Harvesting electrical energy using plasmon-enhanced light pressure in a platinum cut cone.

We have designed a method of harvesting electrical energy using plasmon-enhanced light pressure. A device was fabricated as a cut cone structure that optimizes light collection so that the weak incident light pressure can be sufficiently enhanced inside the cut cone to generate electrical energy. An increase in the device's current output is a strong indication that the pressure of incident light has been enhanced by the surface plasmons on a platinum layer inside the cut cone.

A biomechanical study of artificial cervical discs using computer simulation.

Study Design: A virtual simulation model of the subaxial cervical spine was used to study the biomechanical effects of various disc prosthesis designs.

Objective: To study the biomechanics of different design features of cervical disc arthroplasty devices.

Summary Of Background Data: Disc arthroplasty is an alternative approach to cervical fusion surgery for restoring and maintaining motion at a diseased spinal segment.

Surface-data-based haptic rendering for simulation of surgery of closed reduction and internal fixation.

This paper presents a surface-data-based haptic rendering method for simulation of surgery of closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF). Volumetric data is often employed in the simulation of bone surgery because the volume rendering can easily handle information such as density and rigidity of each voxel. However, it is difficult to implement real-time graphics and haptic rendering because of the large computational workload.

Enamel surface evaluation after removal of orthodontic composite remnants by intraoral sandblasting: a 3-dimensional surface profilometry study.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of sandblasting to remove composite remnants after orthodontic bracket debonding.

Methods: The sample consisted of 20 human premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes. The buccal surface of each premolar was divided into 3 parts: the upper half (control surface group, CS), the lower half left (LS group), and the lower half right (SS group).

Biomechanical testing simulation of a cadaver spine specimen: development and evaluation study.

Study Design: This article describes a computer model of the cadaver cervical spine specimen and virtual biomechanical testing.

Objectives: To develop a graphics-oriented, multibody model of a cadaver cervical spine and to build a virtual laboratory simulator for the biomechanical testing using physics-based dynamic simulation techniques.

Summary Of Background Data: Physics-based computer simulations apply the laws of physics to solid bodies with defined material properties.

Biomechanical advantage of lengthening of the femur with an external fixator over an intramedullary nail.

The present experimental study investigated biomechanical differences in methods of femoral lengthening using a monolateral external fixator only and using an external fixator over an intramedullary nail. Three materials, namely polyvinyl chloride rods, composite synthetic bone, and cadaver-bone, were tested using the MTS machine. We evaluated the differences of axial stiffness according to the presence of a nail or the numbers of half-pins (two or three half-pins) that were fixed at each side of osteotomy.

Effect of pH and temperature on orthodontic NiTi wires immersed in acidic fluoride solution.

Orthodontic arch wires can confront diverse pH and temperature conditions in the oral cavity after replacement. The current study evaluated the effect of pH and temperature on orthodontic NiTi arch wires after immersion in an acidic fluoride solution. The acetic acid added for the adjustment of pH forms hydrofluoric acid (HF).

Management of ipsilateral femoral and tibial fractures.

This is a retrospective study of 18 patients who had ipsilateral femoral and tibial fractures. They were treated by the retrograde femoral and antegrade tibial intramedullary nail from a single incision in the knee. The average time for union of femoral shaft fractures was 27.