Anterioposterior Views Coupled With Lateral Views Are the Best for the Intraoperative Radiographic Detection of Retained Surgical Sponges.

INTRODUCTION: A retained sponge after spine surgery can cause serious medical complications and medicolegal problems. Intraoperative radiographs are commonly used to detect it. This study evaluated intraoperative radiographs under routine clinical conditions that most spine surgeons experience to detect retained sponges. METHODS: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, two patient groups undergoing open posterior lumbar surgery were studied. In one, a sponge was intentionally present; in the other, none was present. Standard intraoperative lateral (LAT) and anteroposterior (AP) radiographs were acquired before closing. Radiographs were analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, inter- and intraobserver reliability for three viewing conditions: one LAT radiograph versus one AP radiograph versus one LAT and one AP X-ray (LAT+AP). RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were included. Accuracy, interobserver reliability, and intraobserver reliability were best for LAT+AP (80%, 96%, and 96%, respectively). Sensitivity was best for LAT+AP (87%) and specificity was best for LAT (95%). Positive predictive value was best for LAT (94%); negative predictive value was best for LAT+AP (88%). The probability of being right is better for female sex (odds ratio 1.6), younger age (odds ratio 1.02), and higher BMI (odds ratio 1.06). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend AP with LAT images rather than either an AP or a LAT image alone.

Verification of embedding conditions for FBG sensor into textile product for the development of wearable healthcare sensor.

BACKGROUND: To develop wearable healthcare sensors that use fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, a stretch textile product with an embedded FBG sensor is required. OBJECTIVE: The FBG sensor, which is an optical fiber, was embedded into a textile product following a wavy pattern by using a warp knitting machine. METHODS: When an optical fiber is embedded in a textile product, the effect of the cycle length of wavy pattern and the number of cycles on the optical loss is verified. The shorter the cycle length of the wavy pattern of the optical fiber, and more increase in the number of cycles, the longer the textile product in which the optical fiber is embedded can expand and contract. However, when the cycle length of the wave pattern is 30 mm (shortest), large in optical loss, the pulse wave signal cannot be measured. If the cycle length of the wavy pattern is 50 mm or more, small in optical loss, the pulse wave signal is measured. RESULTS: Compared with a straight pattern embedding FBG sensor, the amplitude value of the pulse wave signal measured with a cycle length of 50 mm is large, therefore the sensor sensitivity in this state is greater. This result is consistent with the measurement sensitivity depending on the angle of installation with respect to the direction of the artery. CONCLUSION: With a cycle length of wavy pattern of 50 mm and 4 cycles, a stretch textile product with an embedded FBG sensor can be fabricated. Pulse wave signals are measured with this textile product, and the development of wearable healthcare sensors is expected.

A New Washable UHF RFID Tag: Design, Fabrication, and Assessment.

This paper deals with the design and fabrication of durable radio frequency identification (RFID) passive tag with inductive coupling, operating at ultra-high frequencies, dedicated to the identification and monitoring of professional textile products. A reliable architecture for the tag transponder is proposed, featuring a minimal number of galvanic contacts: The two pins of the integrated circuit are connected to the terminals of the inductive coupling loop by using surface mount technology welding. The transponder is encapsulated with an electrically insulating material which is waterproof and resistant to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stress. The antenna is inductively coupled to the transponder through a double loop which substantially reduces the length of the tag and significantly improves the coupling factor, enabling the tag to operate at a low power level. The reliability and flexibility of the tag is obtained by using appropriate materials and manufacturing methods for the ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna by embroidering a multifilament stainless steel wire on textile support. The washing cycle tests have validated the applicability of this flexible and washable RFID tag, and its electromagnetic performance was experimentally assessed in an independent laboratory.

Let's Talk about TEX-Understanding Consumer Preferences for Smart Interactive Textile Products Using a Conjoint Analysis Approach.

Interactive textiles are reaching maturity. First technology augmented textiles in form of clothes and furnitures are becoming commercially available. In contrast to the close link between technological development and innovations, future users' acceptance and usage of such interactive textiles has not been integrated sufficiently, yet. The current study investigates future users' consumer behavior and acceptance of interactive textiles using a scenario-based conjoint analysis study, which was presented in an online questionnaire ( n = 324 ). Two prototypical interactive textiles were focused on: a smart jacket and a smart armchair. To assess the textile products, the participants had to choose the preferred product alternative consisting each of the acceptance-relevant factors "connectivity", "input modality", "feature range", "usability", and "ease of cleaning"and their respective levels. The results revealed that the "ease of cleaning" is the most important decision criterion for both textile devices (even more important for the smart jacket), followed by "feature range", "connectivity", and "usability". In contrast, the "input modality" is perceived as least important. The study also identified user profiles based on the projected consumer behavior ("adopters", "rejecters", and "undecided") for both products. Besides the differences in product evaluation and projected consumer behavior, the user groups are significantly influenced by the individual affinity to textiles (both products) and gender (smart jacket). The findings are used to derive design and communication guidelines referring to interactive textiles in order to incorporate users' needs, wishes, and requirements into future products.

Spinal textiloma (gossypiboma): a report of three cases misdiagnosed as tumour.

BACKGROUND: Textile products commonly used in surgery (e.g., sponges or gauze) have been known to cause complications after spinal surgery. Associated complications usually arise months or even years after the primary surgery. In case of spine surgery, these bodies are often detected during neuroradiological evaluations to investigate reported back pain; however, this complication often remains asymptomatic. AIMS: The research is intended to increase awareness among both spinal surgeons and neuroradiologists of this potential complication. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: This study is a retrospective case series of three patients with retained surgical textile products who had been misdiagnosed with spinal tumour. The medical records of the patients were reviewed and demographic data, clinical aspects, initial diagnosis, surgical procedures, time interval between previous operation and onset of symptoms, laboratory findings, radiological findings, treatment, and outcome were analysed. RESULTS: The three patients included two women and one man aged between 64 and 67 years. All patients had a previous surgery for lumbar disc herniation. The time from the previous surgical procedures to presentation ranged from 3 to 17 years. All patients presented with non-specific lower back pain and/or radiculopathy without clinical findings of infection. Laboratory parameters were otherwise normal. All three cases had been misdiagnosed as a spinal tumor based on magnetic resonance imaging findings. During new surgical procedures, gauze bandages, i.e., surgical textiles left during a previous operation, were found. CONCLUSION: Textiloma is an important and rarely mentioned potential neurosurgical complication that may remain asymptomatic for years. They are more common in obese patients, after emergency surgery, and with unplanned changes in surgical procedure such as bleeding and unintended neurosurgical complications. Neuroradiological findings are variable and non-specific; thus, patients could be misdiagnosed with a spinal tumor or abscess. Likewise, in patients with a history of spinal surgery, spinal abscesses, haematomas, hypertrophic scars, fibrosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, and schwannomas should definitely be considered in the differential diagnosis and considered when planning diagnostic procedures. Appropriate antibiotic therapy is recommended when a suppurative complication is present or suspected. Textiloma is a medico-legal complication that can be prevented by the education of surgical staff, the counting method (preoperatively, at closure, and at the end), and use of products with radiopaque barcodes.