biomedical engineering

Biomedical Researcher turns HP TouchPad Tablet to MRI Lab

2011-12-09T17:49:00.001Z

Biomedical Researcher turns HP TouchPad Tablet to MRI Lab

We know that the PCs and other electronics equipment is kept away from the magnet room to achieve minimal interference with the MRI equipment, since, there are very few devices which can withstand the strong magnetic field.

Now, the interesting part is that a Stanford Bioengineering Research Associate Andrew B. Holbrook has developed a promising solution to this problem with the help of HP webOS devices that can help takeInterventional MRI in strong magnetic field.

The idea is the use minimum metal and more of plastic material along with very less glue which is basically forms the HP Touchpad (obviously metal parts such as vibration motors, speakers etc. were removed.) TouchPad hardware engineers assisted him in the modification process.

“Before this we’d either have a very clunky in-room display with ten keys to control things, or one person would be in the magnet room holding the transducer in place, and another would run the test and interpret the results from afar. With this, I can connect to the transducer, prescribe the test, run it, and then view the data after it was run—all without leaving the transducer’s side.”

Advantages of the HP Touchpad MRI Lab

High-powered PC server system which is MR-safe (running hybrid-PDK apps)

An app to control an InSightec ExAblate Conformal Bone System HIFU transducer to run an ultrasound test commonly run in the scan room.

View respiratory activity & HIFU information using bellows app running on a portable webOS device.

MRI applications that allow scanning in the magnet scan room using a platform called RTHawk, a real time MRI control system for GE scanners.

Apps that can control slice positioning and MRI scan parameter adjustment in MRI scans.

The various multi-tasking features, multi-touch gestures, controlling image positions and so many others with this TouchPad for MRI control.

Dr. Holbrook sees continued opportunity for MRI projects in the webOS platform including phones and the TouchPad. This is certainly going to take the radiology and imaging to a next level with such easy and intuitive control of the various systems of an interventional procedure.
Source HP webOS Dev Center via Engadget

Brain Signals: Scientists Decode Words

2010-09-12T09:44:00.003+01:00

“We have been able to decode spoken words using only signals from the brain with a device that has promise for long-term use in paralyzed patients who cannot now speak,” says Bradley Greger, an assistant professor of bioengineering.

Because the method needs much more improvement and involves placing electrodes on the brain, he expects it will be a few years before clinical trials on paralyzed people who cannot speak due to so-called “locked-in syndrome.”

The University of Utah research team placed grids of tiny microelectrodes over speech centers in the brain of a volunteer with severe epileptic seizures. The man already had a craniotomy – temporary partial skull removal – so doctors could place larger, conventional electrodes to locate the source of his seizures and surgically stop them.

Using the experimental microelectrodes, the scientists recorded brain signals as the patient repeatedly read each of 10 words that might be useful to a paralyzed person: yes, no, hot, cold, hungry, thirsty, hello, goodbye, more and less.

Later, they tried figuring out which brain signals represented each of the 10 words. When they compared any two brain signals – such as those generated when the man said the words “yes” and “no” – they were able to distinguish brain signals for each word 76 percent to 90 percent of the time.

When they examined all 10 brain signal patterns at once, they were able to pick out the correct word any one signal represented only 28 percent to 48 percent of the time – better than chance (which would have been 10 percent) but not good enough for a device to translate a paralyzed person’s thoughts into words spoken by a computer.

“This is proof of concept,” Greger says, “We’ve proven these signals can tell you what the person is saying well above chance. But we need to be able to do more words with more accuracy before it is something a patient really might find useful.”

People who eventually could benefit from a wireless device that converts thoughts into computer-spoken spoken words include those paralyzed by stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease and trauma, Greger says. People who are now “locked in” often communicate with any movement they can make – blinking an eye or moving a hand slightly – to arduously pick letters or words from a list.

University of Utah colleagues who conducted the study with Greger included electrical engineers Spencer Kellis, a doctoral student, and Richard Brown, dean of the College of Engineering; and Paul House, an assistant professor of neurosurgery.

The study used a new kind of nonpenetrating microelectrode that sits on the brain without poking into it. These electrodes are known as microECoGs because they are a small version of the much larger electrodes used for electrocorticography, or ECoG, developed a half century ago.

For patients with severe epileptic seizures uncontrolled by medication, surgeons remove part of the skull and place a silicone mat containing ECoG electrodes over the brain for days to weeks while the cranium is held in place but not reattached. The button-sized ECoG electrodes don’t penetrate the brain but detect abnormal electrical activity and allow surgeons to locate and remove a small portion of the brain causing the seizures.

Last year, Greger and colleagues published a study showing the much smaller microECoG electrodes could “read” brain signals controlling arm movements. One of the epileptic patients involved in that study also volunteered for the new study.

Because the microelectrodes do not penetrate brain matter, they are considered safe to place on speech areas of the brain – something that cannot be done with penetrating electrodes that have been used in experimental devices to help paralyzed people control a computer cursor or an artificial arm.

EEG electrodes used on the skull to record brain waves are too big and record too many brain signals to be used easily for decoding speech signals from paralyzed people.

In the new study, the microelectrodes were used to detect weak electrical signals from the brain generated by a few thousand neurons or nerve cells.

Source: MEDICA.de; University of Utah

Flushing: Preventing Heart Problems While Keeping a Cool Head

2010-08-25T18:04:00.000+01:00

The reason for this is that treatment with nicotinic acid has an unpleasant but harmless side-effect: the drug makes patients turn quite red in the face. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research have now discovered the mechanism behind this effect, which is known as flushing. This will enable the development of flush inhibitors.

The treatment of lipid metabolic disorders is one of the important measures used in the prevention of cardio-vascular disease. Cholesterol is the key molecule here and LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol most widely discussed in this context. This "bad" cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors for the emergence of cardio-vascular diseases. The higher the blood-plasma concentration of LDL cholesterol, the higher an individual's risk of suffering cardiac arrest or peripheral vascular disease. The opposite applies to the "good" HDL cholesterol: the higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the lower the risk of contracting these diseases. For this reason, the strategy of increasing HDL plasma concentration through medication has become more prevalent of late.

"The main problem with treatment using nicotinic acid – which has nothing to do with the nicotine in tobacco, by the way – is flushing," says Stefan Offermanns, Director of the Department of Pharmacology at the Max Planck Institute. "Just a short time after taking nicotinic acid, the patient experiences strong flushing of the face and upper body for up to one and a half hours. This is caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the skin." The flushing symptoms are completely harmless. However, patients often abandon the treatment on account of these symptoms.

Offermanns and his colleagues had already succeeded in identifying a specific receptor for nicotinic acid that conveys the desired effects of nicotinic acid. Tests on mice showed, however, that the receptor is also responsible for the nicotinic-acid-induced flushing reaction. "We have now succeeded in demonstrating that the receptor exists both in the main cells of the top layer of the skin or epidermis, which are called keratinocytes, and the immune cells, known as Langerhans cells, also found in the epidermis," reports Offermanns.

By studying mouse strains in which the receptor in either the Langerhans cells or keratinocytes is blocked, the researchers were able to show that the first phase of the flushing reaction is triggered by the activation of Langerhans cells. In contrast, the second and longer phase results from the activation of the keratinocytes. In both phases, different prostaglandins are formed. "The flushing phenomenon can be prevented by inhibiting prostaglandin formation or blocking the prostaglandin receptors in the skin, while the desired effects of the nicotinic acid on lipid metabolism remain unaffected."

Source:MEDICA.de

Molecular Imaging: Identification of High-risk Patients

2010-08-25T18:01:00.000+01:00

A study finds that molecular imaging—a non-invasive imaging procedure—can identify high-risk patients with potentially life-threatening cardiovascular conditions and help physicians determine which patients are best suited for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy.

"If the molecular imaging techniques are used for appropriate selection of ICD candidates, not only overuse but also underuse of ICD could be avoided and the assessment may be shown to be more cost-effective," said Doctor Kimio Nishisato, a physician in the cardiology division of Muroram City General Hospital, Muroram, Japan, and corresponding author for the study.

According to researchers from Sapporo University, Sapporo, Japan, the study shows that molecular imaging can play an important role in diagnosing and guiding the treatment strategy for arrhythmia, coronary artery disease and heart failure.

"This research holds significant potential for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of many common cardiovascular conditions," said Doctor Tomoaki Nakata, an associate professor at the Sapporo Medical University. "With molecular imaging, physicians can improve patient care by pinpointing the precise location of the disease in order to eliminate the need for invasive medical devices and unnecessary surgical techniques." Nakata adds that molecular imaging can also reduce unnecessary medical costs by better targeting treatment for each individual patient.

In this study, researchers hypothesized that both the impairment of myocardial perfusion and/or cell viability and cardiac sympathetic innervations are responsible for heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. However, there was no established reliable method, including a molecular imaging technique which is highly objective, reproducible and quantitative.

The researchers investigated prognostic implications of cardiac pre-synaptic sympathetic function quantified by cardiac MIBG activity and myocyte damage or viability quantified by cardiac tetrofosmin activity in patients treated with prophylactic use of ICD, by correlating with lethal arrhythmic events which would have been documented during a prospective follow-up. Based on these aspects, the study is the first to show the efficacies of the method for more accurate identification of patients at greater risk of lethal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD).

"Sudden cardiac death due to lethal arrhythmia represents an important health care problem in many developed countries," said Doctor Ichiro Matsunari, director of the clinical research department at the Medical & Pharmacological Research Center Foundation, Hakui, Japan. "While implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy is an effective option over anti-arrhythmic medications to prevent SCD, the balance of clinical benefits, efficacy and risks is still a matter of discussion."

Source:MEDICA.de

biomedical engineering web tv

2010-05-21T15:11:00.002+01:00

the biomedical engineering web tv in few days with you.

Broadcasting live from here

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first living cell to be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA.

2010-05-21T14:56:00.001+01:00

The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

Some also suggest that the potential benefits of the technology have been over-stated.

But the researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.

The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California.

Craig Venter defends the synthetic living cell
He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.

Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call a "synthetic cell", although only its genome is truly synthetic.

Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell.

The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used "synthesis machines" to chemically construct a copy.

HOW A SYNTHETIC CELL
WAS CREATED

The scientists "decoded" the chromosome of an existing bacterial cell - using a computer to read each of the letters of genetic code.
BACK1 of 3NEXT
Dr Venter told BBC News: "We've now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell - a different organism.

"As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code."

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

"This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell," said Dr Venter.

'New industrial revolution'
Dr Venter and his colleagues hope eventually to design and build new bacteria that will perform useful functions.

"I think they're going to potentially create a new industrial revolution," he said.

"If we can really get cells to do the production that we want, they could help wean us off oil and reverse some of the damage to the environment by capturing carbon dioxide."

WATTS WHAT...

Continue reading the main story
Even some scientists worry we lack the means to weigh up the risks such novel organisms might represent, once set loose

Susan Watts
BBC Newsnight science editor
Read Susan Watts's thoughts
Send us your comments
Dr Venter and his colleagues are already collaborating with pharmaceutical and fuel companies to design and develop chromosomes for bacteria that would produce useful fuels and new vaccines.

But critics say that the potential benefits of synthetic organisms have been overstated.

Dr Helen Wallace from Genewatch UK, an organisation that monitors developments in genetic technologies, told BBC News that synthetic bacteria could be dangerous.

"If you release new organisms into the environment, you can do more harm than good," she said.

"By releasing them into areas of pollution, [with the aim of cleaning it up], you're actually releasing a new kind of pollution.

"We don't know how these organisms will behave in the environment."

Continue reading the main story
The risks are unparalleled, we need safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse

Julian Savulescu
Oxford University ethics professor
Profile: Craig Venter
Q&A: The meaning of synthetic life
Ethics concern over synthetic cell
Dr Wallace accused Dr Venter of playing down the potential drawbacks.

"He isn't God," she said, "he's actually being very human; trying to get money invested in his technology and avoid regulation that would restrict its use."

But Dr Venter said that he was "driving the discussions" about the regulations governing this relatively new scientific field and about the ethical implications of the work.

He said: "In 2003, when we made the first synthetic virus, it underwent an extensive ethical review that went all the way up to the level of the White House.

"And there have been extensive reviews including from the National Academy of Sciences, which has done a comprehensive report on this new field.

"We think these are important issues and we urge continued discussion that we want to take part in."

Ethical discussions
Dr Gos Micklem, a geneticist from the University of Cambridge, said that the advance was "undoubtedly a landmark" study.

But, he said, "there is already a wealth of simple, cheap, powerful and mature techniques for genetically engineering a range of organisms. Therefore, for the time being, this approach is unlikely to supplant existing methods for genetic engineering".

The ethical discussions surrounding the creation of synthetic or artificial life are set to continue.

Professor Julian Savulescu, from the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford, said the potential of this science was "in the far future, but real and significant".

"But the risks are also unparalleled," he continued. "We need new standards of safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse and abuse.

"These could be used in the future to make the most powerful bioweapons imaginable. The challenge is to eat the fruit without the worm."

The advance did not pose a danger in the form of bio-terrorism, Dr Venter said.

"That was reviewed extensively in the US in a report from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Washington defence think tank, indicating that there were very small new dangers from this.

"Most people are in agreement that there is a slight increase in the potential for harm. But there's an exponential increase in the potential benefit to society," he told BBC's Newsnight.

"The flu vaccine you'll get next year could be developed by these processes," he added.

New Device Adapts to Brain’s Surface

2010-05-20T16:49:00.000+01:00

In people with epilepsy, the device could be used to detect when seizures first begin, and deliver pulses to shut the seizures down. In people with spinal cord injuries, the technology has promise for reading complex signals in the brain that direct movement, and routing those signals to healthy muscles or prosthetic devices.

"The focus of our study was to make ultrathin arrays that conform to the complex shape of the brain, and limit the amount of tissue damage and inflammation," said Brian Litt, an author on the study. The new silk-based implants can hug the brain like shrink wrap, collapsing into its grooves and stretching over its rounded surfaces, according to the researchers. The study shows that the thin flexible implants can record brain activity more faithfully than thicker implants embedded with similar electronics.

The implants contain metal electrodes that are 500 microns thick, or about five times the thickness of a human hair. The absence of sharp electrodes and rigid surfaces should improve safety, with less damage to tissue. Also, the implants' ability to mold to the brain's surface could provide better stability; the brain sometimes shifts in the skull and the implant could move with it. Finally, by spreading across the brain, the implants have the potential to capture the activity of large networks of brain cells, Litt said.

Besides its flexibility, silk was chosen as the base material because it is durable enough to undergo patterning of thin metal traces for electrodes and other electronics. It can also be engineered to avoid inflammatory reactions, and to dissolve at controlled time points, from almost immediately after implantation to years later. The electrode arrays can be printed onto layers of polyimide (a type of plastic) and silk, which can then be positioned on the brain.

The researchers tested the ability of these implants in animals. By recording signals from the brain's visual center in response to visual stimulation, they found that the thin polyimide-silk arrays captured more robust signals compared to thicker implants.

MEDICA.de

Smoking could protect against Parkinson

2010-05-20T16:45:00.003+01:00

The link is not however 100% clear, as some smokers develop the illness nevertheless. The hypothesis is that there is a genetic predisposition that, in combination with environmental factors, can trigger the disease. Taking this as its starting point, a team from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN (USA) has carried out a study on a sample of 1228 subjects.

The researchers hypothesized that the variation may be due to pharmacogenetic effects and that nicotine might have neuroprotective properties for certain individuals.
“We asked the interviewees to tell us about their relationship with smoking and then compared this data with the presence or absence of variations in the gene CYP2A6, which encodes the enzyme responsible for metabolising nicotine”, says EURAC researcher Maurizio Facheris, neurologist at the Department of Neurology of Bozen/Bolzano Central Hospital and main author of the study.

From an analysis of the data, it emerges that the presence of a particular variant of the gene, when combined with smoking, considerably reduces the risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease. It remains to be clarified whether the protection against the disease is provided by the particular variant of gene CYP2A6 or by the presence of cotinine, the substance into which nicotine is transformed through the action of the gene. “If this second hypothesis is confirmed, producing a cotinine-based drug would be a means to reduce exposure to the disease”, explains Maurizio Facheris.

The study opens up interesting scenarios in the field of pharmacogenetics, a discipline that holds that variations in different patients’ response to pharmacological treatment depends on genetic factors. Under this view, analysing the patients’ DNA will allow us to predict their reaction to a particular drug and thus enable the development of personalised medicines.

The study was presented at Toronto on the occasion of the annual convention of the American Academy of Neurology, and was selected as among the top 5% of over 2,000 articles received. It was the first study of its kind to be presented.

MEDICA.de;

Infrared System Detects Fever

2010-03-31T21:37:00.002+01:00

The ITDS detected fever in patients through split-second, non-contact skin temperature measurements. Fever is a primary symptom of seasonal influenza, H1N1, avian influenza, SARS and other infectious diseases.

Angela Hewlett and colleagues evaluated the ITDS during the height of the H1N1 pandemic from November 18, 2009 to January 9, 2010 to test the tool's viability in a practical clinical setting. The ITDS employs a thermal imaging camera to measure skin temperature by detecting and quantifying the infrared energy being emitted from the face. The ITDS temperature measurements were compared with standard temperature measurements for 566 patients, ages 15 days to 89 years old.

Infrared thermal detection systems have been used in several countries to screen for fever in travellers. Hewlett and her team wanted to utilize the technology as an infection control option in a clinical setting. "This technology allows clinicians to rapidly screen people for fever, so that incoming patients and visitors who may be ill can be identified quickly and reduce the danger of spreading diseases like influenza to other people in the hospital," said Hewlett.

During the study period, participating patients at the emergency department had their temperature measured by the ITDS and then by routine oral or rectal temperature measurements. Patients who were identified with fever were managed with routine protocols, including separation or surgical masks.

The ITDS proved to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with fever across all age ranges and genders. While the ITDS had a high negative predictive value–correctly excluding most patients without fever–the machine also generated a high percentage of false positive results, measuring higher temperatures than routine temperature measurements. According to the study, if fever was not detected by the ITDS, then there was a 97 percent chance that there was no fever present. Further evaluation of the performance and utility of the device is needed.

T Cells: Surprise for Stroke Researchers

2010-03-31T20:36:00.000+01:00

The blood vessels tend to be blocked by clotted blood. Dissolving these clots or stopping them from occurring in the first place is the primary objective in the treatment and prevention of strokes.

Consequently, the search for new and better therapies starts where the cause of the illness lies: with the blood coagulation that leads to the formation of clots. The Würzburg scientists were all the more astonished, then, when they made a discovery elsewhere - the T cells of the immune system also play a role in strokes. These are actually the cells responsible for combating pathogens.

What exactly did the researchers discover? Mice with no T cells due to a genetic defect suffer less severe strokes than their normal fellow mice. What is more, they develop fewer symptoms of neurological deficiencies, such as paralyses, after a stroke. This means that T cells have a negative effect on the progression of a stroke. This has been proven by the working groups of Guido Stoll, Christoph Kleinschnitz, and Heinz Wiendl from the university's Department of Neurology together with Bernhard Nieswandt from the Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine.

"The fact that T cells have such a damaging effect in the case of acute strokes came as a complete surprise to us," reports Christoph Kleinschnitz. The adverse effect can be traced back to two sub-groups of immune cells, the so-called CD4- and CD8-positive T helper cells. Further research is now needed to clarify how the T cells exercise their damaging effect.

The Würzburg researchers hope that their work will help improve stroke therapy for humans. If the findings can be transferred to people, it might be possible to devise new approaches by purposefully manipulating the T cells. It is conceivable, for example, that in the early stages of a stroke the harmful fraction of the T cells may be deactivated temporarily to thereby reduce the symptoms of deficiencies. "But further studies are needed before we reach that point," says neurologist Guido Stoll.

Source: MEDICA.de Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Images Speed Decision Making

2010-03-31T20:23:00.000+01:00

"The imaging exam report provides an important means of communication between the radiologist and the other physicians rendering care and is often the only form of communication between the radiologist and the referring physician," said researcher Veena R. Iyer. It has been suggested that providing the referring physician with selected images embedded in the text report over the web could improve and support the information contained in the report. "We undertook this study to measure the utility to the referring physician, of radiology reports with attached, relevant images of the abnormal findings," said Iyer.

Thirty-five cases referred for abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans were included in the study, which was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital. Referring physicians were asked to view a text-only report followed by the same report with pertinent embedded images. "In 32 of the 35 cases, the text-only report satisfactorily answered the clinical query. In these 32 cases, the report with the attached images helped in making a more confident management decision and reduced time in planning management. Attached images altered management in two cases," said Iyer.

"The results of our study indicate that although clinician's queries are satisfactorily answered by the current itemized report, providing additional images conveys useful information. It may enable the referring clinician to formulate response plans more rapidly and with increased confidence," she said.

"Providing referring clinicians with a selected subsample of relevant images attached to the report improves the radiologist's communication with them. Such a report has the ability to save the clinician's time, and possibly improve patient management," said Iyer.

Source: American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society

Inappropriate CT and MRI Referrals

2010-03-31T20:15:00.001+01:00

While overall imaging growth is in line with or below that of other physician services – two percent or less annually since 2006 – a significant amount of imaging ordered and carried out by non-radiologists may be inappropriate.

"Radiologists, hospitals, health plans, and policy makers have struggled with ways to improve the rate of appropriate utilization of imaging studies, particularly CT, MRI, and PET," said Robert L. Bree, lead author of the study. "Our study looked at a large group of CT and MRI examinations. Evidence-based appropriateness criteria developed by a radiology management company were used to determine if the examinations were appropriate," said Bree.

The study, performed at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, included medical records from 459 elective outpatient CT and MRI examinations from primary care physicians that were reviewed. "Of the 459 reviewed, 74 percent were considered appropriate and 26 percent were considered inappropriate. 58 percent of the appropriate studies were positive and affected subsequent management while only 24 percent of inappropriate studies were positive affecting management," said Bree. Examples of inappropriate examinations include brain CT for chronic headache, lumbar spine MR for acute back pain, and knee or shoulder MRI in patients with osteoarthritis.

"Our study shows that CT and MRI examinations ordered in the outpatient primary care setting are frequently not appropriate based on the application of a national radiology benefit management company's evidence-based guidelines. A high percentage of examinations not meeting appropriateness criteria and subsequently yielding negative results suggest a need for tools to help primary care physicians improve the quality of their imaging decision requests," said Bree.

Source : MEDICA.de / American College of Radiology / American Roentgen Ray Society

NEW LECTURE NOTES UPDATED

2010-03-24T14:44:00.000Z

LECTURE NOTES ON HUMAN RESPIRATORY SYSTEM PHYSIOLOGY

RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY LECTURES NOTES

POWERPOINT LECTURES ON BIOMEMS

LECTURE NOTES ON BIOMATERIALS

GUIDELINES FOR TECHNICAL WRITING IN BIOMEDICAL

BEST TOPIC WISE LECTURE NOTES ON BIOMATERIALS FOR ALL UNIVERSITIES

Biomaterials LECTURES

Medidynamic - medica

2010-03-07T12:42:00.002Z

Hello, everyone. We are an international medical device consulting firm
with headquarter locating in Seattle, United states and we have offices
in Beijing, China as well. Since our company establishment in 2002,
with our extensive distributor database nationwide in China territory
and excellent relationship with hospitals and medical regulation
authorities (SFDA), we have been successfully helping a large number of
international companies, in particular, orthopaedic and surgical
manufacturers in developing business in China, these companies are
generally from USA, Japan, Czech,Australia, France and Germany etc.

We
have been actively attending international medical exhibitions around
the world including Medica show held in Germany, AAOS(American academy
of orthopaedic surgeons) etc.

Here is our company profile below:

Introduction

China is recognized as one of the most important medical growth markets of
the 21st century, but succeeding in China can be difficult. These days,
Chinese consumer preferences, regulatory requirements, and disease profiles
are all changing rapidly. Business strategies that work well today may become
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help you excel in China.

MediDynamic
can assist medical companies in developing their China business and
marketingstrategies. Each strategy is tailored to the company's
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MediDynamic can help those newly entering the Chinese medical market as well as those
interested in expanding their existing China operations.

MediDynamic
examines a wide range of issues, including: market demand; prospects
for growth,analysis of key partners/distributors, etc.

Company Profile
MediDynamic LLC is a medical device consulting firm with offices in the United
States and China. By focusing on providing outstanding service and value for
companies/manufactures who are interested in developing business in China,
we have grown to become one of the leading medical device regulatory and
marketing consultants with expertise in China SFDA registration, marketing
research, in-country distribution representation and many other areas. Major
services we are offering include:

1. Product registration:
The medical device market in China is worth about $7.5 billion. The regulator of medical
devices in China is the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), which handles
medical device product registration as well as many other regulatory issues.
From
year 2000, SFDA began to strengthen the supervision and administration
of medicaldevices. All imported medical devices in China (including
Class I medical devices) must be approved directly by SFDA, any
equipments or supplies without certificate will be prohibited to be
sold or used in China. This registration process is getting more and
more complicated since year 2003, it will take about one year period to
get it approved. This is a prerequisite condition needs to be fulfilled
in the whole promoting process. MediDynamic can act as your legal and
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Through our office in Beijing, MediDynamic can help you obtain SFDA approval for your
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China.
Generally, we can help you with these China medical device regulatory issues:
· Determine device classification.
· Ascertain the best route to SFDA approval in China.
· Development of a Product Registration Standard.
· Develop clinical protocols and coordinate clinical trials, if required.
· Translate documents and labeling.
· Obtain the CCC Mark, if required.
· Prepare final submissions
· Handle incident reporting, SFDA inspections and device registration renewals.
Up to the present, we maintain 100% of success on completion of the complicated
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2. Local channel sales and partnership setup (distributor identification):
As everyone knows, China is an enormous market with 1.3 billion people, over 300,000
hospitals and more than 161,000 medical distributors. The city of Beijing has 7,700
medical distributors and Shanghai has 5,700, respectively. In the rapidly expanding
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medical market, there are many local Chinese distributors ready to take
on your medical device, but not all of them are qualified or
trustworthy. To take full advantage of the Chinese economic boom and to
protect your intellectual property, it is vital to find the right
distributor.

Through assistance given by our office in Beijing, we can assist medical device
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figuring out their actual sales strength and financial capabilities accurately and selecting
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3. Market research and feasibility analysis:

China's medical market is one of great contrasts. While the countryside has rudimentary
healthcare, the major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have sophisticated facilities
approaching Western standards. Everywhere in China between these two extremes is
developing
at a very rapid pace too. The medical market in China is changing
greatly as it grows, making careful market research is a key to your
success there.

MediDynamic will give full assistance to clients to do market research on their core
product system. It will include:

a) Current market investigation report. This will give clients a comprehensive idea
of its product market status in China.

b) Feasibility analysis for entering into China step by step. It contains information
such as:
i. Feasibility methodology for marketing and selling promoted system in China.
ii. Selection of Distributors and management
iii. Fixation of product price in China market
iv. What sales volume should be identified in the first three years
v. How to furnish the sales target through first level and second level
distributors, etc
vi. Product registration and logistic issues in China
vii. Much more

4. Innovative products selection:
As the golden bridge between western world and China, resellers from China now have
opportunities
to know more overseas innovative technology through us. Our Seattle
team is playing the major role in locating the cutting edge product
line in the world for our clients in China. This will help them
partnering with technology based companies that features innovative
products and produce more effective outcomes at lower costs.

Please
feel free to contact us, we welcome any inquiries from you and our
sales specialist will get back to you as soon as possible.

Sales specialist: Shawn Liu

Contact information:

Phone number: Either +86 13718364590 (China)
Or +61 (0)430277436 (Australia)

Email address: shawn.liu@medidynamic.cn

Website: www.medidynamic.com

Biomedical Engineering - Regulating Anaesthesia via Computer

2010-02-25T20:25:00.000Z

Researchers have developed a technique for automatically controlling anaesthesia during surgical operations. The new system detects the hypnotic state of the patient at all times and supplies the appropriate dose of anaesthetic.

Biomedical Engineering - Miniature Ultrasound Device

2010-02-25T20:23:00.000Z

The sleek blue-and-white device created by biomedical engineering graduate student George K. Lewis slips into a pocket and sends ultrasound waves deep into muscles via a coin-sized polystyrene pad. This is the transducer, which converts electrical energy into ultrasound.

Since first publishing research about his pocket-sized devices in 2007, Lewis has continued to improve them, making them smaller and more efficient. To give the systems medical legitimacy, Lewis has prepared the first clinical trial. The study will focus on osteoarthritis patients to determine whether the devices can significantly reduce joint pain.

Ultrasound is often used to relieve muscle and joint pain but requires patients to receive treatments in doctors’ and physical therapists’ offices. Lewis’ mini-machine would allow people to receive such treatment at home and work. Even though medications are the primary way to treat pain in older patients, with age comes increased risk of complications. Therefore, there is a “great need” to support research into non-drug therapies for pain, the researchers say.

what does the hospital biomedical engineer do?

2010-02-20T21:25:00.000Z

success in any job depends highly on job description. it is an important step in the planning of staffing in any facility, but in a hospital setting it is critical to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, who to report to, who reports to you, & where authority starts and ends.

Normally hospital biomedical/clinical engineers have the following tasks:

1- keeping an updated record of ALL the medical equipment: type, model, serial number, date of purchase, status & location.
2- keeping an updated file with all the manufacturers contact details
3- performing routine maintenance as per manufacturers recommendations AND skill level
4- making sure proper maintenance contracts with agents are issued for specialized equipment
5- following up the agents work
6- contacting the suitable companies when any equipment needs servicing, following up with the users, purchasing dept, management & the company until the equipment is back in use, assigned to storage for spare parts or dispensed.
7- keeping a maintenance log of ALL medical equipment, updated daily
8- keeping an original/ copy of service & operating manuals for all medical equipment
9- drafting a maintenance plan for All medical equipment & diligently following it
10- keeping a working stock of most needed spare parts, with proper warehousing methodology.
11- training hospital staff on proper use for equipment, or arranging for the manufacturer's authorized agent to give that training regularly
12- checking the safety of the site & that the users are following safety recommendations
13- continuously communicating with other staff members to be better able to assess their various needs
14- working with other staff in drafting proper specifications for new equipment purchases, following up tendering, bidding, purchasing through to acceptance, installation, testing & staff training.
15- closely monitoring the new equipment & being aware of warranty periods
16- presenting the state of affairs, accomplishments, goals & challenges to the board of directors on a regular basis
17- ensuring that the biomedical dept is assigned a proper budget for optimal operation

This is frequently the sum of the jobs performed in the biomedical engineering dept. where about 2-5 biomedical engineers engineers can be working together, one of them is boss, alongside the HVAC technician, electrician, plumber, & carpenter.
In some hospitals however one biomedical engineer runs the whole show, & technicians are called in when needed !

words of caution:
1- DO NOT attempt to fix an equipment you are not well trained to service.
2- the hospital setting can harbor a lot of hostility & aggressiveness from the upper ranks, good communication & a low profile at the beginning is a big plus!
3- nobody is asking the biomedical engineer to fix everything himself, but he needs to get it fixed promptly through manufacturer's agents or give a good reason why he hasn't.
4- doctors, nurses, technicians & managers all speak a different language, it is best to be clear & precise.
5- do not be afraid to ask a question ( don't be pushy too!) and you might repeat what you understood from someone to check that you both mean the same thing.
6- read a lot about the way hospitals work, trends, new equipment, latest standards & recommendations. this field changes rapidly & it is critical to keep up.
7- safety comes first, before acceptance from other staff: some equipment is back in operation immediately when a valve was removed not replaced, the staff is happy but that is so wrong! .. and before popularity among managers: the engineer who doesn't spend much is liked by his superiors, but the equipment suffer & people actually die!
8- preventive maintenance is not a luxury, it is necessary & it keeps the equipment in good working condition for a long time
9- the hospital is a high risk environment. the risk is much less when you know what you are up to, equipment you handle can have fatal biological or chemical agents on them! .. personal safety should always be a priority
10- the biomedical engineer in the hospital is not the star of the show, doctors are. but it is the only place to understand biomedical engineering. & there are many unspoken rules within that setting .. may be we can address this issue next ...

Pancreatic Cancer: Soft Drink Consumption

2010-02-20T21:21:00.000Z

Mark Pereira, senior author on the study, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have a poor behavioural profile overall. However, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic cancer may be unique. "The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth," said Pereira.

For the current study, Pereira and colleagues followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not. No association was seen between fruit juice consumption and pancreatic cancer.

Pereira said that these results from Singapore are likely applicable to the United States. "Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care. Favourite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries," said Pereira.

Susan Mayne, associate director of the Yale Cancer Center, said these study results are intriguing but have some key limitations that should be considered in any interpretation. "Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal association or not. Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviours such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," said Mayne.

Pereira points out that the findings are biologically plausible, held up in non-smokers, remained similar after taking other dietary habits into account and are consistent with findings in Caucasian populations.

Influenza: Face Masks and Hand Hygiene Can Help Limit Spread

2010-02-20T21:20:00.000Z

In an influenza pandemic, vaccination may not be initially available, and antiviral prescribing may be limited, which is why scientists need to understand how effective other measures are in preventing influenza.

For the study, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, led by Allison E. Aiello, recruited more than 1,400 college students living in university residence halls during the 2006-2007 influenza season. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: those who wore face masks, those who wore masks and used alcohol-based hand sanitizer, or a control group who received no intervention. Students were monitored for influenza-like symptoms for six weeks. All participants viewed a basic hand hygiene instructional video. Subjects in the hand hygiene and mask group were given an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and written instructions regarding proper face mask and hand sanitizer use. Those in the mask group received written instructions on face mask use only. The students began using the measures just after laboratory confirmation of influenza on the University of Michigan campus had been made.

The investigators observed significant reductions in the incidence of influenza-like symptoms starting after three weeks in the hand sanitizer/mask group and in the mask group compared with the control group. In the hand sanitizer/mask group, Aiello and researchers found a reduction of influenza-like symptoms ranging from 35 to 51 percent when compared with the control group. The incidence of symptoms between the hand sanitizer/mask group and the mask-only group were not statistically different, suggesting that the use of hand sanitizer did not substantially contribute to reducing symptoms.

The findings "have implications for guidelines and recommendations for mask use in the community setting," the authors wrote. Mask use during this study was proven to have a protective effect even when worn moderately during the day. Additionally, the use of face masks and hand hygiene may reduce respiratory illnesses in community settings and lessen the impact of the H1N1 pandemic, the authors noted.

1st Annual Conference of the ISETT-WH

2010-02-10T21:13:00.000Z

Dr. Togas Tulandi, internationally renowned and award winning Reproductive and Endoscopic Surgeon, is inviting you to attend the 1st Annual Conference of the International Society for Emerging Technologies and Treatment in Women's Health (ISETT-WH).

Exciting new topics!
Video Technology
Robotic Surgery / Minimally Invasive Surgery
Uterine Fibroids
Women's Health
Endometriosis
and much more...

For complete information, please visit:
www.isettwh.org

Start Time:	Sunday, 02 May 2010 at 15:00
End Time:	Wednesday, 05 May 2010 at 00:00
Location:	Hyatt Regency Hotel 4, Complexe Desjardins Montreal, QC

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for Biomedical Engineering

2010-02-09T22:23:00.001Z

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for Biomedical Engineering related positions has increased dramatically from the 2006-2016 predictions for 2008-2018. They predict a 72% increase over 10 years. This represents an average increase of approximately 1500 jobs becoming available per year. These jobs are expected to come from new positions (averaging about 1,160 per year) and replacement needs ( averaging about 340 per year ) created by attrition. As good as it sounds B.S. Biomedical Engineering graduates are still being created at a over double the rate of the predicted increase. The number of B.S. Biomedical Engineers graduating in 2008 was 3,360. Since healthcare industry jobs typically require higher degrees and/ or three to five years of experience there will still be a bottleneck unless Biomedical Engineering Programs ramp up their internships and co-op opportunities. Students considering a Biomedical Engineering degree are strongly urged to ask for hard documentation of a programs plans and success rate at getting graduates jobs. Graduation rate details can be seen by following the link below.

Biomedical engineer - job

2010-02-09T22:22:00.000Z

Biomedical engineer jobs combine traditional engineering skills with medical expertise to save lives.Biomedical engineering jobs combine biology and medicine with engineering, often focusing on the development of man-made systems used within the body–such as the artificial heart. Many biomedical engineering careers revolve around research, most notably the attempt to find mechanical solutions for patients coping with strenuous physical ailments. Where Biomedical Engineers Work

Biomedical engineering jobs can mostly be found in manufacturing industries; 38 percent of all jobs are in pharmaceutical and medicine production, including the construction and distribution of medical instruments and supplies. Biomedical engineering jobs can be found in: • universities

• hospitals

• medical and educational research facilities

• government regulatory agencies

What Are Biomedical Engineering Job Specialties?

Some of the fields biomedical engineers can choose to specialize in include:

• Bio-instrumentation — developing devices used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

• Bio-materials — working with living tissues and artificial materials to

design implants. • Bio-mechanics — studying motion, flow, and transport as traditional

mechanics relate to bodily systems in relation to biological problems.

The Job Outlook for Biomedical Engineers

The job outlook for biomedical engineering is expected to increase much faster than average through the year 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Between the aging baby boomer population and the need for increased healthcare in the areas of computer-assisted surgery and joint replacement, the market for biomedical engineering jobs should remain high, though competition for jobs should remain high as well. According to the BLS, there were an estimated 9,700 biomedical engineering jobs in the United States in 2006, paying a median annual salary of approximately $68,000. A degree in biomedical engineering is definitely an excellent way to begin a career in this exciting and revolutionary field.

biomedical engineering books

2010-02-09T21:37:00.000Z

MEDICAL IMAGING
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/short-lecture-notes-on-medical-imaging-methods-seminar-topics/

MEDICAL INFORMATICS
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/extra-important-lecture-notes-topics-on-medical-informatics/

http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/best-only-one-of-its-type-topic-wise-lecture-notes-on-medical-informatics-this-resource-is-the-rarest-and-best-one-available-on-net/

NEUROINFORMATICS
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/lecture-notes-on-neuroinformatics/

MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/best-topic-wise-lecture-notes-on-medical-electronicsbiomedical-direct-downloads/

BIOMEDICAL SIGNAL ANALYSIS
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/best-topic-wise-lecture-notes-on-processing-of-biomedical-signals/

INTRODUCTION TO BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/best-lecture-notes-on-every-topic-of-biomedical-engineering/

Biomedica 2010, March 17–18, 2010, Aachen, Germany

2010-02-08T17:41:00.000Z

Biofunctional materials, engineering and devices
- Bifunctional coatings for medical & biotechnological devices
- Biohybrid materials for regenerative medicine
Advanced development for (bio)pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals
- Epigenetic mechanisms and their disorders
- Epigenetics and nutrition
Disease-specific diagnostics & personalized medicine
- Translational medicine: Bringing personalized medicine to the clinic
- Regenerative medicine
Integrated care solutions & services
- Multi-party services for extramural care
- The role of technology in care at home / care at a distance
Business developments and product innovations
- Innovations in life sciences and medical technology
- New business models for patient (home) care

The Biomedica Summit objectives

Support and stimulation of collaboration between science and business
Information about the latest innovations in the field of science and product development
Top quality presentations by renowned speakers with breakthrough topics
Participation in discussion forums with internationally leading experts
The place to meet new contacts and strengthen your network

Science meets Business:

An interdisciplinary congress with high level presentations on the latest advancements in science, product development and technologies.
The place to make new contact with companies and R&D institutions. The targeted event for joining your partners & clients and discussing business within science.

About Biomedica Summit

March 17-18, 2010 will mark the fourth successful year for the Biomedica Summit. Each year the summit provides a venue where life science institutes and companies come together within the Top Technology Region (TTR) covering: Aachen, Eindhoven, Hasselt, Leuven, Liège and Maastricht.

Last year in Liège, Belgium, the organizers were proud to welcome more than 850 international delegates.

Call for papers

Gain reputation and further establish yourself in the scientific community by presenting your recent research breakthroughs and business developments. Deadline December 11,2009.

Business development and product commercialization

The Biomedica Summit offers the right opportunity to present your business, discuss with experts from the industry and take part in “onsite training”.

Call for posters

Young scientists, graduates or undergraduates have the opportunity to produce a scientific poster and submit it for the poster exhibition contest. The competition winners will receive an award. More than 100 posters were entered in competition in 2009! Deadline February 15, 2010.

Exhibitors and sponsors

Your company or research institute has the opportunity to promote its products and services. Please register today to ensure your participation at the Biomedica Summit. Please see the Exhibitor & Sponsor package booklet.

Matchmaking sessions

Meet with potential business partners and other scientists in related fields in the context of an international forum; thus opening up potential networking opportunities.

Discussion forum

Job opportunities

Take advantage of our leading European job opportunities to meet your future employer.

Job offers for whom concern: Biomedical Engineering

2010-02-07T16:58:00.001Z

5- Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, MO
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18011.whtml

6- Tenure-track Faculty Position in Biorobotics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18091.whtml

Job offers for whom concern: Biomedical Engineering

2010-02-07T16:57:00.000Z

Job offeres for whom concern:

1- Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/17952.whtml

2- Research Technologist, University of Chicago, IL
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18052.whtml

3- Associate Research Scientist , Department of Biomedical Engineering, Colum...bia University, NY
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18053.whtml

4- Physiological Signal Processing Engineer, Draeger Medical, Patient Monitoring, Boston, MA
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/17971.whtml

Patient communicates through brain scan

2010-02-05T18:16:00.000Z

A 29-year old Belgian man who spent five years in a vegetative state, has answered simple question with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ using an MRI-scanner, a study published on the website of the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday showed. Scientific response to the finding was mixed. Some researchers say this find heralds a new era of increased autonomy for patients suffering from reduced consciousness, but others argue the discovery is of little consequence.

The 29-year old was part of a larger study of vegetative and minimally conscious patients who had been left comatose by massive brain trauma. Vegetative patients commonly awake within weeks to open their eyes, move their feet or scratch their hands. Some may even suddenly sit up in bed, but their motor activity is always limited to reflex actions. Vegetative patients do not respond to stimuli like light or sound. They may be awake, but they are not conscious.

Communicating through brain scans

In 2006, the same group of scientist had already demonstrated that, a 23-year old female victim of a traffic accident was able to respond to spoken commands. When the woman was asked to picture herself walking through her apartment, areas of the brain involved in spatial orientation lit up. When the researchers asked her to picture herself playing tennis, parts of the brain associated with motor coordination were activated. The women’s brain activity, as registered by the scan, differed little from that of normal healthy people.

In their latest research, the scientists studied 23 patients who did not respond to stimuli and 31 who did so only occasionally. Five proved able to respond to commands like the 23-year old woman. According to Steven Laureys, one of the scientists involved in the study, the patients who responded to commands all suffered their brain trauma in accidents. The study group did not find any evidence whatsoever patients whose brain was damaged in a stroke were also able to communicate through fMRI scans.

The scientists asked a single patient, a 29-year old man who suffered a traffic accident five years ago, specific questions like: "Is your father’s name Thomas?" and "Do you have any brothers?" The patient was told to respond by either thinking of tennis or walking through a house. “Before we put him in the fMRI scanner, a small army of experts tested him every month. None of them were able to reach him, so they concluded he was in a vegetative state. Using our fMRI, he answered five out of six questions correctly. He did not give a clear answer to the sixth question,” Laureys said.

The only way to talk

So far, communicating with the patients in any other way has proven impossible. According to Laureys, that might change. The Belgian neurologist said he hoped to give patients a voice by registering electrical activity in their brains. “We are at the dawn of a new era. These vulnerable patients will one day enjoy more autonomy and be able to make everyday decisions again,” Laureys said.

Nicolas Schiff, a neurologist at Cornell University not involved in the study called the results “spectacular”. “The fMRI is only a diagnostic tool that we can use to find patients who are ready for new ways of communicating. They can no longer be considered vegetative. That is hugely important progress,” he said.

“All our traditional tests are meant to elicit a motor response. Like, ‘pinch my hand’ or ‘blink your eyes to say yes’. But these test often fail to yield clear results. Approximately 40 percent of patients are misdiagnosed. The fMRI gives us an additional diagnostic tool,” Laureys added.

Some are unconvinced

Other scientist remain to be convinced. Rien Vermeulen, a neurologist at Amsterdams’ AMC hospital, for instance. “I am not surprised they found brain activity. You regularly find small clusters of active brain cells in these patients, but what does that mean? Does the patient experience consciousness? Responses like these can also be elicited when someone is unconscious,” Vermeulen said.

A third expert, Geraint Rees, said he felt “genuinely torn,” by the study’s findings. “We are talking about young people who live in heartbreaking conditions here. For decades there was little scientific interest in these patients. Now at least we have a tool to study their consciousness. They can change their brain activity to answer some of the questions correctly. That means they have some residual comprehension left,” Rees said. “Still, it is a far leap from answering a few simple questions to being aware like you or me, after all they are severely brain damaged.”

Radiology

2010-02-02T19:20:00.001Z

Radiology is the branch or specialty of medicine that deals with the study and application of imaging technology like x-ray and radiation to diagnosing and treating disease.

Radiologists direct an array of imaging technologies (such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) to diagnose or treat disease. Interventional radiology is the performance of (usuallyminimally invasive) medical procedures with the guidance of imaging technologies. The acquisition of medical imaging is usually carried out by the radiographer or radiologic technologist.

BioMedical Engineering OnLine

2010-02-02T19:16:00.001Z

What is BioMedical Engineering OnLine?

BioMedical Engineering OnLine is an Open Access, peer-reviewed, online journal that is dedicated to publishing research in all areas of biomedical engineering.

BioMedical Engineering OnLine is aimed at readers and authors throughout the world with an interest in using tools of the physical sciences to advance and understand problems in the biological and medical sciences. There are biomedical engineers in countries throughout the world, and the results of their work are scattered and often difficult to access. This publication promotes the rapid and free accessibility of articles for biomedical engineering researchers everywhere. The result is a worldwide community of biomedical engineers who are linked together by their various research interests and their values in promoting benefits to all of humanity.

Content overview

BioMedical Engineering OnLine considers the following types of articles:

Research: presenting new work based on the highest standards of basic or applied academic research.
Book reviews: presenting short summaries of the strengths and weaknesses of a book. They should evaluate its overall usefulness to the intended audience. Please contact Francisco Azuaje (fj.azuaje@ulster.ac.uk) with your Book review proposal.
Letters to the Editor: can take three forms: a substantial re-analysis of a previously published article, or a substantial response to such a re-analysis from the authors of the original publication, or an article that may not cover 'standard research' but that may be relevant to readers.
Reviews: presenting a comprehensive and authoritative description and evaluation of a current scientific or research area within the journal scope, these articles are usually written by opinion leaders that have been invited by the Editorial Board.

Peer review policies

All articles are reviewed by at least three experts from the relevant field. The reviewers consider the technical aspects of the material presented, in terms of scientific validity and usefulness. Authors are given every opportunity to alter their submission and/or to respond to the comments.

Edited by Kenneth R. Foster, BioMedical Engineering OnLine is supported by an expert Editorial Board.

Publishing in BioMedical Engineering OnLine

All articles are listed in PubMed immediately upon acceptance (after peer review), and are covered by PubMed Central, MEDLINE, Thomson Reuters (ISI) and Embase.

Articles in BioMedical Engineering OnLine should be cited in the same way as articles in a traditional journal. However, because articles in this journal are not printed, they do not have page numbers. Instead, they have a unique article number.

The following citation:

BioMed Eng OnLine 2004, 2:1

refers to article 1 from volume 2 of the journal.

As an online journal, BioMedical Engineering OnLine does not have issue numbers. Each volume corresponds to a calendar year.

To keep up to date with the latest articles from BioMedical Engineering OnLine, why not register to receive alerts? Registration also enables you to customise your subject areas of interest, store your searches, and submit your manuscripts.

Submission of manuscripts

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to BioMedical Engineering OnLine using the online submission system. Full details of how to submit a manuscript are given in the instructions for authors.

General journal policies

BioMedical Engineering OnLine is published by BioMed Central, an independent publisher committed to ensuring peer-reviewed biomedical research is open access. That means it is freely and universally accessible online, it is archived in at least one internationally recognised free access repository, and its authors retain copyright, allowing anyone to reproduce or disseminate articles, according to the BioMed Central copyright and licence agreement. BioMedical Engineering OnLine however, has taken this further by making all its content open access.

BioMedical Engineering OnLine's articles are archived in PubMed Central, the US National Library of Medicine's full-text repository of life science literature, and also at INIST in France and in e-Depot, the National Library of the Netherlands' digital archive of all electronic publications. The journal is also participating in the British Library's e-journals pilot project, and plans to deposit copies of all articles with the British Library.

BioMedical Engineering OnLine is able to deliver summaries of frequently updated content via Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. These are accessible via the orange "XML" button at the top of the list of recent articles or the list of most accessed articles. For more information about RSS feeds see our publisher's website.

If you would like to help raise awareness of BioMedical Engineering OnLine, why not download the journal's leaflet and poster? You will needAcrobat Reader to open them.

Biomedical engineer: Job description and activities

2010-02-02T19:13:00.000Z

Job description

Biomedical engineers apply engineering principles and materials technology to healthcare. This can include researching, designing and developing medical products, such as joint replacements or robotic surgical instruments; designing or modifying equipment for clients with special needs in a rehabilitation setting; or managing the use of clinical equipment in hospitals and the community.

Biomedical engineers can be employed by health services, medical equipment manufacturers and research departments/institutes.

Job titles can vary depending on the exact nature of the work. As well as biomedical engineer you are likely to come across bioengineer; design engineer; and clinical scientist (in a hospital setting/clinical situation).

Typical work activities

Work activities vary, depending on where you work and the seniority of the post, but typically involve:

using computer software and mathematical models to design, develop and test new materials, devices and equipment. This can involve programming electronics; building and evaluating prototypes; troubleshooting problems; and rethinking the design until it works correctly;
liaising with technicians and manufacturers to ensure the feasibility of a product in terms of design and economic viability;
conducting research to solve clinical problems using a variety of means to collate the necessary information, including questionnaires, interviews and group conferences;
liaising closely with other medical professionals, such as doctors and therapists as well as with end-users (patients and their carers);
discussing and solving problems with manufacturing, quality, purchasing and marketing departments;
assessing the potential wider market for products or modifications suggested by health professionals or others;
arranging clinical trials of medical products;
approaching marketing and other industry companies to sell the product;
writing reports and attending conferences and exhibitions to present your work and latest designs to a range of technical and non-technical audiences;
meeting with senior health service staff or other managers to exchange findings;
dealing with technical queries from hospitals and GPs and giving advice on new equipment;
testing and maintaining clinical equipment;
training technical or clinical staff;
investigating safety-related incidents;
keeping up to date with new developments in the field, nationally and internationally.

Biomedical engineer

2010-01-30T15:46:00.000Z

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42576152209

  You Know You're a Biomedical Engineer When…:

- You believe 2010 is successful because 20 / 09 was below average

- For You, the year 20/12 is not the end of the world, because you already believe you're above average

- The World Economic Crisis is out of your (Physio logical) Control

- Global Warming is a Red Globule Warning

- Both You and Haifa Wehbe did Modelling

* Patients can't live without us, Doctors as well :)

* Doctors run In hospitals, We Run hospitals!

* We "suck" your blood, well that's only to Test you (niyahahaha) ;)

* A Mechanical Engineer studies motion, A Biomed cares for a Safe motion

* A Civil Engineer links columns, a Biomed links bones

* An Electrical Engineer design regulators, A Biomed design pacemakers: the regulators of your heart beats

* A Computer Engineer process Digital computer signals, a Biomed decipher the brain complex bio-signals

* A Telecommunications Engineer develop telephony systems ("Connecting People"), a Biomedical Engineer develop telesurgery systems that prevent Doctors, in high precision surgeries, from "Collecting People"!

* A Chemical Engineer drills to take fuel out and circulate it in polluting machineries, A Biomed pierces to take out tumors and keep your blood circulating in a healthier body

* A Nuclear Engineer can explode a whole city and waste healthy people's life, a Biomed can explode the tiny stone and make suffering patients enjoy their life

* An Agricultural Engineer design water irrigation systems to the soil, a Biomed design fluid irrigation systems in your tissue

* An Architect design buildings and statues, a Biomed design Bio-Robots

* You can Date Spouses from any Major, you have the Global knowledge and Studied all Majors already ;)

* You studied Human Physiology, and enjoyed it to the Max :D

* It's hard to get rid of us, We live inside you, through Biomaterials

* While We capture a Medical Image for you, you don't have to "Say Cheese" because X-Rays show all your teeth and more :P

* With X-Rays, We can "take out" your bones and you still alive!

* With MRI, We control your Resonance!

* With Ultrasound, We can know whether your baby who's kicking hard in his mother's womb is a future football player, or a pretty girl who will kick the arse of guys (Biomeds not included)

* With Biomedical Instrumentations, we build a circuit:
We get a bio-signal from you (though you don't know what does it mean),
We Amplify it (you should practice giving more powerful signals next time, if not still ok),
We process it (hey you can relax and go back home),
We decode and display it so others can further analyze the data We translated

Summary: We know Body Language! (Btw you don't have to be a Belly Dancer :D)

For All: BME Students and Graduates, Healthcare Business, Clinical and Bio-Engineering Practitioners, Sales and Marketing, Product and Application Development, Service Engineers, Project Engineering...

This is your blog   http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/
And this is your group   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42576152209

arab health online

2010-01-30T11:08:00.000Z

you are looking for a nice exhibition to start 2010, here it comes Arab
Health 2010 from January 25 to 28 th, here in Dubai. Please chekc the
link. I will be attending it and you ?

http://www.arabhealthonline.com/

Laser Hair Removal

2010-01-30T11:02:00.000Z

What is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser Hair Removal is a quick, non-invasive way to permanently reduce unwanted hair.

How does the treatment work?

The area to be treated is cleansed and shaved. A topical numbing cream may be applied. The technician scans the treatment area with the laser, which emits a specific wavelength that passes harmlessly through skin and into the hair follicle. The follicle is heated and damaged, putting an end to hair growth.

How many treatments are required?

Hair growth can only be affected during the growth cycle. Several sessions are required to destroy all hair follicles.

Is Laser Hair Removal safe?

Laser Hair Removal is a common, quick and safe procedure. A variety of lasers have been FDA approved for hair reduction.

Are there any possible side effects?

You may experience stinging, mild swelling and pigmentation changes immediately after treatment. These effects are temporary, as are the rare appearance of blisters and lesions. Scarring and the activation of viral infections, such as herpes and shingles, may occur if you are already predisposed. For this reason, you must give a complete medical history before treatment.

Will there be any downtime?

No, you may return to your normal routine immediately.

What are the benefits of Laser Hair Removal over other treatments?

Laser Hair Removal is fast and has long term results. Other hair reduction methods must either be done often or hair by hair.

What can be expected post-treatment?

The area may be red and swollen immediately after treatment. You can return to your normal schedule, but keep out of the sun and use sunscreen. Over the next few weeks your hair will appear to grow as it falls out.

How soon will results appear?

Results are revealed as your hair goes through its normal cycles. By six months, you should have an idea of how much hair has been reduced.

How long does a Laser Hair Removal treatment last?

The procedure may take anywhere from minutes to hours depending on the size of the area to be treated.

What conditions respond best to this treatment?

Laser Hair Removal works best on those with darker hair than skin tone.

Who are candidates for Laser Hair Removal?

With the newest lasers, individuals of all skin and hair types can be treated.

Who should avoid Laser Hair Removal?

If you have a history of keloid formation, excessive scarring or poor healing, you may not be right for this treatment. Tattoos and permanent makeup can be altered by Laser Hair Removal. This treatment cannot be performed in areas with open sores, lesions or infections.

How does the treatment feel?

Patients usually experience mild pain which can be followed by several hours of a sunburn-like sensation.

How long do the results last?

Results vary from person to person. Permanent reduction is common but cannot be guaranteed.

What are the alternative treatments?

Traditional methods of hair removal include shaving, plucking, waxing, depilatory creams and electrolysis.

Is additional treatment necessary?

Yes, several sessions are required to achieve a consistent hairless effect.

What are the limitations of Laser Hair Removal?

Certain lasers work on melanin, so their use is limited to people with hair darker than skin tone. In general, Laser Hair Removal cannot guarantee permanent hair removal.

Instructions prior to treatment: Avoid Accutane® for six months before treatment, and avoid anti-inflammatory drugs and Retin-A® for three weeks before treatment. You should not tan (sunless or otherwise) or use any method of hair removal besides shaving for six weeks prior to your session.

Instructions for after treatment: Keep the area clean and dry. For the first few days, do not scrub or irritate the skin with heavy creams, chemicals, lotions or sun exposure. Use sunscreen with SPF 45 or greater. Apply moisturizers, cold compresses or over-the-counter steroid creams at your discretion. Contact your physician if you develop blisters, scabbing or signs of infection. Your hair will still appear to grow for two or three weeks as it falls out. Additional treatments can be performed until you achieve the desired effect.

Doctors & Future Doctors From all Over The World!

2010-01-30T10:59:00.000Z

More Than 22,000 Medicine faculty students, already graduated Doctors, Young & old Doctors!! from more than 105 different countries,from ANY POINT on the World's map! in one group Why Not?
ONE hundred active discussions,Hundreds of Pictures,more than 100 Medical videos,Free Medical books & many other links!

* Official Site:
http://www.Wdoctors.net

* Our Fans Page:
http://www.facebook.com/WorlDocotrs

* Our New Toolbar:
http://worldoctors.ourtoolbar.com/

X-Ray: New Heart Procedure Eliminates Exposure

2010-01-23T12:01:00.000Z

“One of the most exciting things about our research is the direct impact on patient care and safety,” says lead researcher John D. Ferguson. According to the researchers, more than two million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition characterised by an irregular heart rate that can lead to weakness, blood clotting and stroke.

In order to regulate the heart’s rhythm, physicians commonly perform a catheter ablation – a procedure in which doctors use x-ray fluoroscopy to guide a catheter, or flexible tube, to the affected area of the heart. The procedure typically lasts three to four hours, leaving patients and medical providers exposed to significant radiation.

Yet Ferguson’s research team say they have developed and successfully tested a new technique to perform catheter ablation of AF using an ultrasound catheter (intracardiac echocardiography) and electroanatomic mapping without the use of x-ray fluoroscopy for the entire procedure: Using an ultrasound catheter within the heart, physicians can obtain high resolution images of the heart and other key anatomic structures. This provides complete visualisation at all times of the catheter’s location, allowing physicians to steer the tube to affected target areas while avoiding injury to key cardiac structures.

The technique also uses a computer mapping system, which displays in 3D the image of the heart and the catheter’s location and allows physicians to record precise location points along the catheter’s path.

And to further eliminate radiation exposure in AF patients, the new technique uses cardiac MRI instead of CT scans for all required imaging prior to the procedure. Researchers performed the novel technique in a pilot study on 21 consecutive patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm the safety of the procedure.

SOURCE --> MEDICA.de; --> Source: University of Virginia Health System

UBUNTU (LINUX) - OPERATING SYSTEM

2010-01-21T16:59:00.000Z

IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!!!

Ubuntu is a free Linux-based operating system that is easy and fun to use.

"A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed." -Archbishop Desmond Tutu

The Ubuntu Promise:
* Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates.
* Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world.
* Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.
* Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.

DOWNLOAD HERE, IT'S FREE:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Complete list of downloads (including torrents)
http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/

Or, if you'd like to buy a machine with Ubuntu pre-installed, check out Dell, System 76 or ZaReason:

http://www.dell.com/ubuntu
http://www.system76.com/
http://www.zareason.com/shop/home.php

Need HELP? The ubuntuforums a great place to learn about Ubuntu and to get help when you need it:
http://www.ubuntuforums.org
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Hardy
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Jaunty
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Karmic

Official irc channel: #ubuntu on irc.freenode.net

NOTE:

Please read the complete group description before posting anything.

- The wall of this group is meant for discussions, and not the best place to ask for help. If you can't get help in the forums or the irc-channel you could try asking in a dedicated thread in the discussion board of this facebookgroup
- Any advertising content or links not Ubuntu related will be deleted by admins without further notice.
- Please, if you're going to post links, give a brief intro to them. Write something down. Otherwise, it will be assumed that it is spam and it will be deleted without the link even being clicked.
-PLEASE DO NOT PM(personal message) the group admins asking for help, it's not that we don't want to help, it's just that you'll probably get more support from the community then just one person.

biomedical engineering - CHAT

2010-01-21T16:35:00.000Z

hello and welcome to our Biomedical Engineering Blog.

Write your message on BME Chat (things which are related to biomedical engineering, service issues, jobs, sales, new technologies and much more).

In addition, If you are interested to be member of our editorial team http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/ (biomedical engineering), please send your message to bmengineering@live.com.

biomedical photos

2010-01-19T22:31:00.000Z

http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/

Biomedical engineering

2010-01-19T22:27:00.000Z

http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/

http://biomedical_engineering.freehostia.com/

http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com

Biomedical engineering (BME) is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to help improve patient health care and the quality of life of individuals.

As a relatively new discipline, much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, covering an array of fields: bioinformatics, medical imaging, image processing, physiological signal processing, biomechanics, biomaterials and bioengineering, systems analysis, 3-D modeling, etc. Examples of concrete applications of biomedical engineering are the development and manufacture of biocompatible prostheses, medical devices, diagnostic devices and imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, and pharmaceutical drugs.
Disciplines in biomedical engineering

Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field, influenced by various fields and sources. Due to the extreme diversity, it is typical for a biomedical engineer to focus on a particular emphasis within this field. There are many different taxonomic breakdowns of BME, one such listing defines the aspects of the field as such

Bioelectrical and neural engineering
Biomedical imaging and biomedical optics
Biomaterials
Biomechanics and biotransport
Biomedical devices and instrumentation
Molecular, cellular and tissue engineering
Systems and integrative engineering
In other cases, disciplines within BME are broken down based on the closest association to another, more established engineering field, which typically include:

- Chemical engineering - often associated with biochemical, cellular, molecular and tissue engineering, biomaterials, and biotransport.
- Electrical engineering - often associated with bioelectrical and neural engineering, bioinstrumentation, biomedical imaging, and medical devices.
- Mechanical engineering - often associated with biomechanics, biotransport, medical devices, and modeling of biological systems.
- Optics and Optical engineering - biomedical optics, imaging and medical devices.

Medical devices can be regulated and classified (in the US) as shown below:

Class I devices present minimal potential for harm to the user and are often simpler in design than Class II or Class III devices. Devices in this category include tongue depressors, bedpans, elastic bandages, examination gloves, and hand-held surgical instruments and other similar types of common equipment.
Class II devices are subject to special controls in addition to the general controls of Class I devices. Special controls may include special labeling requirements, mandatory performance standards, and postmarket surveillance. Devices in this class are typically non-invasive and include x-ray machines, PACS, powered wheelchairs, infusion pumps, and surgical drapes.
Class III devices require premarket approval, a scientific review to ensure the device's safety and effectiveness, in addition to the general controls of Class I. Examples include replacement heart valves, silicone gel-filled breast implants, implanted cerebellar stimulators, implantable pacemaker pulse generators and endosseous (intra-bone) implants.

-- An MRI scan of a human head, an example of a biomedical engineering application of electrical engineering to diagnostic imaging. Click here to view an animated sequence of slices.Imaging technologies are often essential to medical diagnosis, and are typically the most complex equipment found in a hospital including:

Fluoroscopy
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Nuclear Medicine
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) PET scansPET-CT scans
Projection Radiography such as X-rays and CT scans
Tomography
Ultrasound
Electron Microscopy

-- Tissue engineering
One of the goals of tissue engineering is to create artificial organs for patients that need organ transplants. Biomedical engineers are currently researching methods of creating such organs. In one case bladders have been grown in lab and transplanted successfully into patients. Bioartificial organs, which utilize both synthetic and biological components, are also a focus area in research, such as with hepatic assist devices that utilize liver cells within an artificial bioreactor construct.

Signals and Systems, 2nd Edition by Alan V. Oppenheim, Alan S. Willsky, with S. Hamid

2010-01-17T04:40:00.000Z

The second edition of this well-known and highly regarded text can be used as the basis for a one- or two-semester undergraduate course in signals and linear systems theory and applications. Topics include basic signals and systems concepts, linear time-invariant (LTI) systems, Fourier representations of continuous-time and discrete-time signals, the CT and DT Fourier transforms, and time- and frequency-domain analysis methods. The author emphasizes applications of the theory through numerous examples in filtering, sampling, communications, and feedback.

The parallel development of continuous-time and discrete-time frequency domain methods allows the reader to apply insights and intuition across the two domains. It also facilitates a deeper understanding of the material by bringing into focus the similarities and differences between the two domains. The text also includes introductory chapters on communication systems and control theory. This book assumes that you have a background in calculus as well as exposure to complex numbers and elementary differential equations. Because of its thoroughness and unhurried pace, this text is highly recommended for students and those interested in self-study.

Download : Signals and Systems

Download Link 1

Download Link 2

FOR MORE SUCH BOOKS & BIOMEDICAL NOTES YOU CAN REFER TO MY SITE

BIOMEDINDIA.CO.NR

FOR BIOMEDICAL PROJECTS YOU CAN CONTACT ME ON MY ANOTHER WEBSITE

BMEINDIA.CO.NR

Biomedical Engineering (Facebook official group)

2010-01-16T21:24:00.000Z

Submit to the following GROUP on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42576152209

Biomedical Engineers from all the world United

Biomaterials: from old to new world

2010-01-13T12:32:00.000Z

Biomaterials is the term used to indicate a special class of materials, expressly used for medical applications. The ways they can be used can be directing, replacing or supporting a particular function of human body. In biomedical engineering we have always used materials like METALS, POLYMERS or CERAMICS. During the last years engineers have started to think that it's not about how devices can be designed in order to follow needs and limits of traditional materials, but how we can process materials in order to have a particular kind of device responding to our requests. This is the aim of composite materials, born to provide alternative choices to overcome failure and limits of traditional materials.

Biomaterials are expected to perform in human body, which is a very aggressive environment, many parameters vary in a large scale in different tissues, for example pH that varies from 1 to 9, or stress on bones, varying from 4 MPa to 40-80 MPa. More than this, these stresses are repetitive and fluctuating depending on the activities.

Polymers are used in many applications, mainly because they can be engineered in a wide variety of properties or forms or compositions. Anyway the problem is about the loss of mechanical properties in some applications, furthermore it's difficult choosing the sterilization processes that may affect the properties.

Ceramics are known for high compression resistance,high stiffness and good biocompatibility; on the other hand they have low fracture strength, low mechanical reliability and are difficult to fabricate, sometimes very expensive.

Metals are widely used for their high strength, resistance to wear and ductility. Drawbacks of metals include corrosion, low compatibility, release of metal ions which may cause allergic reactions and high stiffness compared to tissues.

Composite materials are the most innovative, containing in macroscopic or microscopic scale, two or more phases, usually fibers in a polymeric matrix. They can provide better performance compared to homogeneous materials. They can control the macroscopic and microscopic properties of the material through the variation of volume fractions and interfaces (grain size, porosity, size of phases).

ANYTHING ABOUT DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING

2010-01-12T17:19:00.000Z

All the notes,books and documents related to digital image processing are available only here on net and that too for free
you need not bother for anything else here

all data including the basics of digital image processing to the advanced image processing are available here
if you want to do this
go to this website
click here to enter website

DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING BY BERNARD JAHNE

2010-01-12T16:48:00.000Z

BOOK OVERVIEW

This book offers an integral view of image processing from image acquisition to the extraction of the data of interest. The discussion of the general concepts is supplemented with examples from applications on Pibased image processing systems and ready-to-use implementations of important algorithms. The fifth edition has been completely revised and extended. The most [...]

http://kushtripathi.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/digital-image-processing-by-bernard-jahne/

EDUCATIONAL CD

2010-01-08T15:44:00.000Z

NEW ADDITION
EDUCATIONAL CD & DVD FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING HAVE BEEN ADDED
LECTURE NOTES ON VARIOUS BIOMEDICAL DEVICE ADDED
GUIDE TO TROUBLESHOOT VARIOUS MEDICAL EQUIPMENTS ALSO ADDED
LECTUR NOTES ON XRAYS ALSO ADDED
VISIT
HTTP://BIOMEDINDIA.CO.NR

Announcement

2010-01-05T17:13:00.000Z

If you are interested to be member of our editorial team http://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/(biomedical engineering), please send your message to bmengineering@live.com

The purpose of biomedical engineeringhttp://bmedengineering.blogspot.com/ is to join all biomedical engineers from all the world, in order to exchange views about JOBS, SCIENCE, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, CHAT, MEDICINE ETC

Thats why we want a large number of editors!!!!

PET / CT

2010-01-03T17:20:00.000Z

What is Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET/CT) Scanning?

Sample image obtained using a combination of PET and CT imaging technology.

Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging or a PET scan, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging.

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities within the body.

Nuclear medicine or radionuclide imaging procedures are noninvasive and usually painless medical tests that help physicians diagnose medical conditions. These imaging scans use radioactive materials calledradiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers.

Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam you are undergoing, the radiotracer is either injected into a vein, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of your body being examined, where it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays. This energy is detected by a device called a gamma camera, a (positron emission tomography) PET scanner and/or probe. These devices work together with a computer to measure the amount of radiotracer absorbed by your body and to produce special pictures offering details on both the structure and function of organs and tissues.

In some centers, nuclear medicine images can be superimposed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) to produce special views, a practice known as image fusion or co-registration. These views allow the information from two different studies to be correlated and interpreted on one image, leading to more precise information and accurate diagnoses. In addition, manufacturers are now making single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) units that are able to perform both imaging studies at the same time.

A PET scan measures important body functions, such as blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar (glucose) metabolism, to help doctors evaluate how well organs and tissues are functioning.

CT imaging uses special x-ray equipment, and in some cases a contrast material, to produce multiple images or pictures of the inside of the body. These images can then be interpreted by a radiologist on a computer monitor as printed images. CT imaging provides excellent anatomic information.

Today, most PET scans are performed on instruments that are combined PET and CT scanners. The combined PET/CT scans provide images that pinpoint the location of abnormal metabolic activity within the body. The combined scans have been shown to provide more accurate diagnoses than the two scans performed separately.

ultrasounds.. information

2010-01-03T17:18:00.000Z

Therapeutic uses

Ultrasound may be used to help physicians guide needles into the body.

In situations where an intravenous line is required but it is difficult to find a vein, ultrasound guidance may be used to identify larger veins in the neck, chest wall, or groin.

Ultrasound may be used to guide a needle into a cavity that needs to be drained (for example, an abscess) or a mass that needs to be biopsied, where a small bit of tissue is removed for analysis.

What are the risks of ultrasound?

There are no known risks to ultrasound, and as technology has improved, the machines have become smaller, portable and available for use at the patient's bedside.

How do patients prepare for an ultrasound?

Preparation for ultrasound is minimal. Generally, if internal organs such as the gallbladder are to be examined, patients are requested to avoid eating and drinking with the exception of water for six to eight hours prior to the examination. This is because food causes gallbladder contraction, minimizing the size, which would be visible during the ultrasound.

In preparation for examination of the baby and womb during pregnancy, it is recommended that mothers drink at least four to six glasses of water approximately one to two hours prior to the examination for the purpose of filling the bladder. The extra fluid in the bladder moves air-filled bowel loops away from the womb so that the baby and womb are more visible during the ultrasound test.

3D ultrasound baby

2010-01-03T11:33:00.000Z

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER SUMMER/SEMESTER TRAINING IN INDIA By KUSH TRIPATHI

2010-01-03T11:30:00.000Z

I have come across a common inquiry in my blog that

Where to do biomedical training?
How to apply for biomedical training?
Which institutes offer training to biomedical students in country?
Is this training compulsory?
Why should one do training?
What is taught in training?

Taking it in reverse order first of all i would like to highlight

What happens in training?

It is a learning process that involves the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviours to enhance the performance of students.

Training is activity leading to skilled behavior.

It’s not what you want in life, but it’s knowing how to reach it
It’s not where you want to go, but it’s knowing how to get there
It’s not how high you want to rise, but it’s knowing how to take off

It may not be quite the outcome you were aiming for, but it will be an outcome
It’s not what you dream of doing, but it’s having the knowledge to do it
It’s not a set of goals, but it’s more like a vision
It’s not the goal you set, but it’s what you need to achieve it

Training is about knowing where you stand (no matter how good or bad the current situation looks) at present, and where you will be after some point of time.

Training is about the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) throughprofessional development

This was the meaning of training

SCENARIO OF SUMMER TRAINING IN INDIA

“Actually in INDIA at student’s level training is not taken seriously and people ought to unfair means of producing certificates from their links or resources”

And those who truly take training do following things

if they are going for big brands of market then they are given table jobs,thus they have to just go to the company at time for some days after that you are given a certificate of longer duration so that they can produce it in college for(PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THEIR B.E/B.TECH).(35%% of students)
Some students are worried about their future so they join some certification program from the big brands like NIIT technologies etc…;their they complete their courses on c/c++,java,dot net etc…,with the word that it will help them in getting a good future ,these institutes are also joined by those students who feel that they can’t do training at good companies because they don’t have any approach so lets pay n learn(45% students)
It has given rise to a great market of training industries in india who offer paid training and certifications

There are only 5% students who get good training in companies and that too without any approach

so it becomes too difficult for an engineer to decide about training;And it becomes more difficult for those students who study in college which not supports them in getting training.

But all this can do good if you are doing engineering in core fields like electronics,computers,it,mechanical

But when you come across training for an biomedical engineering there are very few institutes helping in this way also.

Why should an Biomedical engineer do summer training?

The answer to this question is that in whichever college you are doing biomedical engineering, there will be no good labs to help you,thus you will be practically ignorant about the things

AND also being an engineer means to be able to do practical work in the field related

engineering colleges cannot afford big machines just for the sake of practice of bunch of students in the branch so almost all college lack in their biomedical labs
(exceptions are always there)

But this very fact makes the training more necessary for biomedical engineers as theory cannot be understood well without doing practicals

you may learn all the facts given in the book but you can never practically apply them and innovate in those things

I think this is the reason why training is necessary in the engineering career

Is this training compulsory?

Training is not compulsory everywhere but their are many universities which have made it mandatory which is good

Which institutes offer training to biomedical students in country?

There are many institute who offer training in biomedical field i will highlight some of them here

Centre for biomedical engineering (IIT delhi & AIIMS joint venture)
Defence research development organisation (DRDO) IN DELHI mainly INMAS AND DIPAS
CARDEA LABS (COMPLETE BIOMEDICAL SOLUTION) only proffesional trainer for biomedical in delhi
LABVIEW TRAINING BY NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTORS
MICROCONTROLLER AND ITS APPLICATION TRAINING( MANY ARE THERE BUT TICO IS THE BEST ONE AT JANAKPURI,DELHI
MATLAB TRAINING IN NEW DELHI, NOIDA
SCIENTECH TECHNOLOGIES,INDORE
FORTIS HOSPITALS
APOLLO HOSPITAL
ESCORTS HOSPITAL

AND MANY MORE HOSPITALS IN DELHI ARE THERE BUT I AM NOT INCLUDING THEM AS THESE ARE THE BEST ONES

FOR OTHER CITIES I WILL BE UPDATING SOON DON’T WORRY!!!!!

How to apply for biomedical training?

FOR THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTACT ME I CAN TELL YOU INDIVIDUALLY I CAN’T EXPLAIN THAT THING IN WORDS

SO FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME

EMAIL:

KUSHTRIPATHI20006@GMAIL.COM

WEBSITE:

HTTP://BIOMEDINDIA.CO.NR

CONTACT NUMBER

+919899152047

jobs UK

2010-01-03T11:25:00.000Z

http://www.topjobs.co.uk/

Find your next job with Job Search - the UK's favorite internet job search - Submit your CV so that employers and recruitment agencies can match you to jobs ...

biomedical engineer job

2010-01-03T11:23:00.000Z

Job description

Biomedical engineers can be employed by health services, medical equipment manufacturers and research departments/institutes.

Typical work activities

Work activities vary, depending on where you work and the seniority of the post, but typically involve:

using computer software and mathematical models to design, develop and test new materials, devices and equipment. This can involve programming electronics; building and evaluating prototypes; troubleshooting problems; and rethinking the design until it works correctly;
liaising with technicians and manufacturers to ensure the feasibility of a product in terms of design and economic viability;
conducting research to solve clinical problems using a variety of means to collate the necessary information, including questionnaires, interviews and group conferences;
liaising closely with other medical professionals, such as doctors and therapists as well as with end-users (patients and their carers);
discussing and solving problems with manufacturing, quality, purchasing and marketing departments;
assessing the potential wider market for products or modifications suggested by health professionals or others;
arranging clinical trials of medical products;
approaching marketing and other industry companies to sell the product;
writing reports and attending conferences and exhibitions to present your work and latest designs to a range of technical and non-technical audiences;
meeting with senior health service staff or other managers to exchange findings;
dealing with technical queries from hospitals and GPs and giving advice on new equipment;
testing and maintaining clinical equipment;
training technical or clinical staff;
investigating safety-related incidents;
keeping up to date with new developments in the field, nationally and internationally.

CT head

2010-01-03T11:21:00.001Z

CT scanning of the head is typically used to detect:

bleeding, brain injury and skull fractures
bleeding due to a ruptured/leaking aneurysm in a patient with a sudden severe headache
a blood clot or bleeding within the brain shortly after a patient exhibits symptoms of a stroke
a stroke
brain tumors
enlarged brain cavities in patients with hydrocephalus
diseases/malformations of the skull
evaluate the extent of bone and soft tissue damage in patients with facial trauma, and planning surgical reconstruction
diagnose diseases of the temporal bone on the side of the skull, which may be causing hearing problems
determine whether inflammation or other changes are present in the paranasal sinuses
plan radiation therapy for cancer of the brain or other tissues
guide the passage of a needle used to obtain a tissue sample (biopsy) from the brain
assess aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations

Computed tomography CT

2010-01-03T11:17:00.000Z

A medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing.^[1] Digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation.^[2]

CT produces a volume of data which can be manipulated, through a process known as "windowing", in order to demonstrate various bodily structures based on their ability to block the X-ray/Röntgen beam. Although historically the images generated were in the axial or transverse plane, orthogonal to the long axis of the body, modern scanners allow this volume of data to be reformatted in various planes or even as volumetric (3D) representations of structures. Although most common in medicine, CT is also used in other fields, such as nondestructive materials testing. Another example is the DigiMorph project at the University of Texas at Austin which uses a CT scanner to study biological and paleontological specimens.

how MRI works

2010-01-03T11:14:00.000Z

The body is largely composed of water molecules which each contain two hydrogen nuclei or protons. When a person goes inside the powerful magnetic field of the scanner, the magnetic moments of these protons align with the direction of the field.

A radio frequency electromagnetic field is then briefly turned on, causing the protons to alter their alignment relative to the field. When this field is turned off the protons return to the original magnetization alignment. These alignment changes create a signal which can be detected by the scanner. The frequency at which the protons resonate depends on the strength of the magnetic field. The position of protons in the body can be determined by applying additional magnetic fields during the scan which allows an image of the body to be built up. These are created by turning gradients coils on and off which creates the knocking sounds heard during an MR scan.

Diseased tissue, such as tumors, can be detected because the protons in different tissues return to their equilibrium state at different rates. By changing the parameters on the scanner this effect is used to create contrast between different types of body tissue.

Contrast agents may be injected intravenously to enhance the appearance of blood vessels, tumors or inflammation. Contrast agents may also be directly injected into a joint in the case of arthrograms, MR images of joints. Unlike CT, MRI uses no ionizing radiation and is generally a very safe procedure. Patients with some metal implants, cochlear implants, and cardiac pacemakers are prevented from having an MRI scan due to effects of the strong magnetic field and powerful radio frequency pulses.

MRI is used to image every part of the body, and is particularly useful for neurological conditions, for disorders of the muscles and joints, for evaluating tumors, and for showing abnormalities in the heart and blood vessels.

MRI ..

2010-01-03T11:11:00.000Z

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body. MRI provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography (CT) does, making it especially useful in neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, andoncological (cancer) imaging. Unlike CT, it uses no ionizing radiation, but uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually)hydrogen atoms in water in the body. Radio frequency (RF) fields are used to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization, causing the hydrogen nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner. This signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to build up enough information to construct an image of the body.^[1]^:36

Magnetic resonance imaging is a relatively new technology. The first MR image was published in 1973^[2]^[3] and the first cross-sectional image of a living mouse was published in January 1974.^[4] The first studies performed on humans were published in 1977.^[5]^[6] By comparison, the first human X-ray image was taken in 1895.

Magnetic resonance imaging was developed from knowledge gained in the study of nuclear magnetic resonance. In its early years the technique was referred to as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI). However, as the word nuclear was associated in the public mind with ionizing radiationexposure it is generally now referred to simply as MRI. Scientists still use the term NMRI when discussing non-medical devices operating on the same principles. The term magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is also sometimes used.

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2010-01-02T18:47:00.000Z

....ADD HERE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Job Vacancies

2010-01-02T18:39:00.000Z

Job Vacancies (Riyadh – KSA)

Medical Equipments Sales & Marketing Manager
Bio Medical Engineer or equivalent – 8 – 10 years of experience in the Medical Equipments Industry Field

Medical Equipments Maintenance Manager
Bio Medical Engineer or equivalent – 3 – 5 years of experience in a supervisory position in the Medical Equipments Industry Field

Maintenance Engineer - X-RAY MACHINES
Bio Medical Engineer - 3 years of experience in installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of Shimadzu X ray units

Maintenance Engineer – STERILIZATION
Bio Medical Engineer - 3 years of experience in installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of Sterilization machines

Maintenance Engineer – LAB EQUIPMETNS
Bio Medical Engineer - 3 years of experience in installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of Laboratory Equipments

Medical Disposables Sales Representative
Bio Medical Engineer or equivalent – min. 2 years experience in the Medical Equipments products.

Medical equipment Sales Representative
Bio Medical Engineer or equivalent – min. 2 years experience in the Medical Equipments products.

Please apply to Hosam.mbs@gmail.com
Contact Number: 0197770060
Contact Person: Mr.Hossam Sherif
Note: please write the Job Title in the E-mail Subject field to be considered

NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE

2010-01-02T18:38:00.000Z

The naive and direct answer to the frequently posed question “what

exactly is Nanotechnology?” is to say that it is a technology

concerning processes which are relevant to physics, chemistry and

biology taking place at a length scale of one divided by 100 million of

a metre. Maybe a little bit more enlightening although equally naive is

to say that nanotechnology is the art of producing little devices and

machines, somewhat at the molecular scale . However the

scientific definition which I admit may be slightly involved for a non-

specialized person is to say that nanotechnology is a technology

applied in the grey area between classical mechanics and quantum

mechanics.

Classical mechanics is the mechanics governing the motion of

all the objects we can see with our naked eye. This is a mechanics

which obeys deterministic laws and which we can control to a very

far extent. For example, falling of an apple; if we know the height

from which the apple fell, we can find the time after which it will

reach the ground and also the speed at that very time. By contrast,

quantum mechanics which is the mechanics controlling the motion of

things like the electron, the proton, the neutron and the like is

completely probabilistic. We know nothing about the motion of the

electron except that there is a probability that the electron may be here

or there. Even crazier than this, if we know the exact location of an

electron, it is impossible to know its speed, and if we know the exact

speed of the electron it is impossible to know its exact location. This

is well stated as the ‘Heisenberg uncertainty principle’. The question

then which poses itself is ‘when does a classical object like an apple

or so changes its nature to a quantum object like an electron?’

Somewhere between these two scales these changes happen, but this

does not happen suddenly. There is a grey area between these two

scales which is neither classical nor quantum. Theoretical physicists

call it the mesoscopic system . This is what is called by non-

physicists the nanoworld. A nanosystem is therefore something which

is sufficiently small that we could not see with our naked eye and not

6even with an ordinary microscope. However it is sufficiently

larger than an electron so that we can control it in principle if we have

a very fine tool to manipulate the system.

Approaching nanotechnology from another point of view,

namely that of industrial production, we can say that the majority of

our industrial products are so far bulk industry or bulk production. To

produce a wooden chair, we take a large trunk of a tree and cut it

down to smaller sizes and fit these pieces together until we produce a

chair. However nature operates in a very different way. To produce

the trunk of a tree, nature grows a tree. It starts with a very small seed.

This seed has all the information needed to grow a tree. In

nanotechnology, we are trying partially to imitate nature and to build

things starting with atoms. So we have moved now from the

traditional bulk industry which is wasteful and accompanied by a

great deal of pollution to the atomic scale industry which we call

nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology has immense potential. In fact, nanotechnology

discoveries are currently causing a domino effect of innovation across

nearly every science and engineering field. As more and more

technologists learn the fundamentals of nanotechnology, and more

unusual nanoscale properties are understood, more powerful uses are

being imagined. Perhaps the most globally exciting nano application

is in the area of energy. Humanity’s future prosperity and energy

availability, as well as the quality of the global environment, is the

most important area that will be affected by nano applications.

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2010-01-01T22:39:00.000Z

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medica

2010-01-01T20:55:00.001Z

http://www.medica.de/

medical technology

2010-01-01T17:55:00.000Z

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5- Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, MOhttp://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18011.whtml6- Tenure-track Faculty Position in Biorobotics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MAhttp://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18091.whtml

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5- Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, MO
http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18011.whtml

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http://www.bmenet.org/BMEnet/jobs/doc/18091.whtml

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Health 2010 from January 25 to 28 th, here in Dubai. Please chekc the
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