In vitro experimental test for mechanical properties of a vascular stent is a main method to evaluate its effectiveness and safety, which is of great significance to the clinical applications. In this study, a comparative study of planar, V-groove and radial compression methods for the radial support property test were performed, and the effects of compression rate and circumferential position on the test results were conducted. Based on the three-point bending method, the influences of compression rate and circumferential position on flexibility were also explored. And then a best test proposal was selected to evaluate the radial support property and flexibility of the three self-designed stents and the comparative biodegradable vascular stent (BVS) (BVS1.1, Abbott Vascular, USA) with different outside diameters of 1.4 mm, 1.7 mm and 2.4 mm. The results show that the developing trends of the compression load with the compression displacement measured by the three radial support property test methods are the same, but normalized radial force values are quite different. The planar compression method is more suitable for comparing the radial support properties of stents with different diameters and structures. Compression rate has no obvious effect on the testing results of both the radial support property and flexibility. Compression circumferential position has a great impact on testing radial support property with the planar or V-groove compression methods and testing flexibility with three-point bending method. The radial support properties of all the three self-designed stents are improved at a certain degree compared to that of the BVS stent. The study has better guide significance and reference value for testing mechanical properties of vascular stents.
Diabetic macular edema is the major cause of vision impairment in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Thickness and pathological alterations in each retina layer of diabetic macular edema (DME) patients can be performed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) device. And retinal light sensitivity at specific retinal point and fixation state can be detected by microperimetry qualitatively and quantitatively. Moreover, OCT can discover pathological anatomical changes in the retina of DME patients, thus facilitating the interpretation of the structure-function relationship in DME with combination of microperimetry results. At present, there are various therapies for DME patients, and the primary method in evaluating therapeutic efficacy is to compare the pathological changes in the retina before and after treatment by OCT. Besides, microperimetry can provide information in visual function restoration. The combined application of OCT and microperimetry has broad prospects in the diagnosis and treatment of DME patients.
A new type of testing system used for antithrombotic pressure circulatory equipment has been developed, which realized a new method for the calibration of pressure sensor. Multi-path control and acquisition functions are achieved by this method based on human-computer interaction testing system. The precision of pressure sensor is obtained by polynomial fitting for each test point using linear interpolation method. The result showed that the precision test of pressure sensor could be realized easily and efficiently, using the developed testing system, and the parameters of pressure sensor could be calibrated effectively, so that it could be accurately used in the antithrombotic pressure circulatory equipment. The developed testing system has a prosperous future in the aspects of promotion and application.
In an anti-thrombotic pressure circulatory device, relays and solenoid valves serve as core execution units. Thus the therapeutic efficacy and patient safety of the device will directly depend on their performance. A new type of testing system for relays and solenoid valves used in the anti-thrombotic device has been developed, which can test action response time and fatigue performance of relay and solenoid valve. PC, data acquisition card and test platform are used in this testing system based on human-computer interaction testing modules. The testing objectives are realized by using the virtual instrument technology, the high-speed data acquisition technology and reasonable software design. The two sets of the system made by relay and solenoid valve are tested. The results proved the universality and reliability of the testing system so that these relays and solenoid valves could be accurately used in the anti-thrombotic pressure circulatory equipment. The newly-developed testing system has a bright future in the aspects of promotion and application prospect.
The heart valve prosthesis must have excellent hydrodynamic performance which is usually tested in vitro, not in vivo. This paper comprehensively introduced the principles and methods of hydrodynamic performance in vitro testing, helping clinicians to understand valve performance parameters, evaluate valve applicability, and reduce clinical risk of the valve prosthesis. In vitro testing not only serves as the "gold standard" for valve prosthesis assessment, but also provides detailed data for design and optimization of the prosthesis. ISO 5840 defines the items and methods for valve in vitro testing, which consists of three parts: (1) pulsatile flow testing, which reproduces the pulsating flow of the valve prosthesis after implantation in the human body; (2) steady flow testing, which assesses valve forward flow resistance; (3) durability testing, which evaluates the durability of the valve prosthesis and determines the expected failure mode. In addition, the paper presented the differences between atrioventricular and aortic valve testing, the method of mitral valve testing, the differences between transcatheter and surgical valve testing, and the method of valve flow visualization.
Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) is an acquired retinal diseases. The majority of patients who develop AZOOR are women characterized by an acute onset of visual blurred and scotoma with photopsias. The fundus examination is often normal or appeared mild abnormal. The RPE atrophy of fundus is similar with white syndrome. Although FFA and ICGA features are either unremarkable or unrelated to AZOOR, there are still important in differential diagnosis. The characteristic abnormalities appearance of FAF (complicated and varied), OCT (regional anomaly of ellipsoid zone), visual field (visual field defect) and ERG (decreased amplitude and prolonged latency of rod reaction, maximum reaction, cone reaction and scintillation reaction) are considered critical examinations to the diagnosis of AZOOR. Although there is no effective therapy for AZOOR, it has some self-limitation.
Objective To analyze the quality control results of forced vital capacity ( FVC) test in elderly patients. Methods 534 lung function test reports of the elderly patients ( ≥ 80 years old) from January 2010 to December 2010 were collected from pulmonary function testing laboratory in Shougang Hospital of Peking University. Based on the report results, the selected patients were divided into four groups, ie. a normal group, a restricted group, an obstructed group, and a mixed group. The results of lung function tests that met the criteria of quality control in each group were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 534 reports were collected, of which 36 were not credible and treated as test failure. Of the 498 credible reports, 99.6% ( 496 /498) met the start-of-test criteria for quality control. 95. 8% ( 477/498) met the exhalation process test criteria for quality control with the highest rate of 98.6% ( 217 /220) in the obstructed group and the lowest rate of 85. 9% ( 55 /64) in the restricted group. The difference between two groups was significant (Plt;0.01) . 68.1% ( 339/498) met the end-of-test criteria for quality control with the highest rate of 88.6% ( 195/220) in the obstructed group and the lowest rate of 18.8% ( 12/64) in the restricted group. The difference between two groups was significant (Plt;0.01) . 16.7% (88/498) of the reports could be analyzed for repeatability, and the obstructed group had the highest rate of 22.3% (49/220) while the restricted group had the lowest rate of 6.3% ( 4/64) . The difference between two groups was significant too (Plt;0.01) . Only 14.6% (73/498) of the reports met all of the criteria listed above. Conclusions Elderly patients can also complete FVC test but the result may be not credible. There are still lots to be improved in FVC test for elderly patients.
Objective To study the effects of anxious condition on asthma symptom burden and asthma control in elderly asthma patients in primary care settings. Methods Totally 128 elderly asthma patients were recruited in this study. The patients were required to fill in the questionnaire，then the score of asthma control test （ACT） and Hamilton anxious meter（HAMA） were calculated. Risk factors of anxious condition were analyzed by logistic analysis. Results The ACT scores in the anxious patients were significantly lower than those of the non-anxious patients [17.45±3.14 vs. 21.45±2.37，Plt;0.05）. The patients with lower incoming and more complications had more severe anxious condition，lower asthma control level，and more asthmatic medications. Meanwhile the latter conditions also increased the incidence of anxiety in the elderly asthma patients significantly （Plt;0.05）. Conclusions The elderly asthma patients in primary care settings are also complicated with anxiety，and the anxious condition can significantly increase asthma symptom burden and decrease asthma control level.
This study aims to explore the differences of event related potential (ERP) between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal children, so that these differences provide scientific basis for the diagnosis of ADHD. Eight children were identified to be ADHD group by the diagnostic criteria of DSM IV (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders IV), and the control group also consisted of 8 normal children. Modified visual continuous performance test (CPT) was used as the experiment paradigm. The experiment included two major conditions, i.e. Go and NoGo. All the 16 subjects participated in the study. A high density EEG acquisition instrument was used to record the EEG signal and processed these EEG data by means of ERP and spectrum analysis. P2 N2 peak peak value and spectral peak around 11 Hz were analyzed between ADHD subjects and those in the control group, and then statistical tests were applied to these two groups. Results showed that: ① Under the condition of Go, ADHD group had a significant lower P2 N2 peak peak value than the values in the control group ( P< 0.05); but under the condition of NoGo there was no significant difference in between. ② Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had significant lower spectral amplitude around 11 Hz under the condition of NoGo ( P< 0.05). However, under the condition of Go the difference was insignificant. In conclusion, there is certain cognitive dysfunction in ADHD children. P2-N2 peak-peak value and spectral peak around 11 Hz could be considered as clinical evaluation indexes of ADHD children′s cognitive function. These two objective indexes provide an early diagnosis and effective treatment of ADHD .
This study was aimed to design a new, accurate and easy-to-use water bath cryo-jaw, and try to solve the problems met in small animals achilles tendon mechanical testing. The muscle-tendon-bony units were fixed in the clamps. SD rats achilles tendon were randomly divided into group A and B. Group A was tested by the newly designed water bath cryo-jaw, while group B was treated by non-water bath cryo-jaw. The mechanical tests revealed that non of the samples of the newly-designed water bath cryo-jaw in group A slipped and fell off, and the achilles tendons were in a physiologically active state, but one of the group B samples slipped and fell off, and the others had the frozen phenomenon obviously. The maximum stress, fracture displacement and Young's modulus of the rats in group A were significantly different compared to those in group B (P<0.05). In conclusion, the new water bath cryo-jaw has more advantages than traditional ones. It exhibits a good simulation in vivo in the environmental conditions for testing the mechanical properties of the achilles tendon.