An auxiliary device for double-blind placebo acupuncture research / 中国针灸

This device is an auxiliary device with reasonable design for placebo acupuncture research, so as to make double-blind placebo acupuncture control possible. This new auxiliary acupuncture device includes an acupuncture device and a placebo acupuncture device with exactly the same appearance. Both of them are composed of a hemispherical base and a telescopic tube. Through the rotation of the telescopic tube in the notch of the base, the insertion angle of needles can be adjusted from 15 degrees to 165 degrees. The operation of twisting and lifting and inserting can be carried out through the horizontal rotation and vertical sliding of the telescopic tube. A silicone needle pad is arranged in the base, which can simulate the blocking feeling of skin and muscle during needle insertion. The bottom of the base is attached with hydrogel, which has good fixity. The auxiliary device is applicable to multiple parts of the human body and can effectively reduce the risk of unblinding.

Application of self-made auxiliary device for shimming on thyroid DWI with 1.5T MR / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To investigate the value of self-made auxiliary device for shimming on thyroid DWI, in order to improve image quality. Methods Totally 42 healthy volunteers underwent identical DWI sequence scanning (b=0, 400, 800 s/mm2) twice to obtain images of thyroid, while the auxiliary device-silicone bags filled with high concentratianon silicone oil was used for the second scanning. The signals of thyroid and background noise were measured, and SNR was calculated with and without the device, then image quality was graded. SNR and grading of DWI images before and after using the auxiliary shimming device were compared. Results: All 42 volunteers completed the examination and without discomfort such as neck discomfort or poor breathing. For b=400, 800 s/mm2 DWI images, the image quality was greatly improved after using the auxiliary shimming device, and the differences of grading were statistically significant (both P<0.001). SNR of DWI images with the auxiliary shimming device were 10.20 (95% CI [4.05, 23.23], b=400 s/mm2) and 6.79 (95% CI [3.24, 18.85], b=800 s/mm2), much higher than those of DWI images without the device (3.62, 95% CI [1.97, 8.10]; 4.41, 95% CI [2.66, 8.69]) respectively (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Using the self-made auxiliary shimming device can significantly improve SNR and image quality of thyroid DWI images, which is easy to use without complaint and worthy of promotion in clinical practice.

Development of auxiliary device for facilitating ultrasound probe to position in vivo foreign body / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To develop an auxiliary device to facilitate the ultrasound probe to position in vivo foreign body.Methods The auxiliary device was composed of a support plate,a locating needle tube and an elastic rubber sleeve.The support plate was rectangular and had a radian structure;the locating needle tube was fixed at lateral middle part of the plate to accommodate the needle;the elastic rubber sleeve was hollow and held the plate and needle tube after expansion.Results The device gained advantages in convenience,promptness and stability,and enhanced the accuracy and success rate of in vivo foreign body positioning by the ultrasound probe.Conclusion The device has simple structure,easy manufacture and low cost,and thus is worthy promoting clinically.

Design and application of auxiliary recovering device after retinal detachment operation / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To develop an auxiliary recovering device for prone position nursing after the retina vitrectomy in order to improve comfort and treatment compliance.Methods The device was made of stainless steel,and consisted of a base,pulleys,supporting rods and a placing case.Totally 40 patients receiving retinal detachment operation were divided into an experimental group and a control group.The patients in the experimental group applied the auxiliary device and the ones in the control group underwent conventional nursing,and then a 2-week observation was executed on the prone time,overall satisfaction and adverse response after the operation.Results The device behaved well in prone time,patient comfort and satisfaction,and the experimental group gained advantages over the control group in prone time,relieving muscle pains,arthralgia,poor breath,anxiety and insomnia.Chi-square test proved the experimental group had the patient satisfaction significantly enhanced when compared with the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion The device can be used for auxiliary nursing after retinal detachment operation with simple structure,easy operation and high comfort,and thus is worthy promoting practically.

Development of auxiliary device for facilitating ultrasound probe to position in vivo foreign body / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To develop an auxiliary device to facilitate the ultrasound probe to position in vivo foreign body.Methods The auxiliary device was composed of a support plate,a locating needle tube and an elastic rubber sleeve.The support plate was rectangular and had a radian structure;the locating needle tube was fixed at lateral middle part of the plate to accommodate the needle;the elastic rubber sleeve was hollow and held the plate and needle tube after expansion.Results The device gained advantages in convenience,promptness and stability,and enhanced the accuracy and success rate of in vivo foreign body positioning by the ultrasound probe.Conclusion The device has simple structure,easy manufacture and low cost,and thus is worthy promoting clinically.

A simple and effective auxiliary device for detection of physiologic func-tion on isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius in toads / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To design a simple and effective auxiliary device for detection of the compound action poten-tial (CAP) and the force on the isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius in toads, and to investigate its practicability. METHODS: A simple “L” shape device (L tube), which was composed of a nerve chamber and an organ bath, was made for fixing the isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius.After fixing, the sciatic CAP and the gastrocnemius force were detected by BL-420S data acquisition and analysis system.The specimens were radomly divided into control group, and the lidocaine nerve and muscle groups.The sciatic nerve or gastrocnemius of each lidocaine group was firstly treated with the corresponding concentration of lidocaine, and then washed out with Ringer’s solution, and its reversible anesthetic action on nerve conduction and muscle force was analyzed to verify the practicability of the L tube device.RESULTS: The CAP and the force of the sciatic-gastrocnemius specimens were detected concurrently by fixing the specimens in the L tube, and the liquid in the nerve chamber and organ bath was changed easily.Compared with the control, lidocaine at 0.05 and 0.2 g/L significantly increased the sciatic threshold stimulus voltage and maximal stimulus voltage (P ly blocked the sciatic conduction.The rest tension of the gastrocnemius was increased, and the maximal twitch force was decreased significantly by 1 g/L lidocaine (P <0.01), but the threshold and maximal stimulus voltage did not show statis-tic difference.The parameters of the sicatic nerve and gastrocnemius completely or partially recovered to the control level after washing out.CONCLUSION: As an auxiliary device, L tube makes the detection of CAP and force on the isolated sciatic nerve and gastrocnemius in toads more conveniently.

Role of self-made auxiliary device in precise radiotherapy for pelvic tumor / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the role of self-made auxiliary device in pelvic tumor radiotherapy with phantom immobilization using Varian cone-beam CT (CBCT).Methods A total of 50 patients with pelvic tumor were enrolled and randomly divided into study group and control group according to the order of enrollment.The patients in the study group were immobilized with thermoplastic phantom and self-made auxiliary device,and those in the control group were immobilized with thermoplastic phantom.CBCT scan and online matching were regularly performed before radiotherapy to obtain the setup errors of the left-right (x),cranial-caudal (y),and anterior-posterior (z) directions.The independent-samples t-test was used for comparison between groups.Results The set-up errors in the x-,y-,and z-directions in the study group were 1.56± 1.00 mm,1.60± 1.29 mm,and 1.36± 1.00 mm,respectively,and those in the control group were 1.76±1.33 mm,2.76±1.69 mm,and 1.92±0.91 mm,respectively (P=0.551,0.009,and 0.043).Conclusions Self-made auxiliary device helps to eliminate the errors in the cranial-caudal direction and solve the problem of involuntary activities of the lower limbs.

Usability of Auxiliary Devices for Eye Drop Administration / 医薬品情報学

<b>Objective: </b>For pharmacists to select a suitable auxiliary device for eye drop administration for patients who have difficulty in applying eye drops, the pharmacists need to know the characteristics and level of difficulty of using each device.<br><b>Methods: </b>Thus, we compared the characteristics of New Rakuraku Tengan, Rakuraku Tengan III, and an eye-drop self-help device and also conducted a survey involving 40 healthy volunteers on each device’s accessibility and suitability for people with motor disabilities.<br><b>Results: </b>New Rakuraku Tengan received the highest score for “usage was able to easily understand” (70.0% of the respondents answered positively) and “suitability for poor-sighted people” (65.0%).  Rakuraku Tengan III received the highest score for the “effectiveness of photos and illustrations in the manual” (77.5%),but was evaluated to be difficult to use.  The eye-drop self-help device received the highest score for “suitability for people with difficulty raising their shoulders and arms” (75.0%).<br><b>Results: </b>Thus, we observed the need for pharmacists to have thorough knowledge of the products in order to recommend suitable auxiliary devices for eye drop administration for each patient.

Crianças com encefalopatia crônica não evolutiva: avaliação audiológica e próteses auditivas / Children with chronic non-progressive encephalopathy: hearing evaluation and hearing aids

OBJETIVO: avaliar a capacidade auditiva de crianças com encefalopatias crônicas não evolutivas (ECNE) independentemente de suspeita de perda auditiva e da etiologia e caracterizar o benefício do uso de prótese auditiva em crianças com ECNE que apresentaram perda auditiva. MÉTODO: avaliação neurológica, otorrinolaringológica e audiológica e aplicação do protocolo Parent's Evaluation of Aural / Oral Performance of Children (Peach). RESULTADOS: Das 46 crianças avaliadas, encontraram-se 22 (48 por cento) sem perdas e 24 (52 por cento) com algum grau de perda auditiva sensorioneural. Quanto às etiologias encontradas nas 46 crianças, a maior porcentagem é de encefalopatia hipóxica isquêmica seguida de processos infecciosos e kernicterus. Quanto à suspeita de perda auditiva, nas 16 (35 por cento) crianças cujos pais tiveram suspeita, o percentual de algum grau de perda auditiva foi de 56 por cento, e nas 30 (65 por cento) cujos pais não a tiveram, a avaliação audiológica revelou que 50 por cento apresentaram algum grau de perda auditiva. O protocolo Peach se mostrou um instrumento eficaz para avaliar o benefício da prótese auditiva. CONCLUSÃO: das crianças avaliadas, mais da metade apresentou perda auditiva, no entanto, não houve relação estatisticamente significante entre a etiologia e a suspeita de perda auditiva. Assim, consideramos que não é possível prever qualquer perda auditiva a partir da suspeita e recomendamos a avaliação auditiva em todas as crianças com ECNE, pois todas as crianças com perda auditiva examinadas neste estudo revelaram benefícios importantes com o uso da prótese auditiva.

AIM: to assess the auditory abilities of children with non-progressive chronic encephalopathy (NPCE), independently of the presence or not of hearing loss, and of the etiology of the encephalopathy; to characterize the benefit of hearing aids in children with NPCE and hearing loss. METHOD: neurologic, otorhinolaryngologic and auditory assessments. Application of the Parent's Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance of Children (PEACH) protocol. RESULTS: out of the 46 assessed children, 22 (48 percent) presented no hearing loss and 24 (52 percent) presented some level of sensorineural hearing loss. Regarding the encephalopathy etiology, most of the participants presented ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy followed by infectious process and kernicterus. The results also indicate that 16 (35 percent) parents suspected that their child had hearing loss; out of this total, 56 percent had the hearing loss confirmed. Thirty parents (65 percent) did not have any hearing complaints about their children. For these children the auditory evaluation indicated that 50 percent presented some level of hearing loss. The PEACH protocol proved to be effective to assess the benefit of hearing aids. CONCLUSION: the results indicate that over half of participants presented hearing loss. No correlation was observed between etiology and complaints of hearing loss. This means that it is not possible to predict hearing loss based on complaints. All children who presented hearing loss benefited from the use of hearing aids.