MDB Newsletter 11-18-2009
Posted in Newsletter on
Wednesday, November 18 2009
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In this edition, sponsored by MEGA Electronics, COMSOL and Protomold:
• NASA-Developed High-Speed Test Improves Pathogen Decontamination• Computer Science Provides a Sound Way to Test for Sleep Apnea
• Replacement Knee Ligaments Created From Recipients' Own Cells
• Finite-Element Model for Evaluation of Middle Ear Mechanics
• Microwave Sterilization and Depyrogenation System
• White Paper: The Cost of Tolerancing
NASA-Developed High-Speed Test Improves Pathogen Decontamination
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| Adrian Ponce has devised a new method to quickly validate a spacecraft's cleanliness. The sample holder (left) shows samples glowing under ultraviolet light. (NASA/JPL) |
Microbes known as bacterial endospores can withstand extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and chemical treatments, and have been known to survive in space for six years. If one can show that all spores are killed, then less-resistant, disease-causing organisms will also be dead.
The new technology works by looking for dipicolinic acid -- a major component of endospores and evidence of endospore growth -- by first applying terbium to a dime-sized area. Terbium is a chemical element used to generate the color green on television screens. That area is then illuminated under an ultraviolet lamp. Within minutes, one can see through a microscope aided by a digital camera whether live endospores are present, since they glow as bright green spots.
Click here for the full story.
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Computer Science Provides a Sound Way to Test for Sleep Apnea
Comparison of patient set-up and output in traditional sleep studies and thermal infrared imaging. (Zina Deretsky/NSF)
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Adding to the difficulty in getting a sleep apnea diagnosis is the invasive nature of current testing methods. During a sleep study, a subject has an average of more than 20 sensors attached to the head and body. These sensors can disturb sleep and contribute to the patient's anxiety.
The new diagnostic procedure uses a thermal infrared camera to monitor breathing waveforms and airflow as a patient breathes in and out of his or her nose. The measurements are processed using computational algorithms and produce results that are as accurate as traditional polysomnography.
The researchers believe that this new technology could change the way sleep apnea is diagnosed, potentially helping millions of Americans sleep better and possibly live longer.
Click here for the full story.
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Replacement Knee Ligaments Created From Recipients' Own Cells
In a development that could lead to more complete recovery from torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, University of Michigan researchers have grown and repaired knee ligaments in rats from bone marrow stem cells harvested from the rats' own bones. The researchers have tissue-engineered an advanced graft that includes an elastic ligament section in the center to accommodate joint motion, and bone portions on the ends for more effective integration and attachment to the native bone of the injured knee.Today's conventional methods work, but they require permanent screws to hold the new ligament in place. Because of the stretchiness of the ligament portion of the new composite ligament, no screws would be required. Stitches would hold the graft in place while the ligamentous mid-section stretches during knee movement. The bony ends would be inserted into small holes drilled into the adjacent bones.
Because it would be made of the patient's own cells, the bone-ligament- bone configuration would integrate more seamlessly into the joint. It would continue to grow, reacting to knee movement by stiffening and eventually restoring the correct mechanical forces to all ligaments in the knee.
Click here for the full story.
Tech Briefs
The Army Research Lab developed a finite element computer model that simulates different forms of attachment to a prosthesis in cases of conductive hearing loss treatment. The model is used in reconstruction of the link between the eardrum and the inner ear.Click here for the full story.
NASA's Glenn Research Center developed a microgravity-compatible microwave sterilization and depyrogenation system that produces medical-grade water. The system couples microwaves to a pressurized water stream that is rapidly heated, sterilizing the water.
Click here for the full story.
White Paper
Tolerancing a lens for manufacturability and optimal system performance can be a challenge. The many factors that must be taken into consideration are key variables that influence cost and performance. This paper presents a tolerancing analysis that reveals Optimax precision tolerances are a good compromise between cost and performance. Jessica DeGroote Nelson, an Optimax scientist, has been working with Richard Youngworth (Light Capture, Inc.) and David Aikens (Savvy Optics Corp.) on an ongoing research project involving the tolerancing of a lens. Together they have written the paper "The Cost of Tolerancing," which was presented at SPIE Optics and Photonics in August 2009.Click here to view and download this white paper.
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