5G in Healthcare: From COVID-19 to Future Challenges.

Worldwide up to May 2022 there have been 515 million cases of COVID-19 infection and over 6 million deaths. The World Health Organization estimated that 115,000 healthcare workers died from COVID-19 from January 2020 to May 2021. This toll on human lives prompted this review on 5G based networking primarily on major components of healthcare delivery: diagnosis, patient monitoring, contact tracing, diagnostic imaging tests, vaccines distribution, emergency medical services, telesurgery and robot-assisted tele-ultrasound. The positive impact of 5G as core technology for COVID-19 applications enabled exchange of huge data sets in fangcang (cabin) hospitals and real-time contact tracing, while the low latency enhanced robot-assisted tele-ultrasound, and telementoring during ophthalmic surgery. In other instances, 5G provided a supportive technology for applications related to COVID-19, e.g., patient monitoring. The feasibility of 5G telesurgery was proven, albeit by a few studies on real patients, in very low samples size in most instances. The important future applications of 5G in healthcare include surveillance of elderly people, the immunosuppressed, and nano- oncology for Internet of Nano Things (IoNT). Issues remain and these require resolution before routine clinical adoption. These include infrastructure and coverage; health risks; security and privacy protection of patients' data; 5G implementation with artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT; validation, patient acceptance and training of end-users on these technologies.

Design of a sensorized guiding catheter for in situ laser fenestration of endovascular stent.

PURPOSE: The in situ fenestration of a standard endograft is currently limited by difficulties in targeting the fenestration site under fluoroscopic control and by the lack of a safe method to perforate the graft. Evidence in the literature suggests the use of a 3 D electromagnetic navigator to accurately guide the endovascular instruments to the target and a laser to selectively perforate the graft. The aim of this work is to provide design guidelines to develop a sensorized catheter to guide the laser tool to the fenestration site and conduct preliminary testing of the feasibility of the proposed solution. Matherials and methods: Different catheter designs were delineated starting from engineering considerations, then prototypes were preliminarily tested to collect surgeon opinions and to steer the design process toward the preferred solution reported by the user. Finally, mechanical simulations were performed with CathCAD, a design software system for the development of composite tubing for endovascular catheters. RESULTS: Based on surgeon feedback, a 9-French steerable catheter with a stabilization system was designed. CathCAD simulations allowed us to define the construction parameters (e.g., materials and geometric constrains) for the fabrication of composite tubes with mechanical properties (flexural, axial, and torsional rigidities) compatible with target values in the literature for guiding catheters. CONCLUSION: The presented results preliminarily demonstrate the clinical reasonability and feasibility of the designed tool in terms of mechanical properties. Further mechanical tests and extensive in vitro clinical trials are required prior to animal testing.