Virtual registration of comminuted bone fracture and preoperative assessment of reconstructed bone model using the Procrustes algorithm based on CT dataset.

A research work was undergone in a virtual bone reduction process for reconstruction of the comminuted pelvic bone fracture using a CT scan dataset of patients. This includes segmentation, 3D model optimization and bone registration technique. The accuracy of the reconstructed bone model was validated using Finite Element Method. Analysed and applied various segmentation techniques to segregate the injured bone structure. The ICP (Iterative Closest Point), Procrustes algorithm and Canny edge detection algorithm were applied to understand the bone registration process for surgery in detail. The average RMS error, mean absolute distance, mean absolute deviation, and mean signed distance of the reconstructed bone model using proposed algorithms involving 10 patient datasets in a group were found to be 1.77, 1.48, 1.51 and -0.31 mm respectively. The calculated RMS error value proved minimal error in semi-automatic registration than other existing automatic registration techniques. Therefore, the proposed approach is suitable for virtual bone reduction for comminuted pelvic bone fracture. This method could also be implemented for various other bone fracture reconstruction requirements.

A review of additive manufacturing applications in ophthalmology.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) capabilities in terms of product customization, manufacture of complex shape, minimal time, and low volume production those are very well suited for medical implants and biological models. AM technology permits the fabrication of physical object based on the 3D CAD model through layer by layer manufacturing method. AM use Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), and 3D scanning images and these data are converted into surface tessellation language (STL) file for fabrication. The applications of AM in ophthalmology includes diagnosis and treatment planning, customized prosthesis, implants, surgical practice/simulation, pre-operative surgical planning, fabrication of assistive tools, surgical tools, and instruments. In this article, development of AM technology in ophthalmology and its potential applications is reviewed. The aim of this study is nurturing an awareness of the engineers and ophthalmologists to enhance the ophthalmic devices and instruments. Here some of the 3D printed case examples of functional prototype and concept prototypes are carried out to understand the capabilities of this technology. This research paper explores the possibility of AM technology that can be successfully executed in the ophthalmology field for developing innovative products. This novel technique is used toward improving the quality of treatment and surgical skills by customization and pre-operative treatment planning which are more promising factors.

Development of 3D Printed Smartphone-Based Multi-Purpose Fundus Camera (MultiScope) for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a prominent source of low vision and blindness in preterm babies. Wide-Field Digital Retinal Imaging (WFDRI) systems acquire accurate digital images which are very useful for identification, documentation and transmitting the various retinal diseases. This telemedicine technique has potential for an alternative tool for Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscopy (BIO) in ROP screening, but it is very expensive and accessibility for poor communities is limited. Capabilities of good illumination, high resolution camera and processing speed of the modern smartphones are being identified as a substitute. Potential applications of 3D printing is that it provides a severe impact in medical field, especially in ophthalmology sector. Competences of 3D printing are very useful for the development of retinal camera from any smartphone with the help of 3D printable devices. The primary aim of this study is to develop a handheld 3D printed smartphone-based multi-purpose fundus camera for ROP screening. The secondary aim is to check the feasibility and compare the digital fundus images obtained from the developed fundus camera against the commercial RetCam imaging. The proposed cost effective and remote reading device is an alternative to WFDRI for ROP screening and can improve the potential of ROP care for low resource communities.

Design and development of model eye for retina laser by using additive manufacturing.

Surgical skill of the surgeon can be improved by surgical simulation. Especially in ophthalmology, it is impossible to use real human/non-human primate eyes for ophthalmology surgery practice. However, surgical practice is most important for ophthalmologist. The retina laser surgery is one of the ophthalmology surgeries and it requires more surgical practice for surgeons to use the laser beam precisely to coagulate and fuse small areas of tissue. Dealing with the prospect of vision reduction or vision loss presents a peculiar problem and that can be highly stressful and frustrating for both doctors and patients. In this regard, training for indirect ophthalmoscopy and retinal photocoagulation is undergone using model eyes instead of real eyes. Properties and functioning of an existing model eye are huge and they differ from real human eye such as casings are completely rigid and focusing of retinal fundus is not completely covered. Therefore, this research concentrates to develop a model eye that assimilates close to the human eye by focussing on the maximum viewing area that is not done at the moment. Finally, the design and development of re-engineered model eye for retina laser is fabricated by additive manufacturing. Compared to existing plastic model eye, viewing area and viewing angle of the re-engineered model eye is increased by 16.66% and 6.14%, respectively. Due to design modifications and elimination of the insert, it can be reduced by 18.99% and 13.95% of height and weight of the top casing respectively. Developed re-engineered model eye will improve the surgical and diagnostic skill of the surgeon and increase their confidence and proficiency. It also augments the effective use of essential ophthalmic instruments. Additionally, it can reduce the surgical error and meet the existing demand of actual eyes for surgical practices.

Olfactory axon pathfinding: who is the pied piper?

Mammalian olfactory sensory neurons that express a particular odorant receptor (OR) project axons to the same few glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. In this issue of Neuron, Vassalli et al. use OR minigenes that coexpress histochemical markers and show that the determinants in the sensory neurons required to generate the stereotyped olfactory bulb map are the same as those needed for appropriate expression of the OR.

What evidence do we need for biomarker qualification?

Biomarkers can facilitate all aspects of the drug development process. However, biomarker qualification-the use of a biomarker that is accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-needs a clear, predictable process. We describe a multistakeholder effort including government, industry, and academia that proposes a framework for defining the amount of evidence needed for biomarker qualification. This framework is intended for broad applications across multiple biomarker categories and uses.

NINDS translational programs: priming the pump of neurotherapeutics discovery and development.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently issued a new suite of funding opportunities for neurotherapeutics development. The goals are to build a contiguous bridge from basic science, accelerate the advancement of promising projects to clinical testing with the contributions of multidisciplinary teams, and enhance hand-off to subsequent funders.

Synthesis, anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory studies of new 1,4-dihydropyridin-4-yl-phenoxyacetohydrazones.

The present work involves design and synthesis of new substituted 1,4-dihydropyridin-4-yl-phenoxyacetohydrazones (4a-s, 5a-h), starting from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The final compounds were screened for their in vivo anticonvulsant activity by MES, scPTZ and 6 Hz methods, while their anti-inflammatory screening was performed by Carrageenan induced Paw Edema method. The results indicated that compounds carrying electron donating groups are anticonvulsant active, while most of the tested compounds exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. Compounds 4k, l, 4p-s, and 5c showed rapid anti-inflammatory activity within 30 min and appeared as lead compounds. Further, Neurotoxicity study revealed that all the tested compounds are non-toxic up to 300 mg/kg doses. Selected compounds were also subjected to analgesic screening following Tail immersion method and they exhibited good activity.