• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 2005

A tactile sensor employs a piezoelectric element to detect contact frequency shifts and thereby measure the stiffness or softness of material such as tissue, which allows the sensor to be used in many fields of research for urology, cardiology, gynecology, sports medicine and caner detection and especially for cosmetics and skin care. In this study, reliability of the tactile sensor system was investigated with its manual application to the muscles susceptible to temporomandibular disorders. Stiffness and elasticity of anterior temporalis, masseter and trapezius muscles were calibrated bilaterally from 5 healthy men with an average of 24.5$\pm$0.94 years. The tactile sensor used in this study had a computer-controlled and motor-driven sensor unit which automatically pressed down on the skin surface over the muscles being measured and retracted, thereby providing the hysteresis curve. The slope of the tangent of the hysteresis curve (${\Delta}f/{\Delta}x$) is defined as stiffness of the muscle being measured and the distance between the two parts of the curve as its elasticity. To determine inter-examiner reliability, all the measurements were performed by the two examiners A and B, respectively and the same examination were repeated with an interval of 2 days for intra-examiner reliability. The results from this study demonstrated high reliability in measuring stiffness and elasticity of anterior temporalis, masseter and upper trapezius muscles using a tactile sensor system. It is suggested that the tactile sensor system can be a highly reproducible and effective instrument for quantitative evaluation of the muscle in head and neck region.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.757-762
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• 2009

Background: Compression of the left common iliac vein by the overriding common iliac artery is frequently combined with acute deep vein thrombosis in patients with May-Thurner Syndrome. We evaluate the results of treatment with thrombolysis and thrombectomy followed by stenting in 34 patients with May-Thurner Syndrome combined with lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. Material and Method: The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 34 patients (mean age: $65{\pm}14$ year old) who had undergone stent insertion for acute deep vein thrombosis that was caused by May-Thurner syndrome. After thrombectomy and thrombolysis, insertion of a wall stent and balloon angioplasty were performed to relieve the compression of the left common iliac vein. Urokinase at a rate of 80,000 to 120,000 U/hour was infused into the thrombosed vein via a multi-side hole thrombolysis catheter. A retrieval inferior vena cava (IVC) filter was placed to protect against pulmonary embolism in 30 patients (88%). Oral anticoagulation with warfarin was maintained for 3 months, and follow-up Multi Detector Computerized Tomography (MDCT) angiography was done at the date of the patients' hospital discharge and at the 6 months follow-up. Result: The symptoms of deep venous thrombosis disappeared in two patients (4%), and there was clinical improvement within 48 hours in twenty eight patients (82%), but there was no improvement in four patients (8%). The MDCT angiography at discharge showed no thrombus in 9 patients (26%) and partial thrombus in 21 (62%), whereas the follow-up MDCT at $6.4{\pm}5.5$ months (32 patients) revealed no thrombus in 23 patients (72%), and partial thrombus in 9 patients (26%). Two patients (6%) had recurrence of DVT, so they underwent retreatment. Conclusion: Stent insertion with catheter-directed thrombolysis and thrombectomy is an effective treatment for May-Thurner syndrome combined with acute deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremity.