A mechanics-based model for predicting flexible needle bending with large curvature in soft tissue.

Percutaneous insertion is one of the most common minimally invasive procedures. Compared with traditional straight rigid needles, bevel-tipped flexible needle can generate curved trajectories to avoid obstacles and sensitive organs. However, the nonlinear large deflection problem challenges the bending prediction of the needle, which dramatically influences the surgical success rate. This paper analyzed the mechanism of needle-tissue interaction, and established a mechanics-based model of the needle bending during an insertion. And then, a discretization of the bending model was adopted to accurately predict the large bending of the needle in soft tissue. Insertion experiments were conducted to validate the bending prediction model. The results showed that the large needle bending was predicted with the mean/RMSE/maximumu error of 0.42 mm / 0.26 mm / 1.08 mm, which was clinically acceptable. This proved the rationality and accuracy of the proposed model.

Vertical migration behavior simulation and prediction of Pb and Cd in co-contaminated soil around Pb-Zn smelting slag site.

Heavy metal migration in soil poses a serious threat to the soil and groundwater. Understanding the migration pattern of heavy metals (HMs) under different factors could provide a more reasonable position for pollution evaluation and targetoriented treatment of soil heavy metal. In this study, the migration behavior of Pb and Cd in co-contaminated soil under different pH and ionic strength (NaCl concentration) was simulated using convective dispersion equation (CDE). We predicted the migration trends of Pb and Cd in soils after 5, 10, and 20 years via PHREEQC. The results showed that the migration time of Cd in the soil column experiment was about 60 days faster than that of Pb, and the migration trend was much steeper. The CDE was proved to describe the migration behavior of Pb and Cd (R2 > 0.75) in soil. The predicted results showed that Cd migrated to 15-20 cm of soil within 7 years and Pb stayed mainly in the top 0-6 cm of soil within 5 years as the duration of irrigation increased. Overall, our study is expected to provide new insight into the migration of heavy metal in soil ecosystems and guidance for reducing risk of heavy metal in the environment.

A review on tissue-needle interaction and path planning models for bevel tip type flexible needle minimal intervention.

A flexible needle has emerged as a crucial clinical technique in contemporary medical practices, particularly for minimally invasive interventions. Its applicability spans diverse surgical domains such as brachytherapy, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery and others. Notably, flexible needles find utility in biopsies requiring deep skin penetration to access infected areas. Despite its minimally invasive advantages, the precise guidance of the needle to its intended target, while avoiding damage to bones, blood vessels, organs and tissues, remains a significant challenge for researchers. Consequently, extensive research has been dedicated to enhancing the steering and accuracy of flexible needles. Here, we aim to elucidate the recent advancements, trends and perspectives in flexible needle steering models and path planning over the last 15 years. The discussed models encompass various types, including symmetric-tip needles, curved-tip needles, tendon-actuated needles, programmable needles and the innovative fracture-directed waterjet needles. Moreover, the paper offers a comprehensive analysis, comparing the trajectories followed by these needle models to attain the desired target with minimal tissue damage. By delving into these aspects, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the current landscape of flexible needle technology and guides future research directions in this dynamic field.

Design and Experiment of Assistive Mechanism for Adjustment of Transrectal Ultrasound Probe.

Transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy is the most commonly used method for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. During the operation, the doctor needs to manually adjust the ultrasound probe for repeated adjustments, which is difficult to ensure the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of the operation. This paper presents a passive posture adjusting mechanism of transrectal ultrasound probe. The overall mechanism has 7 degrees of freedom, consisting of a position adjustment module, a posture adjustment module, and an ultrasonic probe rotation and feed module. In order to achieve the centering function, the posture adjustment module is designed based on the double parallelogram. Centering performance is verified based on SimMechanics, and remote center point error of physical prototypes is evaluated. The maximum error of the azimuth remote center point motion and the maximum error of the remote center point motion of the ultrasonic probe are 4 mm and 3.4 mm, respectively, which are less than the anus that can withstand 6 mm. Meanwhile, the analysis of measurement error shows that the random error correlation is weak in different directions, the systematic error confidence intervals of azimuth and elevation angle are less than 2.5 mm, and the maximum relative fixed point error and the maximum relative standard error are 14.73% and 14.98%, respectively. The simulation and testing results have shown the effectiveness and reliability of the propose mechanism.

Modeling and Experimentation of the Unidirectional Orthodontic Force of Second Sequential Loop Orthodontic Archwire.

The abnormal tooth arrangement is one of the most common clinical features of malocclusion which is mainly caused by the tooth root compression malformation. The second sequential loop is mostly used for the adjusting of the abnormal tooth arrangement. Now, the shape devise of orthodontic archwire depends completely on the doctor's experience and patients' feedback, this practice is time-consuming, and the treatment effect is unstable. The orthodontic-force of the different parameters of the second sequence loop, including different cross-sectional parameters, material parameters, and characteristic parameters, was compared and simulated for the abnormal condition of root compression deformity. In this paper, the analysis and experimental study on the unidirectional orthodontic-force were carried out. The different parameters of the second sequential loop are analyzed, and the equivalent beam deflection theory is used to analyze the relationship between orthodontic-force and archwire parameters. Based on the structural analysis of the second sequential loop, the device for measuring orthodontic force has been designed. The orthodontic force with different structural characteristics of archwire was compared and was measured. Finally, the correction factor was developed in the unidirectional orthodontic-force forecasting model to eliminate the influence of inherent error. The average relative error rate of the theoretical results of the unidirectional orthodontic-force forecasting model is between 12.6% and 8.75%, which verifies the accuracy of the prediction model.

Design and experimentation with sandwich microstructure for catalytic combustion-type gas sensors.

The traditional handmade catalytic combustion gas sensor has some problems such as a pairing difficulty, poor consistency, high power consumption, and not being interchangeable. To address these issues, integrated double catalytic combustion of alcohol gas sensor was designed and manufactured using silicon micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The temperature field of the sensor is analyzed using the ANSYS finite element analysis method. In this work, the silicon oxide-PECVD-oxidation technique is used to manufacture a SiO2-Si3N2-SiO2 microstructure carrier with a sandwich structure, while wet etching silicon is used to form a beam structure to reduce the heat consumption. Thin-film technology is adopted to manufacture the platinum-film sensitive resistance. Nano Al2O3-ZrO-ThO is coated to format the sensor carrier, and the sensitive unit is dipped in a Pt-Pd catalyst solution to form the catalytic sensitive bridge arm. Meanwhile the uncoated catalyst carrier is considered as the reference unit, realizing an integrated chip based on a micro double bridge and forming sensors. The lines of the Pt thin-film resistance have been observed with an electronic microscope. The compensation of the sensitive material carriers and compensation materials have been analyzed using an energy spectrum. The results show that the alcohol sensor can detect a volume fraction between 0 and 4,500 × 10(-6) and has good linear output characteristic. The temperature ranges from -20 to +40 °C. The humidity ranges from 30% to 85% RH. The zero output of the sensor is less than ±2.0% FS. The power consumption is ≤0.2 W, and both the response and recovery time are approximately 20 s.

Path planning for robot-assisted active flexible needle using improved Rapidly-Exploring Random trees.

In robot-assisted needle-based medical procedures, path planning for a flexible needle is challenging with regard to time consumption and searching robustness for the solution due to the nonholonomic motion of the needle tip and the presence of anatomic obstacles and sensitive organs in the intended needle path. We propose a novel and fast path planning algorithm for a robot-assisted active flexible needle. The algorithm is based on Rapidly-Exploring Random Trees combined with reachability-guided strategy and greedy heuristic strategy. Linear segments are taken into consideration to the paths, and insertion orientations are relaxed by the introduction of the linear segments. The proposed algorithm yields superior results as compared to the commonly used algorithm in terms of computational speed, form of path and robustness of searching ability, which potentially can make it suitable for the real-time intraoperative planning for clinical procedures.

Motion planning and synchronized control of the dental arch generator of the tooth-arrangement robot.

BACKGROUND: The traditional, manual method of reproducing the dental arch form is prone to numerous random errors caused by human factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the automatic acquisition of the dental arch and implement the motion planning and synchronized control of the dental arch generator of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot for use in full denture manufacture. METHODS: First, the mathematical model of the dental arch generator was derived. Then the kinematics and control point position of the dental arch generator of the tooth arrangement robot were calculated and motion planning of each control point was analysed. A hardware control scheme is presented, based on the industrial personal computer and control card PC6401. In order to gain single-axis, precise control of the dental arch generator, we studied the control pulse realization of high-resolution timing. Real-time, closed-loop, synchronous control was applied to the dental arch generator. Experimental control of the dental arch generator and preliminary tooth arrangement were gained by using the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robotic system. RESULTS: The dental arch generator can automatically generate a dental arch to fit a patient according to the patient's arch parameters. Repeated positioning accuracy is 0.12 mm for the slipways that drive the dental arch generator. The maximum value of single-point error is 1.83 mm, while the arc-width direction (x axis) is -33.29 mm. CONCLUSION: A novel system that generates the dental arch has been developed. The traditional method of manually determining the dental arch may soon be replaced by a robot to assist in generating a more individual dental arch. The system can be used to fabricate full dentures and bend orthodontic wires.

Kinematics modeling and experimentation of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot for full denture manufacturing.

Artificial teeth are very complicated in shape, and not easy to be grasped and manipulated accurately by a single robot. The method of tooth-arrangement by multi-manipulator for complete denture manufacturing proposed in this paper. A novel complete denture manufacturing mechanism is designed based on multi-manipulator and dental arch generator. Kinematics model of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot is built by analytical method based on tooth-arrangement principle for full denture. Preliminary experiments on tooth-arrangement are performed using the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot prototype system. The multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot prototype system can automatically design and manufacture a set of complete denture that is suitable for a patient according to the jaw arch parameters. The experimental results verified the validity of kinematics model of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot and the feasibility of the manufacture strategy of complete denture fulfilled by multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot.

Coordinated control and experimentation of the dental arch generator of the tooth-arrangement robot.

BACKGROUND: The traditional way of acquiring the dental arch curve form is based on manual operation, which will randomly bring numerous errors caused by human factors. The purpose of this paper is to automatically acquire the dental arch curve and implement the coordinated control of the dental arch generator of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot, which can be used in full denture manufacturing. METHODS: Based on the arc length constant theory, kinematics on dental arch generator is analyzed. The control pulse realization methods of high-resolution timing and CPU time-stamp timing are studied, and testing and comparative analysis of the control precision and stability of the two methods is carried out. Control experimentation of the dental arch generator and preliminary tooth-arrangement experimentation are performed using the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot system. RESULTS: The dental arch generator can automatically generate a dental arch curve that fits a patient according to the patient's jaw arch parameters. Repeated positioning accuracy is 0.12 mm for the slipways which drive the dental arch generator. The maximum value of single point error is 1.64 mm when the arc width direction (x-axis) is 37.25 mm. The experimental results indicate that the method of control pulse realized by high-resolution timing to achieve high precision coordinated motion control of dental arch generator of tooth-arrangement robot is feasible. The error analysis results indicate that the control strategy and technical route can fulfill the requirements for motion speed and location precision. CONCLUSION: A novel system to generate the tooth arch curve has been developed. The traditional method of manually determining the dental arch may soon become obsolete in favour of the use of a robot to assist in generating a more standard tooth arch curve. The system can be used to manufacture a full denture. It will lay an important theoretical foundation for quantitative research of oral restoration, and also provide a way to standardize the manufacturing process of full denture.

[A new method of molecular marker--RMAPD].

Random microsatellite amplify polymorphic DNA (RMAPD) is a new method of molecular marker. It can reveal genome DNA polymorphisms of organism only when random primer and microsatellite forward or reverse primer are combined together as a pair of primers by the PCR reaction system with Taq DNA polymerase, MgCl2, dNTPs and contemplate DNA. The core question of RMAPD is validity of the primers used. A lot of experiments of RMAPD in 69 Xinong Saanen dairy goats showed that RMAPD primers were effective. Comparison of RMAPD, microsatellite and RAPD markers demonstrated that RMAPD was different from each other in primers, amplification protocol and repetition. RMAPD is not equal to RAPD, but a extendable RAPD. Therefore, RMAPD is regarded as a new method of molecular marker. As it has many characteristics of DNA marker, RMAPD has a widest potential application in animal breeding and genetics, such as analysis of genetic structure and relationship and MAS.

[Research on the genetic polymorphism in crested ibis by RMAPD].

The genetic polymorphism of Yangxian artificially reared 43 crested ibises (Nipponia nippon) was firstly investigated by RMAPD (random microsatellite amplify polymorphic DNA) marker. The results showed that RMAPD was more stable and polymorphic than RAPD. 2147 bands were amplified by 12 pairs of primers,of which 93 bands had polymorphisms. The band sharing frequency and the genetic diversity index were 0.718 and 3.664, respectively, indicating that the genetic structure of crested ibis population was simple and poor genetic variations existed in crested ibis population in Yangxian. It is imperious to protect the genetic diversity of crested ibis population.

Comprehensive test of entanglement for two-level systems via the indeterminacy relationship.

A 3-setting Bell-type inequality enforced by the indeterminacy relation of complementary local observables is proposed as an experimental test of 2-qubit entanglement. The proposed inequality has the advantage of being a sufficient and necessary criterion of separability. Therefore any entangled 2-qubit state cannot escape the detection by this kind of test. It turns out that the orientation of the local testing observables plays a crucial role in our perfect detection of entanglement.

All-versus-nothing violation of local realism for two entangled photons.

It is shown that the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger theorem can be generalized to the case with only two entangled particles. The reasoning makes use of two photons which are maximally entangled both in polarization and in spatial degrees of freedom. In contrast to Cabello's argument of "all versus nothing" nonlocality with four photons [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 010403 (2001)]], our proposal to test the theorem can be implemented with linear optics and thus is well within the reach of current experimental technology.

Classifying N-qubit entanglement via Bell's inequalities.

All the states of N qubits can be classified into N-1 entanglement classes from 2-entangled to N-entangled (fully entangled) states. Each class of entangled states is characterized by an entanglement index that depends on the partition of N. The larger the entanglement index of a state, the more entangled or the less separable is the state in the sense that a larger maximal violation of Bell's inequality is attainable for this class of state.

Maximal violation of Bell's inequalities for continuous variable systems.

We generalize Bell's inequalities to biparty systems with continuous quantum variables. This is achieved by introducing the Bell operator in perfect analogy to the usual spin- 1/2 systems. It is then demonstrated that two-mode squeezed vacuum states display quantum nonlocality by using the generalized Bell operator. In particular, the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen states, which are the limiting case of the two-mode squeezed vacuum states, can maximally violate Bell's inequality due to Clauser, Horne, Shimony, and Holt. The experimental aspect of our scheme is briefly considered.