Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference
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Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc · Jan 2007
Changes in Heart Rate Variability in patients under local anesthesia.
Spectral analysis of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is widely used for the assessment of cardiovascular autonomic control. Several studies have shown the effect of anesthetic agents on HRV parameters. In this study a systematic approach of HRV analysis has been employed. ⋯ Using this methodology electrocardiogram (ECG) signals from 14 patients undergoing local anesthesia (brachial plexus block) were analyzed with parametric Autoregressive (AR) method. The results showed that the LF/HF ratio values calculated from the HRV signal decreases within an hour of the application of the brachial plexus block compared to the values at the start of the procedure. This change was noticed in approximately 80% of the patients.
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This paper describes the development of a therapeutical device for the support of the weaning process in respiratory care, following the decannulation of the breathing tube. The new product is to enhance the healing of a temporary, percutaneous tracheostoma by the provision of visual contact to the stoma or the wound respectively, allowing to intervene at an early stage if required. Interventions are facilitated by the new device by means of variable adaptors, in particular for (tracheal) suctioning, (temporal) insertion of a placeholder cannula or contribution of oxygen and by the reinsertion of a breathing tube if necessary. As the overall benefit, the new product will shorten the healing process of the tracheostoma and support wound management for the benefit of patients.
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Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc · Jan 2007
Effect of the needle tip height on the puncture force in a simplified epidural anesthesia simulator.
The purpose of the research is to create a safer needle used for epidural anesthesia. Medical doctors identify the location of the epidural space by feeling the drop of force in advancing the needle tip. A greater drop of force makes for a safer needle. ⋯ We found no obvious tendency regarding the effect of the insertion speed. The drop in the force in the rubber was one-fourth greater than that in the bone. Our conclusions are that 1) the higher the needle tip design, the greater the drop in force can be achieved; and that 2) silicone rubber with a hardness of 50 Hs is similar to the ligamentum flavum.
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Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc · Jan 2007
Control of depth of anesthesia using MUSMAR--exploring electromyography and the analgesic dose as accessible disturbances.
The problem of controlling the level of depth of anesthesia measured by the Bispectral Index (BIS) of the electroencephalogram of patients under general anesthesia, is considered. It is assumed that the manipulated variable is the infusion rate of the hypnotic drug propofol, while the drug remifentanil is also administered for analgesia. ⋯ The performance of the controller is illustrated by means of simulation with 45 patient individual adjusted models, which incorporate the effect of the drugs interaction on BIS. This controller structure proved to be robust to the EMG and remifentanil disturbances, patient variability, changing reference values and noise.
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Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc · Jan 2007
Using standards to automate electronic health records (EHRs) and to create integrated healthcare enterprises.
President Bush's 2004 Executive Order mandated the creation within the Secretary of Health and Human Services' staff of a new Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology (ONCHIT) that was tasked with creating the United States National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the 2004 and a subsequent 2006 Executive Orders have finally set the stage to design, and require, the use of standardized, electronic data interchange-enabled information systems as quickly as possible.