• Title/Summary/Keyword: Leak current

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THE CURRENT STATUS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IN THE USA

  • Webster, John G.
    • 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.

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Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula in Korea - A National Survey of Its Members by the Korean Association of Pediatric Surgeons - (선천성 식도 무공증 및 기관식도 누공 - 대한 소아외과학회 회원을 대상으로 한 전국 조사 -)

  • Park, W.H.;Kwon, S.I.;Kim, S.C.;Kim, S.K.;Kim, W.K.;Kim, I.K.;Kim, J.E.;Kim, H.H.;Park, K.W.;Park, Y.S.;Song, Y.T.;Yang, J.W.;Oh, S.M.;Yoo, S.Y.;Lee, D.S.;Lee, M.D.;Lee, S.C.;Lee, S.K.;Lee, T.S.;Chang, S.I.
    • Advances in pediatric surgery
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.149-161
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    • 1995
  • The first national survey on esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula was conducted to access the current status of its incidence, clinical manifestation, preoperative diagnosis and management, type of its anomaly, associated anomalies, and surgical results and course. The 43 members of the Korea Association of Pediatric Surgeons received questionnaires and registration forms to be filled out on each patient who were born during the three years from January 1, 1992 through December 31, 1994. Questionnaires composed of six broad areas which include 1) preoperative diagnosis and management, 2) surgical technic, 3) long gap, 4) postoperative management, and 5) complications and courses. A total of 148 cases was returned by 28 members working at 23 institutions and 27 members returned questionnaires. We obtained the following results by analysis of the 148 cases of tracheoesophageal anomalies. The incidence of tracheoesophageal anomaly was about 1/10,000-11,000 in 1994, which is one third of that of anorectal malformations in Korea and the distribution of the patients was almost proportionate to the size of each province. Both sexes are about equally affected. Majority of the members make diagnosis of tracheoesophageal anomaly by taking a simple infantogram with a radiopaque tube in upper pouch and a little under half(46%) prefers to perform echocardiography as a part of preoperative management to identify congenital heart disease and lateralize the aorta. Esophageal atresia with distal TEF(87.5%) was by far the most common and there were pure esophageal atresia(5.6%), H-type TEF(2.1%), and so on. About half(49%) of the patients had one or more associated anomalies in addition to tracheoesophageal anomalies. Congenital heart disease was associated in 46 cases(31%), anorectral malfomations in 19 cases(13%), musculoskeletal anomalies in 15 cases(10%), genitourinary anomalies in 10 cases(7%) and gastrointestinal anomalies in 7 cases(5%). Postoperatively, parenteral nutrition and assisted ventilation were given in 66% and 52% of patients respectively. Ninety three(74%) of 126 cases who underwent sugical procedure, experienced one or more complications such as respiratory complication(65%), leak(22%), stricture(21%) and so on. The survival rates related to the Waterston risk categories were 90.2% in group A, 71.4-75% in $B_1$, $B_2$, and $C_1$, groups, and 28% in group $C_2$, and the overall survival rate was 71.4%. Thirty six(28.6%) of 126 cases died of pneumonia/sepsis(12 cases), respiratory failure(12 cases), and congenital heart disease(4 cases). With short term follow-up, 69% of patients have been excellent whereas remainders of the cases have suffered from some sort of morbidity related to gastroesophageal reflux, recurrent respiratory infection, and esophageal stricture.

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Recent Progress in Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Research : A Review of Papers Published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 2013 (설비공학 분야의 최근 연구 동향 : 2013년 학회지 논문에 대한 종합적 고찰)

  • Lee, Dae-Young;Kim, Sa Ryang;Kim, Hyun-Jung;Kim, Dong-Seon;Park, Jun-Seok;Ihm, Pyeong Chan
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.26 no.12
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    • pp.605-619
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    • 2014
  • This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2013. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) The research works on the thermal and fluid engineering have been reviewed as groups of fluid machinery, pipes and relative parts including orifices, dampers and ducts, fuel cells and power plants, cooling and air-conditioning, heat and mass transfer, two phase flow, and the flow around buildings and structures. Research issues dealing with home appliances, flows around buildings, nuclear power plant, and manufacturing processes are newly added in thermal and fluid engineering research area. (2) Research works on heat transfer area have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics, pool boiling and condensing heat transfer and industrial heat exchangers. Researches on heat transfer characteristics included the results for general analytical model for desiccant wheels, the effects of water absorption on the thermal conductivity of insulation materials, thermal properties of Octadecane/xGnP shape-stabilized phase change materials and $CO_2$ and $CO_2$-Hydrate mixture, effect of ground source heat pump system, the heat flux meter location for the performance test of a refrigerator vacuum insulation panel, a parallel flow evaporator for a heat pump dryer, the condensation risk assessment of vacuum multi-layer glass and triple glass, optimization of a forced convection type PCM refrigeration module, surface temperature sensor using fluorescent nanoporous thin film. In the area of pool boiling and condensing heat transfer, researches on ammonia inside horizontal smooth small tube, R1234yf on various enhanced surfaces, HFC32/HFC152a on a plain surface, spray cooling up to critical heat flux on a low-fin enhanced surface were actively carried out. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, researches on a fin tube type adsorber, the mass-transfer kinetics of a fin-tube-type adsorption bed, fin-and-tube heat exchangers having sine wave fins and oval tubes, louvered fin heat exchanger were performed. (3) In the field of refrigeration, studies are categorized into three groups namely refrigeration cycle, refrigerant and modeling and control. In the category of refrigeration cycle, studies were focused on the enhancement or optimization of experimental or commercial systems including a R410a VRF(Various Refrigerant Flow) heat pump, a R134a 2-stage screw heat pump and a R134a double-heat source automotive air-conditioner system. In the category of refrigerant, studies were carried out for the application of alternative refrigerants or refrigeration technologies including $CO_2$ water heaters, a R1234yf automotive air-conditioner, a R436b water cooler and a thermoelectric refrigerator. In the category of modeling and control, theoretical and experimental studies were carried out to predict the performance of various thermal and control systems including the long-term energy analysis of a geo-thermal heat pump system coupled to cast-in-place energy piles, the dynamic simulation of a water heater-coupled hybrid heat pump and the numerical simulation of an integral optimum regulating controller for a system heat pump. (4) In building mechanical system research fields, twenty one studies were conducted to achieve effective design of the mechanical systems, and also to maximize the energy efficiency of buildings. The topics of the studies included heating and cooling, HVAC system, ventilation, and renewable energies in the buildings. Proposed designs, performance tests using numerical methods and experiments provide useful information and key data which can improve the energy efficiency of the buildings. (5) The field of architectural environment is mostly focused on indoor environment and building energy. The main researches of indoor environment are related to infiltration, ventilation, leak flow and airtightness performance in residential building. The subjects of building energy are worked on energy saving, operation method and optimum operation of building energy systems. The remained studies are related to the special facility such as cleanroom, internet data center and biosafety laboratory. water supply and drain system, defining standard input variables of BIM (Building Information Modeling) for facility management system, estimating capability and providing operation guidelines of subway station as shelter for refuge and evaluation of pollutant emissions from furniture-like products.

Monitoring and Preventive Preservation of Cultural Heritages to Maintain Original Wooden Architectural Cultural Heritage (목조건축문화재 원형유지를 위한 문화재돌봄 모니터링과 예방보존)

  • CHUN Kyoungmee
    • Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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    • v.56 no.4
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    • pp.192-214
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    • 2023
  • Wooden architectural cultural heritages are one of the visible legacies that show the national's identity. Even when the concept of 'the original' of cultural heritages was not accurately understood, the emphasis of preservation and management of cultural heritages was placed on 'preservation of the original form' or 'maintenance of the original form'. Moreover, these days, following the trend of international preservation principles, cultural heritages are considered important as "values as historical objects." This paper is the result of an attempt to determine the scope and content of what parts should be monitored to maintain the original form of wooden architectural cultural heritage. The first thing to be done in monitoring wooden architectural cultural heritage is to check the condition of the ground and foundation. The second is the column. This is because the instability of the column causes damage to the joint with each member and the fitting part, resulting in physical changes leading to damage to the wall. The third is monitor the roof tiles. If the leak continues into the building due to the separation or damage of the roof, the defect should be partially dismantled and repaired, so it should be monitored to maintain its original shape as much as possible. The monitoring range of the base, column, and roof serves as a reference point for identifying what damage is being done to the relevant cultural heritages. In other words, the data at the time when monitoring began becomes the 'original' for the year. Alternatives based on the analysis of monitoring for the preservation of original cultural heritages should be actively introduced. In addition, by sharing the current state and situation of cultural heritages as a result of monitoring with various related organizations, preventive preservation should be established rather than preservation of cultural heritages by "intervention."