The engagement of children with disabilities in health-related technology design processes: identifying methodology.

Purpose: This review aims to identify research methodology that is suitable for involving children with disabilities in the design of healthcare technology, such as assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment.

Method: A review of the literature included the identification of methodology that is available from domains outside of healthcare and suggested a selection of available methods.

Results: The need to involve end users within the design of healthcare technology was highlighted, with particular attention to the need for greater levels of participation from children with disabilities within all healthcare research.

A new tool for assessing human movement: the Kinematic Assessment Tool.

The study of human behaviour ultimately requires the documentation of human movement. In some instances movements can be recorded through a simple button press on a computer input device. In other situations responses can be captured through questionnaire surveys.

The circumferential loading of a direct cardiac compression assist device.

Heart disease is the developed world's largest killer. Transplantation of the failing heart remains the most effective treatment currently employed, but demand far exceeds donor supply. In a bid to address this imbalance, the use of mechanical circulatory support has been explored since the mid-1960s.

Amplitude modulation drive to rectangular-plate linear ultrasonic motors with vibrators dimensions 8 mm x 2.16 mm X 1 mm.

In this paper, to exploit the contribution from not only the stators but also from other parts of miniature ultrasonic motors, an amplitude modulation drive is proposed to drive a miniature linear ultrasonic motor consisting of two rectangular piezoelectric ceramic plates. Using finite-element software, the first longitudinal and second lateral-bending frequencies of the vibrator are shown to be very close when its dimensions are 8 mm x 2.16 mm x 1 mm.

Assessment of a three-dimensional measurement technique for the porosity evaluation of PMMA bone cement.

In vitro testing of bone cement has historically resulted in the belief that porosity should be minimised to help reduce the risk of prosthesis failure through aseptic loosening. Traditional porosity measurement techniques rely on the analysis of a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional structure. However, with an increasing interest in the number, size and distribution of pores in bone cement, the reliability of a two dimensional approach is questionable.

Performance improvement of rectangular-plate linear ultrasonic motors using dual-frequency drive.

To improve the performances of a rectangular-plate linear ultrasonic motor for specific applications, a dual-frequency drive has been proposed and investigated. Through careful design of the rectangular piezoelectric ceramic plate, its first longitudinal resonant frequency coincides with its second lateral bending resonant frequency and is one-third of its higher lateral bending resonant frequency. When a square-wave voltage is used to drive the motor, its first longitudinal and second bending and the higher bending vibration modes are excited.