Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine
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Proc Inst Mech Eng H · Jan 2010
Photoacoustics, thermoacoustics, and acousto-optics for biomedical imaging.
Recently there have been significant advances in developing hybrid techniques combining electromagnetic waves with ultrasound for biomedical imaging, namely photoacoustic, thermoacoustic, and acousto-optic (or ultrasound modulated optical) tomography. All three techniques take advantage of tissue contrast offered by electromagnetic (EM) waves, while achieving good spatial resolution in deeper tissue facilitated by ultrasound. ⋯ A description of existing experimental and image reconstruction techniques is provided. Some recent key developments are highlighted and current issues in each of the areas are discussed.
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Proc Inst Mech Eng H · Jan 2010
Robotics can lead to a reproducibly high-quality operative result for ear, nose, and throat patients.
The success rates and morbidity of operations on the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) have improved markedly in the last 20-25 years. This has been largely due to improved vision, by microscopes and endoscopes, and has led to a greatly reduced hospital stay. During this time there has been minimal improvement in surgical tools. This paper discusses the need for robotic tools, detailing the clinical constraints that proposed solutions need to adhere to, and presenting a recently trialled micro drilling robot for creating a cochleostomy in the cochlear implant procedure.
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This paper first describes the workflow of the Pathfinder image-guided surgical robot that has been designed to replace the stereotactic frame in neurosurgery, and then details the calibration stages employed in order to achieve submillimetre positioning accuracy of a tool tip. The process uses non-linear parameter identification techniques in conjunction with some procedures for camera calibration, which exploit the fact that the camera is mounted to a calibrated robot arm that executes precise motions.
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In the history of medicine, the understanding of the nervous system, both from an anatomical and a functional point of view, has always required new and more sophisticated tools. It has been widely demonstrated that engineering has helped towards this end. ⋯ Neurosurgery probably presents the most major challenges and always benefits from the introduction of sophisticated tools, from cranial trephination to the most modern robotics. This review examines the role of engineering to assist in neurosurgery.
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Coronary artery stents have become the medical device of choice for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Since their introduction in 1987, significant advances in stent technology have taken place. A major objective of these developments was the reduction of in-stent restenosis, the formation of neointimal tissue inside the stent triggered by vessel injury and the inflammatory response, which results in renarrowing of the coronary artery. ⋯ However, concerns have been raised with respect to their long-term safety, particularly in relation to the occurrence of late thrombosis. The post-procedural monitoring of stent-related complications is also of interest, including the relative suitability of invasive techniques such as angiography and intravascular ultrasound, and non-invasive techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanning. This paper reviews the current issues in stent technology.