Body Boundary Measurement Using Multiple Line Lasers for a Focused Microwave Thermotherapy System: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

A focused microwave thermotherapy system for non-invasively treating cancerous tumors has recently been actively developed. To accurately focus on the target location, the system needs information about the patient's body boundary. However, a water bolus is placed between the human body and the microwave applicators to allow the microwave to penetrate the body more easily and cool the body's skin.

Pilot study: Differences in echo intensity ratios between ulnar and median innervated muscles in ulnar neuropathy.

Background: This study evaluated muscle echo intensity (EI) ratio in patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) and healthy controls.

Methods: In this prospective study, 28 patients with electrodiagnostically confirmed unilateral UNE and 12 healthy controls were ultrasonographically assessed for EI ratios of the hypothenar and thenar muscles. The affected and unaffected hands between the UNE patients and controls and patient subgroups (subdivided according to electrodiagnostic severity) were compared to determine any significant differences.

Fabrication of Tapered Micropillars with High Aspect-Ratio Based on Deep X-ray Lithography.

In this study, a fabrication method of tapered microstructures with high aspect ratio was proposed by deep X-ray lithography. Tapered microstructures with several hundred micrometers and high aspect ratio are demanded owing to the high applicability in the fields of various microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) such as optical components and microfluidic channels. However, as the pattern and gap size were downsized to smaller micro-scale with higher aspect ratio over 5, microstructures were easily deformed or clustered together due to capillary force during the drying process.

Could Ultrasound-Guided Stimulation of Sural Nerve Affect Nerve Conduction Study?

Objective: To determine anatomical variation of the sural nerve (SN) by ultrasonography (US) and compare sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) of the SN obtained by a control method to that obtained with adjusted method using US.

Methods: Eighty legs of 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled. The location and formation of SN were investigated through US.

Predictive Variables for Sonographically Guided Corticosteroid Injection in Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Objective: To assess the predictive variables after sonographically guided corticosteroid injection in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Methods: A prospective, observational study was carried out on 25 wrists of 20 consecutive patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, confirmed by the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine criteria, which includes clinical history, symptoms, and evidence of slowing of distal median nerve conduction. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) were asked to the patients before and 4 weeks after the procedure.

Advanced Fast 3-D Electromagnetic Solver for Microwave Tomography Imaging.

This paper describes a fast-forward electromagnetic solver (FFS) for the image reconstruction algorithm of our microwave tomography system. Our apparatus is a preclinical prototype of a biomedical imaging system, designed for the purpose of early breast cancer detection. It operates in the 3-6-GHz frequency band using a circular array of probe antennas immersed in a matching liquid; it produces image reconstructions of the permittivity and conductivity profiles of the breast under examination.

Cross-sectional analysis of W-cored Ni nanoparticle via focused ion beam milling with impregnation.

Tungsten and nickel bimetallic nanoparticle is synthesized by radio frequency thermal plasma process which belongs to the vapor phase condensation technology. The morphology and chemical composition of the synthesized particle were investigated using the conventional nanoparticle transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample. A few part of them looked like core/shell structured particle, but ambiguities were caused by either TEM sample preparation or TEM analysis.

Microwave tomography analysis system for breast tumor detection.

In the breast-cancer image detection device field, remarkable advancements have been made in the breast cancer detection method using microwave radiation that satisfies the conditions required by Institute of Medicine (IOM). This paper is for embodying the microwave analysis breast tumor detection system that can analyze the permittivity and the conductivity of the breast inside, discover breast tumors, and easily check the various analytical information of the scatter and size of tumors inside breasts. The microwave breast tumor detection system is composed of an antenna array and the RF transceiver for the acquiring of microwave exposure information; the inverse scattering algorithm for searching the permitivity, conductivity and position of a material, and graphic user interface software that includes the visualization and various analyses of acquired data.