• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1992 no.05
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• pp.27-47
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• 1992

Engineers have developed new instruments that aid in diagnosis and therapy Ultrasonic imaging has provided a nondamaging method of imaging internal organs. A complex transducer emits ultrasonic waves at many angles and reconstructs a map of internal anatomy and also velocities of blood in vessels. Fast computed tomography permits reconstruction of the 3-dimensional anatomy and perfusion of the heart at 20-Hz rates. Positron emission tomography uses certain isotopes that produce positrons that react with electrons to simultaneously emit two gamma rays in opposite directions. It locates the region of origin by using a ring of discrete scintillation detectors, each in electronic coincidence with an opposing detector. In magnetic resonance imaging, the patient is placed in a very strong magnetic field. The precessing of the hydrogen atoms is perturbed by an interrogating field to yield two-dimensional images of soft tissue having exceptional clarity. As an alternative to radiology image processing, film archiving, and retrieval, picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are being implemented. Images from computed radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasound are digitized, transmitted, and stored in computers for retrieval at distributed work stations. In electrical impedance tomography, electrodes are placed around the thorax. 50-kHz current is injected between two electrodes and voltages are measured on all other electrodes. A computer processes the data to yield an image of the resistivity of a 2-dimensional slice of the thorax. During fetal monitoring, a corkscrew electrode is screwed into the fetal scalp to measure the fetal electrocardiogram. Correlations with uterine contractions yield information on the status of the fetus during delivery To measure cardiac output by thermodilution, cold saline is injected into the right atrium. A thermistor in the right pulmonary artery yields temperature measurements, from which we can calculate cardiac output. In impedance cardiography, we measure the changes in electrical impedance as the heart ejects blood into the arteries. Motion artifacts are large, so signal averaging is useful during monitoring. An intraarterial blood gas monitoring system permits monitoring in real time. Light is sent down optical fibers inserted into the radial artery, where it is absorbed by dyes, which reemit the light at a different wavelength. The emitted light travels up optical fibers where an external instrument determines O2, CO2, and pH. Therapeutic devices include the electrosurgical unit. A high-frequency electric arc is drawn between the knife and the tissue. The arc cuts and the heat coagulates, thus preventing blood loss. Hyperthermia has demonstrated antitumor effects in patients in whom all conventional modes of therapy have failed. Methods of raising tumor temperature include focused ultrasound, radio-frequency power through needles, or microwaves. When the heart stops pumping, we use the defibrillator to restore normal pumping. A brief, high-current pulse through the heart synchronizes all cardiac fibers to restore normal rhythm. When the cardiac rhythm is too slow, we implant the cardiac pacemaker. An electrode within the heart stimulates the cardiac muscle to contract at the normal rate. When the cardiac valves are narrowed or leak, we implant an artificial valve. Silicone rubber and Teflon are used for biocompatibility. Artificial hearts powered by pneumatic hoses have been implanted in humans. However, the quality of life gradually degrades, and death ensues. When kidney stones develop, lithotripsy is used. A spark creates a pressure wave, which is focused on the stone and fragments it. The pieces pass out normally. When kidneys fail, the blood is cleansed during hemodialysis. Urea passes through a porous membrane to a dialysate bath to lower its concentration in the blood. The blind are able to read by scanning the Optacon with their fingertips. A camera scans letters and converts them to an array of vibrating pins. The deaf are able to hear using a cochlear implant. A microphone detects sound and divides it into frequency bands. 22 electrodes within the cochlea stimulate the acoustic the acoustic nerve to provide sound patterns. For those who have lost muscle function in the limbs, researchers are implanting electrodes to stimulate the muscle. Sensors in the legs and arms feed back signals to a computer that coordinates the stimulators to provide limb motion. For those with high spinal cord injury, a puff and sip switch can control a computer and permit the disabled person operate the computer and communicate with the outside world.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.333-343
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• 2014

Background: A preclinical study was conducted for evaluating a valved conduit manufactured with a glutaraldehyde (GA)-fixed bovine pericardium treated using an anticalcification protocol. Methods: Bovine pericardia were decellularized, fixed with GA in an organic solvent, and detoxified. We prepared a valved conduit using these bovine pericardia and a specially designed mold. The valved conduit was placed under in vitro circulation by using a mock circulation model, and the durability under mechanical stress was evaluated for 2 months. The valved conduit was implanted into the right ventricular outflow tract of a goat, and the hemodynamic, radiologic, histopathologic, and biochemical results were obtained for 6 months after the implantation. Results: The in vitro mock circulation demonstrated that valve motion was good and that the valved conduit had good gross and microscopic findings. The evaluation of echocardiography and cardiac catheterization demonstrated the good hemodynamic status and function of the pulmonary xenograft valve 6 months after the implantation. According to specimen radiography and a histopathologic examination, the durability of the xenografts was well preserved without calcification at 6 months after the implantation. The calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations of the explanted xenografts were low at 6 months after the implantation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that our synergistic employment of multiple anticalcification therapies has promising safety and efficacy in the future clinical study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2013

Background: We examined perioperative predictors of sustained sinus rhythm (SR) in patients undergoing the Cox maze operation and concomitant cardiac surgery for structural heart disease. Materials and Methods: From October 1999 to December 2008, 90 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent the Cox maze operation and other concomitant cardiac surgery. Eighty-nine patients, all except for one postoperative death, were followed-up with serial electrocardiographic studies, 24-hour Holter monitoring tests, and regular echocardiographic studies. Results: Eighty-nine patients undergoing the maze operation were divided into two groups according to the presence of SR. At the time of last follow-up (mean follow-up period, $51.0{\pm}30.8$ months), 79 patients (88.8%) showed SR (SR group) and 10 patients (11.2%) had recurrent AF (AF group). Factors predictive of sustained SR were the immediate postoperative conversion to SR (odds ratio, 97.2; p=0.001) and the presence of SR at the 6th month postoperatively (odds ratio, 155.7; p=0.002). Duration of AF, mitral valve surgery, number of valves undergoing surgery, left atrial dimension, and perioperative left ventricular dimensions and ejection fractions were not predictors of postoperative maintenance of SR. Conclusion: Immediate postoperative SR conversion and the presence of SR at the 6th postoperative month were independent predictors of sustained SR after the maze operation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 1993

Plasma protein adsorption is the first event in the blood-material interaction and influenc- es subsequent platelet adhesion towards thlㅈombus formation. Thiㅈomboembolic events are strongly influenced by surface characteristics of materials and fluid dynamics inside the blood pump. In vitro flow visualizaion and an amimal experiment with the moving actuator type TAH were Performed in order to investigate fluid dynamic effects on the protein adsorption. The diffel'encl level, j of shear rate inside the ventricle Lvere determined by consid- ering the direction of the major opening of four healt valves in the implanted TAH and the visualized flow patterns as well. Each ventricle of the explanted TAH was sectionalized into 12 segments according to the shear rate level. The adsorbed protein on each segment was quantified using the ELISA method after soaking in 2% (wye)SDS/PBS for two days. Adsorbed protein layer thicknesses Itvere measured by the Immunogotd method under TEM. The SEM observation show that right ventricle (RV) , immobilized with albumin, displayed different degrees of platelet adhesion on each segment, whereas the left ventricle (LV), grafted by PEO-sulronate, indicated nearly , iame platelet adhesion behavior, regardless of shear rates. The surface concentrations of adsorbed proteins in the low shear rate region are hlghel'than those in the high region, which was confirmed statistically. A modified adsorption model of plasma protein onto polyurethane surface was suggested by considering the effect of the fluid dynamic characteristics.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2016

We report a 72-year-old male with known myelodysplastic syndrome who presented to the emergency department with a 7-day history of fever and dyspnea. Echocardiography revealed a round echogenic mass $13{\times}16mm$ in size attached to the atrial side of the tricuspid valve. Considering the high risk of infective endocarditis in the patient with a low absolute neutrophil count ($130/mm^3$), emergency surgery was performed. Intraoperatively, a single gelatinous neoplasm was resected, and subsequent reconstruction of the involved leaflet was accomplished using autologous pericardium. The tumor was pathologically confirmed as papillary fibroelastoma with no evidence of infective endocarditis. Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare cardiac neoplasm that occurs in either the mitral or aortic valves. Interestingly, a few cases of tricuspid valve papillary fibroelastoma have been reported so far. Similar echocardiographic findings between vegetation and tricuspid valve neoplasm make it difficult to distinguish these two disease entities.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.160-171
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• 2012

Background and Objective : Warfarin is the standard anticoagulation treatment for atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and mechanical heart valves. Close monitoring of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is required due to the drug's very narrow therapeutic window. Many factors can affect INR levels. Drug and food interactions are frequently cited as causes of adverse events with warfarin. We discussed interactions between herbs and warfarin studied in this research. Methods : In this review, PubMed was used to search medical journals. Keywords "warfarin AND interaction" were applied. Results : 55 articles were included. The possibility of correlation between warfarin and single herbal medicines such as Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Ginseng Radix Alba, Lycii Fructus, Ginkgo Folium, Menthae Herba, Trigonellae semen was suggested. Furthermore, some herbal compounds interacting with warfarin were reported. The conclusion of studies reporting the effect of herbal medicine on warfarin were controversial due to small size or quality of research. Conculsions : We suggest that we should prescribe therapeutic herbal medicines to patients using warfarin more carefully and do INR follow-up regularly.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 1992

In order to use a low cost polymer valve in our total artificial heart and ventricular assist device, we have developed a slit-type bileaflet polymer valve[BPV 1. The aim of this study is to determine the hydrodynamic effectiveness of the newly-designed BPV and its feasibility for temporary use in the blood pumps. For hydrodynamic comparison, we investigated in-vitro the pressure drop across the valve, the leakage volume, the flow rate and the flow pattern of the BPV, two mechanical valves and a trileaflet polymer valve. We employed the ventriculo-pulmonary bypassing method for in-vivo tests of the BPV's together vilh our electrohydraulic left venIn ricular assist device in mongrel dogs. The BPV showed adquate gydrodynamic performances and in the preliminary animal bests, there was no xvi dence of thrombus formation on the valve leaflets and around the struts. Detailed results obtained from the animal tests will be separately reported. This report involves the design criteria, fabrication and hydrodynamic charateristics of she BPV, and the basic merits and demerits of the valve are dis- cussed from the hydrodynamic point of view.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1191-1198
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• 2011

The use of a ventricular assist device (VAD) can raise the one-year survival rate without cardiac transplantation from 25% to 52%. However, malfunction of the VAD system causes 6% of VAD patients' deaths, which could possibly be avoided through the development of new VADs in which VAD malfunctions do not affect the patient's heart movement or hemodynamic state. A conventional VAD has an impeller or vane for propelling blood that can allow blood to regurgitate when the propelling force is weaker than the aortic pressure. In this paper, we developed a new pulsatile conduit-shaped VAD that has two valves. This device removes the possibility of blood regurgitation and has a small stationary area even when the pumping force is extremely weak. We estimated the characteristics of the device by measuring the outflow and the pressure of the pump in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-116
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• 2014

A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to fever and myalgia that occurred 2 weeks earlier. He showed a complete atrioventricular block on his electrocardiogram, and his vital signs were unstable. On his transthoracic echocardiograph, the 1.5 cm vegetation in the aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation suggested infective endocarditis. His transesophageal enchocardiograph showed abscess in his mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa and vegetation was suspected on his anterior mitral valve leaflet. The patient underwent an emergent operation for valve replacement with temporary epicardial pacing. Intraoperatively, the septal leaflet of his tricuspid valve was injured during the debridement of the abscess pocket that was extended to the membranous septum. The aortic, mitral, and tricuspid mechanical valves were replaced with annular reconstruction without complications. After 14 days of intravenous antibiotics, we successfully changed the epicardial pacemaker into a transvenous DDD-type permanent pacemaker by placing a left ventricular lead via the coronary sinus and an atrial lead in the right atrium appendage. The patient was discharged in a tolerable state and was examined uneventfully in our hospital's outpatient clinic for 8 months.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.663-668
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• 1991

To evaluate risks, complications and mortality of reoperations on heart valve prosthesis, we reviewed clinical records of 53 patients who underwent reoperation because of prosthetic valve failure[PVF], from Jan 1959 through Jun. 1991. They had undergone 48 mitral, 10 aortic valve rereplacement Primary tissue failure was the main cause of reoperation : it occurred in 51 valves at a mean postoperative interval of 58 months. Calcification and collagen disruption of prosthesis were main causes of primary tissue failure in macro and micropathology, In 3 failing mechanical prostheses, paravalvular leak was in 2 cases, another one case had the thrombi at the hinge portion. If conditions such as emergency operation with or without endocarditis, thromboembolism and advanced NYHA functional class are prevented, we think that reoperative valve replacement has similar morbidity and mortality to initial valve replacement surgery. But our sturdy represents higher mortality [22.6%] because of late surgical intervention failing the prevention of conditions leading to myocardial damage. In conclusion if the tearing, calcification, and a new murmur were detected the early reoperation should be considered to increase late survival.