Drug Delivery across Barriers to the Middle and Inner Ear

The prevalence of ear disorders has spurred efforts to develop drug delivery systems to treat these conditions. Here, recent advances in drug delivery systems that access the ear through the tympanic membrane (TM) are reviewed. Such methods are either non-invasive (placed on the surface of the TM), or invasive (placed in the middle ear, ideally on the round window [RW]). The major hurdles to otic drug delivery are identified and highlighted the representative examples of drug delivery systems used for drug delivery across the TM to the middle and (crossing the RW also) inner ear.     

用于脑血流量检测的近红外光谱术

介绍了用于大脑血流量检测的近红外光谱术的基本原理和实验体系,该系统可完成对近红外光学信号的实时采集、处理和显示等功能。在血模型实验结果基础上,报道了大脑血流量变化的近红外光学检测结果。     

漫射光强度涨落测量皮肤烧伤深度的模拟实验研究

实验研究了背散射光强度相对涨落与模拟皮肤烧伤深度的关系,结果表明随着模拟烧伤层厚度的增加,背散射光强度的相对涨落逐渐减小。该方法为非接触测量皮肤烧伤深度提供了一种新的参考。     

用多层Monte—Carlo模型研究脑部光学无损的问题

利用近红外光对人脑进行无损检测有良好的应用前景。然后脑部客观存在的多层结构使人位对从较深部位提取有用信息产生疑问。本文利用Ｍｏｎｔｅ－Ｃａｒｌｏ方法对人头部建立了光传播的多层模型,对光在头部的传播模式和脑部结构对提取深部信息的影响得出了一些结果,本文结果表明,由于脑脊液透明层的存在,使近红光在头部能够探测较深部位珠生理参数变化但难于获得较好的空间分辨能力。     

Generation of minimally persistent circle formation for a multi-agent system

In this paper, two methods of generating minimally persistent circle formation are presented. The proposed methods adopt a leader-follower strategy and all followers are firstly motivated to move into the leader＇s interaction range. Based on the information about relative angle and relative distance, two numbering schemes are proposed to generate minimally persistent circle formation. Distributed control laws are also designed to maintain the desired relative distance between agents. The distinctive features of the proposed methods are as follows. First, only 2n - 3 unilateral communication links for n agents are needed during the circle formation process and thus the communication complexity can be reduced. In addition, the formation topology is kept fixed for the whole motion and achieves a self-stability property. Finally, each follower keeps a regualr interval with its neighbors and the formation converges to a uniform circle formation. Simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

半导体激光的新应用

半导体激光器（LD）在临床上有着广泛的用途。新型1470nm半导体激光与传统的1.06μm YAG激光相比具有较强的组织吸收率,与10.6μm CO₂激光相比则具有较高的切割效率,适用肿瘤切除,外科手术,腹腔镜手术等微创手术。1470nm半导体激光的能量既能被血红蛋白吸收也能被细胞水吸收,热量能集中在体积很小的组织内,迅速汽化分解组织,在治疗良性前列腺增生和妇科疾病上具有良好的应用前景。     

Tracking extended mucociliary transport activity of individual deposited particles: longitudinal synchrotron X‐ray imaging in live mice

To assess potential therapies for respiratory diseases in which mucociliary transit (MCT) is impaired, such as cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia, a novel and non‐invasive MCT quantification method has been developed in which the transit rate and behaviour of individual micrometre‐sized deposited particles are measured in live mice using synchrotron phase‐contrast X‐ray imaging. Particle clearance by MCT is known to be a two‐phase process that occurs over a period of minutes to days. Previous studies have assessed MCT in the fast‐clearance phase, ～20 min after marker particle dosing. The aim of this study was to non‐invasively image changes in particle presence and MCT during the slow‐clearance phase, and simultaneously determine whether repeat synchrotron X‐ray imaging of mice was feasible over periods of 3, 9 and 25 h. All mice tolerated the repeat imaging procedure with no adverse effects. Quantitative image analysis revealed that the particle MCT rate and the number of particles present in the airway both decreased with time. This study successfully demonstrated for the first time that longitudinal synchrotron X‐ray imaging studies are possible in live small animals, provided appropriate animal handling techniques are used and care is taken to reduce the delivered radiation dose.     

Recent Insights Into the Biomedical Applications of Shape‐memory Polymers

Shape‐memory polymers (SMP) are versatile stimuli‐responsive materials that can switch, upon stimulation, from a temporary to a permanent shape. This advanced functionality makes SMP suitable and promising materials for diverse technological applications, including the fabrication of smart biomedical devices. In this paper, advances in the design of SMP are discussed, with emphasis on materials investigated for medical applications. Future directions necessary to bring SMP closer to their clinical application are also highlighted.

     

Quantitative and multicomponent analysis of prevalent urinary calculi using Raman spectroscopy

This study established a quantitative micro‐Raman spectroscopic (MRS) method for measuring multicomponents (binary and ternary compositions) of prevalent urine calculi extracted from the ureter after the ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) procedure. The analysis used calibration curves of known mixtures of synthetically prepared calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), hydroxyapatite (HAP), calcium oxalate dehydrate (COD), dicalcium phosphate dehydrate (DCPD), and uric acid. A variety of samples of binary and ternary mixtures including COM/HAP, COM/COD, COD/HAP, COM/uric acid, COD/uric acid, HAP/uric acid, HAP/DCPD, and COM/COD/HAP were prepared in various concentration ratios for use as the basis of the quantitative analysis. Intensities of the characteristic bands at 961 cm⁻¹ (I_HAP), 986 cm⁻¹ (I_DCPD), 1402 cm⁻¹ (I_UricAcid), 1462 cm⁻¹ (I_COM), and 1477 cm⁻¹ (I_COD) were used for the calculation. We derived a set of quantitative analysis equations for the ternary composition COD/COM/HAP group by combining two binary equations from the groups COM/COD and the HAP/COM. This study quantitatively measured 18 urine samples extracted from the 18 patients' ureters after the URSL procedure. Fifteen samples were binary mixtures, whereas three samples were ternary mixtures. This research successfully applied the quantitative MRS‐based analysis technique from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐invasive probing of pharmaceutical capsules using transmission Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrate how transmission Raman geometry can be effectively used for non‐invasive probing of the content of pharmaceutical capsules. This approach is particularly beneficial in situations where the conventional Raman backscattering method is hampered or fails because of excessive surface Raman or fluorescence signals emanating from the capsule shell material, which pollute the much weaker subsurface Raman signals with undesired noise. It is demonstrated that such interfering signals can be effectively suppressed by the transmission geometry. The ability to avoid surface fluorescence and Raman signals in conjunction with the superior, bulk‐probing properties of the transmission Raman geometry provides an analytical technique ideally suited for fast on‐line process control monitoring applications in pharmaceutical industry where rapid, chemically specific bulk analysis is required. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.