EVALUATION OF HAND TREMOR SUPPRESSION USING A PASSIVE SURGICAL SUPPORT ROBOT IN SIMULATED RETINAL VASCULAR CANNULATION.

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate hand tremors during retinal vascular cannulation surgery with a microneedle and investigate if a customized passive surgical robot suppresses hand tremors.

Methods: A surgical simulation eye was modified, and an analysis system was used that synchronized the surgical video and accelerometer attached to the tail of the microneedle syringe. A cannulation target mimicking the optic disc and retinal vessels was designed in the bottom of the artificial eye.

INVESTIGATION OF HAND TREMOR SUPPRESSION BY A CUSTOMIZED PASSIVE SURGICAL SUPPORT ROBOT DURING INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING.

Purpose: To construct a quantitative evaluation system for hand tremor during internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and investigate changes in hand tremor attributable to the use of the customized passive surgical support robot.

Methods: This analytical and experimental study developed a hand tremor evaluation system that synchronizes three elements: surgical microscope images, an artificial eye module with a force sensor to simulate ILM peeling, and microforceps with an inertial measurement unit. Two surgeons used this system to measure hand tremor during ILM peeling with and without the robot.

Untreated and uncontrolled hypertension in Japanese patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Hypertension (HT) is the most attributable and modifiable risk factor for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). However, epidemiological data on blood pressure (BP) control before SICH and its relationship to patient lifestyles are lacking. This study prospectively enrolled patients with acute SICH from six stroke centers in Tochigi, Japan.

Evaluation of (Shared) Autonomy in Robot-Assisted Vitreoretinal Surgery Using a Surgical Model.

Background: Robot-assisted vitreoretinal surgery makes it easier for the surgeons to perform precise and dexterous manipulations required in vitreoretinal procedures.

Methods: We systematically evaluated manual surgery, conventional two-hand teleoperation, a novel one-hand teleoperation, and automation in a needle positioning task using a realistic surgical eye model, measuring the expert surgeon's performances and the novice's learning curves.

Results: The proposed one-hand teleoperation improved the positioning accuracy of expert surgeons , enabled novices to achieve a consistent accuracy more quickly , decreased the novice's workload more quickly , and made it easier for novices to learn to conduct the task quickly .

Cybernetic avatars: Teleoperation technologies from in-body monitoring to social interaction.

Cybernetic avatars integrate physical and virtual avatars to enhance human capabilities in diverse scales and contexts.

Spatiotemporally controlled microvortices provide advanced microfluidic components.

Microvortices are emerging components that impart functionality to microchannels by exploiting inertia effects such as high shear stress, effective fluid diffusion, and large pressure loss. Exploring the dynamic generation of vortices further expands the scope of microfluidic applications, including cell stimulation, fluid mixing, and transport. Despite the crucial role of vortices' development within sub-millisecond timescales, previous studies in microfluidics did not explore the modulation of the Reynolds number (Re) in the range of several hundred.

Insights into mechanistic interpretation of crystalline-state reddish phosphorescence of non-planar π-conjugated organoboron compounds.

Metal-free room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials are attracting attention in such applications as organic light-emitting diodes and bioimaging. However, the chemical structures of RTP materials reported thus far are mostly predominantly based on π-conjugated systems incorporating heavy atoms such as bromine atoms or carbonyl groups, resulting in limited structural diversity. On the other hand, triarylboranes are known for their strong Lewis acidity and deep LUMO energy levels, but few studies have reported on their RTP properties.

Fixation method of a single muscle fiber by magnetic force for stretching, transportation, and evaluation of mechanical properties.

Engineered muscle fibers are attracting interest in bio-actuator research as they can contribute to the fabrication of actuators with a high power/size ratio for micro-robots. These fibers require to be stretched during culture for functional regulation as actuators and require a fixation on a rigid substrate for stretching in culture and evaluation of mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus and contraction force. However, the conventional fixation methods for muscle fibers have many restrictions as they are not repeatable and the connection between fixation part and the muscle fibers detaches during culture; therefore, the fixation becomes weak during culture, and direct measurement of the muscle fibers' mechanical properties by a force sensor is difficult.

Instantaneous extracellular solution exchange for concurrent evaluation of membrane permeability of single cells.

The osmotic stress imposed on microorganisms by hypotonic conditions is perceived to regulate water and solute flux cell membranes, which are crucial for survival. Some cells that fail to perceive osmotic stress die because this results in the rupture of the cell membrane. The flux through the membrane is characterized by the membrane permeability, which is measured using a stopped-flow apparatus in response to a millisecond-order osmolarity change.

POT1a deficiency in mesenchymal niches perturbs B-lymphopoiesis.

Protection of telomeres 1a (POT1a) is a telomere binding protein. A decrease of POT1a is related to myeloid-skewed haematopoiesis with ageing, suggesting that protection of telomeres is essential to sustain multi-potency. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a constituent of the hematopoietic niche in bone marrow, their dysfunction is associated with haematopoietic failure.

Loss of endothelial membrane KIT ligand affects systemic KIT ligand levels but not bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells.

A critical regulatory role of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) vascular niches in the bone marrow has been implicated to occur through endothelial niche cell expression of KIT ligand. However, endothelial-derived KIT ligand is expressed in both a soluble and membrane-bound form and not unique to bone marrow niches, and it is also systemically distributed through the circulatory system. Here, we confirm that upon deletion of both the soluble and membrane-bound forms of endothelial-derived KIT ligand, HSCs are reduced in mouse bone marrow.

Film-Shaped Self-Powered Electro-Osmotic Micropump Array.

This paper reports a new concept of a film-shaped micropump array for biomedical perfusion. The detailed concept, design, fabrication process, and performance evaluation using prototypes are described. In this micropump array, an open circuit potential (OCP) is generated by a planar biofuel cell (BFC), which in turn generates electro-osmotic flows (EOFs) in multiple through-holes arranged perpendicular to the micropump plane.

Integration of Microfluidic Chip and Probe with a Dual Pump System for Measurement of Single Cells Transient Response.

The integration of liquid exchange and microfluidic chips plays a critical role in the biomedical and biophysical fields as it enables the control of the extracellular environment and allows for the simultaneous stimulation and detection of single cells. In this study, we present a novel approach for measuring the transient response of single cells using a system integrated with a microfluidic chip and a probe with a dual pump. The system was composed of a probe with a dual pump system, a microfluidic chip, optical tweezers, an external manipulator, an external piezo actuator, etc.

Polycomb repressive complex 1.1 coordinates homeostatic and emergency myelopoiesis.

Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) 1 regulates stem cell fate by mediating mono-ubiquitination of histone H2A at lysine 119. While canonical PRC1 is critical for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) maintenance, the role of non-canonical PRC1 in hematopoiesis remains elusive. PRC1.

Development of the Rabbit NASH Model Resembling Human NASH and Atherosclerosis.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease which may progress into liver fibrosis and cancer. Since NASH patients have a high prevalence of atherosclerosis and ensuing cardiovascular diseases, simultaneous management of NASH and atherosclerosis is required. Currently, rodents are the most common animal models for NASH and accompanying liver fibrosis, but there are great differences in lipoprotein profiles between rodents and humans, which makes it difficult to reproduce the pathology of NASH patients with atherosclerosis.

Simultaneous Detection and HER2 Profiling of Circulating Breast Cancer Cells in Clinical Patients Using a Rare Cell Sorter.

Background/aim: This study describes a rare cell sorter (RCS) method to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC clusters in whole blood without pretreatment.

Patients And Methods: We collected samples from breast cancer patients at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. A total of 15 whole-blood specimens from patients with breast cancer were collected and analyzed via a microfluidics chip, fluorescence-conjugated antibody staining, and fluorescence microscopy.

In vitro magnetosome remineralization for silver-magnetite hybrid magnetosome biosynthesis and used for healing of the infected wound.

Background: Magnetosomes (BMPs) are organelles of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) that are responsible for mineralizing iron to form magnetite. In addition, BMP is an ideal biomaterial that is widely used in bio- and nano-technological applications, such as drug delivery, tumor detection and therapy, and immunodetection. The use of BMPs to create multifunctional nanocomposites would further expand the range of their applications.

Bionic eye system mimicking microfluidic structure and intraocular pressure for glaucoma surgery training.

Among increasing eye diseases, glaucoma may hurt the optic nerves and lead to vision loss, the treatment of which is to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP). In this research, we introduce a new concept of the surgery simulator for Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). The concept is comprised of an anterior eye model and a fluidic circulatory system.

A force measurement platform for a vitreoretinal surgical simulator using an artificial eye module integrated with a quartz crystal resonator.

To provide quantitative feedback on surgical progress to ophthalmologists practicing inner limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, we developed an artificial eye module comprising a quartz crystal resonator (QCR) force sensor and a strain body that serves as a uniform force transmitter beneath a retinal model. Although a sufficiently large initial force must be loaded onto the QCR force sensor assembly to achieve stable contact with the strain body, the highly sensitive and wide dynamic-range property of this sensor enables the eye module to detect the slight forceps contact force. A parallel-plate strain body is used to achieve a uniform force sensitivity over the 4-mm-diameter ILM peeling region.

Hematopoietic Cell Isolation by Antibody-Free Flow Cytometry in the Zebrafish Embryo.

The zebrafish is a useful model to identify genes functioning in hematopoiesis, owing to high conservation of hematopoiesis. Flow cytometry is widely used to isolate and quantitatively characterize human and mouse hematopoietic cells, often using fluorescently labeled antibodies. However, such analysis is limited in zebrafish due to lack of antibodies that recognize zebrafish hematopoietic cells.

Magnetically Actuated Cell-Robot System: Precise Control, Manipulation, and Multimode Conversion.

Border-nearing microrobots with self-propelling and navigating capabilities have promising applications in micromanipulation and bioengineering, because they can stimulate the surrounding fluid flow for object transportation. However, ensuring the biosafety of microrobots is a concurrent challenge in bioengineering applications. Here, macrophage template-based microrobots (cell robots) that can be controlled individually or in chain-like swarms are proposed, which can transport various objects.