Delivering transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) to improve symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal: results from a prospective clinical trial.

Background: As pharmacological treatments are the primary option for opioid use disorder, neuromodulation has recently demonstrated efficacy in managing opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS). This study investigated the safety and effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) for managing OWS.

Methods: This prospective inpatient trial included a 30-minute randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind period followed by a 5-day open-label period.

Enhancing Parathyroid Gland Visualization Using a Near Infrared Fluorescence-Based Overlay Imaging System.

Background: Misidentifying parathyroid glands (PGs) during thyroidectomies or parathyroidectomies could significantly increase postoperative morbidity. Imaging systems based on near infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) detection can localize PGs with high accuracy. These devices, however, depict NIRAF images on remote display monitors, where images lack spatial context and comparability with actual surgical field of view.

Innovative surgical guidance for label-free real-time parathyroid identification.

Background: Difficulty in identifying the parathyroid gland during neck operations can lead to accidental parathyroid gland excisions and postsurgical hypocalcemia. A clinical prototype called as PTeye was developed to guide parathyroid gland identification using a fiber-optic probe that detects near-infrared autofluorescence from parathyroid glands as operating room lights remain on. An Overlay Tissue Imaging System was designed concurrently to detect near-infrared autofluorescence and project visible light precisely onto parathyroid gland location.

Developing a Clinical Prototype to Guide Surgeons for Intraoperative Label-Free Identification of Parathyroid Glands in Real Time.

Background: Patients undergoing thyroidectomy may have inadvertent damage or removal of the parathyroid gland(s) due to difficulty in real-time parathyroid identification. Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) has been demonstrated as a label-free modality for intraoperative parathyroid identification with high accuracy. This study presents the translation of that approach into a user-friendly clinical prototype for rapid intraoperative guidance in parathyroid identification.

Epidemiology and mapping of serious and fatal road traffic injuries in Guyana: results from a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of Guyana's road traffic injuries and perform the first geocoding of road traffic injuries in this setting.

Methods: This was a registry-based retrospective cross-sectional study investigating collisions resulting in serious and fatal injuries. Police reports from two police divisions were used to identify victim, second party (ie, non-victim) and collision characteristics of all serious and fatal collisions between January 2012 and June 2015.

Establishing the clinical utility of autofluorescence spectroscopy for parathyroid detection.

Background: The inability of surgeons to identify parathyroid glands accurately during cervical endocrine surgery hinders patients from achieving postoperative normocalcemia. An intrinsic, near-infrared fluorescence method was developed for real-time parathyroid identification with high accuracy. This study assesses the clinical utility of this approach.

Label-free intraoperative parathyroid localization with near-infrared autofluorescence imaging.

Context: The inability to accurately localize the parathyroid glands during parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy procedures can prevent patients from achieving postoperative normocalcemia. There is a critical need for an improved intraoperative method for real-time parathyroid identification.

Objective: The objective of the study was to test the accuracy of a real-time, label-free technique that uses near-infrared (NIR) autofluorescence imaging to localize the parathyroid.

A novel optical approach to intraoperative detection of parathyroid glands.

Background: Inadvertent removal of parathyroid glands is a challenge in endocrine operations. There is a critical need for a diagnostic tool that provides sensitive, real-time parathyroid detection during procedures. We have developed an intraoperative technique using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence for in vivo, real-time detection of the parathyroid regardless of its pathologic state.