture of ice - water and NaOH to get the bulk ingot of the sample. The sample is then coated on a glass substrate using flash evaporation technique at a vacuum level of 10^-6 mbar. The XRD report reveals the amorphous nature of the thin film sample and Energy - Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) confirms that the film retains the same chemical composition as that of the base sample. Electrical switching behavior of the device is studied with the help of Keithley (2410^c) source-measure unit interfaced with Lab VIEW 7 (National Instruments). Switching studies, mainly SET (changing the state of the material from amorphous to crystalline) operation is conducted on the thin film form of the sample. This device is found to manifest memory switching as the device remains 'ON' even after the removal of the electric field. Also it is found that amorphous Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag₂₄ thin film unveils clean memory type of electrical switching behavior which can be justified by the absence of fluctuation in the I-V characteristics. The I-V characteristic also reveals that the switching is faster in this sample as no data points could be seen in the negative resistance region during the transition to on state and this leads to the conclusion of fast phase change during SET process. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies are performed on the chosen sample to study the structural changes at the time of switching. SEM studies on the switched Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag₂₄ sample has shown some morphological changes at the place of switching wherein it can be explained that a conducting crystalline channel is formed in the device when the device switches from high resistance to low resistance state. From these studies it can be concluded that the material may find its application in fast switching Non-Volatile Phase Change Memory (PCM) Devices.

Keywords: Chalcogenides, Vapor deposition, Electrical switching, PCM.

Procedia PDF Downloads 359

Authors: Kathryn Rooney, Kaitlyn Eddy, Evan Landers, Weihui Li

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The international mortality rate for neonates and infants has been declining at a disproportionally low rate when compared to the overall decline in child mortality in recent decades. A significant portion of infant deaths could be prevented with the implementation of low-cost and easy to use physiological monitoring devices, by enabling early identification of symptoms before they progress into life-threatening illnesses. The oral diagnostic device discussed in this paper serves to continuously monitor the key vital signs of body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen saturation. The device mimics an infant pacifier, designed to be easily tolerated by infants as well as orthodontically inert. The fundamental measurements are gathered via thermistors and a pulse oximeter, each encapsulated in medical-grade silicone and wired internally to a microcontroller chip. The chip then translates the raw measurements into physiological values via an internal algorithm, before outputting the data to a liquid crystal display screen and an Android application. Additionally, a biological sample collection chamber is incorporated into the internal portion of the device. The movement within the oral chamber created by sucking on the pacifier-like device pushes saliva through a small check valve in the distal end, where it is accumulated and stored. The collection chamber can be easily removed, making the sample readily available to be tested for various diseases and analytes. With the vital sign monitoring and sample collection offered by this device, abnormal fluctuations in physiological parameters can be identified and appropriate medical care can be sought. This device enables preventative diagnosis for infants who may otherwise have gone undiagnosed, due to the inaccessibility of healthcare that plagues vast numbers of underprivileged populations.

Keywords: neonate mortality, infant mortality, low-cost diagnostics, vital signs, saliva testing, preventative care

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Sagar R. Patil, Dinesh R. Gawade, Sudhir N. Divekar

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One of the medical devices we found when we visit a hospital care unit such device is ‘patient monitoring system’. This device (patient monitoring system) informs doctors and nurses about the patient’s physiological signals. However, this device (patient monitoring system) does not have a remote monitoring capability, which is necessitates constant onsite attendance by support personnel (doctors and nurses). Thus, we have developed a Remote Wireless Patient Monitoring System using some biomedical sensors and Android OS, which is a portable patient monitoring. This device(Remote Wireless Patient Monitoring System) monitors the biomedical signals of patients in real time and sends them to remote stations (doctors and nurse’s android Smartphone and web) for display and with alerts when necessary. Wireless Patient Monitoring System different from conventional device (Patient Monitoring system) in two aspects: First its wireless communication capability allows physiological signals to be monitored remotely and second, it is portable so patients can move while there biomedical signals are being monitor. Wireless Patient Monitoring is also notable because of its implementation. We are integrated four sensors such as pulse oximeter (SPO2), thermometer, respiration, blood pressure (BP), heart rate and electrocardiogram (ECG) in this device (Wireless Patient Monitoring System) and Monitoring and communication applications are implemented on the Android OS using threads, which facilitate the stable and timely manipulation of signals and the appropriate sharing of resources. The biomedical data will be display on android smart phone as well as on web Using web server and database system we can share these physiological signals with remote place medical personnel’s or with any where in the world medical personnel’s. We verified that the multitasking implementation used in the system was suitable for patient monitoring and for other Healthcare applications.

Keywords: patient monitoring, wireless patient monitoring, bio-medical signals, physiological signals, embedded system, Android OS, healthcare, pulse oximeter (SPO2), thermometer, respiration, blood pressure (BP), heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG)

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Authors: Rishabh Ambavanekar

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Expressive Aphasia (EA) is an oral disability, common among stroke victims, in which the Broca’s area of the brain is damaged, interfering with verbal communication abilities. EA currently has no technological solutions and its only current viable solutions are inefficient or only available to the affluent. This prompts the need for an affordable, innovative solution to facilitate recovery and assist in speech generation. This project proposes a novel concept: using a wearable low-cost electroencephalography (EEG) device-based brain-computer interface (BCI) to translate a user’s inner dialogue into words. A low-cost EEG device was developed and found to be 10 to 100 times less expensive than any current EEG device on the market. As part of the BCI, a machine learning (ML) model was developed and trained using the EEG data. Two stages of testing were conducted to analyze the effectiveness of the device: a proof-of-concept and a final solution test. The proof-of-concept test demonstrated an average accuracy of above 90% and the final solution test demonstrated an average accuracy of above 75%. These two successful tests were used as a basis to demonstrate the viability of BCI research in developing lower-cost verbal communication devices. Additionally, the device proved to not only enable users to verbally communicate but has the potential to also assist in accelerated recovery from the disorder.

Keywords: neurotechnology, brain-computer interface, neuroscience, human-machine interface, BCI, HMI, aphasia, verbal disability, stroke, low-cost, machine learning, ML, image recognition, EEG, signal analysis

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Authors: Xiaozhou Liu, Guangyu Zhu, Yu Zhang, Hongwei Wu

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The wind-box is one of the important components of a Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) boiler. The uniformity of air flow in the wind-box of is very important for highly efficient operation of the CFB boiler. Non-uniform air flow distribution within the wind-box can reduce the boiler's thermal efficiency, leading to higher energy consumptions. An effective measure to solve this problem is to install an air flow distributing device in the wind-box. In order to validate the effectiveness of the air flow distributing device, visual and velocity distribution uniformity experiments have been carried out under five different test conditions by using a 1:64 scale model of a 220t/hr CFB boiler. It has been shown that the z component of flow velocity remains almost the same at control cross-sections of the wind-box, with a maximum variation of less than 10%. Moreover, the same methodology has been carried out to a full-scale 220t/hr CFB boiler. The hot test results depict that the thermal efficiency of the boiler has increased from 85.71% to 88.34% when tested with an air flow distributing device in place, which is equivalent to a saving of 5,000 tons of coal per year. The economic benefits of this energy-saving technology have been shown to be very significant, which clearly demonstrates that the technology is worth applying and popularizing.

Keywords: circulating fluidized bed, CFB, wind-box, air flow distributing device, visual experiment, velocity distribution uniformity experiment, hot test

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Jaden Lu, Olivia Lu

Abstract:

Despite the remarkable advancement of solar cell technology, the challenge of optimizing total solar energy harvest efficiency persists, primarily due to significant heat loss. This excess heat not only diminishes solar panel output efficiency but also curtails its operational lifespan. A promising approach to address this issue is the conversion of surplus heat into electricity. In recent years, there is growing interest in the use of thermoelectric generators (TEG) as a potential solution. The integration of efficient TEG devices holds the promise of augmenting overall energy harvest efficiency while prolonging the longevity of solar panels. While certain research groups have proposed the integration of solar cells and TEG devices, a substantial gap between conceptualization and practical implementation remains, largely attributed to low thermal energy conversion efficiency of TEG devices. To bridge this gap and meet the requisites of practical application, a feasible strategy involves the incorporation of a substantial number of p-n junctions within a confined unit volume. However, the manufacturing of high-density TEG p-n junctions presents a formidable challenge. The prevalent solution often leads to large device sizes to accommodate enough p-n junctions, consequently complicating integration with solar cells. Recently, the adoption of 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by fabricating high-density p-n arrays. Despite this, further developmental efforts are necessary. Presently, the primary focus is on the 3D printing of vertically layered TEG devices, wherein p-n junction density remains constrained by spatial limitations and the constraints of 3D printing techniques. This study proposes a novel device configuration featuring horizontally arrayed p-n junctions of Bi2Te3. The structural design of the device is subjected to simulation through the Finite Element Method (FEM) within COMSOL Multiphysics software. Various device configurations are simulated to identify optimal device structure. Based on the simulation results, a new TEG device is fabricated utilizing 3D Selective laser melting (SLM) printing technology. Fusion 360 facilitates the translation of the COMSOL device structure into a 3D print file. The horizontal design offers a unique advantage, enabling the fabrication of densely packed, three-dimensional p-n junction arrays. The fabrication process entails printing a singular row of horizontal p-n junctions using the 3D SLM printing technique in a single layer. Subsequently, successive rows of p-n junction arrays are printed within the same layer, interconnected by thermally conductive copper. This sequence is replicated across multiple layers, separated by thermal insulating glass. This integration created in a highly compact three-dimensional TEG device with high density p-n junctions. The fabricated TEG device is then attached to the bottom of the solar cell using thermal glue. The whole device is characterized, with output data closely matching with COMSOL simulation results. Future research endeavors will encompass the refinement of thermoelectric materials. This includes the advancement of high-resolution 3D printing techniques tailored to diverse thermoelectric materials, along with the optimization of material microstructures such as porosity and doping. The objective is to achieve an optimal and highly integrated PV-TEG device that can substantially increase the solar energy harvest efficiency.

Keywords: thermoelectric, finite element method, 3d print, energy conversion

Procedia PDF Downloads 46

Authors: Lu-Yin Lin

Abstract:

The morphology of electroactive material is highly related to energy storage ability. Structure-directing agent (SDA) can design electroactive materials with favorable surface properties. Zeolitic imidazolate framework 67 (ZIF67) is one of the potential electroactive materials for energy storage devices. The SDA concept is less applied to designing ZIF67 derivatives in previous studies. An in-situ technique with ammonium fluoride (NH₄F) as SDA is proposed to produce a ZIF67 derivative with highly improved energy storage ability. Attracted by the effective in-situ technique, the NH₄F, ammonium bifluoride (NH₄HF₂), and ammonium tetrafluoroborate (NH₄BF₄) are first used as SDA to synthesize ZIF67 derivatives in one-step solution process as electroactive material of energy storage devices. The mechanisms of forming ZIF67 derivatives synthesized with different SDAs are discussed to explain the SDA effects on physical and electrochemical properties. The largest specific capacitance (CF) of 1527.0 Fg-¹ and the capacity of 296.9 mAhg-¹ are obtained for the ZIF67 derivative prepared using NH₄BF₄ as SDA. The energy storage device composed of the optimal ZIF67 derivative and carbon electrodes presents a maximum energy density of 15.1 Whkg-¹ at the power density of 857 Wkg-¹. The CF retention of 90% and Coulombic efficiency larger than 98% are also obtained after 5000 cycles.

Keywords: ammonium bifluoride, ammonium tetrafluoroborate, energy storage device, one-step solution process, structure-directing agent, zeolitic imidazolate framework 67

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Kusum Kumari, Ramesh Banoth, V. S. Reddy Channu

Abstract:

Organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PrSCs) have emerged as a promising solar photovoltaic technology in terms of realizing high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, their limited lifetime and poor device stability limits their commercialization in future. In this regard, interface engineering of the electron transport layer (ETL) using 2D materials have been currently used owing to their high carrier mobility, high thermal stability and tunable work function, which in turn enormously impact the charge carrier dynamics. In this work, we report an easy and effective way of simultaneously enhancing the efficiency of PrSCs along with the long-term stability through interface engineering via the incorporation of 2D-Molybdenum disulfide (2D-MoS₂, few layered nanoflakes) in mesoporous-Titanium dioxide (mp-TiO₂)scaffold electron transport buffer layer, and using poly 3-hexytheophene (P3HT) as hole transport layers. The PSCs were fabricated in ambient air conditions in device configuration, FTO/c-TiO₂/mp-TiO₂:2D-MoS₂/CH3NH3PbI3/P3HT/Au, with an active area of 0.16 cm². The best device using c-TiO₂/mp-TiO₂:2D-MoS₂ (0.5wt.%) ETL exhibited a substantial increase in PCE ~13.04% as compared to PCE ~8.75% realized in reference device fabricated without incorporating MoS₂ in mp-TiO₂ buffer layer. The incorporation of MoS₂ nanoflakes in mp-TiO₂ ETL not only enhances the PCE to ~49% but also leads to better device stability in ambient air conditions without encapsulation (retaining PCE ~86% of its initial value up to 500 hrs), as compared to ETLs without MoS₂.

Keywords: perovskite solar cells, MoS₂, nanoflakes, electron transport layer

Procedia PDF Downloads 54

Authors: M. Habibi

Abstract:

The feasibility of proton-boron fusion in plasmoids caused by magneto hydrodynamics instabilities in plasma focus devices is studied analytically. In plasmoids, fusion power for 76 keV < Ti < 1500 keV exceeds bremsstrahlung loss (W/Pb=5.39). In such situation gain factor and the ratio of Te to Ti for a typical 150 kJ plasma focus device will be 7.8 and 4.8 respectively. Also with considering the ion viscous heating effect, W/Pb and Ti/Te will be 2.7 and 6 respectively. Strong magnetic field will reduces ion-electron collision rate due to quantization of electron orbits. While approximately there is no change in electron-ion collision rate, the effect of quantum magnetic field makes ions much hotter than electrons which enhance the fraction of fusion power to bremsstrahlung loss. Therefore self-sustained p-11B fusion reactions would be possible and it could be said that p-11B fuelled plasma focus device is a clean and efficient source of energy.

Keywords: plasmoids, p11B fuel, ion viscous heating, quantum magnetic field, plasma focus device

Procedia PDF Downloads 443

Authors: Jaden Lu, Olivia Lu

Abstract:

Despite the remarkable advancement of solar cell technology, the challenge of optimizing total solar energy harvest efficiency persists, primarily due to significant heat loss. This excess heat not only diminishes solar panel output efficiency but also curtails its operational lifespan. A promising approach to address this issue is the conversion of surplus heat into electricity. In recent years, there is growing interest in the use of thermoelectric generators (TEG) as a potential solution. The integration of efficient TEG devices holds the promise of augmenting overall energy harvest efficiency while prolonging the longevity of solar panels. While certain research groups have proposed the integration of solar cells and TEG devices, a substantial gap between conceptualization and practical implementation remains, largely attributed to low thermal energy conversion efficiency of TEG devices. To bridge this gap and meet the requisites of practical application, a feasible strategy involves the incorporation of a substantial number of p-n junctions within a confined unit volume. However, the manufacturing of high-density TEG p-n junctions presents a formidable challenge. The prevalent solution often leads to large device sizes to accommodate enough p-n junctions, consequently complicating integration with solar cells. Recently, the adoption of 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by fabricating high-density p-n arrays. Despite this, further developmental efforts are necessary. Presently, the primary focus is on the 3D printing of vertically layered TEG devices, wherein p-n junction density remains constrained by spatial limitations and the constraints of 3D printing techniques. This study proposes a novel device configuration featuring horizontally arrayed p-n junctions of Bi2Te3. The structural design of the device is subjected to simulation through the Finite Element Method (FEM) within COMSOL Multiphysics software. Various device configurations are simulated to identify optimal device structure. Based on the simulation results, a new TEG device is fabricated utilizing 3D Selective laser melting (SLM) printing technology. Fusion 360 facilitates the translation of the COMSOL device structure into a 3D print file. The horizontal design offers a unique advantage, enabling the fabrication of densely packed, three-dimensional p-n junction arrays. The fabrication process entails printing a singular row of horizontal p-n junctions using the 3D SLM printing technique in a single layer. Subsequently, successive rows of p-n junction arrays are printed within the same layer, interconnected by thermally conductive copper. This sequence is replicated across multiple layers, separated by thermal insulating glass. This integration created in a highly compact three-dimensional TEG device with high density p-n junctions. The fabricated TEG device is then attached to the bottom of the solar cell using thermal glue. The whole device is characterized, with output data closely matching with COMSOL simulation results. Future research endeavors will encompass the refinement of thermoelectric materials. This includes the advancement of high-resolution 3D printing techniques tailored to diverse thermoelectric materials, along with the optimization of material microstructures such as porosity and doping. The objective is to achieve an optimal and highly integrated PV-TEG device that can substantially increase the solar energy harvest efficiency.

Keywords: thermoelectric, finite element method, 3d print, energy conversion

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Jaeun Park, Daekyoung Kim, Ho Kyoon Chung, Heeyeop Chae

Abstract:

Quantum dots light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) have been considered as the next generation display and lighting devices due to their excellent color purity, photo-stability solution process possibility and good device stability. Currently typical quantum dot light emitting diodes contain organic layers such as PEDOT:PSS and PVK for charge transport layers. To make quantum dot light emitting diodes (QD-LED) more stable, it is required to replace those acidic and relatively unstable organic charge transport layers with inorganic materials. Therefore all inorganic and solution processed quantum dot light emitting diodes can potentially be a solution to stable and cost-effective display devices. We studied solution processed NiO films to replace organic charge transport layers that are required for stable all-inorganic based light emitting diodes. The transition metal oxides can be made by various vacuum and solution processes, but the solution processes are considered more cost-effective than vacuum processes. In this work we investigated solution processed NiOx for a hole transport layer (HTL). NiOx, has valence band energy levels of 5.3eV and they are easy to make sol-gel solutions. Water vapor oxidation process was developed and applied to solution processed all-inorganic QD-LED. Turn-on voltage, luminance and current efficiency of QD in this work were 5V, 1800Cd/m2 and 0.5Cd/A, respectively.

Keywords: QD-LED, metal oxide solution, NiO, all-inorganic QD-LED device

Procedia PDF Downloads 732

Authors: Chih Hsing Lin, Wen-Ching Chen, Ssu-Ying Chen, Chih-Chyau Yang, Chien-Ming Wu, Chun-Ming Huang

Abstract:

Critical structures such as buildings, bridges and dams require periodic inspections to ensure safe operation. The reliable inspection of structures can be achieved by combing temperature sensor and accelerometers. In this work, we propose a building structure health monitoring device (BSHMD) with using three 1-axis accelerometers, gateway, analog to digital converter (ADC), and data logger to monitoring the building structure. The proposed BSHMD achieves the features of low cost by using three 1-axis accelerometers with the data synchronization problem being solved, and easily installation and removal. Furthermore, we develop a packet acquisition program to receive the sensed data and then classify it based on time and date. Compared with 3-axis accelerometer, our proposed 1-axis accelerometers based device achieves 64.3% cost saving. Compared with previous structural monitoring device, the BSHMD achieves 89% area saving. Therefore, with using the proposed device, the realtime diagnosis system for building damage monitoring can be conducted effectively.

Keywords: building structure health monitoring, cost effective, 1-axis accelerometers, real-time diagnosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 340

Authors: Da Tao, Mingfu Qin, Wenkai Li, Tieyan Wang

Abstract:

While the use of electronic personal health portals has gained increasing popularity in the healthcare industry, users usually experience difficulty in comprehending and correctly responding to personal health information, partly due to inappropriate or poor presentation of the information. The way personal health information is visualized may affect how users perceive and assess their personal health information. This study was conducted to examine the effects of information visualization format and visualization mode on the comprehension and perceptions of personal health information among personal health information users with eye tracking techniques. A two-factor within-subjects experimental design was employed, where participants were instructed to complete a series of personal health information comprehension tasks under varied types of visualization mode (i.e., whether the information visualization is static or dynamic) and three visualization formats (i.e., bar graph, instrument-like graph, and text-only format). Data on a set of measures, including comprehension performance, perceptions, and eye movement indicators, were collected during the task completion in the experiment. Repeated measure analysis of variance analyses (RM-ANOVAs) was used for data analysis. The results showed that while the visualization format yielded no effects on comprehension performance, it significantly affected users’ perceptions (such as perceived ease of use and satisfaction). The two graphic visualizations yielded significantly higher favorable scores on subjective evaluations than that of the text format. While visualization mode showed no effects on users’ perception measures, it significantly affected users' comprehension performance in that dynamic visualization significantly reduced users' information search time. Both visualization format and visualization mode had significant main effects on eye movement behaviors, and their interaction effects were also significant. While the bar graph format and text format had similar time to first fixation across dynamic and static visualizations, instrument-like graph format had a larger time to first fixation for dynamic visualization than for static visualization. The two graphic visualization formats yielded shorter total fixation duration compared with the text-only format, indicating their ability to improve information comprehension efficiency. The results suggest that dynamic visualization can improve efficiency in comprehending important health information, and graphic visualization formats were favored more by users. The findings are helpful in the underlying comprehension mechanism of visualized personal health information and provide important implications for optimal design and visualization of personal health information.

Keywords: eye tracking, information comprehension, personal health information, visualization

Procedia PDF Downloads 84