Intravenous infusion devices - commonly known as infusion pumps - provide clinicians with mechanisms to automate the accurate dosing of potent fluid therapies to critically ill patients. In critical care applications, fluid dosing must be both accurate and safe since unwanted flow disturbance can cause physiological harm to the patient. This study consists of three discrete projects based on these vital themes of safe device design and accurate fluid delivery. The first project, commissioned by Medical Magnetics Ltd during the period 1998 onwards, proposed that the fail-safe design philosophy universally used in the design of infusion pumps, and implemented in embedded software, is lengthy and provides the manufacturer with difficulties in demonstrating the exhaustive fail-safe validation needed for an instrument to be released speedily for sale. An alternative and innovative strategy employing the design of hardware modules and using re-configurable VLSI, is proposed and shown to offer a significant reduction of the design and validation phase of development with consequent financial benefit to the manufacturer. The second project conducted as part of the Manukau Institute Research Programme for 2003 examined the manner in which dosing accuracy is assessed for infusion pumps. The International Standard used by clinicians to select apparatus suitable for treatment of 'critically-ill' patients is shown to be flawed and potentially misleading - a finding of international significance. An innovative mathematical simulation model is described that enables prediction of flow accuracy for various expected operating scenarios previously impossible to investigate using current laboratory measurement techniques. Use of this simulation model indicates that various mechanical design factors influencing system compliance and hence dosing accuracy have been previously ignored by designers and suggests that contemporary infusion pump designs are far from optimum. These findings offer an explanation for instances of dosing error previously reported in the clinical literature and are of international value. The third project of the study utilises the findings of, and is subsequent to, the second project. An innovative design is proposed for an infusion therapy device in which dosing accuracy may be maintained under operating conditions such as height change and patient venous pressure variation that cause unwanted errors in conventional equipment designs. This design is the subject of patent application, commercial exploitation and further development.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic)- Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. 88 leaves. / Myofascial pain syndrome is the second most common reason patients seek the help of health care workers. It costs billions of dollars each year in lost revenue due to loss of productivity and other costs. The treatment of myofascial pain syndrome has been extensively researched and it appears that dry needling and medicinal injections of trigger points are some of the most effective modalities. However, an unwanted side effect common to both these therapies is post-needling soreness. Despite being mentioned in passing by many authors, very little detail is available regarding post-needling soreness. It is unclear whether post-needling soreness arises from the trigger point itself, or whether the tissue damage caused by the needle insertion is responsible. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating whether dry needling muscle tissue in asymptomatic subjects (i.e. subjects not suffering from myofascial pain syndrome) resulted in post-needling soreness. Two different dry needling techniques were also compared with a placebo group in order to determine which technique resulted in the least post-needling soreness. This study was designed as a prospective, randomised, placebo controlled experimental investigation. Sixty subjects were randomly allocated into three equal groups. Group one received the single needle insertion technique and the second group received the fanning dry needling technique. The last group formed the control group and the subjects were treated using the Park Sham Device (placebo needles). All the subjects were between the ages of 18 and 50 and were required to be asymptomatic in the low back region.

A dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. / Myofascial pain syndrome is the second most common reason patients seek the help of health care workers. It costs billions of dollars each year in lost revenue due to loss of productivity and other costs. The treatment of myofascial pain syndrome has been extensively researched and it appears that dry needling and medicinal injections of trigger points are some of the most effective modalities. However, an unwanted side effect common to both these therapies is post-needling soreness. Despite being mentioned in passing by many authors, very little detail is available regarding post-needling soreness. It is unclear whether post-needling soreness arises from the trigger point itself, or whether the tissue damage caused by the needle insertion is responsible. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating whether dry needling muscle tissue in asymptomatic subjects (i.e. subjects not suffering from myofascial pain syndrome) resulted in post-needling soreness. Two different dry needling techniques were also compared with a placebo group in order to determine which technique resulted in the least post-needling soreness. This study was designed as a prospective, randomised, placebo controlled experimental investigation. Sixty subjects were randomly allocated into three equal groups. Group one received the single needle insertion technique and the second group received the fanning dry needling technique. The last group formed the control group and the subjects were treated using the Park Sham Device (placebo needles). All the subjects were between the ages of 18 and 50 and were required to be asymptomatic in the low back region. / M

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 389-421). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Background: Wong and Deyo (2001) believe that 98% of the LBP cases are musculoskeletal (mechanical) in origin and 51,7% of these individuals are chronic sufferers (Andersson, 1999). Weak spinal stability muscles have shown to be an aetiological cause (Chok, Lee and Latimer, 1999). Wolff, Weinik and Maitin (2003) agree a combination of brace aided pelvic stabilization combined with a spinal stability programme may be the best treatment intervention for chronic low back pain (CLBP). Objective: The purpose of this research was to determine the relative effectiveness of three treatment protocols with (Group A-Groovi-SI-Belt®; Group B-standard SI belt) and without (Group C-control) brace aided pelvic stabilization in patients with CLBP. Method: Forty-six patients suffering from CLBP were randomly allocated to one of the three treatment groups. A spinal stability programme was progressively taught and enforced in all three groups. Weekly follow-up consultations were required to assess subjective and objective outcomes of the three treatment interventions. Outcomes were obtained by using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRS); Quebec disability scale; Active straight leg raiser test; Biofeedback device and the static trunk extensor endurance test. Results: Data was analysed using the SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, Ill, USA).Comparing pre and post outcome measurements using a p value <0.05 which was considered to be statistically significant. All three treatments improved most outcomes significantly over time. The Groovi-SI-Belt® showed non significant trends of quicker rates of improvement. . Conclusion: This study revealed that brace aided pelvic stabilization combined with a spinal stability programme was a beneficial treatment intervention with the Group A being superior to Group B.

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Public Health

Microfabrication has given rise to numerous technologies and has resulted in new paradigms for how science and technology has advanced in recent years. Having originated from the microelectronics industry, microfabrication techniques have increasingly been leveraged in the development of various other fields. Such techniques have an increasing presence in the field of medical devices, especially with the advent of microfluidics. The capability that microfluidics lends to miniaturizing and making portable analytical tools was, and still is, extremely useful in the advancement of medical technologies. In this dissertation, we explore novel microfabrication techniques towards the development of next-generation medical devices. We can broadly classify these devices as devices that function in in vitro and in vivo settings. In vitro devices typically function in a non-invasive manner such as when patient samples are processed externally for diagnostic purposes. In vivo medical devices, on the other hand, normally play a role in disease treatment upon implantation into a patient, such as with stents, pacemakers and drug delivery devices. Here we demonstrate how microfabrication techniques can be implemented in the improvement of devices involved in diagnosis and treatment; two important branches of medical sciences that go hand in hand. Firstly, microfabrication and microfluidic techniques were implemented in developing a CD4+ T helper cell counter. This integrated device, where capture and analysis are performed on the same platform, also employs a chemiluminescence-based method of detection. This a rather simple and elegant technique that is amenable for miniaturization in future as it does not require the use of external complex light source (such as for fluorescence imaging) nor the use of image/data analysis methods. The second part of this dissertation describes novel microfabrication techniques for the development of a new class of implantable devices- hydrogel MEMS devices. This technique is comparable to additive manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing. Current 3D printing or fabrication techniques for biocompatible materials normally result in standalone structures. Using our technique, we are not only able to construct microcomponents entirely out of hydrogels but also have the capability to assemble and align various moving components to form a robust MEMS-like device. As these MEMS devices are constructed entirely out of biocompatible PEG-based hydrogels, they are ideal candidates for implantable devices. Once implanted, they can be wirelessly actuated using simple permanent magnets and the operation of the devices do not require onboard power-sources or electronics, which is common for current MEMS-based implantable devices. These devices can also be designed to deliver payloads and this delivery can be actively controlled. We also explore the use of hydrogel MEMS in the in vivo delivery of therapeutics, and assess its efficacy in delivering local, low-doses of a chemotherapeutic drug in a disease model. We envision that these devices, and the technology from which they are borne, will open up a new paradigm in the way implantable devices are developed.

Thesis. 1977. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND AERONAUTICS. / Bibliography : leaves 222-229. / M.S.

M. Tech. Electrical Engineering / For the last 3 decades, interdisciplinary studies on the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) have grown in number. This common interest has been stirred up by recent developments in technology and opportunities seen in BCI. BCI systems provide an interface for communicating and controlling the physical environment, bypassing the normal neuromuscular pathways. They thus constitute an alternative means of control for the large population of people with limited to non-existent muscular abilities. Limitations in existing systems have prevented BCIs from being used in real life applications. New approaches are now being investigated with the aim of exporting BCI to home usage. This study investigates a BCI with realistic performances for practical home usage. It proposes a BCI to be used as a modality in a multimodal control of an exoskeleton.