ABSTRACT
The misalignment of the resonant coils in wireless power transfer (WPT) systems causes a sharp decrease in transfer efficiency. This paper presents a method which improves the misalignment tolerance of WPT systems. Based on electromagnetic simulations, the structural unit parameters of the electromagnetic material were extracted, and an experimental prototype of a four-coil WPT system was built. The influence of electromagnetic metamaterials on the WPT system under the conditions of lateral misalignment and angular offset was investigated. Experiments showed that the transfer efficiency of the system could be maintained above 45% when the transfer distance of the WPT system with electromagnetic metamaterials was 1 m and the resonant coils were shifted laterally within one coil diameter. Furthermore, the system transfer efficiency could be stabilized by more than 40% within an angle variation range of 70 degrees. Under the same conditions, the transfer efficiency of a system without electromagnetic metamaterials was as low as 30% when lateral migration occurred, and less than 25% when the angle changed. This comparison shows that the stability of the WPT system loaded with electromagnetic metamaterials was significantly enhanced.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The clinical management of patients with thyroid nodules that are biopsied by fine-needle aspiration cytology and yield indeterminate results remains unsettled. The BRAF V600E mutation has dubious diagnostic value due to its low sensitivity. Novel strategies are urgently needed to distinguish thyroid malignancies from thyroid nodules. DESIGN: This prospective study included 504 thyroid nodules diagnosed by ultrasonography from 468 patients, and fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed under ultrasound guidance. Cytology and molecular analysis, including BRAF V600E, RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3, were conducted simultaneously. The cytology, ultrasonography results, and mutational status were gathered and analyzed together. Predictive scoring systems were designed using a combination of diagnostic parameters for ultrasonography, cytology and genetic analysis. The utility of the scoring systems was analyzed and compared to detection using the individual methods alone or combined. RESULT: The sensitivity of scoring systema (ultrasonography, cytology, BRAF V600E, RET/PTC) was nearly identical to that of scoring systemb (ultrasonography, cytology, BRAF V600E); these were 91.0% and 90.2%, respectively. These sensitivities were significantly higher than those obtained using FNAC, genetic analysis and US alone or combined; their sensitivities were 63.9%, 70.7% and 87.2%, respectively. Scoring systemc (ultrasonography, cytology) was slightly inferior to the former two scoring systems but still had relatively high sensitivity and specificity (80.5% and 95.1%, respectively), which were significantly superior to those of single cytology, ultrasonography or genetic analysis. In nodules with uncertainty cytology, scoring systema, scoring systemb and scoring systemc could elevate the malignancy detection rates to 69.7%, 69.7% and 63.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These three scoring systems were quick for clinicians to master and could provide quantified information to predict the probability of malignant nodules. Scoring systemb is recommended for improving the detection rate among nodules of uncertain cytology.