Biomechanical analysis of the novel S-type dynamic cage by implementation of teaching learning based optimization algorithm - An experimental and finite element study.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) is the most popular and effective procedure for patients with intervertebral disc degeneration, where the degenerated disc is replaced with an interbody implant (widely known as cage). The design of the cage plays a vital role since it has to provide stability for the anterior cervical column without any side-effects. We designed a novel S-type dynamic cage for C4-C5 level, using Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material considering four different shapes namely: square, circle, rectangle and elliptical, for the central window to occupy bone graft. The major design constrain for a successful cage is minimized cage stress, in order to avoid subsidence. Finite Element (FE) analysis results revealed that the cage stress values obtained during the physiological motion varied depending upon the shape of the central window provided for bone graft. The objective of this study is to optimize the central window shape using the Teaching Learning Based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm. It was found that square and elliptical shape bone graft cavity resulted in better outcomes. Additional experimental study was also conducted with a six-axis spine simulator. Based on the optimization results, we manufactured two PEEK cage models with square and elliptical shaped central window using additive manufacturing. A prototype model of the C4-C5 level made of Polyvinylchloride (PVC) was used for experiment due to the existing constraints for using a cadaveric model. The experimental results were cross-verified using FE analysis. Thus, we would like to conclude that square and elliptical shape of the central window were the better design factor for our novel dynamic cage.

A proposed health monitoring system using fuzzy inference system.

Due to the busy schedule of every human being in today's world, consciousness towards one's health has become quite alarming. A person suffering from any chronic disease needs a gradual, regular and close monitoring to recover from the disease or to be under control. Because of heavy work pressure, anxiety, change of weather and location or due to some other causes, the effect of the diseases can turn up into an appalling state. Two vital aspects of human diseases are blood pressure (hypertension) and blood sugar imbalance. Hypertension is one of the complications of prolonged untreated diabetes. Other organs like kidney, eye and peripheral nerves are also involved. The various gradations of hypertension and diabetes are required to understand for the progression of the disease and to make plan for the treatment. So these two aspects are considered in this article. The idea is to develop a logic, which could be incorporated in a pocket friendly device in future that would generate an alarm whenever there is imbalance in blood sugar or blood pressure levels. The concept of the fuzzy inference rule and first-order logic is implemented to develop this study.