Patient-Centric Approach to Personalized Electronic Medical Records via QR Code in Japan.

Government policies in the United States and the European Union promote standardization and value creation in the use of FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) data, which can enhance trust in digital health systems and is crucial for their success. Trust is built through elements such as FAIR data access, interoperability, and improved communication, which are essential for fostering innovation in digital health technologies. This Viewpoint aims to report on exploratory research demonstrating the feasibility of testing a patient-centric data flow model facilitating semantic interoperability on precision medical information.

Local Area Tactile Stimulation Using Interference of Multi-Frequency Airborne Ultrasound.

In spatiotemporal modulation (STM) and lateral modulation (LM) used in conventional mid-air ultrasound tactile stimulation, single or multiple focuses are moved by switching the ultrasound transducer phases. A problem with the phase switching method is the limitation of the focus motion speed due to rapid phase switching that causes sound pressure fluctuations. This paper proposes an LM method using multiple-frequency ultrasound to shift the ultrasound focal point without switching the phase.

Comparison of natural language processing algorithms in assessing the importance of head computed tomography reports written in Japanese.

Purpose: To propose a five-point scale for radiology report importance called Report Importance Category (RIC) and to compare the performance of natural language processing (NLP) algorithms in assessing RIC using head computed tomography (CT) reports written in Japanese.

Materials And Methods: 3728 Japanese head CT reports performed at Osaka University Hospital in 2020 were included. RIC (category 0: no findings, category 1: minor findings, category 2: routine follow-up, category 3: careful follow-up, and category 4: examination or therapy) was established based not only on patient severity but also on the novelty of the information.

UltLever: Ultrasound-Driven Passive Haptic Actuator Based on Amplifying Radiation Force Using a Simple Lever Mechanism.

A lightweight haptic display that does not interfere with the user's natural movement is required for an immersive haptic experience. This study proposes a lightweight, powerful, and responsive passive haptic actuator driven by airborne focused ultrasound. This 6.

Noncontact Haptic Rendering of Static Contact With Convex Surface Using Circular Movement of Ultrasound Focus on a Finger Pad.

A noncontact tactile stimulus can be presented by focusing airborne ultrasound on the human skin. Focused ultrasound has recently been reported to produce not only vibration but also static pressure sensation on the palm by modulating the sound pressure distribution at a low frequency. This finding expands the potential for tactile rendering in ultrasound haptics as static pressure sensation is perceived with a high spatial resolution.

Sound Pressure Field Reconstruction for Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display Encountering Obstacles.

Airborne ultrasound tactile display (AUTD) is used to provide non-contact tactile sensations with specific foci sound fields through the optimization of transducer phases. However, most existing optimization approaches are not directly applicable in case of an inhomogeneous medium, such as in the presence of obstacles between the AUTD and objective sound field. Certain methods can perform optimizations by considering the sound-scattering surfaces of the obstacles to compute the transmission matrix, which requires several complex measurements.

Sufficient Time-Frequency Resolution for Reproducing Vibrotactile Sensation.

In vibrotactile stimuli, it is essential to reproduce realistic tactile sensations to enhance the immersiveness of applications. To reproduce more realistic tactile experiences, various tools have been proposed to fine-tune and design vibrotactile sensations. Considering the situation where users adjust parameters manually, providing tactile sensations with fewer parameters is desirable.

Ultrafast lumbar spine MRI protocol using deep learning-based reconstruction: diagnostic equivalence to a conventional protocol.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic equivalency between an ultrafast (1 min 53 s) lumbar MRI protocol using deep learning-based reconstruction and a conventional lumbar MRI protocol (12 min 31 s).

Materials And Methods: This study included 58 patients who underwent lumbar MRI using both conventional and ultrafast protocols, including sagittal T1-weighted, T2-weighted, short-TI inversion recovery, and axial T2-weighted sequences. Compared with the conventional protocol, the ultrafast protocol shortened the acquisition time to approximately one-sixth.

Ultrafast cervcial spine MRI protocol using deep learning-based reconstruction: Diagnostic equivalence to a conventional protocol.

Purpose: A major drawback of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is its limited imaging speed. This study proposed an ultrafast cervical spine MRI protocol (2 min 57 s) using deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR) and compared the diagnostic results to those of conventional MRI protocols (12 min 54 s).

Methods: Fifty patients who underwent cervical spine MRI using both conventional and ultrafast protocols, including sagittal T1-weighted, T2-weighted, short-TI inversion recovery, and axial T2*-weighted imaging were included in this study.

Remote Friction Reduction on Polystyrene Foam Surface by Focused Airborne Ultrasound.

In recent years, various tactile displays having the ability to change their surface friction have been proposed. These displays can express many types of textures and shapes that the materials used for them do not possess. In our study, we found that the ultrasound converged on the surface of polystyrene foam reduces the surface friction.

Improved visualization of the chorda tympani nerve using ultra-high-resolution computed tomography.

Background: Recognition of the anatomical course of the chorda tympani nerve (CTN) is important for preventing iatrogenic injuries during middle-ear surgery.

Purpose: This study aims to compare visualization of the CTN using two computed tomography (CT) methods: conventional high-resolution CT (C-HRCT) and ultra-high-resolution CT (U-HRCT).

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective visual assessment of 59 CTNs in normal temporal bones of 54 consecutive patients who underwent both C-HRCT and U-HRCT.

Non-Vibratory Pressure Sensation Produced by Ultrasound Focus Moving Laterally and Repetitively With Fine Spatial Step Width.

Focused airborne ultrasound provides various noncontact spatiotemporal pressure patterns on the skin. However, the presentation of static force remains an untouched issue because the static radiation force by ultrasound is too weak for the human hand to perceive. Hence, creatable sensations have been limited to vibrations or some dynamically changing feelings.

Applicability of deep learning-based reconstruction trained by brain and knee 3T MRI to lumbar 1.5T MRI.

Background: Several deep learning-based methods have been proposed for addressing the long scanning time of magnetic resonance imaging. Most are trained using brain 3T magnetic resonance images, but is unclear whether performance is affected when applying these methods to different anatomical sites and at different field strengths.

Purpose: To validate the denoising performance of deep learning-based reconstruction method trained by brain and knee 3T magnetic resonance images when applied to lumbar 1.

Radiation Pressure Field Reconstruction for Ultrasound Midair Haptics by Greedy Algorithm With Brute-Force Search.

Non-contact tactile presentation using ultrasound phased arrays is becoming a powerful method for providing haptic feedback on bare skin without restricting the user's movement. In such ultrasonic mid-air haptics, it is often necessary to generate multiple ultrasonic foci simultaneously, which requires solving the inverse problem of amplitudes and phases of the transducers in a phased array. Conventionally, matrix calculation methods have been used to solve this inverse problem.

Remote Friction Reduction on Resonant Film Surface by Airborne Ultrasound.

We propose a film device that can be attached to flat surfaces, including touch panels, to remotely reduce surface friction by irradiating airborne ultrasound. In this article, we present a film-air resonance structure that produces large-amplitude surface vibrations excited by airborne ultrasound. We confirmed via simulation that the surface amplitude increases to a level sufficient to reduce friction at the designed frequency.

AUTD3: Scalable Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display.

Through nonlinear effects, airborne ultrasound phased arrays enable mid-air tactile presentations, as well as auditory presentation and acoustic levitation. To create workplaces flexibly, we have developed a scalable phased array system in which multiple modules can be connected via Ethernet cables and controlled from a PC or other host device. Each module has 249 transducers and the software used can individually specify the phase and amplitude of each of the connected transducers.

Improvement of the diagnostic accuracy for intracranial haemorrhage using deep learning-based computer-assisted detection.

Purpose: To elucidate the effect of deep learning-based computer-assisted detection (CAD) on the performance of different-level physicians in detecting intracranial haemorrhage using CT.

Methods: A total of 40 head CT datasets (normal, 16; haemorrhagic, 24) were evaluated by 15 physicians (5 board-certificated radiologists, 5 radiology residents, and 5 medical interns). The physicians attended 2 reading sessions without and with CAD.

Spontaneous closure of non-cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas: A case series and systematic review of the literature.

Background And Purpose: To report 9 new cases of non-cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas (NCS-DAVFs) that closed spontaneously and systematically review reports of other cases in the literature.

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 9 cases from 2 institutions of NCS-DAVFs that closed spontaneously. Using PubMed and Scopus in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed English language articles about NCS-DAVFs showing spontaneous closure.

Reducing Amplitude Fluctuation by Gradual Phase Shift in Midair Ultrasound Haptics.

Ultrasound emitted from an array of transducers can produce various tactile sensations by temporally controlling the phase and amplitude of the transducers. However, the controllability in haptic applications has not been well examined. This article clarifies a phase shift of the driving signal causes amplitude fluctuation of emitted ultrasound, even under a constant driving amplitude.

Silent susceptibility-weighted angiography to detect hemorrhagic lesions in the brain: a clinical and phantom study.

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of silent susceptibility-weighted angiography (sSWAN), a new imaging technique with lower acoustic noise, with conventional susceptibility-weighted angiography (cSWAN) in the detection of intracranial hemorrhagic lesions.

Methods: We measured the acoustic and background noise during sSWAN and cSWAN imaging and calculated the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the phantom consisting of eight chambers with different concentrations of superparamagnetic iron oxide. In the clinical study, we calculated the CNRs of hemorrhagic lesions in 15 patients and evaluated the images for conspicuity and artifact on each sequence and scored them on a 4-point scale.

Systemic resistance inducer acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and its microencapsulated formulations: their long-lasting control efficacy against cucumber diseases and mitigation of phytotoxicity.

Background: The development of fungicide resistance by pathogens is a major limiting factor for the control of plant diseases. To combat resistance development, the use of broad-spectrum but nonfungitoxic resistance inducers such as acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) is a promising approach because the orchestrated mechanisms underlying systemic acquired resistance induced by ASM are less likely to be overcome easily by pathogens. However, phytotoxicity is the main limiting factor of ASM.

Comparative study of pulsed-continuous arterial spin labeling and dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging by histogram analysis in evaluation of glial tumors.

Purpose: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive perfusion technique that may be an alternative to dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) for assessment of brain tumors. To our knowledge, there have been no reports on histogram analysis of ASL. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ASL is comparable with DSC-MRI in terms of differentiating high-grade and low-grade gliomas by evaluating the histogram analysis of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the entire tumor.

Solar desalination of seawater using double-dye-modified PTFE membrane.

The production of purified water by seawater desalination is now a significant countermeasure against recent severe water shortage. As the global warming is thought to be a dominant cause of the water scarcity problem, the energy employed for the desalination should be free from fossil fuels. We recently reported a simple membrane desalination combining the harvesting of solar energy and the membrane permeation of vaporized water.

Photo Induced Membrane Separation for Water Purification and Desalination Using Azobenzene Modified Anodized Alumina Membranes.

Water purification and desalination to produce end-use water are important agendas in 21st century, because the global water shortage is becoming increasingly serious. Those processes using light energy, especially solar energy, without the consumption of fossil fuels are desired for creating sustainable society. For these earth-friendly water treatments, nanoporous materials and membranes are expected to provide new technologies.

Temperature control of light transmission using mixed system of silica hollow particles with nanoparticle shell and organic components.

We reported before that a silica hollow particle whose shell consists of silica nanoparticle (SHP-NP) has a high light reflection ability to prevent light transmission through the particle, which is caused from the intensive light diffusion by the hollow structure and the nanoparticle of the shell. Since the difference in the refractive indices between silica and air is responsible for the strong light reflection, the mixing of the particle with organic components having refractive indices close to that of silica such as tetradecane produced transparent mixtures by suppression of the light reflection. The transparency of the mixtures thus prepared could be controlled by temperature variation.