articles+ search results

printing, additive manufacturing (AM), ceramics, rectangular waveguides, rapid prototyping, Technology, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Physics, QC1-999, Chemistry, and QD1-999

Ceramic materials are chemical- and temperature-resistant and, therefore, enable novel application fields ranging from automotive to aerospace. With this in mind, this contribution focuses on developing an additive manufacturing approach for 3D-printed waveguides made of ceramic materials. In particular, a special design approach for ceramic waveguides, which introduces non-radiating slots into the waveguides sidewalls, and a customized metallization process, are presented. The developed process allows for using conventional stereolithographic desktop-grade 3D-printers. The proposed approach has, therefore, benefits such as low-cost fabrication, moderate handling effort and independence of the concrete waveguide geometry. The performance of a manufactured ceramic WR12 waveguide is compared to a commercial waveguide and a conventionally printed counterpart. For that reason, relevant properties, such as surface roughness and waveguide geometry, are characterized. Parsing the electrical measurements, the ceramic waveguide specimen features an attenuation coefficient of 30–60 dB/m within the E-Band. The measured attenuation coefficient is 200% and 300% higher compared to the epoxy resin and the commercial waveguide and is attributed to the increased surface roughness of the ceramic substrate.

overconstrained mechanisms, kinematical analysis, automotive application, virtual prototyping, Technology, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Physics, QC1-999, Chemistry, and QD1-999

The paper presents some possible applications started from a six revolute joints (6R) overconstrained mechanism. The spatial devices obtained are based on the 6R Wohlhart symmetric mechanism in a special spatial position, with three non-adjacent joints constrained to remain in a fixed plane. This special spatial disposition allows us to obtain some reconfigurable/foldable devices, with an estimated application in the automotive industry field.

integrated intelligent CAD system, springs, parametric 3D modelling, FEM analysis, prototyping, C#, Technology, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Physics, QC1-999, Chemistry, and QD1-999

This paper presents the development and implementation of integrated intelligent CAD (computer aided design) system for design, analysis and prototyping of the compression and torsion springs. The article shows a structure of the developed system named Springs IICAD (integrated intelligent computer aided design). The system bounds synthesis and analysis design phases by means of the utilization of parametric 3D (three-dimensional) modeling, FEM (finite element method) analysis and prototyping. The development of the module for spring calculation and system integration was performed in the C# (C Sharp) programming language. Three-dimensional geometric modeling and structural analysis were performed in the CATIA (computer aided three-dimensional interactive application) software, while prototyping is performed with the Ultimaker 3.0 3D printer with support of Cura software. The developed Springs IICAD system interlinks computation module with the basic parametric models in such a way that spring calculation, shaping, FEM analysis and prototype preparation are performed instantly.

design method, joint design, segmentation, additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, fused deposition modeling (FDM), Technology, Engineering design, and TA174

Rapid prototyping has become increasingly popular over the past years. However, its application is heavily confined to a part size that fits the small build volume of additive machines. This paper presents a universal design method to overcome this limitation while preserving the economic advantages of rapid prototyping over conventional processes. It segments large, thin-walled parts and joins the segments. The method aims to produce an assembly with minimal loss to the performance and characteristics of a solid part. Based on a set of requirements, a universal segmentation approach and a novel hybrid joint design combining adhesive bonding and press fitting are developed. This design allows for the force transmission, positioning, and assembly of the segments adaptive to their individual geometry. The method is tailored to fused deposition modeling (FDM) by minimizing the need for support structures and actively compensating for manufacturing tolerances. While a universal application cannot be guaranteed, the adaptive design was proven for a variety of complex geometries. Using automotive trim parts as an example, the usability, benefits, and novelty of the design method is presented. The method itself shows a high potential to overcome the build volume limitation for thin-walled parts in an economic manner.

sculpture, arduino, marble, design, carving tool, prototyping, Electronics, and TK7800-8360

The art of sculpting is related to the processing of brittle materials, such as granite, marble, and stone, and is implemented using percussive hand tools or rotational roughing tools. The outcome of percussion carving is still directly related to the technique, experience, and capacity of the sculptor. Any attempt to automate the art of sculpturing is exhausted in the subtraction method of brittle materials using a rotating tool. In the process of percussion carving, there is no equivalent expertise. In this work, we present the design, manufacturing (3D printing and CNC machining), and use of a smart, percussion carving tool, either manually by the hand of a sculptor, adjusted in a percussive pneumatic hammer, or guided by a digitally driven machine. The scope is to measure and record the technological variables and sizes that describe and document the carving process through the sensors and electronic devices that the smart tool incorporates, the development and programming of which was implemented for the purposes of this work. The smart carving tool was meticulously tested in various carving stones and stressing scenarios to test the functionality and efficacy of the tool. All the tests were successfully implemented according to the specifications set.

neural network, variable step size, maximum power point tracking, incremental conductance method, Electronics, and TK7800-8360

In conventional adaptive variable step size (VSS) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms, a scaling factor is utilized to determine the required perturbation step. However, the performance of the adaptive VSS MPPT algorithm is essentially decided by the choice of scaling factor. In this paper, a neural network assisted variable step size (VSS) incremental conductance (IncCond) MPPT method is proposed. The proposed method utilizes a neural network to obtain an optimal scaling factor that should be used in current irradiance level for the VSS IncCond MPPT method. Only two operating points on the characteristic curve are needed to acquire the optimal scaling factor. Hence, expensive irradiance and temperature sensors are not required. By adopting a proper scaling factor, the performance of the conventional VSS IncCond method can be improved, especially under rapid varying irradiance conditions. To validate the studied algorithm, a 400 W prototyping circuit is built and experiments are carried out accordingly. Comparing with perturb and observe (P&O), α-P&O, golden section and conventional VSS IncCond MPPT methods, the proposed method can improve the tracking loss by 95.58%, 42.51%, 93.66%, and 66.14% under EN50530 testing condition, respectively.

polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS properties, PDMS applications, microfluidics, biomedical engineering, Biotechnology, TP248.13-248.65, Medicine (General), and R5-920

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an elastomer with excellent optical, electrical and mechanical properties, which makes it well-suited for several engineering applications. Due to its biocompatibility, PDMS is widely used for biomedical purposes. This widespread use has also led to the massification of the soft-lithography technique, introduced for facilitating the rapid prototyping of micro and nanostructures using elastomeric materials, most notably PDMS. This technique has allowed advances in microfluidic, electronic and biomedical fields. In this review, an overview of the properties of PDMS and some of its commonly used treatments, aiming at the suitability to those fields’ needs, are presented. Applications such as microchips in the biomedical field, replication of cardiovascular flow and medical implants are also reviewed.

additive manufacturing, 3D printing, tag, traceability, provenance, anti-counterfeiting, Technology, Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering, TK1-9971, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Microscopy, QH201-278.5, Descriptive and experimental mechanics, and QC120-168.85

Additive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly evolving from “rapid prototyping” to “industrial production”. AM enables the fabrication of bespoke components with complicated geometries in the high-performance areas of aerospace, defence and biomedicine. Providing AM parts with a tagging feature that allows them to be identified like a fingerprint can be crucial for logistics, certification and anti-counterfeiting purposes. Whereas the implementation of an overarching strategy for the complete traceability of AM components downstream from designer to end user is, by nature, a cross-disciplinary task that involves legal, digital and technological issues, materials engineers are on the front line of research to understand what kind of tag is preferred for each kind of object and how existing materials and 3D printing hardware should be synergistically modified to create such tag. This review provides a critical analysis of the main requirements and properties of tagging features for authentication and identification of AM parts, of the strategies that have been put in place so far, and of the future challenges that are emerging to make these systems efficient and suitable for digitalisation. It is envisaged that this literature survey will help scientists and developers answer the challenging question: “How can we embed a tagging feature in an AM part?”.

additive manufacturing, electronic skin, Low-Force Stereolithography, room-temperature-vulcanizing, RTV, single-walled carbon nanotubes, Technology, Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering, TK1-9971, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), TA1-2040, Microscopy, QH201-278.5, Descriptive and experimental mechanics, and QC120-168.85

The strategy of embedding conductive materials on polymeric matrices has produced functional and wearable artificial electronic skin prototypes capable of transduction signals, such as pressure, force, humidity, or temperature. However, these prototypes are expensive and cover small areas. This study proposes a more affordable manufacturing strategy for manufacturing conductive layers with 6 × 6 matrix micropatterns of RTV-2 silicone rubber and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT). A novel mold with two cavities and two different micropatterns was designed and tested as a proof-of-concept using Low-Force Stereolithography-based additive manufacturing (AM). The effect SWCNT concentrations (3 wt.%, 4 wt.%, and 5 wt.%) on the mechanical properties were characterized by quasi-static axial deformation tests, which allowed them to stretch up to ~160%. The elastomeric soft material’s hysteresis energy (Mullin’s effect) was fitted using the Ogden–Roxburgh model and the Nelder–Mead algorithm. The assessment showed that the resulting multilayer material exhibits high flexibility and high conductivity (surface resistivity ~7.97 × 104 Ω/sq) and that robust soft tooling can be used for other devices.

micromachining strategies, micro/mesoscale milling, 3D microfluidic structure, PMMA, PDMS, surface quality, Mechanical engineering and machinery, and TJ1-1570

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in exploring the potential of micro-and mesoscale milling technologies for developing cost-effective microfluidic systems with high design flexibility and a rapid microfabrication process that does not require a cleanroom. Nevertheless, the number of current studies aiming to fully understand and establish the benefits of this technique in developing high-quality microsystems with simple integrability is still limited. In the first part of this study, we define a systematic and adaptable strategy for developing high-quality poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based micromilled structures. A case study of the average surface roughness (Ra) minimization of a cuboid column is presented to better illustrate some of the developed strategies. In this example, the Ra of a cuboid column was reduced from 1.68 μm to 0.223 μm by implementing milling optimization and postprocessing steps. In the second part of this paper, new strategies for developing a 3D microsystem were introduced by using a specifically designed negative PMMA master mold for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) double-casting prototyping. The reported results in this study demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach for developing microfluidic structures with high surface quality and structural integrability in a reasonable amount of time.

SU-8, photoresist, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), maskless photolithography, grayscale photolithography, backside exposure, Mechanical engineering and machinery, and TJ1-1570

Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and microfluidic devices are conventionally produced using microfabrication procedures that require cleanrooms, silicon wafers, and photomasks. The prototyping stage often requires multiple iterations of design steps. A simplified prototyping process could therefore offer major advantages. Here, we describe a rapid and cleanroom-free microfabrication method using maskless photolithography. The approach utilizes a commercial digital micromirror device (DMD)-based setup using 375 nm UV light for backside exposure of an epoxy-based negative photoresist (SU-8) on glass coverslips. We show that microstructures of various geometries and dimensions, microgrooves, and microchannels of different heights can be fabricated. New SU-8 molds and soft lithography-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips can thus be produced within hours. We further show that backside UV exposure and grayscale photolithography allow structures of different heights or structures with height gradients to be developed using a single-step fabrication process. Using this approach: (1) digital photomasks can be designed, projected, and quickly adjusted if needed; and (2) SU-8 molds can be fabricated without cleanroom availability, which in turn (3) reduces microfabrication time and costs and (4) expedites prototyping of new OoC devices.

FDM, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, shear test, adhesion, Organic chemistry, and QD241-441

Additive Manufacturing (AM) became a popular engineering solution not only for Rapid Prototyping (RP) as a part of product development but as an effective solution for producing complex geometries as fully functional components. Even the modern engineering tools, such as the different simulation software, have a shape optimization solution especially for parts created by AM. To extend the application of these methods in this work, the failure properties of the 3D-printed parts have been investigated via shear test measurements. The layer adhesion can be calculated based on the results, which can be used later for further numerical modeling. In conclusion, it can be stated that the layer formation and the structure of the infill have a great influence on the mechanical properties. The layers formed following the conventional zig-zag infill style show a random failure, and the layers created via extruded concentric circles show more predictable load resistance.

Industry 4.0, Digital Twin, simulation modelling, Chemical technology, TP1-1185, Chemistry, and QD1-999

This article presents the most valuable and applicable open-source tools and communication technologies that may be employed to create models of production processes by applying the concept of Digital Twins. In recent years, many open-source technologies, including tools and protocols, have been developed to create virtual models of production systems. The authors present the evolution and role of the Digital Twin concept as one of the key technologies for implementing the Industry 4.0 paradigm in automation and control. Based on the presented structured review of valuable open-source software dedicated to various phases and tasks that should be realised while creating the whole Digital Twin system, it was demonstrated that the available solutions cover all aspects. However, the dispersion, specialisation, and lack of integration cause this software to usually not be the first choice to implement DT. Therefore, to successfully create full-fledged models of Digital Twins by proceeding with proposed open-source solutions, it is necessary to make additional efforts due to integration requirements.

additive manufacturing, 3d printing, china, Economics as a science, and HB71-74

Additive manufacturing - or three-dimensional (3D) printing - refers to a group of technologies characterised by an accelerating maturation trend, which allow the creation of three-dimensional objects based on digital models, by sequentially applying and integrating layers of various traditional and innovative materials, from metals, polymers and ceramics, to graphene and other nanomaterials and composites. The technologies have applications in a variety of industries, from consumer goods production, automotive and aircraft parts, architecture and construction, to medical services and devices, or research and defence. Globally, the additive manufacturing market, which includes equipment, materials and 3D printing as a service, as well as their applications for prototyping and rapid manufacturing, has been valued at USD 15.4billion in 2020, with existing projections reflecting a four-fold increase to USD 61.1 billion in 2027. By the same date, China – the current 'factory of the world' – is projected to have a significant but less than one-quarter share of the global market – USD14.5 billion – against the backdrop of existing gaps difficult to narrow down.

aphasia, assistive technology, storytelling, user-centered design, graphical user interface, usability tests, Chemical technology, and TP1-1185

Aphasia is a partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken language, resulting from brain damage, in a person whose language skills were previously normal. Our goal was to find out how a storytelling app can help people with aphasia to communicate and share daily experiences. For this purpose, the Aphasia Create app was created for tablets, along with Aphastory for the Google Glass device. These applications facilitate social participation and enhance quality of life by using visual storytelling forms composed of photos, drawings, icons, etc., that can be saved and shared. We performed usability tests (supervised by a neuropsychologist) on six participants with aphasia who were able to communicate. Our work contributes (1) evidence that the functions implemented in the Aphasia Create tablet app suit the needs of target users, but older people are often not familiar with tactile devices, (2) reports that the Google Glass device may be problematic for persons with right-hand paresis, and (3) a characterization of the design guidelines for apps for aphasics. Both applications can be used to work with people with aphasia, and can be further developed. Aphasic centers, in which the apps were presented, expressed interest in using them to work with patients. The Aphasia Create app won the Enactus Poland National Competition in 2015.

port community system, terminal operating system, navigation safety, logistics, e-freight, IoT-based monitoring, Chemical technology, and TP1-1185

Seaports are genuine, intermodal hubs connecting seaways to inland transport links, such as roads and railways. Seaports are located at the focal point of institutional, industrial, and control activities in a jungle of interconnected information systems. System integration is setting considerable challenges when a group of independent providers are asked to implement complementary software functionalities. For this reason, seaports are the ideal playground where software is highly composite and tailored to a large variety of final users (from the so-called port communities). Although the target would be that of shaping the Port Authorities to be providers of (digital) innovation services, the state-of-the-art is still that of considering them as final users, or proxies of them. For this reason, we show how a canonical cloud, virtualizing a distributed architecture, can be structured to host different, possibly overlapped, tenants, slicing the information system at the infrastructure, platform, and software layers. Resources at the infrastructure and platform layers are shared so that a variety of independent applications can make use of the local calculus and access the data stored in a Data Lake. Such a cloud is adopted by the Port of Livorno as a rapid prototyping framework for the development and deployment of ICT innovation services. In order to demonstrate the versatility of this framework, three case studies relating to as many prototype ICT services (Navigation Safety, e-Freight, and Logistics) released within three industrial tenants are here presented and discussed.

Shape memory polyurethane, Magnesium, 3D printing, Robust bone regeneration, Tight-contact, Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, TA401-492, Biology (General), and QH301-705.5

Patients with bone defects suffer from a high rate of disability and deformity. Poor contact of grafts with defective bones and insufficient osteogenic activities lead to increased loose risks and unsatisfied repair efficacy. Although self-expanding scaffolds were developed to enhance bone integration, the limitations on the high transition temperature and the unsatisfied bioactivity hindered greatly their clinical application. Herein, we report a near-infrared-responsive and tight-contacting scaffold that comprises of shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) as the thermal-responsive matrix and magnesium (Mg) as the photothermal and bioactive component, which fabricated by the low temperature rapid prototyping (LT-RP) 3D printing technology. As designed, due to synergistic effects of the components and the fabrication approach, the composite scaffold possesses a homogeneously porous structure, significantly improved mechanical properties and stable photothermal effects. The programmed scaffold can be heated to recover under near infrared irradiation in 60s. With 4 wt% Mg, the scaffold has the balanced shape fixity ratio of 93.6% and shape recovery ratio of 95.4%. The compressed composite scaffold could lift a 100 g weight under NIR light, which was more than 1700 times of its own weight. The results of the push-out tests and the finite element analysis (FEA) confirmed the tight-contacting ability of the SMPU/4 wt%Mg scaffold, which had a signficant enhancement compared to the scaffold without shape memory effects. Furthermore, The osteopromotive function of the scaffold has been demonstrated through a series of in vitro and in vivo studies. We envision this scaffold can be a clinically effective strategy for robust bone regeneration.

Digital signal processor, Universal motor, Speed control, Hardware architecture, PI controller, dSPACE MicroAutoBox, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), and TA1-2040

Universal motors are widely used in household appliances. When traditionally powered by AC, current harmonics are created which cause overheating of the windings and electromagnetic compatibility problems affecting the lifespan of the motor. Considering the remarkable comeback of DC power and its prospects in the electrification of homes, this paper proposes a control strategy for universal motors powered by DC using the rapid control prototyping feature offered by the dSPACE MicroAutoBox. A PI controller is designed using dominant-pole compensation method. The control strategy is simulated in Matlab/Simulink, then implemented in the MicroAutoBox via the Real-Time Interface. The simulation results are compared with those acquired by implementation through a laboratory test bench built around the MicroAutoBox and a dual full-bridge driver. The experimental results show that the designed PI controller managed to eliminate the static error and increased significantly the system dynamic performance by 26.5% in simulation and by 23.5% in practice. The robustness of the proposed control strategy against randomized load disturbances is proved by experimental tests. Furthermore, a significant improvement in power quality is reported.

Electrodes, Ion-Selective Electrodes, Ions, Potassium, Potentiometry, Printing, Three-Dimensional, Sodium, Internet of Things, and Robotics

We report automated fabrication of solid-contact sodium-selective (Na + -ISEs) and potassium-selective electrodes (K + -ISEs) using a 3D printed liquid handling robot controlled with Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The printing system is affordable and can be customized for the use with micropipettes for applications such as drop-casting, biological assays, sample preparation, rinsing, cell culture, and online analyte monitoring using multi-well plates. The robot is more compact (25 × 30 × 35 cm) and user-friendly than commercially available systems and does not require mechatronic experience. For fabrication of ion-selective electrodes, a carbon black intermediate layer and ion-selective membrane were successively drop-cast on the surface of stencil-printed carbon electrode using the dispensing robot. The 3D-printed robot increased ISE robustness while decreasing the modification time by eliminating manual steps. The Na + -ISEs and K + -ISEs were characterized for their potentiometric responses using a custom-made, low-cost (<$25) multi-channel smartphone-based potentiometer capable of signal processing and wireless data transmission. The electrodes showed Nernstian responses of 58.2 ± 2.6 mV decade -1 and 56.1 ± 0.7 mV decade -1 for Na + and K + , respectively with an LOD of 1.0 × 10 -5  M. We successfully applied the ISEs for multiplexed detection of Na + and K + in urine and artificial sweat samples at clinically relevant concentration ranges. The 3D-printed pipetting robot cost $100 and will pave the way for more accessible mass production of ISEs for those who cannot afford the expensive commercial robots.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Equipment Design, Phantoms, Imaging, Software, Algorithms, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods

Purpose: An automated algorithm for generating realizable MR gradient and shim coil layouts based on the boundary element method is presented here. The overall goal is to reduce postprocessing effort and thus enable for rapid prototyping of new coil designs. For a given surface mesh and target field, the algorithm generates a connected, non-overlapping wire path.
Methods: The proposed algorithm consists of several steps: Stream function optimization, two-dimensional surface projection, potential discretization, topological contour sorting, opening and interconnecting contours, and finally adding non-overlapping return paths. Several technical parameters such as current strength, inductance and field accuracy are assessed for quality control.
Results: The proposed method is successfully demonstrated in four different examples. All exemplary results demonstrate high accuracy with regard to reaching the respective target field. The optimal discretization for a given stream function is found by generating multiple layouts while varying the input parameter values.
Conclusion: The presented algorithm allows for a rapid generation of interconnected coil layouts with high flexibility and low discretization error. This enables to reduce the overall post-processing effort. The source code of this work is publicly available ( https://github.com/Philipp-MR/CoilGen).
(© 2022 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Animals, Aquaculture, Ergonomics methods, Farmers, Feasibility Studies, Humans, Pilot Projects, Seafood, Bivalvia, Low Back Pain therapy, Occupational Diseases prevention control, and Self-Management

Objectives. Lower back pain (LBP) is extremely prevalent in seafood harvesters who often have limited or no access to ergonomic consultation, occupational health support and rehabilitation services. This pilot study aimed to describe a participatory ergonomic approach and determine the feasibility and extent of adoption of self-management strategies in clam farmers with LBP. Methods. A rapid prototype participatory ergonomic approach was used to develop context-specific self-management strategies. Options to adjust lifting and repetitive stress were introduced using video clips, demonstrations and discussions in the workplace. Workers chose and implemented three strategies for 8 weeks with weekly reminders. Survey and qualitative data from focus groups were analyzed. Results. Team strategies were the most popular, but individual options were used more often. Strategies were considered feasible, acceptable and relatively easy to use. Strategies were implemented relatively consistently, and most improved productivity with decreased pain. Challenges for uptake included changing habit, culture and team dynamics. Conclusions. Participatory rapid prototyping provided a feasible and efficient option to introduce strategies for clam farmers with small teams, variable work processes and workloads, and time restrictions. Strategies were considered acceptable and easy to use, and most increased productivity. These methods show potential for future research.

Purpose: Midface reconstruction poses a complex set of challenges for reconstructive surgeons. The optimal midface reconstruction must possess a durable underlying bone construct capable of integrating dental implants. Facial contour is restored by the overlying microvascular soft tissue reconstruction with reestablishment of the oral cavity. A plethora of microvascular flaps used in clinical practice have been described including those harvested from the iliac crest, scapula, fibula, forearm and back (latissimus dorsi). The objective was to share our experiences with each of these treatment options that have continued to evolve over time for the benefit of patients.
Methods: Our institution has over three decades of experience in reconstructing complex midface defects and this article summarizes midface reconstruction from an evolutionary perspective (for type II, III and IV defect; Browns classification, Supplementary Table I). We broadly divide this into (i) flaps supplied by the subscapular system (ii) autologous reconstruction with titanium mesh and (iii) fibula microvascular flaps using 3D planning.
Results: The advantages and disadvantages for each approach are discussed (Supplementary Table II).
Conclusion: In the future, it is expected that 3D planning coupled with rapid prototyping, intraoperative navigation and CT imaging will become standard procedural practice.
(© 2022. Crown.)

Traveling wave structures for lossless ion manipulation (TW-SLIM) has proven a valuable tool for the separation and study of gas-phase ions. Unfortunately, many of the traditional components of TW-SLIM experiments manifest practical and financial barriers to the technique's broad implementation. To this end, a series of technological innovations and methodologies are presented which enable for simplified SLIM experimentation and more rapid TW-SLIM prototyping. In addition to the use of multiple independent board sets that comprise the present SLIM system, we introduce a low-cost, multifunctional traveling wave generator to produce TW within the TW-SLIM. This square-wave producing unit proved effective in realizing TW-SLIM separations compared to traditional approaches. Maintaining a focus on lowering barriers to implementation, the present set of experiments explores the use of on-board injection (OBI) methods, which offer potential alternatives to ion funnel traps. These OBI techniques proved feasible and the ability of this simplified TW-SLIM platform to enhance ion accumulation was established. Further experimentation regarding ion accumulation revealed a complexity to ion accumulation within TW-SLIM that has yet to be expounded upon. Lastly, the ability of the presented TW-SLIM platform to store ions for extended periods (1 s) without significant loss (<10%) was demonstrated. The aforementioned experiments clearly establish the efficacy of a simplified TW-SLIM platform which promises to expand adoption and experimentation of the technique.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

DNA, Luciferases, Luminescence, Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetics, and RNA, Guide genetics

The wide application of molecular beacon probes in specific DNA detection, especially in the fast prototyping of pathogen DNA detection kits in point-of-care diagnostics, has been hindered by the nonflexible choice of target sequences and the unstable fluorophore output. We developed an in vitro DNA detection system consisting of a pair of dCas9 proteins linked to split halves of luciferase, named the Paired dCas9 (PC) reporter. Co-localization of the reporter pair to a ~46 bp target sequence defined by two single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) activated luciferase which subsequently generated highly intensified luminescent signals. Combined with an array design and statistical analyses, the PC reporter system could be programmed to access sequence information across the entire genome of the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These findings suggest great potential for the PC reporter in effective and affordable in vitro nucleic acid detection technologies. In this article we highlighted the systems design from our previous researchworkon the PC reporter (Zhang et al, 2015)with a focuson methodology.
(Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Drug Delivery Systems, Humans, and Bioprinting methods

Additive Manufacturing (AM) comprises a variety of techniques that enable fabrication of customised objects with specific attributes. The versatility of AM procedures and constant technological improvements allow for their application in the development of medicinal products and medical devices. This review provides an overview of AM applications related to respiratory sciences. For this purpose, both fields of research are briefly introduced and the potential benefits of integrating AM to respiratory sciences at different levels of pharmaceutical development are highlighted. Tailored manufacturing of microstructures as a particle design approach in respiratory drug delivery will be discussed. At the dosage form level, we exemplify AM as an important link in the iterative loop of data driven inhaler design, rapid prototyping and in vitro testing. This review also presents the application of bioprinting in the respiratory field for design of biorelevant in vitro cellular models, followed by an overview of AM-related processes in preventive and therapeutic care. Finally, this review discusses future prospects of AM as a component in a digital health environment.
(Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Drones, CFD, MDO, Aircraft design, Open source, PSO, Computer engineering. Computer hardware, TK7885-7895, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

Hybrid configurations in aircraft design are highly favorable as they can achieve the appropriate trade-offs required to develop a generalized unmanned aerial system (UAS). Rapid prototyping of such systems at the student level is challenging because commercial software is expensive and difficult to interlink with other tools for creating a multi-disciplinary design. We address this challenge by conceptualizing an aircraft design framework made entirely of open-source software, libraries, and in-house code. We then use this framework to design an all-electric unmanned aerial system with transitioning Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and Fixed-Wing (FW) modes. The UAV is capable of long-range surveillance up to 100 Kilometers and carrying a maximum relief payload of 1 kg while operating in an ad-hoc wi-fi network with a swarm of similar UAVs. A low fidelity particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) and a comprehensive propulsion architecture is also incorporated and validated against commercial software. To validate the design, a prototype is fabricated from glass-fiber and XPS foam, integrated with appropriate sensors and tuned using ArduPilot software. The results show that low-fidelity design is a safe starting point for prototyping under constrained timelines. The study is concluded by discussing the technical challenges of using free software, and some practical considerations while flight testing a UAV with a hybrid configuration.

adaptive management, decision analysis, endangered species, marsh birds, structured decision making, value of information, Ecology, QH540-549.5, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution, and QH1-199.5

Abstract Natural resource management decisions are often made in the face of uncertainty. The question for the decision maker is whether the uncertainty is an impediment to the decision and, if so, whether it is worth reducing uncertainty before or while implementing actions. Value of information (VoI) methods are decision analytical tools to evaluate the benefit to the decision maker of resolving uncertainty. These methods, however, require quantitative predictions of the outcomes as a function of management alternatives and uncertainty, in which predictions which may not be available at early stages of decision prototyping. Here we describe the first participatory application of a new qualitative approach to VoI in an adaptive management workshop for Atlantic Coast eastern black rail populations. The eastern black rail is a small, cryptic marsh bird that was recently listed as federally threatened, with extremely little demographic data available. Workshop participants developed conceptual models and nine hypotheses related to the effects of habitat management alternatives on black rail demography. Here, we describe the qualitative VoI framework, how it was implemented in the workshop, and the analysis outcomes, and describe the benefits of qualitative VoI in the context of adaptive management and co‐production of conservation science.

Amphibious robot, Kinematic modeling, Virtual prototype, ADAMS, Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General), and TA1-2040

The amphibious robot, which has the capability of multi-mode motion, can maneuver diverse environments with high mobility and adaptability. These are employed in the area of reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, and monitoring. The existing amphibious robots have lower maneuverability over the crawling period on uneven and slope surfaces on the land. In this paper, a kinematic model of the amphibious robot based on virtual prototyping is designed for multi-mode locomotion. ADAMS (Automated dynamic analysis of mechanical systems) is a multi-body dynamic solver adopted to build the simulation model for the robot. The novel amphibious robot employs a Rockerbogie mechanism equipped with wheel paddles. The locomotion analysis on land involves straight-going and obstacle negotiation, which is simulated using ADAMS. The simulation analysis result demonstrates increased maneuverability, achieving a robot's velocity of 1.6 m/s. Normal forces on the front and rear wheels show equal load distribution, contributing more to the robot’s equilibrium over uneven terrain. The simulation result reflects the accurate kinematic characteristics of the amphibious robot and provides a theoretical basis for developing an algorithm for robot motion control and optimization. Further, this research will concentrate on the kinematic simulation maneuvering in water mode with the wheel paddle. ABSTRAK: Robot amfibia yang memiliki berbilang mod pergerakan, dapat bergerak dalam persekitaran berbeza dengan ketinggian mobiliti dan adaptasi. Kebolehan ini dapat digunakan dalam kawasan pengintipan, operasi pencarian dan menyelamat, dan peninjauan. Robot amfibia sedia ada mempunyai kurang kebolehgerakan sepanjang tempoh merangkak pada permukaan cerun dan permukaan tidak rata pada tanah. Dalam kajian ini, model kinematik robot amfibia berdasarkan prototaip maya dibentuk berdasarkan gerak alih pelbagai mod. Sistem Mekanikal Analisis Dinamik Automatik (ADAMS) adalah penyelesai dinamik berbilang badan telah diadaptasi bagi membina model simulasi robot. Robot amfibia baru dicipta berdasarkan mekanisme Rockerbogie beserta padel tayar. Analisis gerak alih atas tanah ini termasuk gerakan-lurus dan rundingan halangan, disimulasi menggunakan ADAMS. Dapatan simulasi kajian menunjukkan peningkatan kebolehgerakan, mencapai halaju robot sehingga 1.6 m/s. Daya tujahan normal pada depan dan belakang tayar menunjukkan keseimbangan agihan beban, menyumbang lebih kepada keseimbangan robot ke atas permukaan yang tidak rata. Dapatan kajian dari simulasi menunjukkan ciri-ciri kinematik yang tepat pada robot amfibia dan menyediakan teori asas bagi membangunkan algoritma kawalan pergerakan dan pengoptimuman. Seterusnya, kajian ini mengfokuskan simulasi gerakan kinematik dalam mod air beserta padel tayar.

flash sintering (FS), oxygen vacancies, defect engineering, ZnO powders, electric discharge, Clay industries. Ceramics. Glass, and TP785-869

Abstract In this study, we reported that flash sintering (FS) could be efficiently triggered at room temperature (25 °C) by manipulating the oxygen concentration within ZnO powders via a versatile defect engineering strategy, fully demonstrating a promising method for the repaid prototyping of ceramics. With a low concentration of oxygen defects, FS was only activated at a high onset electric field of ∼2.7 kV/cm, while arcs appearing on the surfaces of samples. Strikingly, the onset electric field was decreased to < 0.51 kV/cm for the activation of FS initiated, which was associated with increased oxygen concentrations coupled with increased electrical conductivity. Thereby, a general room-temperature FS strategy by introducing intrinsic structural defect is suggested for a broad range of ceramics that are prone to form high concentration of point defects.

nanoparticles, self-assembly, printing technology, patterned structure, functional devices, Science (General), and Q1-390

Functional nanoparticles (NPs) with unique photoelectric, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties have attracted considerable attention. Aggregated NPs rather than individual NPs are generally required for sensing, electronics, and catalysis. However, the transformation of functional NP aggregates into scalable, controllable, and affordable functional devices remains challenging. Printing is a promising additive manufacturing technology for fabricating devices from NP building blocks because of its capabilities for rapid prototyping and versatile multifunctional manufacturing. This paper reviews recent advances in NP patterning based on the combination of self-assembly and printing technologies (including two-, three-, and four-dimensional printing), introduces the basic characteristics of these methods, and discusses various fields of NP patterning applications. Public summary: • Nanoparticles (NPs) printing assembly is a good solution for patterned devices • NPs assembly can be combined with 2D, 3D, and 4D printing technologies • A variety of ink-dispersed NPs are available for printing assembly • NPs printing assembly technology is applied for nanosensing, energy storage, photodetector

The development of medical image analysis algorithm is a complex process including the multiple sub-steps of model training, data visualization, human-computer interaction and graphical user interface (GUI) construction. To accelerate the development process, algorithm developers need a software tool to assist with all the sub-steps so that they can focus on the core function implementation. Especially, for the development of deep learning (DL) algorithms, a software tool supporting training data annotation and GUI construction is highly desired. In this work, we constructed AnatomySketch, an extensible open-source software platform with a friendly GUI and a flexible plugin interface for integrating user-developed algorithm modules. Through the plugin interface, algorithm developers can quickly create a GUI-based software prototype for clinical validation. AnatomySketch supports image annotation using the stylus and multi-touch screen. It also provides efficient tools to facilitate the collaboration between human experts and artificial intelligent (AI) algorithms. We demonstrate four exemplar applications including customized MRI image diagnosis, interactive lung lobe segmentation, human-AI collaborated spine disc segmentation and Annotation-by-iterative-Deep-Learning (AID) for DL model training. Using AnatomySketch, the gap between laboratory prototyping and clinical testing is bridged and the development of MIA algorithms is accelerated. The software is opened at https://github.com/DlutMedimgGroup/AnatomySketch-Software .
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Surgical treatment of head and neck cancer causes severe tissue loss, therefore, deformities and psychosocial consequences. In cases involving orbit exenteration, satisfactory reconstruction can only be achieved with prosthetic replacement, despite successful reconstructive plastic surgery. Extraoral implants, 3D scanning, and prototyping technologies have contributed to increase satisfactory aesthetic results of oculofacial prosthesis. However, to achieve prosthetic rehabilitation refinement, patients' biological tissues have been treated with injectable cosmetic adjuncts methods as complements to results. This study aimed to describe the use of botulinum toxin type A, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite previously to oculofacial prostheses manufacturing, in 5 oncologic patients of a rehabilitation unit. Outcomes produced by additional cosmetic methods on tissues, prostheses planning, and overall facial rehabilitation were observed and registered by photographs. Botulinum toxin type A, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite has shown to be useful in improving asymmetries, volumizing surgical depressions and dissembling atrophic scars. Presenting an additional resource to improve overall results, enabling the manufacturing of smaller, thinner, and better-fitting oculofacial prostheses. Limitations as chronic infection and necrosis episodes, related to filler injection into previously irradiated sites, were described. The temporary effect of the materials used generates a need for reapplications but increases the safety of such procedures and enables patients' cancer treatment follow-up.
(Copyright © 2022 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)

Background: Trauma care faces challenges to innovating their services, such as with mobile health (mHealth) app, to improve the quality of care and patients' health experience. Systematic needs inquiries and collaborations with professional and patient end users are highly recommended to develop and prepare future implementations of such innovations.
Objective: This study aimed to develop a trauma mHealth app for patient information and support in accordance with the Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management road map and describe experiences of unmet information and support needs among injured patients with trauma, barriers to and facilitators of the provision of information and support among trauma care professionals, and drivers of value of an mHealth app in patients with trauma and trauma care professionals.
Methods: Formative evaluations were conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. Ten semistructured interviews with patients with trauma and a focus group with 4 trauma care professionals were conducted for contextual inquiry and value specification. User requirements and value drivers were applied in prototyping. Furthermore, a complementary quantitative discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted with 109 Dutch trauma surgeons, which enabled triangulation on value specification results. In the DCE, preferences were stated for hypothetical mHealth products with various attributes. Panel data from the DCE were analyzed using conditional and mixed logit models.
Results: Patients disclosed a need for more psychosocial support and easy access to more extensive information on their injury, its consequences, and future prospects. Health care professionals designated workload as an essential issue; a digital solution should not require additional time. The conditional logit model of DCE results suggested that access to patient app data through electronic medical record integration (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% CI 2.55-4.34; P<.001) or a web viewer (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.64-3.31; P<.001) was considered the most important for an mHealth solution by surgeons, followed by the inclusion of periodic self-measurements (OR 2, 95% CI 1.64-2.46; P<.001), the local adjustment of patient information (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.42-2.33; P<.001), local hospital identification (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.31-2.10; P<.001), complication detection (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.21-1.84; P<.001), and the personalization of rehabilitation through artificial intelligence (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.13-1.62; P=.001).
Conclusions: In the context of trauma care, end users have many requirements for an mHealth solution that addresses psychosocial functioning; dependable information; and, possibly, a prediction of how a patient's recovery trajectory is evolving. A structured development approach provided insights into value drivers and facilitated mHealth prototype enhancement. The findings imply that iterative development should move on from simple and easily implementable mHealth solutions to those that are suitable for broader innovations of care pathways that most-but plausibly not yet all-end users in trauma care will value. This study could inspire the trauma care community.
(©Thymen Houwen, Miel A P Vugts, Koen W W Lansink, Hilco P Theeuwes, Nicky Neequaye, M Susan H Beerekamp, Margot C W Joosen, Mariska A C de Jongh. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (https://humanfactors.jmir.org), 20.06.2022.)

Lower costs and higher employee satisfaction are some of the benefits driving organizations to adopt dispersed and virtual working arrangements. Despite these advantages, product design engineering teams-those who develop physical products-have not widely adopted this working style due to perceived critical dependence on physical facilities and the belief that it is ineffective to communicate technical details virtually. This paper uses the mass shift in working conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the feasibility of virtual and distributed work in product design engineering. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with product design engineers working virtually to uncover current challenges of, and the beginning of promising strategies for, effective virtual engineering work. We categorize and analyze Tangible Design activities, Intangible Design activities, and Communication and Project Management activities throughout the product design process. Contrary to present opinions, we found that much of a product design engineer's work is realizable in a virtual and distributed setting. However, there are still many challenges, especially when attempting Tangible Design activities-those that require physical products and tools-from home. These challenges, missing from existing virtual product design engineering literature, include but are not limited to individuals' lessened sense of accountability, fewer de-risking opportunities before product sign-off, and limited supervision of production staff. Product design engineers described novel strategies that emerged organically to mitigate these challenges, such as creating digital alternatives for engineering reviews and sign-offs and leveraging rapid prototyping. Recent advances in technology, an increased commitment to reducing environmental impact, and better work-life balance expectations from new generations of workers will only push society faster towards a distributed working model. Thus, it is critical that we use this opportunity to understand the existing challenges for distributed product design engineers, so that organizations can best prepare and become resilient to future shocks.
(© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2022.)

Gene Library, Protein Biosynthesis, Synthetic Biology, High-Throughput Screening Assays, and Microfluidics methods

Engineering regulatory parts for improved performance in genetic programs has played a pivotal role in the development of the synthetic biology cell programming toolbox. Here, we report the development of a novel high-throughput platform for regulatory part prototyping and analysis that leverages the advantages of engineered DNA libraries, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS), high-throughput emulsion droplet microfluidics, standard flow sorting adapted to screen droplet reactions, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). With this integrated platform, we screened the activity of millions of genetic parts within hours, followed by NGS retrieval of the improved designs. This in vitro platform is particularly valuable for engineering regulatory parts of nonmodel organisms, where in vivo high-throughput screening methods are not readily available. The platform can be extended to multipart screening of complete genetic programs to optimize yield and stability.

Background: An increasing number of schools in rural settings are implementing multi-tier positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to address school-climate problems. PBIS can be used to provide the framework for the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to address children's mental health concerns. Given the large service disparities for children in rural areas, offering EBPs through PBIS can improve access and lead to better long-term outcomes. A key challenge is that school personnel need technical assistance in order to implement EBPs with fidelity and clinical effectiveness. Providing ongoing on-site support is not feasible or sustainable in the majority of rural schools, due to their remote physical location. For this reason, remote training technology has been recommended for providing technical assistance to behavioral health staff (BHS) in under-served rural communities.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to use the user-centered design, guided by an iterative process (rapid prototyping), to develop and evaluate the appropriateness, feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary student outcomes of two online training strategies for the implementation of EBPs at PBIS Tier 2.
Methods: The study will employ a pragmatic design comprised of a mixed-methods approach for the development of the training platform, and a hybrid type 2, pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the implementation and student outcomes of two training strategies: Remote Video vs. Remote Video plus Coaching.
Discussion: There is a clear need for well-designed remote training studies focused on training in non-traditional settings. Given the lack of well-trained mental health professionals in rural settings and the stark disparities in access to services, the development and pilot-testing of a remote training strategy for BHS in under-served rural schools could have a significant public health impact.
Ethics and Dissemination: The project was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board. Results will be submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov and disseminated to community partners and participants, peer-reviewed journals, and academic conferences.
Trial Registration: ClinicialTrials.gov, NCT05034198 and NCT05039164.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

In 2019, the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in Wuhan, China, and by early 2020 the first cases were identified in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 infections increased in the US causing many states to implement stay-at-home orders and additional safety precautions to mitigate potential outbreaks. As policies changed throughout the pandemic and restrictions lifted, there was an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing which was costly, difficult to obtain, or had long turn-around times. Some academic institutions, including Boston University (BU), created an on-campus COVID-19 screening protocol as part of a plan for the safe return of students, faculty, and staff to campus with the option for in-person classes. At BU, we put together an automated high-throughput clinical testing laboratory with the capacity to run 45,000 individual tests weekly by Fall of 2020, with a purpose-built clinical testing laboratory, a multiplexed reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) test, robotic instrumentation, and trained staff. There were many challenges including supply chain issues for personal protective equipment and testing materials in addition to equipment that were in high demand. The BU Clinical Testing Laboratory (CTL) was operational at the start of Fall 2020 and performed over 1 million SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests during the 2020-2021 academic year.
(Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Metal patterning via additive manufacturing has been phasing-in to broad applications in many medical, electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries. While previous efforts have produced various promising metal-patterning strategies, their complexity and high cost have limited their practical application in rapid production and prototyping. Herein, a one-step gold printing technique based on anion-assisted photochemical deposition (APD), which can directly print highly conductive gold patterns (1.08 × 10 7 S m -1 ) under ambient conditions without post-annealing treatment, is introduced. Uniquely, the APD uses specific ion effects with projection lithography to pattern Au nanoparticles and simultaneously sinter them into tunable porous gold structures. The significant influence of kosmotropic or chaotropic anions in the precursor ink on tuning the morphologies and conductivities of the printed patterns by employing a series of different ions, including Cl - ions, in the printing process is presented. Additionally, the resistance stabilities and the electrochemical properties of the APD-printed gold patterns are carefully investigated. The high conductivity and excellent conformability of the printed Au electrodes are demonstrated with reliable performance in electrophysiological signal delivery and acquisition for biomedical applications. This work exploits the potential of photochemical-deposition-based metal patterning in flexible electronic manufacturing.
(© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Entoptic phenomena are visual artifacts arising from the interaction of light with the specific anatomic structure of the human eye. While they are usually too subtle to actually enable additional visual abilities, their perception can provide indirect information on the physiological conditions of the visual system. Among the most famous ones, Haidinger's brushes consist in the appearance of a yellowish bow tie perceived in the presence of linearly polarized white light and originate from the particular spatial distribution of dichroic carotenoid molecules forming a sort of embedded radial polarizer in the foveal region. In this work, we develop a compact and versatile optical setup for the psychophysical analysis of the perceptual threshold of such entoptic effect. The tests performed on a group of 113 healthy individuals under conditions of maximum contrast (blue light) reveal the capability to perceive an average polarization degree around 16%. The developed prototype outlines a new optical platform to train the users in the perception of the phenomenon and infer information on the polarization-degree sensitivity of the human visual system.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Electrodes, Electromyography, Electronics, Clothing, and Textiles

We present a novel design for an e-textile based surface electromyography (sEMG) suit that incorporates stretchable conductive textiles as electrodes and interconnects within an athletic compression garment. The fabrication and assembly approach is a facile combination of laser cutting and heat-press lamination that provides for rapid prototyping of designs in a typical research environment without need for any specialized textile or garment manufacturing equipment. The materials used are robust to wear, resilient to the high strains encountered in clothing, and can be machine laundered. The suit produces sEMG signal quality comparable to conventional adhesive electrodes, but with improved comfort, longevity, and reusability. The embedded electronics provide signal conditioning, amplification, digitization, and processing power to convert the raw EMG signals to a level-of-effort estimation for flexion and extension of the elbow and knee joints. The approach we detail herein is also expected to be extensible to a variety of other electrophysiological sensors.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR) can provide an added value for diagnosis and/or intervention planning. Several VR software implementations have been proposed but they are often application dependent. Previous attempts for a more generic solution incorporating VR in medical prototyping software (MeVisLab) were still lacking functionality precluding easy and flexible development.
Methods: We propose an alternative solution that uses rendering to a graphical processing unit (GPU) texture to enable rendering arbitrary Open Inventor scenes in a VR context. It facilitates flexible development of user interaction and rendering of more complex scenes involving multiple objects. We tested the platform in planning a transcatheter cardiac stent placement procedure.
Results: This approach proved to enable development of a particular implementation that facilitates planning of percutaneous treatment of a sinus venosus atrial septal defect. The implementation showed it is intuitive to plan and verify the procedure using VR.
Conclusion: An alternative implementation for linking OpenVR with MeVisLab is provided that offers more flexible development of VR prototypes which can facilitate further clinical validation of this technology in various medical disciplines.
(© 2022. CARS.)

Computers, Neural Networks, Computer, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Flight

Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) are gaining ground in deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domains, and they can benefit from rapid prototyping in order to produce efficient and low-power hardware designs. The inference process of a Deep Neural Network (DNN) is considered a computationally intensive process that requires hardware accelerators to operate in real-world scenarios due to the low latency requirements of real-time applications. As a result, High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools are gaining popularity since they provide attractive ways to reduce design time complexity directly in register transfer level (RTL). In this paper, we implement a MobileNetV2 model using a state-of-the-art HLS tool in order to conduct a design space exploration and to provide insights on complex hardware designs which are tailored for DNN inference. Our goal is to combine design methodologies with sparsification techniques to produce hardware accelerators that achieve comparable error metrics within the same order of magnitude with the corresponding state-of-the-art systems while also significantly reducing the inference latency and resource utilization. Toward this end, we apply sparse matrix techniques on a MobileNetV2 model for efficient data representation, and we evaluate our designs in two different weight pruning approaches. Experimental results are evaluated with respect to the CIFAR-10 data set using several different design methodologies in order to fully explore their effects on the performance of the model under examination.

Health Personnel, Humans, Surveys and Questionnaires, and Mobile Applications

Objective: This article presents a mobile application model for the treatment tracking of in-hospital wounds.
Methods: A survey of the literature on mobile apps for wound monitoring was carried out. Health professionals were interviewed and wound forms were analyzed to synthesize the application's fields and features. We designed the application model using a prototyping tool.
Results: The prototype features interfaces for patient evaluation, different functionalities according to the role of the health professional, a dashboard for monitoring the open admissions, selection of wound locations using a body model, treatment prescribing, tracking the wounds using photos, and generating wound reports.
Conclusion: The adoption of this application could optimize wounds' treatment, increase patient safety, reduce material expenditures and time for professionals with rework in the dressing procedure.

Delivery of Health Care, Feedback, Humans, Kidney, Workflow, and Kidney Transplantation

There is a need for IT systems that support the complex needs of data management in kidney transplantation. The KidneyCloud project aims to inform a transplant-specific digital solution by exploring patient pathways and data journeys. This paper reports on the early prototyping of the KidneyCloud clinician interface using an iterative codesign methodology. User workshops identified that for making clinical decisions and adding patients to the national waiting list transplant teams relied heavily on manual processes to access data across systems and organisations. Based on the requirements gathered, a prototype interface was designed to provide a unified view on the available patient data, which aligned with clinical workflows. Interactive prototype screens allowed users to gain hands-on experience and provide rich real-time feedback. This informed the necessary functionalities of the interface, but also helped us understand the capabilities required of the back-end solution.

Argentina, Comprehensive Health Care, Humans, Latin America, Electronic Health Records, and HIV Infections

Updating electronic health record systems to meet new clinic needs and government regulations presents an ongoing challenge for health care organizations. To redesign an existing system for two HIV clinics in Argentina, we employed a three-phase approach of exploration, participatory design, and prototyping. The process and resulting architecture of the HIV-centered "RedClin" electronic health record may inform electronic health records at other clinics in Latin America and worldwide.

Cardiac Electrophysiology, Microtechnology, Prostheses and Implants, Electrophysiological Phenomena, and Neurosciences

New fabrication approaches for mechanically flexible implants hold the key to advancing the applications of neuroengineering in fundamental neuroscience and clinic. By combining the high precision of thin film microfabrication with the versatility of additive manufacturing, we demonstrate a straight-forward approach for the prototyping of intracranial implants with electrode arrays and microfluidic channels. We show that the implant can modulate neuronal activity in the hippocampus through localized drug delivery, while simultaneously recording brain activity by its electrodes. Moreover, good implant stability and minimal tissue response are seen one-week post-implantation. Our work shows the potential of hybrid fabrication combining different manufacturing techniques in neurotechnology and paves the way for a new approach to the development of multimodal implants.

Plastics, Printing, Reproducibility of Results, Microscopy, and Printing, Three-Dimensional

Live-cell microscopy imaging typically involves the use of high-quality glass-bottom chambers that allow cell culture, gaseous buffer exchange and optical properties suitable for microscopy applications. However, commercial sources of these chambers can add significant annual costs to cell biology laboratories. Consumer products in three-dimensional printing technology, for both Filament Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Masked Stereo Lithography (MSLA), have resulted in more biomedical research labs adopting the use of these devices for prototyping and manufacturing of lab plastic-based items, but rarely consumables. Here we describe a modular, live-cell chamber with multiple design options that can be mixed per experiment. Single reusable carriers and the use of biodegradable plastics, in a hybrid of FDM and MSLA manufacturing methods, reduce plastic waste. The system is easy to adapt to bespoke designs, with concept-to-prototype in a single day, offers significant cost savings to the users over commercial sources, and no loss in dimensional quality or reliability.

The laser print, cut, and laminate (PCL) method for microfluidic device fabrication can be leveraged for rapid and inexpensive prototyping of electrophoretic microchips useful for optimizing separation conditions. The rapid prototyping capability allows evaluation of fluidic architecture, applied fields, reagent concentrations, and sieving matrix, all within the context of using fluorescence-compatible substrates. Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) and toner-coated polyethylene terethphalate (tPeT) were utilized with the PCL technique and bonding methods optimized to improve device durability during electrophoresis. A series of separation channel designs and centrifugation conditions that provided successful loading of sieving polymer in less than 3 minutes was described. Separation of a 400-base DNA sizing ladder provided calculated base-resolution between 3-4 bases, a greater than 18-fold improvement over separations on similar substrates. Finally, the accuracy and precision capabilities of these devices were demonstrated by separating and sizing DNA fragments of 147 and 167 bases as 148 ± 2 and 166.48 ± 3 bases, respectively. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
(This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.)

Nanopatterning for the fabrication of optical metasurfaces entails a need for high-resolution approaches like electron beam lithography that cannot be readily scaled beyond prototyping demonstrations. Block copolymer thin film self-assembly offers an attractive alternative for producing periodic nanopatterns across large areas, yet the pattern feature sizes are fixed by the polymer molecular weight and composition. Here, a general strategy is reported which overcomes the limitation of the fixed feature size by treating the copolymer thin film as a hierarchical resist, in which the nanoscale pattern motif is defined by self-assembly. Feature sizes can then be tuned by thermal reflow controlled locally by irradiative cross-linking or chemical alteration using lithographic ultraviolet light or electron beam exposure. Using blends of polystyrene- block -poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS- b -PMMA) with PS and PMMA homopolymers, we demonstrate both self-assembled PS grating and hexagonal hole patterns; exposure-controlled reflow is then used to reduce the hole diameter by as much as 50% or increase the PS grating linewidth by more than 180%. Transferring these nanopatterns, or their inverse obtained by a lift-off approach, into silicon yields structural colors that may be prescriptively controlled based on the nanoscale feature size. Furthermore, patterned exposure enables area-selective feature size control, yielding uniform structural color patterns across centimeter square areas. Electron beam lithography is also used to show that the lithographic resolution of this selective-area control can be extended to the nanoscale dimensions of the self-assembled features. The exposure-controlled reflow approach demonstrated here takes a pivotal step toward fabricating complex, hierarchical optical metasurfaces using scalable self-assembly methods.