Growth of stochastic resonance in neuronal ensembles with the input signal intensity.

The presence of noise can improve the response of certain nonlinear systems to input signals through the effects of stochastic resonance (SR). The optimal noise intensity for SR is proportional to the signal frequency if the signal is periodic, but proportional to the signal intensity if the signal is aperiodic. Here, we demonstrate using linear response theory that the optimal noise intensity for SR is necessarily dependent on the signal intensity even if the signal is periodic.

Development of silicone rubber hollow fiber membrane oxygenator for ECMO.

Silicone rubber hollow fiber membrane produces an ideal gas exchange for long-term ECMO due to nonporous characteristics. The extracapillary type silicone rubber ECMO oxygenator having an ultrathin hollow fiber membrane was developed for pediatric application. The test modules were compared to conventional silicone coil-type ECMO modules.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenator compatible with centrifugal blood pumps.

Coil-type silicone membrane oxygenators can only be used with roller blood pumps due to the resistance from the high blood flow. Therefore, during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment, the combination of a roller pump and an oxygenator with a high blood flow resistance will induce severe hemolysis, which is a serious problem. A silicone rubber, hollow fiber membrane oxygenator that has a low blood flow resistance was developed and evaluated with centrifugal pumps.