Technology and Health Care 

About: Technology and Health Care is an academic journal published by IOS Press. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Computer science. It has an ISSN identifier of 0928-7329. Over the lifetime, 2587 publications have been published receiving 24492 citations. The journal is also known as: Technology & health care.

In vivo high resolution 3D-QCT of the human forearm

Abstract: In vivo examinations of bone microarchitecture have become available recently through high resolution computed tomography (3D-QCT) and magnetic resonance imaging. The spatial resolution of the resulting images, however, is not sufficient to depict individual trabeculae in their true shape. Nevertheless, structural indices such as relative bone volume, trabecular number, mean thickness and mean separation can be extracted with the help of a ridge detection algorithm. Precision of the procedure is of the order of 1%, accuracy is ascertained using a micro-CT based calibration. In this work we report first results of time serial examinations. Eighteen healthy postmenopausal women (no HRT) were measured at months 0, 6, and 12, and the temporal changes were analyzed. Examination site was the distal radius. The above mentioned structural indices, the average densities and the thickness of the cortical shell were determined. Of the 18 women 6 showed no significant bone loss of any kind, 5 lost primarily cancellous bone, 4 lost primarily cortical bone, and 3 had a substantial loss of cortical as well as cancellous bone. We conclude that even in a homogenous group such as postmenopausal women, there are considerable differences in the reason why bone is weakend and that high resolution 3D-QCT allows to differentiate between various types of bone loss.

The effect of pore size on permeability and cell attachment in collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract: The permeability of scaffolds and other three-dimensional constructs used for tissue engineering applications is important as it controls the diffusion of nutrients in and waste out of the scaffold as well as influencing the pressure fields within the construct. The objective of this study was to characterize the permeability/fluid mobility of collagen-GAG scaffolds as a function of pore size and compressive strain using both experimental and mathematical modeling techniques. Scaffolds containing four distinct mean pore sizes (151, 121, 110, 96 microns) were fabricated using a freeze-drying process. An experimental device was constructed to measure the permeability of the scaffold variants at different levels of compressive strain (0, 14, 29 and 40% while a low-density open-cell foam cellular solids model utilizing a tetrakaidecahedral unit cell was used to accurately model the permeability of each scaffold variant at all level of applied strain. The results of both the experimental and the mathematical analysis revealed that scaffold permeability increases with increasing pore size and decreases with increasing compressive strain. The excellent comparison between experimentally measured and predicted scaffold permeability suggests that cellular solids modelling techniques can be utilized to predict scaffold permeability under a variety of physiological loading conditions as well as to predict the permeability of future scaffolds with a wide variety of pore microstructures.

A smart home application to eldercare: Current status and lessons learned

Abstract: To address an aging population, we have been investigating sensor networks for monitoring older adults in their homes. In this paper, we report ongoing work in which passive sensor networks have been installed in 17 apartments in an aging in place eldercare facility. The network under development includes simple motion sensors, video sensors, and a bed sensor that captures sleep restlessness and pulse and respiration levels. Data collection has been ongoing for over two years in some apartments. This longevity in sensor data collection is allowing us to study the data and develop algorithms for identifying alert conditions such as falls, as well as extracting typical daily activity patterns for an individual. The goal is to capture patterns representing physical and cognitive health conditions and then recognize when activity patterns begin to deviate from the norm. In doing so, we strive to provide early detection of potential problems which may lead to serious health events if left unattended. We describe the components of the network and show examples of logged sensor data with correlated references to health events. A summary is also included on the challenges encountered and the lessons learned as a result of our experiences in monitoring aging adults in their homes.

Mechanics of the normal woman's breast

Abstract: Knowledge on the forces acting on a woman's breast and on the mechanical properties of the breast tissues is important for studying the effects of plastic surgery techniques for breast reconstruction as well as for the design of cosmetic breast implants. Surprisingly, there are no data in the literature regarding mechanical loads on the breast tissues during daily or sport activities, and there are no coherent sources of data in regard to mechanical properties of the breast tissues. Accordingly, this paper is aimed at reviewing the mechanics of the normal breast. First, the anatomy of the breast and major aging-related changes are described. Second, the mechanical characteristics of all tissue components of the breast are detailed. Last, analytical approximations are made in regard to the forces acting on the breast during normal activity, and the respective internal breast forces supported by the suspensory ligaments, pectoralis fascia and ribs are calculated. The data presented in this paper are useful for biomechanical modeling of the breast as well as for evaluating the loads acting on surgical repairs and breast implants.

Bioreactors in tissue engineering

Abstract: A bioreactor can be defined as a device that uses mechanical means to influence biological processes. In tissue engineering bioreactors can be used to aid in the in vitro development of new tissue by providing biochemical and physical regulatory signals to cells and encouraging them to undergo differentiation and/or to produce extracellular matrix prior to in vivo implantation. This chapter discusses the necessity for bioreactors in tissue engineering, the numerous types of bioreactor that exist, the means by which they stimulate cells and how their functionality is governed by the requirements of the specific tissue being engineered and the cell type undergoing stimulation.