Robert L. Berger

Bio: Robert L. Berger is an academic researcher from United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The author has contributed to research in topics: Pulmonary embolism & Embolectomy. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 6 publications receiving 427 citations.

Engineering out the risk for infection with urinary catheters.

Abstract: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common nosocomial infection. Each year, more than 1 million patients in U.S. acute-care hospitals and extended-care facilities acquire such an infection; the risk with short-term catheterization is 5% per day. CAUTI is the second most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection, and studies suggest that patients with CAUTI have an increased institutional death rate, unrelated to the development of urosepsis. Novel urinary catheters impregnated with nitrofurazone or minocycline and rifampin or coated with a silver alloy-hydrogel exhibit antiinfective surface activity that significantly reduces the risk of CAUTI for short-term catheterizations not exceeding 2-3 weeks.

Current Concepts Review - The Healing and Regeneration of Articular Cartilage*

Abstract: It is well established that damaged articular cartilage has a very limited potential for healing, and articular defects larger than two to four millimeters in diameter rarely heal even with such advances as the use of continuous passive motion26,36,70,98,101,128,130,138,162,163,208. Damage to articular cartilage is a common problem: in one study, it was associated with 16 percent (twenty-one) of 132 injuries of the knee that were sufficient to cause intra-articular bleeding88. Furthermore, damage to a joint surface can lead to premature arthritis128. Twyman et al. prospectively followed twenty-two knees in which osteochondritis dissecans had been diagnosed before skeletal maturity; at an average of thirty-four years, 32 percent had radiographic evidence of moderate or severe osteoarthritis235. Only 50 percent had a good or excellent functional result. Elderly patients (those who are sixty-five years of age or older) who have an arthritic condition can obtain dramatic relief from pain and restoration of function after total joint replacement. However, such procedures have higher rates of failure in young and early-middle-aged patients (those who are less than forty years old and those who are forty to sixty years old, respectively) than in elderly patients194. This leaves a large group of patients spanning a broad age-group, many of whom are in their prime, for whom there is no currently acceptable and reliable treatment. A typical example is that of a young, healthy individual who has arthrosis or osteochondritis dissecans following an injury to a joint. It might be possible to solve this patient's problems if the lost or damaged segment of articular cartilage inside the involved joint could be regenerated. After it had been restored, the …

Biodegradable and flexible arterial-pulse sensor for the wireless monitoring of blood flow

Abstract: The ability to monitor blood flow is critical to patient recovery and patient outcomes after complex reconstructive surgeries. Clinically available wired implantable monitoring technology requires careful fixation for accurate detection and needs to be removed after use. Here, we report the design of a pressure sensor, made entirely of biodegradable materials and based on fringe-field capacitor technology, for measuring arterial blood flow in both contact and non-contact modes. The sensor is operated wirelessly through inductive coupling, has minimal hysteresis, fast response times, excellent cycling stability, is highly robust, allows for easy mounting and eliminates the need for removal, thus reducing the risk of vessel trauma. We demonstrate the operation of the sensor with a custom-made artificial artery model and in vivo in rats. This technology may be advantageous in real-time post-operative monitoring of blood flow after reconstructive surgery.