Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Predicting Asthma Exacerbations Employing Remotely Monitored Adherence, Isabelle Killane, Imran Sulaiman, Elaine Mac Hale, Aoife Breathnach, Terrence Taylor, Martin Holmes, Richard B Reilly, Richard W Costello

Articles

This Letter investigated the efficacy of a decision-support system, designed for respiratory medicine, at predicting asthma exacerbations in a multi-site longitudinal randomised control trial. Adherence to inhaler medication was acquired over 3 months from patients with asthma employing a dose counter and a remote monitoring adherence device which recorded participant's inhaler use: n = 184 (23,656 audio files), 61% women, age (mean ± sd) 49.3 ± 16.4. Data on occurrence of exacerbations was collected at three clinical visits, 1 month apart. The relative risk of an asthma exacerbation for those with good and poor adherence was examined employing a univariate …

A Protocol For A Randomised Clinical Trial Of The Effect Of Providing Feedback On Inhaler Technique And Adherence From An Electronic Device In Patients With Poorly Controlled Severe Asthma, Imran Sulaiman, Martin Holmes, Shona D'Arcy, Viliam Rapčan, Desmond Michael Murphy, Gloria Crispino, Isabelle Killane, Rw Costello, Richard B Reilly, Jansen Seheult, Gregory Diette, Elaine Machale, Terence Taylor

Articles

ntroduction In clinical practice, it is difficult to distinguish between patients with refractory asthma from those with poorly controlled asthma, where symptoms persist due to poor adherence, inadequate inhaler technique or comorbid diseases. We designed an audio recording device which, when attached to an inhaler, objectively identifies the time and technique of inhaler use, thereby assessing both aspects of adherence. This study will test the hypothesis that feedback on these two aspects of adherence when passed on to patients improves adherence and helps clinicians distinguish refractory from difficult-to-control asthma. Methods This is a single, blind, prospective, randomised, clinical trial performed …

Oxygen Mass Transport In Stented Coronary Arteries, Eoin Murphy, Adrian S. Dunne, David Martin, Fergal Boyle

Articles

Oxygen deficiency, known as hypoxia, in arterial walls has been linked to increased intimal hyperplasia, which is the main adverse biological process causing in-stent restenosis. Stent implantation has significant effects on the oxygen transport into the arterial wall. Elucidating these effects is critical to optimizing future stent designs. In this study the most advanced oxygen transport model developed to date was assessed in two test cases and used to compare three coronary stent designs. Additionally, the predicted results from four simplified blood oxygen transport models are compared in the two test cases. The advanced model showed good agreement with experimental …

Self-Powered Microfluidic Device For Rapid Assay Of Antiplatelet Drugs, Bincy Jose, Peter Mccluskey, Niamh Gilmartin, Martin Somers, Dermot Kenny, Antonio J. Ricco, Nigel Kent, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts

Articles

We report the development of a microfluidic device for the rapid assay in whole blood of platelet-protein interactions indicative of the efficacy of antiplatelet drugs—e.g., aspirin and Plavix, two of the world’s most widely used drugs—in cardiovascular patients. Because platelet adhesion to surface-confined protein matrices is modulated by fluid shear rates at the blood/protein interface, and because such binding is a better indicator of platelet function than platelet self-aggregation, we designed, fabricated, and characterized the performance of a family of disposable, self-powered microfluidic chips with well-defined flow and interfacial shear rates suitable for small blood volumes (≤ 200 µL). We …

A Collagen Based Tissue Engineered Heart Valve Shows Excellent Functionality And Remodelling After Dynamic Conditioning, Claire Brougham, Ricardo Moreira, Tanya J. Levingstone, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Petra Mela, Fergal J. O'Brien

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Determination Of The Frequency Response Of An End Tidal Co2 Analyser, Kabita Shakya, Catherine Deegan, Fran Hegarty

The ITB Journal

In a health care environment, mechanical ventilation is used to support patients during acute illness and surgery. Mechanical ventilation is the process by which the patient’s respiratory function is artificially supported using a respirator. During mechanical ventilation, it is necessary to ensure the adequacy of ventilation. The patient is thus monitored for several ventilatory parameters. The end-tidal CO2 (EtCO2) is one of the primary monitoring parameters. EtCO2 is the partial pressure or maximal concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the end of an exhaled breath, which is expressed as a percentage of CO2 or mmHg . Capnography is the technique …

Incorporation Of Fibrin Into A Collagen–Glycosaminoglycan Matrix Results In A Scaffold With Improved Mechanical Properties And Enhanced Capacity To Resist Cell-Mediated Contraction, Claire Brougham, Tanya J. Levingstone, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Thomas C. Flanagan, Fergal J. O'Brien

Articles

Fibrin has many uses as a tissue engineering scaffold, however many in vivo studies have shown a reduction in function resulting from the susceptibility of fibrin to cell-mediated contraction. The overall aim of the present study was to develop and characterise a reinforced natural scaffold using fibrin, collagen and glycosaminoglycan (FCG), and to examine the cell-mediated contraction of this scaffold in comparison to fibrin gels. Through the use of an injection loading technique, a homogenous FCG scaffold was developed. Mechanical testing showed a sixfold increase in compressive modulus and a thirtyfold increase in tensile modulus of fibrin when reinforced with …

Mattrack: A Matlab-Based Quantitative Image Analysis Platform For Investigating Real-Time Photo-Converted Fluorescent Signals In Live Cells, Jane Courtney, Elena Woods, Dimitri Scholz, William Hall, Virginie Gautier

Articles

We introduce here MATtrack, an open source MATLAB-based computational platform developed to process multi-Tiff files produced by a photo-conversion time lapse protocol for live cell fluorescent microscopy. MATtrack automatically performs a series of steps required for image processing, including extraction and import of numerical values from Multi-Tiff files, red/green image classification using gating parameters, noise filtering, background extraction, contrast stretching and temporal smoothing. MATtrack also integrates a series of algorithms for quantitative image analysis enabling the construction of mean and standard deviation images, clustering and classification of subcellular regions and injection point approximation. In addition, MATtrack features a simple user …

Medical Device Software And Technology: The Past, Present And Future, Martin Mchugh

Articles

No abstract provided.

Dual Effects Of Β-Cyclodextrin-Stabilised Silver Nanoparticles: Enhanced Biofilm Inhibition And Reduced Cytotoxicity, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

No abstract provided.

Breast Cancer Detection Using Interferometric Music: Experimental And Numerical Assessment, Giuseppe Ruvio, Raffaele Solimene, Antonio Cuccaro, Domenico Gaetano, Jacinta Browne, Max Ammann

Articles

Purpose: In microwave breast cancer detection, it is often beneficial to arrange sensors in close proximity to the breast. The resultant coupling generally changes the antenna response. As an a priori characterization of the radio frequency system becomes difficult, this can lead to severe degradation of the detection efficacy. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the advantages of adopting an interferometric multiple signal classification (I-MUSIC) approach due to its limited dependence from a priori information on the antenna. The performance of I-MUSIC detection was measured in terms of signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR), signal-to-mean ratio (SMR), and spatial displacement (SD) …

A Collagen‐Glycosaminoglycan‐Fibrin Scaffold For Heart Valve Tissue Engineering Applications, Claire Brougham, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Thomas Flanagan, Fergal O'Brien

Conference Papers

The field of heart valve biology and tissue engineering a heart valve continue to expand. The presentatio ns at this meeting reflect the advances made in both areas due to the multi-disciplinary approach taken by many laboratories.

Investigation Of Membrane Mechanics Using Spring Networks: Application To Red-Blood-Cell Modelling, Mingzhu Chen, Fergal Boyle

Articles

In recent years a number of red-blood-cell (RBC) models have been proposed using spring networks to represent the RBC membrane. Some results predicted by these models agree well with experimental measurements. How- ever, the suitability of these membrane models has been questioned. The RBC membrane, like a continuum mem- brane, is mechanically isotropic throughout its surface, but the mechanical properties of a spring network vary on the network surface and change with deformation. In this work spring-network mechanics are investigated in large deformation for the first time via an assessment of the effect of network parameters, i.e. network mesh, spring …

Field Penetration In Mri-Based Breast Models: A Numerical Investigation, Giuseppe Ruvio, Raffaele Solimene, Antonio Cuccaro, Max Ammann

Articles

The use of reliable computational tools is fundamental to investigate different aspects of microwave breast cancer imaging. From the development of high-definition and realistic numerical breast models, different coupling mechanisms and the reaction of different tissues to microwave signals can be characterized. In this paper, field penetration inside four numerical breast phantoms with varying adipose content is evaluated in the frequency range 0.5 - 10 GHz across sagittal cuts.

A Method To Assess Adherence In Inhaler Use Through Analysis Of Acoustic Recordings Of Inhaler Events, Shona D’Arcy, Elaine Machale, Jansen Seheult, Martin S. Holmes, Cian Hughes, Imran Sulaiman, Deirdre Hyland, Conor O’Reilly, Senan Glynn, Thekra Al-Zaabi, John Mccourt, Terence Taylor, Frank Keane, Isabelle Killane, Richard B. Reilly, Richard W. Costello

Articles

Rationale: Poor adherence to inhaler use can be due to poor temporal and/or technique adherence. Up until now there has been no way of reliably tracking both these factors in everyday inhaler use. Objectives: This paper introduces a device developed to create time stamped acoustic recordings of an individual’s inhaler use, in which empirical evidence of temporal and technique adherence in inhaler use can be monitored over time. The correlation between clinical outcomes and adherence, as determined by this device, was compared for temporal adherence alone and combined temporal and technique adherence. Findings: The technology was validated by showing that …

Quantized Nonnegative Matrix Factorization, Ruairí De Fréin

Conference papers

Even though Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) in its original form performs rank reduction and signal compaction implicitly, it does not explicitly consider storage or transmission constraints. We propose a Frobenius-norm Quantized Nonnegative Matrix Factorization algorithm that is 1) almost as precise as traditional NMF for decomposition ranks of interest (with in 1-4dB), 2) admits to practical encoding techniques by learning a factorization which is simpler than NMF’s (by a factor of 20-70) and 3) exhibits a complexity which is comparable with state-of-the-art NMF methods. These properties are achieved by considering the quantization residual via an outer quantization optimization step, in …

Sequential Structural And Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Balloon-Expandable Coronary Stents., David Martin

Doctoral

As in-stent restenosis following coronary stent deployment has been strongly linked with stent-induced arterial injury and altered vessel hemodynamics, the sequential numerical analysis of the mechanical and hemodynamic impact of stent deployment within a coronary artery is likely to provide an excellent indication of coronary stent performance. Despite this observation, very few numerical studies have considered both the mechanical and hemodynamic impact of stent deployment. In light of this observation, the aim of this research is to develop a robust numerical methodology for investigating the performance of balloon-expandable coronary stents in terms of their mechanical and hemodynamic impact within a …

Experimental Microwave Breast Cancer Detection With Oil-On-Gelatin Phantom, Giuseppe Ruvio, Raffaele Solimene, Antonio Cuccaro, Jacinta Browne, Domenico Gaetano, Max Ammann

Articles

This paper presents a 2-D breast phantom which was realized with oil-in-gelatin materials for the evaluation of three different tumor detection methods operated in the microwave spectrum 1 – 3 GHz. A planar monopole antenna was used to scan the phantom in a multi-monostatic configuration across 36 angular locations. Results show a better performance of an Interferometric-MUSIC approach when compared to Non-coherent Migration and Wide Band MUSIC.

Force Sensing Surgical Scissor Blades Using Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors, Dean Callaghan

Doctoral

This thesis considers the development and analysis of unique sensorised surgical scissor blades for application in minimally invasive robotic surgery (MIRS). The lack of haptic (force and tactile) feedback to the user is currently an unresolved issue with modern MIRS systems. This thesis presents details on smart sensing scissor blades which enable the measurement of instrument-tissue interaction forces for the purpose of force reflection and tissue property identification. A review of current literature established that there exists a need for small compact, biocompatible, sterilisable and robust sensors which meet the demands of current MIRS instruments. Therefore, the sensorised blades exploit …

Multimodal Wearable Sensors For Human-Machine Interfaces, Mark Nolan

Doctoral

Certain areas of the body, such as the hands, eyes and organs of speech production, provide high-bandwidth information channels from the conscious mind to the outside world. The objective of this research was to develop an innovative wearable sensor device that records signals from these areas more conveniently than has previously been possible, so that they can be harnessed for communication. A novel bioelectrical and biomechanical sensing device, the wearable endogenous biosignal sensor (WEBS), was developed and tested in various communication and clinical measurement applications.

One ground-breaking feature of the WEBS system is that it digitises biopotentials almost …

Footwear-Centric Body Area Network With Directional Uwb Antenna, Domenico Gaetano, Vit Sipal, Patrick Mcevoy, Max Ammann, C Brannigan, Louise Keating, Frances Horgan

Articles

A footwear-centric body area network employing a directional antenna is compared with waist-centric systems using omnidirectional and directional antennas. The impact of body movements on path gain is analysed for two bands at 3.99 GHz and 7.99 GHz. The path gain and data rate results demonstrate that footwear-centric configurations are equivalent or better than waist-centric body area networks.

Rf Breast Cancer Detection Employing A Non-Characterized Vivaldi Antenna And A Music-Inspired Algorithm, Giuseppe Ruvio, Raffaele Solimene, Antonietta D'Alterio, Max Ammann, Rocco Pierri

Articles

A novel microwave breast cancer detection system consisting of an Evolutionary Global Optimized Vivaldi antenna and an algorithm inspired by MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) is presented. Its performance is assessed by using a simplified numerical breast phantom for a number of critical conditions including the presence of fibroglandular tissues.

Comparison Of Non-Coherent Linear Breast Cancer Detection Algorithms Applied To A 2-D Numerical Breast Model, Giuseppe Ruvio, Raffaele Solimene, Antonio Cuccaro, Max Ammann

Articles

A comparative analysis of an imaging method based on a multi-frequency Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) approach against two common linear detection algorithms based on non-coherent migration is made. The different techniques are tested using synthetic data generated through CST Microwave Studio and a phantom developed from MRI scans of a mostly fat breast. The multi-frequency MUSIC approach shows an overall superior performance compared to the non-coherent techniques. This paper reports that this highly performing algorithm does not require any antenna calibration or phase response estimation and allows the use of efficient and complex antenna geometries without difficult algorithm redefinitions.

An Investigation Of The Biochemical Properties Of Tetrazines As Potential Coating Additives, Swarna Jaiswal, Brendan Duffy, Luke O'Neill, Patrick Mchale

Articles

1,2,4,5-Tetrazine and its 3,6-disubstituted derivatives are currently used for a range of industrial and medical applications as they exhibit particular coordination chemistries, characterized by electron and charge transfer phenomena. The aim of the present work is to describe the synthesis of two tetrazine derivatives, namely 3,6-dihydrazino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (DHDTZ) and 1,2,4,5-tetrazine dicarboxylic acid (DCTZ), and determine their antibacterial, antioxidant and anticorrosion characteristics as additives in a sol-gel coating on SS316L steel. The structure of the tetrazines was confirmed by NMR and FTIR while the surface morphology of bacterial cells in their presence was observed by AFM. Their ability to inhibit corrosion on …

Finite Element Analysis Of Balloon-Expandable Coronary Stent Deployment: Influence Of Angioplasty Balloon Configuration, David Martin, Fergal Boyle

Articles

Today, the majority of coronary stents are balloon-expandable and are deployed using a balloon-tipped catheter. To improve deliverability, the membrane of the angioplasty balloon is typically folded about the catheter in a pleated configuration. As such, the deployment of the angioplasty balloon is governed by the material properties of the balloon membrane, its folded configuration and its attachment to the catheter. Despite this observation, however, an optimum strategy for modelling the configuration of the angioplasty balloon in finite element studies of coronary stent deployment has not been identified, and idealised models of the angioplasty balloon are commonly employed in the …

Reducing In-Stent Restenosis Through Novel Stent Flow Field Augmentation, Eoin Murphy, Fergal Boyle

Articles

In-stent restenosis (ISR), manifested as a re-narrowing of the arterial lumen post-implantation of a stent, is a detrimental limitation of stent technology. Understanding and consequently devising ways of reducing the frequency of ISR has been a continuing goal of research into improved stent designs. The biological processes that can lead to ISR have been found to be partially flow dependent with the local hemodynamics at the arterial wall of crucial importance. This paper investigates these biological processes and their instigating factors. Furthermore, the history and theory behind three stent technologies which endeavour to reduce ISR rates through stent flow field …

Investigation Of A New Material For Heart Valve Tissue Engineering, Claire Brougham, Gerard Cooney, Thomas Flanagan, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Fergal O'Brien

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

A Wireless And Digital Electrode Bus Topology For Biopotential Measurement, Mark Nolan, Edward Burke, Eugene Coyle

Conference Papers

The conventional biopotential measurement configuration utilises long lead wires which connect measuring electrodes to signal conditioning circuitry. The majority of bioelectric signals that are measured from the human body have a tiny signal amplitude (5µV-5mV range) and thus any interference that is induced on the lead wires can have a detrimental effect on the original signal. In this paper, we present an alternative configuration, in which digitisation occurs on the electrode, potentially providing enhanced signal measurement as well as significant benefits in terms of the simplification of the physical interconnections between electrodes. Multiple electrodes are combined to form a digital …

The Presence Of Regional Accents In Electrolarynx Speech And The Resultant Effect On Overall Intelligibility., Brian Madden, Eugene Coyle

Conference Papers

During voiced speech, the larynx provides quasi-periodic acoustic excitation of the vocal tract. In most electrolarynxes, mechanical vibrations are produced by a linear electromechanical actuator, the armature of which percusses against a metal or plastic plate at a frequency within the range of glottal excitation. In this paper, a phonological analysis of a section of results from an online perceptual intelligibility test was performed which compared speech produced using a novel hands-free electrolarynx and a commercially available electrolarynx. A portion of the test consisted of a closed-set format containing a selection of four sets of four random CVC audio samples …

Investigation Of A New Material For Heart Valve Tissue Engineering, Claire Brougham, Nian Shen, Allison Cudsworth, Thomas Flanagan, Stefan Jockenhoevel, Fergal O'Brien

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.