[A Capacitive Venous Transfusion Alertor Based on NB-IoT].

This capacitive venous transfusion alertor is based on rise time of RC circuit and input capture function of timer in the microcontroller. The measure element of alertor is integrated with circuit board, it has the advantages of simple structure and low cost. Combined with narrow band intent of things(NB-IoT) technology to upload data, it can reduce the workload of medical personnel and caregivers, avoid unnecessary trouble and danger.

A novel vehicle stationary detection utilizing map matching and IMU sensors.

Precise navigation is a vital need for many modern vehicular applications. The global positioning system (GPS) cannot provide continuous navigation information in urban areas. The widely used inertial navigation system (INS) can provide full vehicle state at high rates. However, the accuracy diverges quickly in low cost microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based INS due to bias, drift, noise, and other errors. These errors can be corrected in a stationary state. But detecting stationary state is a challenging task. A novel stationary state detection technique from the variation of acceleration, heading, and pitch and roll of an attitude heading reference system (AHRS) built from the inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors is proposed. Besides, the map matching (MM) algorithm detects the intersections where the vehicle is likely to stop. Combining these two results, the stationary state is detected with a smaller timing window of 3 s. A longer timing window of 5 s is used when the stationary state is detected only from the AHRS. The experimental results show that the stationary state is correctly identified and the position error is reduced to 90% and outperforms previously reported work. The proposed algorithm would help to reduce INS errors and enhance the performance of the navigation system.

Insulin pump (dose-to-dose) accuracy: what does it mean and when is it important?

This article reviews the concept of using the proper methods for the proper task, in this case measuring dose-to-dose accuracy of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps.

Hand-writing motion tracking with vision-inertial sensor fusion: calibration and error correction.

The purpose of this study was to improve the accuracy of real-time ego-motion tracking through inertial sensor and vision sensor fusion. Due to low sampling rates supported by web-based vision sensor and accumulation of errors in inertial sensors, ego-motion tracking with vision sensors is commonly afflicted by slow updating rates, while motion tracking with inertial sensor suffers from rapid deterioration in accuracy with time. This paper starts with a discussion of developed algorithms for calibrating two relative rotations of the system using only one reference image. Next, stochastic noises associated with the inertial sensor are identified using Allan Variance analysis, and modeled according to their characteristics. Finally, the proposed models are incorporated into an extended Kalman filter for inertial sensor and vision sensor fusion. Compared with results from conventional sensor fusion models, we have shown that ego-motion tracking can be greatly enhanced using the proposed error correction model.

A novel device for the calibration of sonic and ultrasonic recording transducers.

Recently, there has been an increase in the analysis of animal vocalizations in behavioral neuroscience as a social cue or indicator of neurological integrity. Despite the multitude of researchers examining vocalizations in a variety of species, no inexpensive, tunable devices currently exist to calibrate the amplification applied to such vocalizations before data are collected. Many commercially available recording systems have analog adjustments for gain, but such methods are notoriously unreliable and highly variable. Without a consistent level of gain, the amplitudes of recorded acoustic signals cannot be reliably compared. Here, we describe an apparatus designed to fulfill this need, which we have labeled the Calibration Unit for Recording Transducers (CURT). To maximize application to various fields, its emitted frequency and amplitude are tunable to output frequencies in both human-sonic (20 Hz-20 kHz) and human-ultrasonic ranges (20 Hz-100 kHz). Additionally, it is a portable (weighing approximately 180 g), customizable, stand-alone unit, and fits a variety of microphone connector types. The CURT is also relatively low cost to build (under 250.00 USD), thereby making such a device available to as many researchers as possible in animal behavior and neuroscience.

Support loss and Q factor enhancement for a rocking mass microgyroscope.

A rocking mass gyroscope (RMG) is a kind of vibrating mass gyroscope with high sensitivity, whose driving mode and sensing mode are completely uniform. MEMS RMG devices are a research hotspot now because they have the potential to be used in space applications. Support loss is the dominant energy loss mechanism influencing their high sensitivity. An accurate analytical model of support loss for RMGs is presented to enhance their Q factors. The anchor type and support loss mechanism of an RMG are analyzed. Firstly, the support loads, powers flowing into support structure, and vibration energy of an RMG are all developed. Then the analytical model of support loss for the RMG is developed, and its sensitivities to the main structural parameters are also analyzed. High-Q design guidelines for rocking mass microgyroscopes are deduced. Finally, the analytical model is validated by the experimental data and the data from the existing literature. The thicknesses of the prototypes are reduced from 240 µm to 60 µm, while Q factors increase from less than 150 to more than 800. The derived model is general and applicable to various beam resonators, providing significant insight to the design of high-Q MEMS devices.

Cell cultures in microsystems: biocompatibility aspects.

Bio-Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (BioMEMS) are a new tool in life sciences, supporting cell biology research by providing reproducible and miniaturized experimental platforms. In order to cultivate cells in such systems, appropriate microenvironmental conditions are required. Due to the multitude and variety of microbioreactors and cultivated cell types available, standardized cell handling methods and comprehensive biocompatibility data are sparse. The bioreactor developed at Ilmenau University of Technology features BioMEMS consisting of silicon, glass, and polymers, supplied by peripheral components. To verify the system's suitability for cell cultivation, it was necessary to prove whether materials and surfaces are biocompatible. Custom-tailored biocompatibility test procedures along with adequate cell seeding and handling methods had to be developed. According to this, proper positive and negative control samples had to be identified. The cultivation procedures were carried out using osteoblast-like murine fibroblasts (MC3T3-E1) and primary human osteoblasts (hOB). We could provide evidence that cultivation of these cells in our BioMEMS is feasible. In this context the relevant materials and the system's structure can be regarded as to be biocompatible. We could show that cell seeding and handling methods possess a strong impact on growth, development, and cellular activity of cell cultures in BioMEMS. Statistical biocompatibility data for the materials used is given.

An alignment procedure for ambulatory measurements of lower limb kinematic using magneto-inertial sensors.

In this work, an alignment procedure of magneto-inertial units in the Special Orthogonal Space SO(3) is presented and discussed. The procedure, designed for ambulatory measurements of lower limb kinematic, is based on simple rotation movements around anatomical axes of hip joint and its accuracy is independent of the speed as well as the range of the movements. This is particularly important for movement analysis of subjects with motor impairments. Despite such procedure was designed for lower limb movement analysis, it can be applied to every anatomical compartment (e.g.: upper limb).

Enhancement of silicon using micro-patterned surfaces of thin films.

Micro-textured biomaterials might enhance cytocompatibility of silicon-based micro-electro-mechanical system (bio-MEMS) dummies. Photolithography-physical vapour deposition was used to produce diamond-like carbon (DLC) or Ti squares and circles on silicon, and also their inverse replicas; then DLC and Ti were compared for their guiding potential, using a SaOS-2 cell model. Scanning electron microscopy at 48 hours indicated cells were well-spread on large-sized patterns (several cells on one pattern) and assumed the geometrical architecture of underlying features. Medium-sized patterns (slightly smaller than solitary indicator cells) were inhabited by singular cells, which stretched from one island to another, assuming longitudinal or branching morphologies. On small-sized patterns (much smaller than individual cells;rpar; cells covered large micro-textured areas, but cellular filopodia bypassed the bare silicon. Immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated that the actin cytoskeleton and vinculin-containing adhesion junctions were present on the patterned areas, but not on the bare silicon. Cell density/coverage disclosed a 3.4-3.7-fold preference for the biomaterial patterns over silicon substrate (p 0.001). Differences in the cellular response between materials were lost at 120 hours when cells were confluent. The working hypothesis was proven; enhancement by micro-patterning depends on the pattern size, shape and material and can be used to improve biocompatibility during the initial integration phase of the device.

Fabrication of a flexible micro CO sensor for micro reformer applications.

Integration of a reformer and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is problematic due to the presence in the gas from the reforming process of a slight amount of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisons the catalyst of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell subsequently degrading the fuel cell performance, and necessitating the sublimation of the reaction gas before supplying to fuel cells. Based on the use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to manufacture flexible micro CO sensors, this study elucidates the relation between a micro CO sensor and different SnO2 thin film thicknesses. Experimental results indicate that the sensitivity increases at temperatures ranging from 100-300 °C. Additionally, the best sensitivity is obtained at a specific temperature. For instance, the best sensitivity of SnO2 thin film thickness of 100 nm at 300 °C is 59.3%. Moreover, a flexible micro CO sensor is embedded into a micro reformer to determine the CO concentration in each part of a micro reformer in the future, demonstrating the inner reaction of a micro reformer in depth and immediate detection.