A mechanics-based approach to realize high-force capacity electroadhesives for robots.

Materials with electroprogrammable stiffness and adhesion can enhance the performance of robotic systems, but achieving large changes in stiffness and adhesive forces in real time is an ongoing challenge. Electroadhesive clutches can rapidly adhere high stiffness elements, although their low force capacities and high activation voltages have limited their applications. A major challenge in realizing stronger electroadhesive clutches is that current parallel plate models poorly predict clutch force capacity and cannot be used to design better devices.

Materials with Electroprogrammable Stiffness.

Stiffness is a mechanical property of vital importance to any material system and is typically considered a static quantity. Recent work, however, has shown that novel materials with programmable stiffness can enhance the performance and simplify the design of engineered systems, such as morphing wings, robotic grippers, and wearable exoskeletons. For many of these applications, the ability to program stiffness with electrical activation is advantageous because of the natural compatibility with electrical sensing, control, and power networks ubiquitous in autonomous machines and robots.

The INSPIRE Comparative Cost Study: 12-Month Health Economic and Clinical Outcomes Associated with Hysterectomy, Myomectomy, and Treatment with the Sonata System.

Purpose: The INSPIRE study compared perioperative and 12-month health economic and clinical outcomes associated with hysterectomy, myomectomy, and sonography-guided transcervical fibroid ablation (TFA) using the Sonata system.

Patients And Methods: Cost and health care resource utilization (HCRU) data for TFA were obtained from a prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial. Data for hysterectomy and myomectomy arms were derived from the Truven Health MarketScan commercial payer claims database.

Elastomeric passive transmission for autonomous force-velocity adaptation applied to 3D-printed prosthetics.

The force, speed, dexterity, and compact size required of prosthetic hands present extreme design challenges for engineers. Current prosthetics rely on high-quality motors to achieve adequate precision, force, and speed in a small enough form factor with the trade-off of high cost. We present a simple, compact, and cost-effective continuously variable transmission produced via projection stereolithography.

Sensitivity of myoma imaging using laparoscopic ultrasound compared with magnetic resonance imaging and transvaginal ultrasound.

Study Objective: To determine the efficacy of laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) as compared with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) in detection of uterine myomas.

Design: Retrospective study of imaging methods used in a trial of LUS-guided radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation in women with symptomatic myomas (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: Eleven medical university or private outpatient surgery clinics in the United States (nine sites) and Latin America (two sites).

Outpatient procedure for the treatment and relief of symptomatic uterine myomas.

Objective: To estimate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation of uterine myomas in symptomatic women.

Methods: A cohort of 135 premenopausal symptomatic women with uterine myomas, uteri 14 weeks of gestation-sized or less with no single myoma exceeding 7 cm, and objectively confirmed heavy menstrual bleeding participated in this prospective, international trial of outpatient laparoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency volumetric thermal ablation. Bleeding outcomes were measured by alkaline hematin analysis at baseline and again at 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment.

Ovarian transplantation between monozygotic twins discordant for premature ovarian failure.

Monozygotic 24-year-old twins presented with discordant ovarian function. One had had premature ovarian failure at the age of 14 years, whereas her sister had normal ovaries and three naturally conceived children. After unsuccessful egg-donation therapy, the sterile twin received a transplant of ovarian cortical tissue from her sister by means of a minilaparotomy.