• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.497-503
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• 2017

A theoretical study on oxygen flow is fundamental to comprehend the practical production of an oxygen respirator and its stability. In this study, an orifice-type pressure-reducing component was designed for the newly developed oxygen respirator, using the commercial CFD tool, COMSOL Multiphysics, which increases its operational time compared to the existing component. The orifice was optimized by changing the length by 3, 6, and 9 mm within the entire computational domain of the oxygen respirator. Based on an oxygen flow rate of 0.028 kg/s, the oxygen respirator equipped with the newly developed orifice satisfied the flow rate within 33% for a respirator inlet pressure of 300 bar, and within 32.7% for 50, 75, and 100 bar. In terms of component manufacturing, the orifice length was selected as 3 mm, which removes additional changes to the existing component.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.170-178
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• 2000

Most of manufacturers try to produce the most efficient filter for respirators with the lowest breathing resistance. Filter performance depends on low penetration, i.e., high efficiency (%), and low pressure drop ($mmH_2O$). This study was performed to evaluate performance of respirator filters by quality factor ($q_F$) and suggest the direction for improvement of respirator filters of good quality in Korea. Two mechanical filters, S and K made in Korea, three filtering facepieces, S made in China, C made in Korea and M made in USA, which were widely used in the workplace, were selected and tested efficiency and pressure drop in accordance with flow rate, using with Automated Filter Tester Model 8110 (TSI, USA). The best quality factor within the same respirator filter categories was $0.0672cm^{-1}\;H_2O$ for mechanical filter S, $0.0698cm^{-1}\;H_2O$ for filtering facepiece M at flow rate of 32Lpm. Mechanical filter S would be the best suitable during heavy work since qulity factors decrease less sharply than any others as increased flow rates. It was necessary for mechanical filter S to lower pressure drop without increasing efficiency, but mechanical filter K should be increased efficiency and decreased pressure drop. While filtering facepiece M had the best quality performance of three ones, Sand C should get much higher efficiency and lower pressure for better performance.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Background: This study aims to assess whether the TSI PortaCount (Model 8020) is a measuring instrument comparable with the flame photometer. This would provide an indication for the suitability of the PortaCount for determining the workplace protection factor for particulate filtering facepiece respirators. Methods: The PortaCount (with and without the N95-Companion^TM) was compared with a stationary flame photometer from Moores (Wallisdown) Ltd (Type 1100), which is a measuring instrument used in the procedure for determining the total inward leakage of the particulate filtering facepiece respirator in the European Standard. Penetration levels of sodium chloride aerosol through sample respirators of two brands (A and B) were determined by the two measuring systems under laboratory conditions. For each brand, thirty-six measurements were conducted. The samples were split into groups according to their protection level, conditioning before testing, and aerosol concentration. The relationship between the gauged data from two measuring systems was determined. In addition, the particle size distribution inside the respirator and outside the respirator was documented. Linear regression analysis was used to calculate the association between the PortaCount (with and without the N95-Companion^TM) and the flame photometer. Results: A linear relationship was found between the raw data scaled with the PortaCount (without N95-Companion^TM) and the data detected by the flame photometer (R² = 0.9704) under all test conditions. The distribution of particle size was found to be the same inside and outside the respirator in almost all cases. Conclusion: Based on the obtained data, the PortaCount may be applicable for the determination of workplace protection factor.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.213-229
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• 2005

The first and the longest criminal indictment case of Korean medico-legal battle, so called BORAMAE Hospital Incident, was finally on its end by Korean Supreme Court's decision on June 24, 2004, after 7 years long legal dispute via Seoul District Court and Seoul Superior Appeal Court's decision. Boramae Hospital case was the first Korean legal case of Withdrawing Life-sustaining treatment of mechanical respirator on 58 years old Extradural Hematoma victim who was on Respirator under Coma after multi-organ failure postoperatively(APACHE II score: 34-39). Two physicians who have involved patient's care and had helped to make discharge the Near-death patient to home after repeated demand of patient's wife, due to economic reason, were sentenced as homicidal crime. This review article will discuss the following items with the review of US cases, Quinlan(1976), Nancy Cruzan(1990), Barber (1983), Helen Wanglie(1990), Baby K (1994) and Baby L cases, along with Official Statement of ATS and other Academic dignitaries of US and World.: [1] Details of Boramae Hospital incident, medical facts description and legal language of homicidal crime sentence. [2] The medical dispute about the legal misinterpretation of patient's clinical status, regarding the severity of the victim with multi-organs failure on Respirator under coma with least chance of recovery, less than 10% probability. [3] Case study of US, of similar situation. [4] Introduction of ATS official Statement on Withdrawing/ Withholding Life sustaining treatment. [5] Patient Autonomy as basic principle. [6] The procedural formality in Medical practise for keeping the legitimacy. [7] The definition of Medical Futility and its dispute. [8] Dying in Dignity and PAS(Physician Assisted Suicide)/and/or Euthanasia [9] The Korean version of "Dying in Dignity", based on the Supreme Court's decision of Boramae Hospital incident (2004.6.24.) [10] Summary and Author's Note for future prospects.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.123-126
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• 1974

The incidence of myasthenia gravis in patients with thymomas has been reported from 10 to 50 percent, and the controversy ranges from 8-15 percent. This is the report of myasthenia grayis combined with benign thymoma and obtained relatively good result through surgical treatment at the department of thoracic surgery, National Medical center. The thymoma was mixed type and benign nature. Post operatively this patient was developed myasthenia crisis, and treated with mechanical respirator, and recurred the symptoms about 2months later, but well controlled with medical treatment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2011

The adsorption capacity of charcoal is a function of the airborne concentration of the target chemical. To evaluate the adsorption capacity of charcoal packed in the cartridges of air purifying respirators, breakthrough tests were conducted with carbon tetrachloride for three commercial cartridges (3M models #7251, #6000 and AX) at 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 ppm. Adsorption capacities were calculated using a mass transfer balance equation derived from the curve fitting to the breakthrough curves obtained experimentally. Carbon micropore volumes were estimated by iteration to fit the Dubinin/Radushkevich (D/R) adsorption isotherm. They were 0.6566, 0.5727 and 0.3087 g/cc for #7251, #6000 and the AX cartridge, respectively. Above 100 ppm (at high challenge concentrations), #7251 and #6000 showed higher adsorption capacities. However, as the challenge concentration decreased, the adsorption capacities of #7251 and #6000 sharply dropped. On the other hand, the adsorption capacity of the AX cartridge showed little change with the decrease of the challenge concentration. Thus, the AX showed a higher adsorption capacity than #7251 and #6000 at the 5-50 ppm level. It is concluded that service-life tests of cartridges and adsorption capacity tests of charcoal should be conducted at challenge concentration levels reflecting actual working environmental conditions. Alternatively, it is recommended to use the D/R adsorption isotherm to extrapolate adsorption capacity at low concentration levels from the high concentration levels at which breakthrough tests are conducted, at a minimum of two different concentration levels.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1977.06a
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• pp.9.1-10
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• 1977

Many etiological factors playa significant role in the development of tracheal stenosis; too high tracheostomy (Jackson, 1921), too small stoma (Greisen, 1966), the treatment with respirator using cuffed tube (Pearson et al., 1968; Lindholm, 1966; Bryce, 1972) and infection (Pearson, 1968). Although the incidence has been reduced due to development of surgical technique and antibiotics, the frequency of tracheal stenosis which produces symptoms after tracheostomy ranges from 1.5 per cent (Lindholm, 1967). In the management of the stenosis, mild cases are treated by mechanical dilatation with silicon tube or stent (Schmigelow, 1929; Montgomery, 1965) combined steroid (Birck, 1970), and in the cases of stenosis causes, these removed under the are bronchoscopy. But in severe stenosis, transverse resection with subsequent end-to-end anastomosis has been used in recent years (Pearson et al., 1968). During about 10 years, 1967 to 1977, a total of 23 patients with tracheal stenosis complicated among the 1, 514 tracheostomies have been treated in Severance Hospital. Now, we have obtained following conclusions by means of clinical analysis of 23 cases of tracheal stenosis. 1. The frequency of tracheal stenosis was 23 cases among 1, 514 cases of tracheostomy (1.5%). 2. Under the age of 5, these are 12 cases (52.2 %). 3. The sex incidence was comprised of 18 males and 5 females. 4. The duration of tracheostomy ranges from 4 days to 16 months. 5. The primary diseases requiring tracheostomy were following; central nerve system lesions 11 cases, upper air way obstruction 10 cases, extrinsic respiratory failure 2 cases. 6. Severe wound infections were only 2 cases. 7. The methods of treatment applied to tracheal stenosis were following; closed observation only 5 cases, nasotracheal intubation combined steroid 5 cases, T-tube stent combined steroid 3 cases, fenestration op. 4 cases, revision 4 cases and transverse resection and end-to-end anastomosis 2 cases.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1982.05a
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• pp.10.3-11
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• 1982

Recently through the advancement of medical and surgical managements and the development of low pressure cuffed endotracheal tube, incidence of tracheal stenosis was decreased significantly. Though its incidence was decreased markedly, stenosis was developted unfortunately in the situations such as long term use of respirator, heavy infection, trauma of the trachea and long term intubation etc. Tracheal stenosis had been handled with various methods such as mechanical dilatation, tissue graft techniques, luminal augumentation and end to end anastomosis due to their individual advantages but their effects were not satisfactory. In 1959 Lester had been found the regenerated cartilage from the perichondrium of the rib incidentaly. Since then Skoog, Sohn and Ohlsen were reported chondrogenic potential of perichondrium through the animal experiments. Though many different materials have been tried to rebuild stenosis and gaping defect of trachea, tracheal reconstruction has been a perplexing clinical problems. We choose the perichondrium as the graft material because cartilage is the normal supporting matrix of that structure and it will be an obvious advantage to be able to position perichondrium over a defect and obtain new cartilage there. The young rabbits, which were selected as our experimental animals, were sacrified from two to eight weeks after surgery. The results of our experiment were as follows; 1) In control group, the defect site of trachea was covered with fibrosis and vessels but graft site was covered with hypertrophied perichondrium and vessels. 2) Respiratory mucosa was completely regenerated in defect sites both control and grafted groups. 3) The histologic changes of the grafted sites were as follows: 2 weeks- microvessel dilatation, inflammatory reaction, initiation of fibrosis 4 weeks- decreased microvessel engorgement, submucosal fibrosis, decreased inflammatory reaction immatured cartilage island was noted in the grafted perichondrium (one specimen) 6 weeks- mild degree vascular engorgement submucosal fibrosis. chronic inflamatory reaction cartilage island and endochondrial ossification was noted in the grafted perichondrium (Two specimens) 8 weeks- minute vascular engorgement dense submucosal fibrosis. loss of inflammatory reaction. cartilage island was noted in the grafted perichondrium (two specimens) 4) There was no significant differences in regeneration between active surface in and out groups. 5) We observed immatured cartilage islands and endochondrial ossification in the perichondrial grafted groups where as such findings were not noted in control groups except fibrosis. We concluded that perichondrium was the adequate material for the reconstruction of defected trachea but our results was not sufficient in the aspect of chondrogenic potential of perichondrium. So further research has indicated possibility of chondrogenic potential of perichondrium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.5 s.262
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• pp.354-358
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• 2006

Background: Pulsatile pumps for extracorporeal circulation have been known to be better for tissue perfusion than non-pulsatile pumps but be detrimental to blood corpuscles. This study is intended to examine the risks and benefits of $T-PLS^{TM}$ through the comparison of clinical effects of $T-PLS^{TM}$ (pulsatile pump) and $Bio-pump^{TM}$ (non-pulsatile pump) used for coronary bypass surgery. Material and Method: The comparison was made on 40 patients who had coronary bypass using $T-PLS^{TM}\;and\;Bio-pump^{TM}$ (20 patients for each) from April 2003 to June 2005. All of the surgeries were operated on pump beating coronary artery bypass graft using cardiopulmonary extra-corporeal circulation. Risk factors before surgery and the condition during surgery and the results were compared. Result: There was no significant difference in age, gender ratio, and risk factors before surgery such as history of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary infarction, and renal failure between the two groups. Surgery duration, hours of heart-lung machine operation, used shunt and grafted coronary branch were little different between the two groups. The two groups had a similar level of systolic arterial pressure, diastolic arterial pressure and mean arterial pressure, but pulse pressure was measured higher in the group with $T-PLS^{TM}\;(46{\pm}15\;mmHg\;in\;T-PLS^{TM}\;vs\;35{\pm}13\;mmHg\;in\;Bio-pump^{TM},\;p<0.05)$. The $T-PLS^{TM}$-operated patients tended to produce more urine volume during surgery, but the difference was not statistically significant $(9.7{\pm}3.9\;cc/min\;in\;T-PLS^{TM}\;vs\;8.9{\pm}3.6\;cc/min\;in\;Bio-pump^{TM},\;p=0.20)$. There was no significant difference in mean duration of respirator usage and 24-hour blood loss after surgery between the two groups. Plasma free Hb was measured lower in the group with $T-PLS^{TM}\;(24.5{\pm}21.7\;mg/dL\;in\;T-PLS^{TM}\;versus\;46.8{\pm}23.0mg/dL\;in\;Bio-pump^{TM},\;p<0.05)$. There was no significant difference in coronary infarction, arrhythmia, renal failure and morbidity rate of cerebrovascular disease. There was a case of death after surgery (death rate of 5%) in the group tested with $T-PLS^{TM}$, but the death rate was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Coronary bypass was operated with $T-PLS^{TM}$ (Pulsatile flow pump) using a heart-lung machine. There was no unexpected event caused by mechanical error during surgery, and the clinical process of the surgery was the same as the surgery for which $Bio-pump^{TM}$ was used. In addition, $T-PLS^{TM}$ used surgery was found to be less detrimental to blood corpuscles than the pulsatile flow has been known to be. Authors of this study could confirm the safety of $T-PLS^{TM}$.