A Prótese Buco Maxilo Facial é a especialidade da Odontologia responsável pela confecção de próteses intra e extra-bucais, indicadas quando regiões maxilofaciais foram perdidas. Implantes craniofaciais podem servir como ancoragem para próteses faciais, inclusive as óculo-palpebrais. O presente trabalho teve como propósito avaliar o comprimento e a espessura da estrutura óssea da região periorbitária e realizar a validação do método de mensuração proposto. Foram realizadas mensurações lineares de comprimento e largura das corticais ósseas das regiões peri-orbitárias em tomografias computadorizadas de 30 crânios humanos secos. Dois examinadores realizaram as mensurações, duas vezes cada um, com intervalos de no mínimo 7 dias, em pontos de referência determinados de acordo com as horas de um relógio. A análise estatística revelou que, para a grande maioria das medidas, as variações intra e inter-examinadores não apresentaram diferenças significantes (p<0,05), indicando que o método de mensuração proposto é confiável e válido para a mensuração da região peri-orbitária. Verificou-se que os três pontos de maior comprimento seguiram a mesma seqüência anatômica para as órbitas direita e esquerda, localizando-se no rebordo supra-orbitário e sendo compatíveis com a inserção de implantes osseointegráveis intra-bucais. Os três pontos localizados na parede lateral e na região látero-inferior da órbita apresentaram comprimento compatível com a utilização de implantes osseointegráveis intra-bucais. A parede medial de ambas as órbitas não apresentou comprimento favorável à inserção de implantes intra-bucais ou crânio-faciais. Os pontos de maior largura foram observados no rebordo supra-orbitário e na região látero-inferior de ambas as órbitas, e aqueles de menor largura foram encontrados na região látero-superior de ambas as órbitas. / The Maxillofacial Prosthesis is the dental specialty responsible for the confection of extra and intra-oral prosthesis indicated when facial regions have been lost. Craniofacial osseointegrated implants made possible the confection of implantretained facial prosthesis, namely the orbital prosthesis. This work aimed to evaluate the length and the thickness of the bone structure of the periorbital region and to present the validation of the method. Computer tomographies of 30 dry human skulls were made in order to register linear length and width measurements of the periorbital region. Two examiners, two times each one, took the measurements with intervals of at least 7 days between the measurements. Statistics pointed out that, for most instances, the intra and inter-examiners variations were not significant (p<0.05). Therefore, the method proposed is precise and valid for the measurement of the periorbital region. It was verified that the three points with deeper values followed the same anatomical sequence in the supraorbital rim for the right and left orbits, being compatible with the insertion of intraoral osseointegrated implants. The medial wall of both orbits did not present enough length to allow the insertion of intraoral or craniofacial implants. The points of larger width were observed in the supraorbital rim and in the infralateral region of both orbits, and those of smaller width were found in the supralateral region of both orbits.

Avec l’augmentation du nombre de scanner et de la dose collective, le risque potentiel d’apparition d’effets stochastiques est accentué. Pour limiter au maximum ce risque, les principes de justification et d’optimisation doivent être appliqués avec rigueur. L’optimisation des pratiques a pour but de délivrer la dose la plus faible possible tout en conservant une qualité diagnostique des images. C’est une tâche complexe qui implique de trouver en permanence un compromis entre la dose délivrée et la qualité image résultante. Pour faciliter cette démarche, des évolutions technologiques ont été développées. Les deux évolutions majeures sont la modulation du courant du tube en fonction de l’atténuation du patient et l’apparition des reconstructions itératives (IR). L’introduction des IR a modifié les habitudes puisqu’elles permettent de conserver des indices de qualité image équivalents en réduisant les doses. Cependant, leurs utilisations s’accompagnent d’une modification de la composition et de la texture de l’image nécessitant d’utiliser des métriques adaptées pour les évaluer. Le but de cette thèse est d’évaluer l’impact d’une utilisation des IR sur la réduction de la dose et sur la qualité des images afin de proposer en routine pour tous les patients, des protocoles avec la dose la plus faible possible et une qualité image adaptée au diagnostic. La première partie de cette thèse est consacrée à une mise au point sur la problématique du compromis dose/qualité image en scanographie. Les métriques de qualité image et les indicateurs dosimétriques à utiliser, ainsi que le principe et l’apport des reconstructions itératives y sont exposés. La deuxième partie est consacrée à la description des trois étapes réalisées dans cette thèse pour atteindre les objectifs. La troisième partie est constituée d’une production scientifique de 7 articles. Le 1er article présente la méthodologie d’optimisation globale permettant la mise en place de protocoles Basses Doses en routine avec utilisation de niveaux modérés des IR. Le 2ème article évalue l’impact et l’apport sur la qualité des images obtenues pour des niveaux de doses très bas. Le 3ème et le 4ème article montrent l’intérêt d’adapter ou de proposer des protocoles optimisés selon la morphologie du patient. Enfin les 3 derniers articles, illustrent la mise en place de protocoles Très Basses Doses pour des structures ayant un fort contraste spontané. Pour ces protocoles les doses sont proches des examens radiographiques avec des niveaux élevés des IR. La démarche d’optimisation mise en place a permis de réduire considérablement les doses. Malgré une modification de la texture et de la composition des images, la qualité des images obtenues pour tous les protocoles était jugée satisfaisante pour le diagnostic par les radiologues. L’utilisation des IR en routine nécessite une évaluation particulière et un temps d’apprentissage pour les radiologues. / The increasing number of scanner and the cumulative dose delivered lead to potential risk of stochastic effects. To minimize this risk, optimization on CT usage should be rigorously employed. Optimization aims to deliver the lowest dose but maintaining image quality for an accurate diagnosis. This is a complex task, which requires setting up the compromise between the dose delivered and the resulting image quality. To achieve such goal, several CT technological evolutions have been developed. Two predominant developments are the Tube Current Modulation and the Iterative Reconstruction (IR). The former lays one patient's attenuation, the latter depend on advanced mathematical approaches. Using IR allows one to maintain equivalent image quality values by reducing the dose. However, it changes the composition and texture of the image and requires the use of appropriate metric to evaluate them. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the impact of using IR on dose reduction and image quality in routine for all patients, protocols with the lowest dose delivered with an image quality suitable for diagnosis. The first part of the thesis addressed the compromise between dose delivered and image quality. Metrics of the image quality and the dosimetric indicators were applied as well the principle and the contribution of IRs were explored. The second part targets the description of the three steps performed in this thesis to achieve the objectives. The third part of the thesis consists of a scientific production of seven papers. The first paper presents the global optimization methodology for the establishment of low dose protocols in routine using moderate levels of IR. The second paper assesses the impact and contribution of IR to the image quality obtained to levels very low doses. The third and the fourth papers show the interest to adapt or propose protocols optimized according to patient's morphology. Finally the last three papers illustrate the development of Very Low Dose protocols for structures with high spontaneous contrast. For these protocols, doses are close to radiographic examinations with high levels of IR. The optimization process implementation has significantly doses reduction. Despite the change on the texture and on composition of the images, the quality of images obtained for all protocols was satisfactory for the diagnosis by radiologists. However, the use of routine IR requires special assessment and a learning time for radiologists.

A Prótese Buco Maxilo Facial é a especialidade da Odontologia responsável pela confecção de próteses intra e extra-bucais, indicadas quando regiões maxilofaciais foram perdidas. Implantes craniofaciais podem servir como ancoragem para próteses faciais, inclusive as óculo-palpebrais. O presente trabalho teve como propósito avaliar o comprimento e a espessura da estrutura óssea da região periorbitária e realizar a validação do método de mensuração proposto. Foram realizadas mensurações lineares de comprimento e largura das corticais ósseas das regiões peri-orbitárias em tomografias computadorizadas de 30 crânios humanos secos. Dois examinadores realizaram as mensurações, duas vezes cada um, com intervalos de no mínimo 7 dias, em pontos de referência determinados de acordo com as horas de um relógio. A análise estatística revelou que, para a grande maioria das medidas, as variações intra e inter-examinadores não apresentaram diferenças significantes (p<0,05), indicando que o método de mensuração proposto é confiável e válido para a mensuração da região peri-orbitária. Verificou-se que os três pontos de maior comprimento seguiram a mesma seqüência anatômica para as órbitas direita e esquerda, localizando-se no rebordo supra-orbitário e sendo compatíveis com a inserção de implantes osseointegráveis intra-bucais. Os três pontos localizados na parede lateral e na região látero-inferior da órbita apresentaram comprimento compatível com a utilização de implantes osseointegráveis intra-bucais. A parede medial de ambas as órbitas não apresentou comprimento favorável à inserção de implantes intra-bucais ou crânio-faciais. Os pontos de maior largura foram observados no rebordo supra-orbitário e na região látero-inferior de ambas as órbitas, e aqueles de menor largura foram encontrados na região látero-superior de ambas as órbitas. / The Maxillofacial Prosthesis is the dental specialty responsible for the confection of extra and intra-oral prosthesis indicated when facial regions have been lost. Craniofacial osseointegrated implants made possible the confection of implantretained facial prosthesis, namely the orbital prosthesis. This work aimed to evaluate the length and the thickness of the bone structure of the periorbital region and to present the validation of the method. Computer tomographies of 30 dry human skulls were made in order to register linear length and width measurements of the periorbital region. Two examiners, two times each one, took the measurements with intervals of at least 7 days between the measurements. Statistics pointed out that, for most instances, the intra and inter-examiners variations were not significant (p<0.05). Therefore, the method proposed is precise and valid for the measurement of the periorbital region. It was verified that the three points with deeper values followed the same anatomical sequence in the supraorbital rim for the right and left orbits, being compatible with the insertion of intraoral osseointegrated implants. The medial wall of both orbits did not present enough length to allow the insertion of intraoral or craniofacial implants. The points of larger width were observed in the supraorbital rim and in the infralateral region of both orbits, and those of smaller width were found in the supralateral region of both orbits.

Midshaft clavicle fractures are very common. Current treatment of choice involves internal fixation with superior or anterior clavicle plating, however their clinical success and patient satisfaction are slowly decreasing. The design of intramedullary (IM) devices is on the rise, but data describing the IM canal parameters is lacking. The aim of this study is to quantify morphometry of the clavicle and its IM canal, and to evaluate the effect of gender and anatomical side. This study used 3-dimensional (3D) image-based models with novel and automated methods of standardization, normalization and bone cross-section evaluation. The data obtained in this thesis presents IM canal and clavicle radius and center deviation parameterized as a function of clavicle length, in addition, its radius of curvature and true length. Results showed that right-sided clavicles tended to be shorter and thicker than left-sided, but only males showed a statistically significant difference in size compared to females (p<.0001). The smallest IM canal and clavicle radii were seen at different clavicle lengths (54% and 49%), suggesting that the narrowest region of IM canal cannot be appreciated based on external visualization of the clavicle alone. The narrowing of the IM canal is of special interest because this a potential limiting region for IM device design. Furthermore, the location and value of maximum lateral curvature displacement is different in the IM canal, implying there exists an eccentricity of the IM canal center with respect to the clavicle center.

This study aims to quantify ground ice content and describe the cryostructures and sediment in 15 ice-bearing permafrost cores collected from nine sand-wedge polygons in University Valley. The objectives were reached through laboratory measurements and computed tomodensitometric (CT) scanned image analysis of the permafrost cores. The soils in the valley were predominantly medium-sand. Four types of cryostructures were present in the cores: structureless, suspended, crustal and porphyritic. Excess ice content ranged from 0 to 93%, gravimetric water content ranged from 13 to 1881% and volumetric ice content varied from 28 to 93%. Median excess ice, volumetric ice and gravimetric water contents significantly increased in the top 20 cm of the cores taken from the polygon shoulders with increasing distance from University Glacier. Ground ice was preferentially stored in the centre of the investigated polygons where the ground surface remains cryotic throughout the year. Conversely, higher ground ice contents were measured in the shoulders of the investigated polygon where the ground surface is seasonally non-cryotic. CT-scanned images were shown to reasonably assess the distribution and presence of excess ice in permafrost cores taken from a cold and hyper-arid environment. The results of this thesis provide the first cryostratigraphic study in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica.

No description available.

The incompressible fluid flow around the geometries of cerebral artery aneurysms is studied in this thesis. The aneurysm is a local extension of a vessel. This disease is dangerous only in the case of rupture. Then the blood is released into the brain. The need of accurate computation of the velocity and pressure fields in this geometries is motivated exactly by the question which aneurysm has tendency to rupture. The finite element method (FEM) is used for the computation of the flow. A good domain discretization is one of the main step in FEM. Modern computed tomography is able to produce series of the two- dimensional images and it is necessary to create an appropriate three-dimensional model of the tissue. This thesis includes the description of the mesh generation and the ways to smooth and improve the meshes. In the theoretical part the equations of fluid flow are formulated. A suitability of a choice of boundary conditions is discussed. Weak formulation for the equations and its discretization are presented. In the practical part velocity and pressure fields are computed by the various finite elements. Wall shear stress which plays an important role in the evolution of an aneurysm is also computed on the introduced meshes. Comparison of mesh smoothing filters, used finite elements and used...

A key advantage of Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the opportunity to design and fabricate complex structures that cannot be made via traditional means. However, this potential is significantly constrained by the use of a facet-based geometry representation (e.g., the STL and the AMF file formats); which do not contain any volumetric information and often, designing/slicing/printing complex geometries exceeds the computational power available to the designer and the AM system itself. To enable efficient design and fabrication of complex/multi-material complex structures, several algorithms are presented that represent and process solid models as a set of voxels (three-dimensional pixels). Through this, one is able to efficiently realize parts featuring complex geometries and functionally graded materials. This thesis specifically aims to explore applications in three distinct fields namely, (i) Design for AM, (ii) Design for Manufacturing (DFM) education, and (iii) Reverse engineering from imaging data wherein voxel-based representations have proven to be superior to the traditional AM digital workflow. The advantages demonstrated in this study cannot be easily achieved using traditional AM workflows, and hence this work emphasizes the need for development of new voxel based frameworks and systems to fully utilize the capabilities of AM. / MS

The increasing global demand for a substantial lightweighting of automobiles to enable a reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption has led to the adaptation of the high strength Al wrought alloys such as the 2xxx and 7xxx series in near net-shaped manufacturing using the high pressure die casting (HPDC) process. However, the obstacle for this adaptation is the high susceptibility to hot tearing during the solidification of these alloys. A new structural Al alloy for high pressure die casting application was developed from the single-phase Al-Zn-Mg family; a high strength and ductile alloy that could be adapted to manufacturing automotive structural components using HPDC and help with a significant reduction in the overall curb-weight of an automobile and thereby increasing the vehicle fuel efficiency. The objective of this study was to enable a better understanding of the hot tearing phenomenon during solidification of the Al-3.8 wt%Zn-1 wt%Mg alloy, the effect of adding 1.2 wt% Fe to the alloy to improve the castability in HPDC process and the effect of adding Ti as a grain refiner of the primary Al phase during solidification of the alloy using Al-5 wt%Ti-1 wt%B master alloy. The constrained rod solidification (CRS) experiments were carried out to measure transient stress, transient strain, and transient temperature during solidification of the alloy. Improvements to the CRS experiments were also developed to obtain a repeatability of the acquired data. The computerized Tomography (CT) imaging was used to visually characterize the hot tearing. Hypothesis on the factors promoting the hot tearing tendencies in single-phase alloys solidified using net-shaped casting processes has been presented with evidence-based on transient stress-strain and thermal data curves obtained during the solidification experiments. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

The aims of the studies was to evaluate the short and long term effects on the development of parastomal hernia and stoma complications of a prophylactic prosthetic mesh placed in a sublay position at the index operation.  Also the purpose was to validate a definition of parastomal hernia at clinical examination and a method and a definition of parastomal hernia at CT-scan. In the first two studies 27 patients were randomized to a conventional stoma or to a stoma with the addition of a partly absorbable low weight large pore mesh in sublay position. Patients were examined after one and five years.  After five years the rate of parastomal hernia was 80% with a conventional stoma and 14% with the addition of a mesh.  A prophylactic mesh did not increase the rate of complications. In the third study a prophylactic mesh was intended at stoma formation in 93 consecutive patients in routine surgery. In 75 patients provided with a mesh the rate of parastomal hernia after one year was 13%. Complication rates were not increased in 19 severely contaminated wounds. In the fourth study 27 patients with ostomies were examined by tree surgeons and parastomal hernia was defined as any protrusion in the vicinity of the stoma. CT-scans with patients examined in the supine and prone positions were assessed by three radiologists. Herniation was then defined as any intra abdominal content protruding beyond peritoneum or the presence of a hernia sac. Kappa was 0.85 for surgeons and 0.85 for radiologists with CT-scan in the prone position. Kappa was 0.80 for surgeons and radiologists collectively, with CT-scan in the prone position. Four parastomal hernias detected at CT-scan in the prone position could not be detected in the supine position. A parastomal hernia diagnosed at clinical examination was always detected at CT-scan in the prone position. Conclusions: A prophylactic mesh placed in a sublay position at the index operation reduces the rate of parastomal hernia without increasing the rate of complications. Parastomal hernia should at clinical examination be defined as any protrusion in the vicinity of the stoma with the patient straining in the supine and erect positions.  At CT-scan, with the patient examined in the prone position, herniation should be defined as any intra abdominal content protruding beyond peritoneum or the presence of a hernia sac. / Embargo, publiceras 2011-05-01