Expert review of medical devices
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Expert Rev Med Devices · Mar 2011
ReviewState of the art in hard-on-hard bearings: how did we get here and what have we achieved?
Total hip arthroplasty has shown excellent results in decreasing pain and improving function in patients with degenerative disease of the hip. Improvements in prosthetic materials, designs and implant fixation have now resulted in wear of the bearing surface being the limitation of this technology, and a number of hard-on-hard couples have been introduced to address this concern. The purpose of this article is to review the origins, development, survival rates and potential advantages and disadvantages of the following hard-on-hard bearings for total hip arthroplasty: metal-on-metal standard total hip arthroplasty; metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty, ceramic-on-ceramic total hip arthroplasty; and ceramic-on-metal bearings. ⋯ Contemporary ceramic-on-metal interfaces are in the early stages of clinical use, with little data reported to date. Hard-on-hard bearings for total hip arthroplasty have improved dramatically over the past 50 years. As bearing designs continue to improve with new and modified materials and improved manufacturing techniques, it is likely that the use of hard-on-hard bearings will continue to increase, especially in young and active patients.
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Expert Rev Med Devices · Mar 2011
Autofluorescence imaging videobronchoscopy in the detection of lung cancer: from research tool to everyday procedure.
Autofluorescence imaging videobronchoscopy (AFI) is one of the new systems of autofluorescence bronchoscopy designed for thorough examination of bronchial mucosa. The integration of autofluorescence and videobronchoscopy provides clear images of normal and pathologically altered bronchial mucosa. Major indications for AFI include evaluation of early-stage lung cancer and detection of precancerous lesions. ⋯ This disadvantage could be overcome with the appearance of new and improved technologies in autofluorescence, such as the addition of backscattered light analysis, ultraviolet spectra, fluorescence-reflectance or dual digital systems. Quantitative image analysis is also one of the ways to improve objectivity and minimize observer errors. However, one of the most appropriate solutions would be the addition of AFI to narrow band imaging, and merging the two technologies into one videobronchoscope.