Use of Ozonated Water for Disinfecting Gastrointestinal Endoscopes

The reprocessing of endoscopes is a complex procedure due to their structural design. In the constant search for new antimicrobial substances, recent studies with ozone have yielded great benefits. The present study evaluated the effects of ozonated water used to disinfect endoscopes comparing its efficacy with the conventional technique (2% glutaraldehyde). According to the results obtained, when ozonated water was used (330 mg.min.L^?1), induced a 2 log reduction of the viable microorganisms under the conditions tested. Ozonated water was a potent gastrointestinal endoscopic sanitizer, suggesting it is a feasible alternative for disinfection.     

In-situ monitoring of pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals crystallization processes using endoscopy–stroboscopy and multivariate image analysis

This contribution presents the proof of concept of endoscopy–stroboscopy based in situ low-cost imaging of crystallization processes. This low-cost sensor currently is widely spread in the field of medical diagnosis of human vocal chords and this work presents its application in the context of pharmaceutical and chemical crystallization process monitoring. The model compounds used in this study are the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) flufenamic acid and citric acid.     

Comparing endoscopic systems on two simulated tasks

Endoscopes are slender instruments for performing medical procedures through small incisions or natural body orifices. Three experiments examined the performance effects of various endoscope systems when naive participants executed tasks in a bladder-like environment. The systems involved a direct endoscope, requiring the user to look through a lens at the outer part of the endoscope, and a video endoscope that picks up the image via a camera attached to the endoscope and displays it on a video monitor. The results indicate that the participants performed the tasks better with video than with direct endoscopes, and showed more transfer of practice with video endoscopic surgery from a small to a large task environment than vice versa. The optimal position of the monitor with video endoscopic surgery appeared to involve a reasonable angle relative to the operating area (45° was used). Performance was less at a greater angle (90°), but also at a small angle (10°). It did not matter whether the monitor was located left, right or above the operating area. As performance did not fully transfer to differently sized task environments, endoscopists should initially train with task environments of different, and especially small, sizes.     

Divided attention during adaptation to visual-motor rotation in an endoscopic surgery simulator

We investigated how cognitive demand affects the acquisition of adaptive hand–eye coordination in a low-fidelity endoscopic simulator. Participants performed a peg transfer task. In the pre-exposure and post-exposure phases participants moved objects between pegs with forceps while directly viewing the pegboard. In the exposure phase participants completed that task while indirectly viewing the pegboard through a camera and monitor with a 90° clockwise visual rotation. A control group completed the experiment as described whereas an experimental group concurrently performed a short-term memory task (digit rehearsal) during the exposure phase. Performance was significantly disrupted during early exposure-phase performance for both groups. The cognitive task caused an additional initial performance decrement for the experimental group, but their performance quickly converged on control-group performance. Both groups performance improved over trials. Competition for attentional resources imposed by memory demands can impair simulator performance, but performers can quickly learn to compensate for the increased attentional demand.     

Evaluation of system models for an endoscopic fringe projection system

To be able to perform inline inspection of complex geometries, which exhibit for example undercuts or internal structures, a new endoscopic micro fringe projection system has been developed. It is designed to perform areal measurements for tool inspection inside the limited space of metal forming presses by employing flexible image fibers to couple the measurement system’s camera and projector to a compact sensor head. The projector features a laser light source and a digital micro-mirror device to generate high-contrast fringe patterns. To increase the depth of field of the sensor heads, custom gradient-index lenses have been designed as an approximation to the Scheimpflug principle. Challenges arise for both calibration and phase measuring algorithms from the optics, as well as from the reduction in resolution introduced by the fiber bundles. This paper presents an evaluation of two different system models for the endoscopic fringe projection system, which are based on the pinhole camera model and a black box model. An automated calibration process, which gathers the calibration data for two calibration algorithms that are robust to artifacts introduced by the optical path, is demonstrated. Based on a comparison of measurements, differences between the two modeling approaches are discussed. Finally, results of measurements of a demonstrational metal forming tool are shown as an application example.     

无线胶囊内镜便携式研究

提出了一种便携式的无线胶囊内镜系统,将系统的实现划分为前端、中端、后端3个部分,不仅减轻了吞入式无线胶囊的工作强度,还将胶囊对胃肠道影像的拍摄时间和医生对胃肠道检查的时间分离开来,增加了胃肠道检查的灵活性以及后续应用的可升级性。详细介绍了系统中端——无线视频接收盒的设计,将嵌入式技术运用于电子生物医学领域。     

虚拟内窥镜技术的研究与实现

虚拟内窥镜是用计算机处理CT或MRI获取的三维医学数据,以获得类似用标准内窥镜观察病人内脏过程观察效果的一种诊断的新方法。在广泛研究虚拟内窥镜技术的基础上,我们开发了一个小型的基于面绘制的虚拟内窥镜系统,实现了漫游过程的交互功能和动画回放,在虚拟内窥镜技术的实现上做了有益的尝试。     

Review of:“Design of Man-Computer Dialogues” By James Martin. (Englewood Cliffs,N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973.) [Pp. xiii+559.] £8.30.

Abstract

An electromyographical field study was performed in the operating theatre on four surgeons during 15 urological operations. In the course of the operations two endoscopic techniques were applied alternately: (1) direct endoscopy, and (2) monitor endoscopy. During direct endoscopy the surgeon looks into the urethra and the bladder via an endoscope. In monitor endoscopy, by contrast, the operating area is observed via a video system consisting of a camera mounted on top of the endoscope and a monitor. During the operations surface electro-myograms were derived from both trapezius muscles, the right deltoideus muscle and the left erector spinae muscle. An activity code describing the surgeons’ activity was additionally recorded. Analysis of the activity recording reveals that the monitor endoscopic method is preferred in the first third of the operations, whereas preference is given to the direct method in the last third. The electromyographical measurements indicate that during monitor endoscopy the myo-electrical activity of both trapezius muscles and of the right deltoideus muscle is significantly reduced in comparison with the activity for the direct endoscopic technique. A significant influence of the surgical technique on the myoelectrical activity could not be established for the erector spinae muscle. The electromyographical findings reveal that the activity of the shoulder musculature required for the maintenance of the posture and the performance of the operation is significantly lower in monitor endoscopy than in direct endoscopy. Consequently, a clear reduction in muscular strain can be achieved during the performance of endoscopic operations in urology if a video system is employed.     

胶囊内镜临床应用观察及影响因素分析

目的分析胶囊内镜（Capsule endoscopy,CE）在临床检查中的安全性有效性,总结并发症预防及解决办法。方法通过回顾性分析116例胶囊内镜检查临床资料。结果 116例患者中82例内镜检出阴性,21例小肠血管畸形,8例小肠间质瘤,2例克罗恩病,2例小肠钩虫病,1例放射性肠炎,阳性检出率为37.9%,检查过程中98例患者顺利完成胶囊内镜检查,12例存在幽门通过障碍,3例出现胶囊内镜设备电力不足,2例收集图像部分丢失,1例并发胶囊内镜梗阻,并发症发生率为15.5%。结论 CE在消化道疾病筛查、原因不明的消化道出血、炎症性肠病等消化系统疾病的诊断中具有重要意义。良好的临床沟通、对患者病情的预判、及早干预性治疗是顺利完成内镜检查,避免及减少并发症发生的关键。