• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-117
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• 2009

This study aims to verify for humans the suitability of the enzyme-fixed hydrogel used for the patch sensor of the blood sugar testing system without blood sampling, which utilizes reverse iontophoresis. Using acrylate monomers, hydrogel was synthesized to which a certain unit of enzyme is fixed. In order to analyze the material property of the synthesized hydrogel, a structural analysis was performed using FT-IR spectroscopy, while the DSC was used to verify the thermal stability. In addition, with the UV-Vis spectrophotometer, it was verified that the degree of active enzyme is at least 50% greater than the standard product. The SEM was used to verify secure fixation of the enzyme onto the surface. As a result, it was observed that the enzyme is successfully fixed to the surface. Since the hydrogel makes direct contact with a patient's skin, it is essential to evaluate the toxicity when making direct contact with the skin. For that purpose, various sets of tests were undertaken according to the ISO 10993-cytotoxicity, intracutaneous reactivity, skin irritation test and maximization sensitization. Consequently, it was successfully verified that the enzyme-fixed hydrogel have bioavailability.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.114-127
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• 2012

Recent technical advancement allows noninvasive measurement of blood glucose. In this literature, we reviewed various noninvasive techniques for measuring glucose concentration. Optical or electrical methods have been investigated. Optical techniques include near-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, optical coherence technique, polarization, fluorescence, occlusion spectroscopy, and photoacoustic spectroscopy. Electrical methods include reverse iontophoresis, impedance spectroscopy, and electromagnetic sensing. Ultrasound, detection from breath, or fluid harvesting technique can be used to measure blood glucose level. Combination of various methods is also promising. Although there are many interesting and promising technologies and devices, there need further researches until a commercially available non-invasive glucometer is popular.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2008

The objective of this work is to study transdermal delivery of levodopa using iontophoresis and evaluate various factors which affect the transdermal transport. Levodopa is unstable in aqueous solution, and, in order to establish a stable condition for levodopa for the duration of experiment, we investigated the stability of levodopa in aqueous solutions of different pHs with/without the addition of dextrose or the application of current. Using stable aqueous solution, we have studied the effect of pH, polarity and penetration enhancer (ethanol) on transdermal flux and compared the results. We also investigated the iontophoretic flux from hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogel. In vitro flux study was performed at $33^{\circ}C$, using side-by-side diffusion cell. Full thickness hairless mouse skin and rat skin were used for this work. Current densities applied were 0.4 or $0.6mA/cm^2$ and current was off after 6 hour application. Stability study showed that levodopa solution with a pH 2.5 or 4.5 maintained the initial concentration of levodopa for 24 hours with the addition of 5% dextrose. However, at pH 9.5, levodopa was unstable and 30 to 40% of levodopa degraded within 24 hours, even with the addition of 5% dextrose. Hydrogel swollen with dextrose added levodopa solution maintained about 97% of the initial concentration of levodopa for 13 days, when stored in $4^{\circ}C$. The application of current did not affect the stability of levodopa in hydrogel. Flux study from levodopa solution with pH 2.5 showed that cathodal delivery of levodopa was higher than passive or anodal delivery. When the pH of the donor solution was 4.5, anodal delivery of levodopa was higher than passive or cathodal delivery. These results seem to indicate that electroosmosis plays more dominant role than electrorepulsion in the flux of levodopa at pH 2.5, and the reverse situation applies for pH 4.5. The passive flux was unexpectedly high for the ionized levodopa. Similar to the results from aqueous solution, cumulative amount of levodopa transported trom HPC hydrogel by cathodal delivery was significantly higher than passive or anodal delivery. The treatment of 70% ethanol cotton ball by scrubbing increased passive, anodal and cathodal flux, with the largest increase for anodal flux. These results indicate that iontophoretic delivery of zwitterion such as levodopa is much complicated than that can be expected from small ionic molecules with single charge. The results also indicate that the balance between electroosmosis and electrorepulsion plays a very important role in the transport through skin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.441-450
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• 1998

The medullospinal tract cells are known to play an important role in the control of the cardiovascular activities. To clarify the modes of action of the neurotransmitters on these cells, glutamate, GABA(${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid) and bicuculline were applicated iontophoretically into the rostral ventrolateral medulla in adult cats anesthetised with ${\alpha}$-chloralose. Followings are the results obtained : 1. The spontaneous activities of the cardiac-related neurons in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were increased by the glutamate and decreased by the GABA. 2. Bicuculline, an antagonist of GABA, alone didn't increase the frequency of the action potentials, but could reverse the cellular response to the GABA, simultaneously applicated. 3. GABA seemed to decrease the peak as well as the basal discharge of the neurons in RVLM, but hardly changed their periodicities. 4. The cellular responses of RVLM evoked by the peripheral nerve stimulation could be inhibited by the iontophoretically released GABA. In conclusion, GABA seemed to act as an inhibitory neurotransmitter on the cardiac- related neurons in RVLM of the cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}$-chloralose. But the maintenance of the periodicities of these cells after the application of bicuculline suggested that the afferent activity of the baroreceptor didn't play a key role in the spontaneous activities of the RVLM neurons.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.114-122
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• 2016

EIS (Electro interstitial scan) is a non-invasive and simple method to find the physio-pathological information inferred by electric current response with respect to low direct current applied between remote sites of the body. Although a few EIS-based devices for diagnosing diabetes were commercialized, they were not successful in offering clinical validity nor in confirming diagnostic principle. In this study, we measured the voltage responses of diabetic patients and normal subjects with a commercialized EIS device to test the usefulness of EIS in screening diabetes. For this purpose, voltage was measured between pairs of electrodes contacted at both palm, both soles of the feet and left and right forehead above both eyes. After feature extraction of voltage signals, the AUC (area under the curve) between the two groups was calculated and we found that seven variables were appropriately shown above 60% of accuracy. In addition, we applied the k-NN (k-nearest neighbors) method and found that the accuracy of classification between the two groups reached the accuracy of 76.2%. This result implies that the voltage response analysis based on EIS has potential as a diabetics screening method.