Validation of a new domiciliary diagnosis device for automatic diagnosis of patients with clinical suspicion of OSA.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnoea is a prevalent and considerably underdiagnosed disease. The development of cost-effective, home-based, automatic diagnostic devices to improve the diagnosis accessibility is therefore essential. METHODS: In this study, a new portable polygraph (BTI-APNiA) was used to validate automatic scoring. This five-channel device records respiratory flow, oxygen saturation, heart rate, body position and snoring. The validation was performed in two phases. In the first phase, manual and automatic scorings of a new respiratory polygraphy (RP) device (BTI-APNiA) were compared. In the second phase, automatic analysis performed with BTI-APNiA was compared with manual scoring of a validated RP device (Embletta Gold). RESULTS: Phase I was completed by 424 patients (50.5% males, 52.2 ± 12.4 years, BMI of 25.4 ± 4.8 kg/m2 and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 8.0 ± 4.0). Manual and automatic analysis resulted in an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of 13.7 ± 12.7 and 14.0 ± 12.5 (P > 0.05), respectively. The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.99 (P < 0.001). During Phase II, 28 patients were evaluated (72.0% men, 49.1 ± 10.9 years, BMI of 27.1 ± 4.2 kg/m2 and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 7.5 ± 4.2). Manual analysis of Embletta Gold recordings indicated an AHI of 12.3 ± 14.0, while automatic analysis of the BTI-APNiA was 13.4 ± 14.7 (P > 0.05). The ICC was 0.68 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The automatic analysis of the BTI-APNiA is as accurate as manual analysis of AHI. This automatic analysis compared well with the manual analysis of a validated RP device (Embletta Gold).

A new iron calcium phosphate material to improve the osteoconductive properties of a biodegradable ceramic: a study in rabbit calvaria.

ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) is an osteoconductive and biodegradable material used in bone regeneration procedures, while iron has been suggested as a tool to improve the biological performance of calcium phosphate-based materials. However, the mechanisms of interaction between these materials and human cells are not fully understood. In order to clarify this relationship, we have studied the iron role in ß-TCP ceramics. Iron-containing ß-TCPs were prepared by replacing CaCO3 with C6H5FeO7 at different molar ratios. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the occurrence of ß-TCP as the sole phase in the pure ß-TCP and iron-containing ceramics. The incorporation of iron ions in the ß-TCP lattice decreased the specific surface area as the pore size was shifted toward meso- and/or macropores. Furthermore, the human osteoblastlike cell line MG-63 was cultured onto the ceramics to determine cell proliferation and viability, and it was observed that the iron-ß-TCP ceramics have better cytocompatibility than pure ß-TCP. Finally, in vivo assays were performed using rabbit calvaria as a bone model. The scaffolds were implanted for 8 and 12 weeks in the defects created in the skullcap with pure ß-TCP as the control. The in vivo behavior, in terms of new bone formed, degradation, and residual graft material were investigated using sequential histological evaluations and histomorphometric analysis. The in vivo implantation of the ceramics showed enhanced bone tissue formation and scaffold degradation for iron-ß-TCPs. Thus, iron appears to be a useful tool to enhance the osteoconductive properties of calcium phosphate ceramics.

Strontium modified biocements with zero order release kinetics.

Strontium-substituted beta-TCP with the general formula Ca((3-x))Sr(x)(PO(4))(2) (0