Splanchnic nerve neurolysis via the transdiscal approach under fluoroscopic guidance: a retrospective study

Background@#Neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) is a typical treatment for severe epigastric cancer pain, but the therapeutic effect is often affected by the variation of local anatomical structures induced by the tumor. Greater and lesser splanchnic nerve neurolysis (SNN) had similar effects to the NCPB, and was recently performed with a paravertebral approach under the image guidance, or with the transdiscal approach under the guidance of computed tomography. This study observed the feasibility and safety of SNN via a transdiscal approach under fluoroscopic guidance. @*Methods@#The follow-up records of 34 patients with epigastric cancer pain who underwent the splanchnic nerve block via the T11-12 transdiscal approach under fluoroscopic guidance were investigated retrospectively. The numerical rating scale (NRS), the patient satisfaction scale (PSS) and quality of life (QOL) of the patient, the dose of morphine consumed, and the occurrence and severity of adverse events were recorded preoperatively and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after surgery. @*Results@#Compared with the preoperative scores, the NRS scores and daily morphine consumption decreased and the QOL and PSS scores increased at each postoperative time point (P < 0.001). No patients experienced serious complications. @*Conclusions@#SNN via the transdiscal approach under flouroscopic guidance was an effective, safe, and easy operation for epigastric cancer pain, with fewer complications.

Process in menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of central nervous system diseases / 生物工程学报

Stem cell research has become a frontier in the field of life sciences, and provides an ideal model for exploring developmental biology problems such as embryogenesis, histiocytosis, and gene expression regulation, as well as opens up new doors for clinical tissue defective and inheritance diseases. Among them, menstrual blood-derived stem cells (MenSCs) are characterized by wide source, multi-directional differentiation potential, low immune rejection characteristics. Thus, MenSCs can achieve individual treatment and have the most advantage of the clinical application. The central nervous system, including brain and spinal cord, is susceptible to injury. And lethality and morbidity of them tops the list of all types of trauma. Compared to peripheral nervous system, recovery of central nervous system after damage remains extremely hard. However, the treatment of stem cells, especially MenSCs, is expected to solve this problem. Therefore, biological characteristics of MenSCs and their treatment in the respect of central nervous system diseases have been reviewed at home and abroad in recent years, so as to provide reference for the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

Low power consumption structure design of an incus-stimulating middle ear implant based on piezoelectric stack / 医用生物力学

Objective To improve the design plan and get a piezoelectric actuator with displacement magnification structure,so as to reduce power consumption of the existing incus-stimulating piezoelectric actuator for middle ear implant.Methods Based on anatomical structure of human ear,the piezoelectric actuator with displacement magnification structure,and the one only composed of piezoelectric stack were designed,respectively,then the corresponding coupled mechanical models of the middle ear with the piezoelectric actuator were established.By comparing the calculation results from the two types of coupled mechanical models,the hearing compensation property and power consumption of the actuator before and after the implantation with the displacement magnification structure were analyzed.Results After adding the displacement magnification structure,the sound pressure level (SPL) at 1 kHz frequency was increased from 100 dB to 113 dB when the piezoelectric actuator was stimulated by 10.5 V effective voltages.In addition,for the piezoelectric stack,its power consumption at the frequency of 1,2 and 4 kHz were 6.42,1.56 and 0.28 mW,respectively;after introducing the displacement magnification structure,the power consumption at the above-mentioned 3 frequencies decreased to 0.39,0.09 and 0.01 mW,respectively.Conclusions Piezoelectric actuator with displacement magnification structure in this study can improve hearing compensation ability of the incus-stimulating middle ear implant,and effectively reduce the power consumption.The research findings will help to further improve the structure design of middle ear implant,thus achieving better hearing compensation effect.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of hysteromyoma before and after uterine artery embolization / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To explore the significance of signal and volume change from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of hysteromyoma before and after uterine artery embolization (UAE) in the therapy evaluation. Methods MRI was performed in 30 patients (50 hysteromyoma) before and 3,6 and 12 months after UAE. They were grouped by location, signal and size. The MRI signal changes and the hysteromyoma's volume reduction ratio were measured. Results After 3,6,12 months, MRI of hysteromyoma was changed significantly, and all hysteromyomas had lower T2WI signals than before, some of which had higher T1WI signals. Hysteromyoma's volumes were progressively reduced, the majority of which shrinked significantly within 3 months. Evaluated by 12 month's volume changes, significant volume reduction was found in submucous fibroids, and significant difference was showed compared with intramural fibroids and subserosal fibroids (88.9 % vs. 73.7 % and 68.3 %, P=0.036, P=0.019), meanwhile,the latter two had no significant difference (P=0.384). The volume reduction rate in rich cell fibroids was higher than those in ordinary no degeneration fibroids and degeneration type, and there were significant differences (85.7 % vs. 72.1 % and 63.4%, P=0.038, P=0.014). Besides, the latter two had no significant difference (P=0.364). Large fibroids shrinked more obviously than small ones with significant difference (75.2 % vs. 59.6 %, χ2=4.563, P=0.044). Conclusion MRI is useful for the evaluation of efficacy in hysteromyoma before and after UAE, which can provide the better interventional treatment for the patients in regard to different sensitivity of hysteromyoma to UAE.

Volumetric Flow Measurement Using an Implantable CMUT Array.

This paper describes volumetric-flow velocity measurement using an implantable capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array. The array is comprised of multiple-concentric CMUT rings for ultrasound transmission and an outmost annular CMUT array for ultrasound reception. Microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) fabrication technology allows reception CMUT on this flowmeter to be implemented with a different membrane thickness and gap height than that of transmission CMUTs, optimizing the performance of these two different kinds of devices. The silicon substrate of this 2-mm-diameter CMUT ring array was bulk micromachined to approximately 80 to 100 µm thick, minimizing tissue disruption. The blood-flow velocity was detected using pulse ultrasound Doppler by comparing the demodulated echo ultrasound with the incident ultrasound. The demodulated ultrasound signal was sampled by a pulse delayed in time domain from the transmitted burst, which corresponds to detecting the signal at a specific distance. The flow tube/vessel diameter was detected through the time-flight delay difference from near and far wall reflections, which was measured from the ultrasound pulse echo. The angle between the ultrasound beam and the flow was found by using the cross-correlation from consecutive ultrasound echoes. Artificial blood flowing through three different polymer tubes was experimented with, while keeping the same volumetric flow rate. The discrepancy in flow measurement results between this CMUT meter and a calibrated laser Doppler flowmeter is less than 5%.

Value of multi-slice belical CT in diagnosis of basicranial fracture / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the value of application of multi-slice helical CT(MSCT) indiagnosis of basicranial fracture. Methods Sixty-two patients with basicranial fracture were scanned withthin-section scanning mode after conventional CT scanning The images were transferred to the work-station for reconstruction including multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), volume rendering (VR). Comparison between thin-section scanning images and conventional CT scanning images were performed. Results Compared with the conventional CT scanning (67.9% and 45.0% respectively),the rates of fracture displayed of images acquired from thin-section scanning in diagnosis of fractures of anterior and middle cranial fossa (100.0% and 95.0% respectively) ,P＜0.01. The two scanning mode in diagnosis of fractures of posterior cranial fossa( 88.9% and 100.0% respectively )differed from each other unstatistically(P＞0.05 ). ConclusionThe thin-section scanning of MSCT can improve the diagnostic correctness of basicranial fracture.

Stability analysis of the rotor of ultrasonic motor driving fluid directly.

The stability of the rotor of ultrasonic motor driving fluid directly is a key to its applications and control. This paper introduced the acoustic streaming and acoustic viscous stress near the boundary layer. Following this, the effect of acoustic viscous force on the stability of the rotor of ultrasonic motor driving fluid directly was presented in detail. The result showed that this system can be equivalent to a mass-spring and the spring constant can be used to weigh the stability of the rotor. By this model and relevant experiments, factors that affect the stability of the rotor such as the driving frequency, the rotor's weight and radius, the saturated acoustic streaming velocity, the mode number of stator vibration, the fluid's height and type are investigated and useful guidelines for design and application are obtained.