Use of Biomedical Engineering for Rehabilitation of Patients with Disability Caused by Guillain-Barré Syndrome: a Systematic Review / Uso de la Ingeniería Biomédica para Rehabilitación de Pacientes con Discapacidad Causada por el Síndrome de Guillain-Barré: Una Revisión Sistemática

Abstract This systematic review aims to assess the extent to which biomedical engineering has been applied in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), given the scarcity of information on this topic. We conducted a thorough analysis of research articles, conference abstracts, and case reports published between 2000 and 2023, specifically from ScienceDirect, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Springer, and Dimensions. 19 articles were extensively discussed, complemented by an additional 40 information sources providing supplementary information. Each paper underwent a meticulous review process by the four authors, where each separately examined the title and abstract of the papers and subsequently provided a thorough examination of the full text; when conflicts arose, a clear consensus was reached through discussion. The analysis of the articles revealed a notable improvement in upper and lower limb function of GBS patients that was facilitated by both custom-made and commercial devices. Likewise, a small handful of other devices have been used (e.g., to improve urinary retention issues). There is a clear opportunity for new research, innovation and applications.

Resumen Esta revisión sistemática tiene como objetivo evaluar hasta qué punto se ha aplicado la ingeniería biomédica en la rehabilitación de pacientes que padecen el Síndrome de Guillain-Barré (SGB), dada la escasez de información sobre este tema. Realizamos un análisis exhaustivo de artículos de investigación, resúmenes de conferencias e informes de casos publicados entre 2000 y 2023, específicamente de ScienceDirect, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Springer y Dimensions. Se discutieron ampliamente 19 artículos, complementados con 40 fuentes de información adicionales. Cada artículo pasó por un meticuloso proceso de revisión por parte de los cuatro autores, donde cada uno examinó por separado el título y el resumen de los artículos y posteriormente proporcionó un examen exhaustivo del texto completo; cuando surgieron conflictos, se alcanzó un consenso mediante la discusión. El análisis de los artículos reveló una mejora notable en la función de las extremidades superiores e inferiores de los pacientes con SGB que fue facilitada por dispositivos tanto hechos a medida como comerciales. Asimismo, se han creado un pequeño puñado de otros dispositivos, (por ejemplo, para mejorar los problemas de retención urinaria). Existe una clara oportunidad para nueva investigación, innovación y aplicaciones.

Bioactive glass:different application forms and functions by adjusting preparation process and doping elements / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Bioactive glass is a multifunctional synthetic composite material that releases active ions slowly and exhibits certain biological activities after affinity with tissues.Their versatility stems from the versatility of their preparation processes and components,allowing them to be applied in different clinical scenarios. OBJECTIVE:To review the main application forms,application fields of bioactive glass,as well as the influence of doping different elements on its function. METHODS:A literature search was conducted across WanFang Medical Database,CNKI Database,PubMed Database,and Web of Science Database,using the search terms"bioactive glass,slow-release ions,bone tissue engineering,composite scaffold,tissue regeneration and repair,biomedical engineering"in Chinese and English.The timeframe was limited from 2000 to 2023.Finally,88 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In terms of application forms,bioactive glass can be fabricated as coatings,particles,bone cements,and scaffolds according to needs.Coatings have the potential to enhance the biological activity of implants,yet they are susceptible to instability as a result of degradation.Particles offer a viable solution for the repair of irregular bone defects;however,particles produced through traditional methods often possess limited functionality.Bone cement provides the benefits of minimal invasiveness and injectability,yet its application is restricted to smaller bone defects.Scaffolds exhibit excellent mechanical properties and are commonly used for larger-sized bone defects,yet they have limited toughness.(2)In terms of applications,bioactive glass can be used in a variety of tissue regeneration and repair and disease treatment fields,including dentistry,orthopedics,soft tissue engineering,and cancer.(3)In terms of element doping,the addition of specific elements to bioactive glass not only improves its mechanical properties but also endows it with special biological functions such as bioactivity,degradability,and antibacterial properties.(4)Biologically active glass is a versatile material that can be used in different forms and functions by adjusting the preparation process and element doping to meet various clinical needs in bone tissue engineering and is widely used in the field of biomedical engineering.

Utilidad de la tecnología CAD/CAM en la fabricación de prótesis dentales

La tecnología CAD/CAM es una forma innovadora relacionada con la implementación de técnicas digitales para mejorar las restauraciones prostéticas en un paciente, entre ellas, las destinadas a la estética dental. El presente estudio tiene el objetivo de describir la utilidad de la tecnología CAD/CAM en la fabricación de prótesis dentales. Para ello se realizó una revisión de la literatura médica disponible en las bases de datos PubMed/Medline, Scopus y SciELO, mediante fórmulas de búsqueda avanzada; se seleccionaron artículos en idioma español e inglés. En la actualidad, con esta tecnología se ha logrado combinar estética, resistencia y precisión en la restauración directa, además de garantizarse una mayor duración y años de funcionalidad para cada una de las prótesis, coronas e implantes. La calidad de vida y satisfacción referidas por los pacientes portadores de piezas producidas con esta tecnología, es superior a las manifestadas por aquellos tratados con piezas de fabricación tradicional. El uso de técnicas de inteligencia artificial y biomateriales representará un cambio cualitativo y cuantitativo en el uso de los sistemas CAD/CAM.

CAD/CAM technology is an innovative way related to the implementation of digital techniques to improve prosthetic restorations in a patient, including those intended for dental aesthetics. The objective of this study is to describe the usefulness of CAD/CAM technology in the dental prostheses manufacture. A review of the medical literature available in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus and SciELO databases was carried out, using advanced search formulas; Articles in Spanish and English were selected. Currently, with this technology it has been possible to combine aesthetics, resistance and precision in direct restoration, in addition to guaranteeing greater duration and years of functionality for each of the prostheses, crowns and implants. The quality of life and satisfaction reported by patients wearing parts produced with this technology is higher than those reported by those treated with traditionally manufactured parts. The use of artificial intelligence and biomaterials techniques will represent a qualitative and quantitative change in the use of CAD/CAM systems.

Application of "Flipped Classroom" in comprehensive experiment teaching of Digital Signal Processing for biomedical engineering specialty / 中华医学教育探索杂志

"Flipped Classroom" is a new kind of "student-centered" teaching model, which can give full play to the advantages of both sides of teaching and learning. According to this teaching model, we redesigned the teaching process, in which the students studied by themselves and built their own knowledge system. Moreover, each of them took part in three stages of experimental design including digital signal collection, analysis and processing in groups. Results have shown that this model can fully stimulate students' learning interest, not only helps students to deepen understanding of digital signal processing theory knowledge, but also strengthen the ability of autonomous learning and team collaboration. The teaching model maybe have certain reference function in comprehensive experiment teaching of Digital Signal Processing course for biomedical engineering specialty.

Countermeasure analysis on the education of large medical imaging equipment metrology for the major of Biomedical Engineering / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Based on the analysis of current situation of the metrological education of large medical imaging equipment in colleges and universities at home, the advantages of major of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and the internal relation with the requirement of personnel training of metrology were systematically investigated. The necessity of carrying out education of large medical imaging equipment metrology for BME students in colleges and universities was elucidated. The specific thoughts and countermeasures were also proposed from curriculum establishment, teaching design, textbook compilation, conditional construction and teaching staff, respectively. The study is hopeful to provide guidance and help for the education of the large medical imaging equipment metrology in colleges and universities.

Construction of medical instrument experimental training platform and exploration of teaching for biomedical engineering specialties in military colleges and universities / 医疗卫生装备

The problems existing in the teaching mode of the traditional medical instrument practice course were introduced,and a medical instrument experimental training platform was constructed based on the maintenance demonstrators for monitor and ultrasound machine.Teaching reform was carried out with the developed training platform,and the teaching efficacy was analyzed deeply.References were provided for the improvement of the medical instrument practice course in the biomedical engineering specialties of military colleges and universities.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2023,44(9):92-95]

Evaluación de la Calidad de los Agentes Conversacionales para la Creación de Instrumentos de Evaluación en Medición de Señales Bioeléctricas / Evaluation of the Quality of Conversational Agents for the Creation of Evaluation Instruments in Bioelectric Signals Measurement

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar la calidad de agentes conversacionales basados en Modelos de Lenguaje Grandes, para la evaluación de aplicación de conocimiento en Ingeniería Biomédica. Se desarrolló un instrumento de evaluación sobre seis temas de medición de señales bioeléctricas elaborado por un agente humano y los agentes conversacionales Chat-GPT y Bard. Se evaluó la calidad del instrumento en términos de nivel de pensamiento, validez, relevancia, claridad, dificultad y capacidad de discriminación, mediante índice kappa (k) del acuerdo de dos expertos y análisis Rasch de resultados de treinta y ocho estudiantes. Tras eliminar siete preguntas de los agentes conversacionales por problemas de validez y originalidad se integró un instrumento de seis preguntas. Las preguntas fueron válidas y relevantes, claras (>0.95, k=1.0), con dificultad baja a alta (0.61-0.87, k=0.83), índice de discriminación adecuado (0.11-0.47), a nivel de pensamiento de análisis (k=0.22). El promedio de los estudiantes fue de 7.24±2.40. Este es el primer análisis crítico de la calidad de los agentes conversacionales a un nivel de pensamiento superior al de comprensión. Los agentes conversacionales presentaron limitaciones en términos de validez, originalidad, dificultad y discriminación en comparación con el experto humano lo que resalta la necesidad aún de su supervisión.

Abstract This research aims to evaluate the quality of conversational agents based on Large Language Models for evaluating the application of knowledge in Biomedical Engineering. An evaluation instrument was developed on six topics for measuring bioelectrical signals prepared by a human agent and the conversational agents Chat-GPT and Bard. The quality of the instrument was evaluated in terms of level of thinking, validity, relevance, clarity, difficulty, and discrimination capacity, using the kappa (k) index of the agreement of two experts and Rasch analysis of results from thirty-eight students. After eliminating seven questions from the conversational agents due to validity and originality problems, a 6-question instrument was integrated. The questions were valid and relevant, clear (>0.95, k=1.0), with low to high difficulty (0.61-0.87, k=0.83), adequate discrimination index (0.11-0.47), at the analysis level of thinking (k =0.22). The average score of the students was 7.24±2.40. This is the first critical analysis of the quality of conversational agents at a level of thinking higher than comprehension. The conversational agents presented limitations in terms of validity, originality, difficulty, and discrimination compared to the human expert, which highlights the need for their supervision.

Reseña del Libro: "Medicine-Based Informatics and Engineering" Lecture Notes in Bioengineering, Springer, 2022 / Book Review: "Medicine-Based Informatics and Engineering" Lecture Notes in Bioengineering, Springer, 2022

RESUMEN El presente trabajo es una reseña original sobre el libro "Medicine-Based Informatics and Engineering" publicado en la colección Lecture Notes in Bioengineering de Springer, en 2022, cuyos editores son los investigadores Franco Simini y Pedro Bertemes-Filho. La reseña busca sintetizar el contenido de los trabajos presentados en los capítulos centrándose en las soluciones desarrolladas. Los editores, a partir de la diversidad de los aportes, vislumbran la integración de visiones, en lo que denominan "Ingeniería Médica".

ABSTRACT This paper is an original review of the book "Medicine-Based Informatics and Engineering" published in Springer's Lecture Notes in Bioengineering collection, in 2022, whose editors are Franco Simini and Pedro Bertemes-Filho. The review aims to synthesize the content of the papers presented in the chapters focusing on the solutions developed. The editors, from the diversity of the contributions, envision the integration of visions, in what they call "Medical Engineering".

Las normas técnicas para la formación en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología y administración en salud / Technical standards for the training in biomedical engineering, health technology and health management

Introducción: Los documentos normativos establecen el estado del arte relacionado con determinado campo del conocimiento. Existe una gran cantidad de normas relacionadas con los servicios de salud y su gestión, cuya aplicación es relevante en este sector. Objetivo: Exponer la importancia de las normas técnicas en la formación de los profesionales en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología y administración en salud. Desarrollo: Diferentes aspectos relacionados con el desempeño y las funciones de los profesionales en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología de la salud y administración en salud están recogidos en normas técnicas internacionales y en otras de carácter nacional, que resultan pertinentes y de gran utilidad para su formación en el nivel de grado y el posgrado. Conclusiones: Las profesiones abordadas requieren emplear los documentos normativos relacionados con sus funciones para contribuir con la calidad de los servicios de salud; de ahí la pertinencia de su incorporación en los planes de estudio de estas carreras(AU)

Introduction: Normative documents establish the state of the art related to a certain field of knowledge. There is a large number of standards related to health services and their management, whose application is relevant in this sector. Objective: To show the importance of technical standards in the training of professionals from the fields of biomedical engineering, health technology and health management. Development: Different aspects related to the performance and functions of professionals from the fields of biomedical engineering, health technology and health management are gathered in international and other national technical standards, relevant and useful for their training at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Conclusions: The addressed professions require the use of normative documents related to their functions in order to contribute to the quality of health services, hence the relevance of their incorporation into the curriculums of these major(AU)

Las normas técnicas para la formación en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología y administración en salud / Technical standards for the training in biomedical engineering, health technology and health management

Introducción: Los documentos normativos establecen el estado del arte relacionado con determinado campo del conocimiento. Existe una gran cantidad de normas relacionadas con los servicios de salud y su gestión, cuya aplicación es relevante en este sector. Objetivo: Exponer la importancia de las normas técnicas en la formación de los profesionales en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología y administración en salud. Desarrollo: Diferentes aspectos relacionados con el desempeño y las funciones de los profesionales en ingeniería biomédica, tecnología de la salud y administración en salud están recogidos en normas técnicas internacionales y en otras de carácter nacional, que resultan pertinentes y de gran utilidad para su formación en el nivel de grado y el posgrado. Conclusiones: Las profesiones abordadas requieren emplear los documentos normativos relacionados con sus funciones para contribuir con la calidad de los servicios de salud; de ahí la pertinencia de su incorporación en los planes de estudio de estas carreras(AU)

Introduction: Normative documents establish the state of the art related to a certain field of knowledge. There is a large number of standards related to health services and their management, whose application is relevant in this sector. Objective: To show the importance of technical standards in the training of professionals from the fields of biomedical engineering, health technology and health management. Development: Different aspects related to the performance and functions of professionals from the fields of biomedical engineering, health technology and health management are gathered in international and other national technical standards, relevant and useful for their training at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Conclusions: The addressed professions require the use of normative documents related to their functions in order to contribute to the quality of health services, hence the relevance of their incorporation into the curriculums of these major(AU)

No significant effect of 3d modelling on surgical planning in spinal deformities / Nenhum efeito significativo da modelagem 3d no planejamento cirúrgico em deformidades da coluna vertebral

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of 3d printed models on surgical pre-operative planning of complex spinal deformities. Methods: In our study, five orthopedic surgeons made surgical planning of 5 patients with severe spinal deformity in three conditions: X-ray with computer tomography (X-ray-CT), 3D-computed tomography (3dCT), and 3d printed spine models. Operation plans were examined according to the level and number of instrumentations, osteotomy level, and time required for decision-making. Results: X-ray-CT, 3dCT, and 3d modeling methods were compared, and no statistically significant difference was observed in the number of screws and osteotomy score to be used in operation. The time required for decision ranking is 3d Model, 3d CT, and Xray-CT. Conclusions: 3d printed models do not influence the operative plan significantly; however, it reduces surgical planning time at pre-op duration, and those models gave some opportunities to practice with implants on a patient's 3d spine model. Level of Evidence III; Diagnostic Studies - Investigating a Diagnostic Test .

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito de modelos 3D impressos no planejamento pré-operatório cirúrgico de deformidades complexas da coluna vertebral. Métodos: Em nosso estudo, 5 cirurgiões ortopédicos fizeram o planejamento cirúrgico de 5 pacientes com deformidade espinhal grave em três condições: raio-X com tomografia computadorizada (raio X-CT), tomografia computadorizada com reconstrução 3D (3dCT) e modelo de coluna vertebral impressa (modelo 3d). Os planos de operação foram examinados de acordo com o nível e número de instrumentos, nível de osteotomia e tempo necessário para a tomada de decisão. Resultados: Foram comparados os métodos de modelagem de raio X-CT, 3dCT e modelo 3d e nenhuma diferença estatisticamente significativa foi observada no número de parafusos e escore de osteotomia a serem utilizados na operação. O ranking do tempo necessário para a tomada de decisão foi de modelo 3d, 3d CT e raio X-CT. Conclusões: Os modelos impressos em 3d não influenciam significativamente o plano operatório, porém reduzem o tempo de planejamento cirúrgico no pré-operatório e esses modelos deram algumas oportunidades de praticar com implantes no modelo de coluna 3d do paciente. Nível de evidência III; Estudos de Diagnóstico - Investigando um Teste de Diagnóstico .

Calidad de las imágenes, la lectura y el servicio de mamografía en cuatro centros de imagenología de Manizales, Colombia / Image quality, reading, and mammography service in four diagnostic imaging centers in Manizales, Colombia

Resumen | Introducción. La calidad de la mamografía está directamente relacionada con la capacidad para detectar anormalidades y, por ello, es necesario el control de calidad en los centros de imágenes diagnósticas. Objetivo. Evaluar la calidad de la imagen, la lectura y el servicio de mamografía de algunos centros de imágenes diagnósticas en Manizales, Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Cuatro centros participaron de forma voluntaria y bajo acuerdos de confidencialidad en el estudio. De las 520 mujeres atendidas en ellos, a 318 se les hicieron mamografías. A partir de una inspección visual del servicio, se evaluaron la infraestructura, la tecnología y el personal de la unidad. Un radiólogo experto en lectura e interpretación clínica de imágenes mamarias evaluó la calidad de la imagen y la de su lectura. El análisis estadístico se hizo utilizando un anova y determinando el índice kappa y el porcentaje de desacuerdo. Resultados. Se encontró falta de calidad de las imágenes obtenidas, principalmente, por presencia de artificios en el 75 % de ellas, e identificación y rotulación deficientes; además, en la toma de la proyección oblicua medio-lateral, se encontró falta de visualización del ángulo inframamario. El grado de concordancia en el reporte BI-RADS fue bajo en los cuatro centros, con diferencias importantes en el informe y la descripción de los hallazgos. Conclusión. Los centros de imágenes diagnósticas evaluados están habilitados para el funcionamiento, pero se encontraron deficiencias importantes en la calidad de las imágenes y en su lectura, lo que pone de manifiesto la necesidad de establecer estándares de calidad y mejorar los aspectos que se puedan mejorar.

Abstract | Introduction: Mammography quality is directly related to the ability to detect an abnormality and, therefore, quality control is necessary for diagnostic imaging centers. Objective: To evaluate image quality, reading, and mammography service in some diagnostic imaging centers in Manizales, Colombia. Materials and methods: Four diagnostic imaging centers participated voluntarily in the study under confidentiality agreements. Out of 520 women attending the centers, 318 had a mammography. The infrastructure, technology, and human resources of each unit were evaluated based on visual inspections. A radiologist expert in reading and clinical interpretation of mammary images evaluated the quality of the image and the reading. We made the statistical analysis using anova, the kappa index, and the percentage of disagreement. Results: We found images of diminished quality mainly due to the presence of artifacts in 75 % of those evaluated, as well as non-compliance with identification criteria and image labeling. There were difficulties in taking the lateral median oblique projection given the absence of the inframammary. The level of agreement in the BI-RADS reporting was low in the four centers with important differences in the report and description of findings. Conclusion: The city's diagnostic centers under evaluation are authorized for their operation. However, there are important deficiencies in image quality and reading, which highlights the need to seek quality standards starting from those aspects that can be improved upon.

Study of "4+ 1" integration training mode combining undergraduate and postgraduate for biomedical engineering major / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Chongqing Medical University and University of Dundee have explored the "4+ 1" integration training mode combining undergraduate and postgraduate for biomedical engineering major in 2018, including mode of education, curriculum linkage and credit recognition, contract signing and publicity, process assessment and management, and degree awarding. After repeated communication and argument, Chongqing Medical University and University of Dundee signed the contract of the "4+ 1" integration training mode in 2019. One junior student participated in the "Summer Camp of University of Dundee" in the same year, and one senior student participated in this integration training mode program in 2020. According to the feedback of the first batch of students, the "4+ 1" integration training mode can guide students from different angles, which is conducive to broadening students' international vision and injecting strong power into the cultivation of biomedical engineering talents.

Desafios para o desenvolvimento de ventiladores alternativos de baixo custo durante a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil / Challenges for the development of alternative low-cost ventilators during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

RESUMO A pandemia por COVID-19 tem deixado os gestores, os profissionais de saúde e a população preocupados com a potencial escassez de ventiladores pulmonares para suporte de pacientes graves. No Brasil, há diversas iniciativas com o intuito de produzir ventiladores alternativos para ajudar a suprir essa demanda. Para auxiliar as equipes que atuam nessas iniciativas, são expostos alguns conceitos básicos sobre fisiologia e mecânica respiratória, os termos comumente utilizados no contexto da ventilação mecânica, as fases do ciclo ventilatório, as diferenças entre disparo e ciclagem, os modos ventilatórios básicos e outros aspectos relevantes, como mecanismos de lesão pulmonar induzida pela ventilação mecânica, pacientes com drive respiratório, necessidade de umidificação de vias aéreas, risco de contaminação cruzada e disseminação de aerossóis. Após a fase de desenvolvimento de protótipo, são necessários testes pré-clínicos de bancada e em modelos animais, a fim de determinar a segurança e o desempenho dos equipamentos, seguindo requisitos técnicos mínimos exigidos. Então, é imprescindível passar pelo processo regulatório exigido pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA). A empresa responsável pela fabricação do equipamento deve estar regularizada junto à ANVISA, que também deve ser notificada da condução dos testes clínicos em humanos, seguindo protocolo de pesquisa aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. O registro do ventilador junto à ANVISA deve ser acompanhado de um dossiê, composto por documentos e informações detalhadas neste artigo, que não tem o propósito de esgotar o assunto, mas de nortear os procedimentos necessários.

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has brought concerns to managers, healthcare professionals, and the general population related to the potential mechanical ventilators' shortage for severely ill patients. In Brazil, there are several initiatives aimed at producing alternative ventilators to cover this gap. To assist the teams that work in these initiatives, we provide a discussion of some basic concepts on physiology and respiratory mechanics, commonly used mechanical ventilation terms, the differences between triggering and cycling, the basic ventilation modes and other relevant aspects, such as mechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury, respiratory drive, airway heating and humidification, cross-contamination risks, and aerosol dissemination. After the prototype development phase, preclinical bench-tests and animal model trials are needed to determine the safety and performance of the ventilator, following the minimum technical requirements. Next, it is mandatory going through the regulatory procedures as required by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária - ANVISA). The manufacturing company should be appropriately registered by ANVISA, which also must be notified about the conduction of clinical trials, following the research protocol approval by the Research Ethics Committee. The registration requisition of the ventilator with ANVISA should include a dossier containing the information described in this paper, which is not intended to cover all related matters but to provide guidance on the required procedures.

A comprehensive study on the maintenance of medical equipment at tertiary care hospital in India

Background: It is essential for any health-care facility, regardless of its size, to implement a maintenance programme for medical equipment. The maintenance not only has a positive impact on the safety and effectiveness of healthcare technology, but also increases the lifetime of equipment and thus helps to save scarce investment resources. It also enhances the demand for health services. Demand for services availability is crucial of functioning healthcare technology.Methods: A comprehensive descriptive study of the maintenance of equipment at a tertiary care corporate hospital in India from January 2012 to May 2012. A convenient sampling method was used to capture data from Key Participants which included two categories of staff viz technicians and managers/administrators. There were 40 technicians and 10 managers who responded to the questionnaire. Both the primary and secondary sources of data were used.Results: Breakdown data analysis showed that the major cause of breakdown was human errors. About 40% of breakdown that occurred in the hospital was mainly because of manual errors followed by electrical and mechanical issues.  Average down time for the time period of 5 months came to around 19 hours, which was quite high. Analysis of KAP questionnaire showed that about 55% technicians were not having the educational qualification required for handling the medical equipment, about 15% were not given training at the time of purchase of the equipment. Similarly, few managers were not aware about maintenance practices and importance of maintenance management for smooth and efficient functioning.Conclusions: Good and effective maintenance practices can reduce the cost of maintenance of equipment that arises due to breakdown. The training of equipment users and maintenance managers reduces the equipment downtime. To reduce the possibility of equipment malfunction following service or repair, all personnel involved in maintaining and servicing equipment should be trained.

Machine learning-based method for interpreting the guidelines of the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 / 生物医学工程学杂志

The outbreak of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at the end of 2019 was a major public health emergency in human history. In a short period of time, Chinese medical workers have experienced the gradual understanding, evidence accumulation and clinical practice of the unknown virus. So far, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China has issued seven trial versions of the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19". However, it is difficult for clinicians and laymen to quickly and accurately distinguish the similarities and differences among the different versions and locate the key points of the new version. This paper reports a computer-aided intelligent analysis method based on machine learning, which can automatically analyze the similarities and differences of different treatment plans, present the focus of the new version to doctors, reduce the difficulty in interpreting the "diagnosis and treatment plan" for the professional, and help the general public better understand the professional knowledge of medicine. Experimental results show that this method can achieve the topic prediction and matching of the new version of the program text through unsupervised learning of the previous versions of the program topic with an accuracy of 100%. It enables the computer interpretation of "diagnosis and treatment plan" automatically and intelligently.

Fortalecimiento de la Identidad de la Carrera de Ingeniería Biomédica en México / Strengthening of the Biomedical Engineering Career Identity in Mexico

Resumen Con el propósito de mejorar la identidad de la profesión de Ingeniería Biomédica en México, se presentan cuatro casos de situaciones identificadas como áreas de oportunidad para fortalecer el marco de acción de dicha profesión, junto con propuestas concretas de acciones que permitan darle solución. Fortaleciendo la identidad de los profesionales en Ingeniería Biomédica en México, dando un sentido de pertinencia y estableciendo una comunidad sólida y encausada, se podrán generar mejores oportunidades laborales en el País.

Abstract With the purpose of betterment of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) profession in Mexico, four cases are presented of identified opportunity areas situations that could strength the activity frame of such profession, along with concrete proposals of actions that can provide with solutions. Strengthening the identity of BME professionals in Mexico, giving a sense of pertinence and establishing a solid and compromised community, better work opportunities could be achieved in the Country.

Research progress on the mechanism of circular RNA involved in stem cell differentiation and its prospect of tissue engineering application / 生物医学工程学杂志

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a type of single-stranded RNA that binds in a closed loop structure by covalent bond. It is highly expressed and has diverse functions in the eukaryotic transcriptome, and it also has the potential to regulate the process of cell differentiation. Stem cells are important seed cells and common research tools in the field of tissue engineering, which have multi-directional differentiation potential and low immunogenicity. Its clinical application for the treatment of diseases has broad prospects, and the research on their differentiation mechanism has gradually penetrated to the molecular level. A number of studies have shown that circRNA participates in stem cell differentiation and plays a key role through a variety of pathways. This article focuses on the expression changes of circRNA during stem cell differentiation and its research advancement in regulating the differentiation mechanism of various stem cells. The review also prospects its possible role in tissue regeneration and repair, in order to further study the molecular mechanism of circRNA involved in stem cell differentiation and provide ideas for clinical practice of stem cells in biomedical engineering.

Scientific experiment exploration course of biomedical engineering specialty / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To study the teaching innovation of the scientific experiment exploration course in biomedical engineering specialty based on its characteristics involving in animal physiological parameters acquisition, circuit system design, signal processing and etc. Methods The course aimed to guide the student in observation learning, practice and inquiry with considerations on course significance,basic principles for designing the course,implementation scheme of course teaching, suggestions for course improvement, instances of practical teaching and etc. Results Four basic principles were proposed for course teaching. An implementation scheme was determined with emphases on teaching materials, theory, practice, discussion and exploration. The course had the rule being inquiry, and some suggestions were put forward about student feedback, scientific research progress, experiment platform renewal and etc. Conclusion Teaching practice proves that the improved course contributes to enhancing the student's understanding of experiment exploration of biomedical engineering specialty and to promoting multi-discipline fusion and cross-over personnel training, and thus is of great reference for other universities.