• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.180-190
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• 2004

Objectives : To present criteria for acupuncture standardization, which will improve quality of acupuncture and secure safety, through studies of the biocompatibility of acupuncture materials. Methods : Acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were studied. Intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests were executed to study the biocompatibility of acupuncture. Results & Conclusions : All 4 kinds of acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were found suitable for medical use, through intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. However, the medical instrument standards of the Korea Food and Drug Administration lack criteria concerning intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. The criteria for these tests should be standardized in order to secure the biocompatibility of acupuncture needles.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.157-166
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• 1984

These biologic test procedures are designed to test the suitability of P.V.C. made in Korea intended for parenteral preparation, which were based on the U.S. Pharmacopeia XIX "Biologic Test-Plastic Container", Official from July 1, 1975. Healthy adult human blood and rabbits weighing 2\ulcorner.2Kg were used for test materials. Sample P.V.C. were sampled from the medical equipments made in Korea randomly and Control P.V.C. were sampled from the standardized Cobe and Polystan P.V.C. tubes. P.V.C. extract was prepared from a homogeneous P.V.C. samples by incubating 60 square centimeters of the sample per 20 millimeters of sterile pyrogen-free saline at 70\ulcorner for 72 hours or autoclaving at 120\ulcorner for 1 hour. The Implantation Test was designed to evaluate the reaction of living tissue to the plastic by the method of the implantation of the Sample itself into animal tissue. The Systemic Injection Test, the Intracutaneous Test, and the remainders were designed to determine the biological response of animals to plastics by the single-dose injection of specific extracts prepared from a Sample. The results are as follows; 1.Implantation Test - No significant difference for reactions was noted between the Sample treated animal and the Control after 72 hours of implantation. 2.Systemic Toxicity Injection Test - No sign of toxicity and/or death immediately after injection and at 4, 24, 48 hours respectfully after injection. 3.Intracutaneous Test - None of the animals treated with the Sample showed a significantly greater reaction than the observed in the animals treated with Blank. 4.Pyrogen Assay-Only one animal treated with the Sample showed the maximal rise of rectal temperature about 0.2\ulcorner after 3 hours of injection, but remainders showed no change. 5.Hemolytic Index - The positive Control tube of distilled water exhibited complete hemolysis while the negative Control tube and P.V.C. extract were negative demonstrating no hemolysis. 6.Cell Morphology of Erythrocytes and Leukocytes on Stored, Heparinized Human Blood -- There was no significant difference in the morphology of either the Control or Sample extract. 7.Clotting Mechanism of Human Blood in vitro - After allowing to the P.V.C. extract at room temperature for 5 Hours and at 10\ulcorner for 24 hours, there was no appreciable difference in Prothrombin Time under these conditions. 8.Clotting Mechanism of Rabbit in vivo - At the termination of 5 days after intraperitoneal injection of the P.V.C. extract, no significant changes in Clotting Time were observed. According to the above results, it could be concluded that the P.V.C. made in Korea was acceptable for parenteral preparation, especially treated with physiologic saline and/or human blood.man blood.