An evaluation of a new single-use flexible bronchoscope with a large suction channel: reliability of bronchoalveolar lavage in ventilated piglets and initial clinical experience.

A single-use flexible bronchoscope with a large suction channel has become available recently and we have evaluated this innovative device. Firstly, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and quantified in ventilated piglets. Next, the bronchoscope was evaluated in three intensive care units and a satisfaction questionnaire was carried out. Sixteen bronchoalveolar lavages were performed in piglets with a recovery rate of 83 (79-86 [72-89])% of the instilled volume. Quality and performance of all devices tested was identical. The medical satisfaction questionnaire was as follows: 'acceptable' to 'very good' for quality of aspiration, manoeuvrability and quality of vision; 'very good' to 'perfect' for setting up and insertion. This encouraging preliminary evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of this new single-use device, which may obviate the need for disinfection procedures and, thereby, eradicate a potential vector of patient cross-contamination.

Tool/tissues interaction modeling for transluminal angioplasty simulation.

In this paper, a simulation environment is described for balloon dilation during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. It means simulating tool/tissues interactions involved in the inflation of a balloon by considering patient specific data. In this context, three main behaviors have been identified: soft tissues, crush completely under the effect of the balloon, calcified plaques, do not admit any deformation but could move in deformable structures and blood vessel wall and organs, try to find their original forms. A deformable soft tissue model is proposed, based on the Enhanced ChainMail method to take into account tissues deformation during dilatation. We improved the original ChainMail method with a "forbidden zone" step to facilitate tool/tissues interactions. The simulation was implemented using five key steps: 1) initialization of balloon parameters; 2) definition of the data structure; 3) dilatation of the balloon and displacement approximation; 4) final position estimation by an elastic relaxation; and 5) interpolation step for visualization. Preliminary results obtained from patient CT data are reported.