scholarly journals Design of Mechanism and Preliminary Field Validation of Low-Cost Transfemoral Rotator for Use in the Developing World

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Cavuto ◽  
Matthew Chun ◽  
Nora Kelsall ◽  
Karl Baranov ◽  
Keriann Durgin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing World ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Field Validation ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Common Solution ◽  
Locking Mechanism ◽  
Medial Rotation ◽  
Transfemoral Amputees ◽  
And Function

Transfemoral (above-knee) amputees face a unique and challenging set of restrictions to movement and function. Most notably, they are unable to medially rotate their lower-leg and subsequently cross their legs. The best and most common solution to this issue today is a transfemoral rotator, which allows medial rotation of the leg distal to the knee through a lockable turntable mechanism. However, currently available transfemoral rotators can cost thousands of dollars, and few equivalent technologies exist in the developing world. This paper, supported by the results of field studies and user testing, establishes a framework for the design of a low-cost and easily manufacturable transfemoral rotator for use in the developing world. Two prototypes are presented, each with a unique internal locking mechanism and form. A preliminary field study was conducted on six transfemoral amputees in India and qualitative user and prosthetist feedback was collected. Both prototypes successfully allowed all subjects to complete tasks such as crossing legs, putting on pants, and tying shoes while maintaining functionality of walking and standing. Future iterations of the mechanism will be guided by a combination of the most positively received features of the prototypes and general feedback suggestions from the users.

scholarly journals Modular Design of a Passive, Low-Cost Prosthetic Knee Mechanism to Enable Able-Bodied Kinematics for Users With Transfemoral Amputation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly A. Berringer ◽  
Paige J. Boehmcke ◽  
Jason Z. Fischman ◽  
Athena Y. Huang ◽  
Youngjun Joh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Transfemoral Amputation ◽  
Prosthetic Knee ◽  
Adjustable Mechanism ◽  
Transfemoral Amputees

There is a significant need for low-cost, high-performance prosthetic knee technology for transfemoral amputees in India. Replicating able-bodied gait in amputees is biomechanically necessary to reduce the metabolic cost, and it is equally important to mitigate the socio-economic discrimination faced by amputees in developing countries due to their conspicuous gait deviations. This paper improves upon a previous study of a fully passive knee mechanism, addressing the issues identified in its user testing in India. This paper presents the design, analysis and bench-level testing of the three major functional modules of the new prosthetic knee architecture: (i) a four-bar latch mechanism for achieving stability during stance phase of walking, (ii) an early stance flexion module designed by implementing a fully adjustable mechanism, and (iii) a hydraulic rotary damping system for achieving smooth and reliable swing-phase control.

HOUSEHOLD WATER BALANCE AND ASSESSMENT OF WATER VOLUME FOR IRRIGATION IN AGRO LANDSCAPES OF THE KYZYLSU-YUZHNAYA BASIN

2020 ◽  
pp. 102-109
Author(s):  
D.KH. DOMULLODZHANOV ◽  
◽  
R. RAHMATILLOEV
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Storage Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Land Productivity ◽  
Household Water ◽  
And Storage

The article presents the results of the field studies and observations that carried out on the territory of the hilly, low-mountain and foothill agro landscapes of the Kyzylsu-yuzhnaya (Kyzylsu-Southern) River Basin of Tajikistan. Taking into account the high-altitude location of households and the amount of precipitation in the river basin, the annual volumes of water accumulated with the use of low-cost systems of collection and storage of precipitation have been clarified. The amount of water accumulated in the precipitation collection and storage systems has been established, the volume of water used for communal and domestic needs,the watering of livestock and the amount of water that can be used to irrigate crops in the have been determined. Possible areas of irrigation of household plots depending on the different availability of precipitation have been determined. It has been established that in wet years (with precipitation of about 10%) the amount of water collected using drip irrigation will be sufficient for irrigation of 0.13 hectares, and in dry years (with 90% of precipitation) it will be possible to irrigate only 0.03 ha of the household plot. On the basis of the basin, the total area of irrigation in wet years can be 4497 ha, and in dry years only 1087 ha. Taking into account the forecasts of population growth by 2030 and an increase in the number of households, the total area of irrigation of farmlands in wet years may reach 5703 hectares,and in dry years – 1379 hectares. Growing crops on household plots under irrigation contributes to a significant increase in land productivity and increases the efficiency of water use of the Kyzylsu-yuzhnaya basin.

scholarly journals Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of User-Testing of Health Professionals’ Guidelines to Reduce the Frequency of Intravenous Medicines Administration Errors by Nurses in the United Kingdom: A Probabilistic Model Based on Voriconazole Administration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Jones ◽  
Bryony Dean Franklin ◽  
D. K. Raynor ◽  
Howard Thom ◽  
Margaret C. Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Medication Error ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Credible Interval ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Decision Analytic Model ◽  
Published Data ◽  
User Testing

Abstract Aim In the UK, injectable medicines are often prepared and administered by nurses following the Injectable Medicines Guide (IMG). Our earlier study confirmed a higher frequency of correct administration with user-tested versus standard IMG guidelines. This current study aimed to model the cost-effectiveness of user-testing. Methods The costs and cost-effectiveness of user-testing were explored by modifying an existing probabilistic decision-analytic model. The adapted model considered administration of intravenous voriconazole to hospital inpatients by nurses. It included 11 error types, their probability of detection and level of harm. Model inputs (including costs) were derived from our previous study and other published data. Monte Carlo simulation using 20,000 samples (sufficient for convergence) was performed with a 5-year time horizon from the perspective of the 121 NHS trusts and health boards that use the IMG. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for the risk of a medication error and other sources of uncertainty. Results The net monetary benefit at £20,000/quality-adjusted life year was £3,190,064 (95% credible interval (CrI): −346,709 to 8,480,665), favouring user-testing with a 96% chance of cost-effectiveness. Incremental cost-savings were £240,943 (95% CrI 43,527–491,576), also favouring user-tested guidelines with a 99% chance of cost-saving. The total user testing cost was £6317 (95% CrI 6012–6627). These findings were robust to assumptions about a range of input parameters, but greater uncertainty was seen with a lower medication error risk. Conclusions User-testing of injectable medicines guidelines is a low-cost intervention that is highly likely to be cost-effective, especially for high-risk medicines.

Design and Preliminary Testing of a Novel Dual-Chambered Syringe

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen May-Newman ◽  
Maria T. Matyska ◽  
Martin N. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Preliminary Test ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Medical Procedure ◽  
Dual Chamber ◽  
Two Fluids ◽  
Small Channel ◽  
Locking Mechanism ◽  
Fluid Properties ◽  
Balance Of Forces

Intravenous catheterization is the most common invasive medical procedure today and is designed to introduce medication directly into the blood stream. Common practice is to administer medicine with one syringe, followed by a saline flush to clear the line of any residual medication. The risk of infection due to the introduction of bacteria in the catheter hub is increased with the number of times the hub is accessed. In addition, the two-step process adds millions of nursing hours per year and is prone to error. The goal of this effort was to design and test a dual-chamber syringe that could be reliably used for both dispensing medicine and the saline flush, and be produced at a low cost. The syringe has a novel dual-chamber design with a proximal chamber for medicine and a distal chamber that contains saline. The saline chamber has a fixed volume when the handle is locked into position, which allows the handle to control the variable volume of the medicine chamber. Between the two chambers is a plunger that surrounds the small channel (which is an extension of the distal chamber) that separates the saline from the medicine. When the distal chamber is unlocked, the handle controls the volume of the saline chamber. By this mechanism, the syringe is able inject the medicine followed by the saline flush with a single access to the catheter hub. The smooth operation of the device relies on a locking mechanism to control the rear plunger and volume of the distal saline chamber, and a bubble plug residing in the small channel between the chambers that prevents mixing of the medicine and saline fluids. The bubble plug is held in place by a balance of forces that depend on geometric variables and fluid properties. The chosen design prevents mixing of the two fluids during the operation of the device, which was experimentally validated with mass spectrometry. The dual-chamber syringe has successfully achieved the design goal of a single syringe for the two-step catheter procedure of dispensing medicine and a saline flush. This novel design will reduce the potential for catheter-based infection, medical errors, medical waste, and clinician time. Preliminary test results indicate that this innovation can significantly improve the safety and efficiency of catheter-based administration of medicine.

scholarly journals Hepcidin is the major predictor of erythrocyte iron incorporation in anemic African children

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 1922-1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Prentice ◽  
Conor P. Doherty ◽  
Steven A. Abrams ◽  
Sharon E. Cox ◽  
Sarah H. Atkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iron Supplementation ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Iron Supplements ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Iron Incorporation ◽  
Major Predictor ◽  
Univariate Analyses

AbstractIron supplementation strategies in the developing world remain controversial because of fears of exacerbating prevalent infectious diseases. Understanding the conditions in which iron will be absorbed and incorporated into erythrocytes is therefore important. We studied Gambian children with either postmalarial or nonmalarial anemia, who were given oral iron supplements daily for 30 days. Supplements administered on days 1 and 15 contained the stable iron isotopes 57Fe and 58Fe, respectively, and erythrocyte incorporation was measured in blood samples drawn 14 days later. We investigated how the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin and other inflammatory/iron-related indices, all measured on the day of isotope administration, correlated with erythrocyte iron incorporation. In univariate analyses, hepcidin, ferritin, C-reactive protein, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) strongly predicted incorporation of 57Fe given on day 1, while hepcidin, ferritin, and sTfR/log ferritin correlated with 58Fe incorporation. In a final multivariate model, the most consistent predictor of erythrocyte isotope incorporation was hepcidin. We conclude that under conditions of competing signals (anemia, iron deficiency, and infection), hepcidin powerfully controls use of dietary iron. We suggest that low-cost point-of-care hepcidin assays would aid iron supplementation programs in the developing world.

Multi-Modal Diagnostics for Vehicle Fault Detection

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Schwall ◽  
J. Christian Gerdes
Keyword(s):  
Bayesian Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Diagnostic System ◽  
Cost Models ◽  
Diagnostic Systems ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Analytical Redundancy ◽  
Hardware Costs ◽  
And Function ◽  
Viable Model

Abstract On-board vehicle diagnostic systems must have low development and hardware costs in order to be viable. Model-based methods have shown promise since they use analytical redundancy to reduce costly physical redundancy. However, these methods must also be computationally efficient and function accurately even with simple, low-cost models. The approach presented in this paper uses multiple simple models to analyze dissimilar observable modes of a system. Residuals generated using the models are related and interpreted in a Bayesian network to determine fault probabilities and yield a diagnosis. The technique is demonstrated with a diagnostic system for automobile handling.

scholarly journals Review of Application and Innovation of Geotextiles in Geotechnical Engineering

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Wu ◽  
Chongkai Yao ◽  
Chenghan Li ◽  
Miao Miao ◽  
Yujian Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Pollution ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Geotechnical Engineering ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Present Situation ◽  
Soft Foundation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Erosion Protection

Most geotextiles consist of polymers of polyolefin, polyester or polyamide family, which involve environmental problems related to soil pollution. Geotextiles can be used for at least one of the following functions: Separation, reinforcement, filtration, drainage, stabilization, barrier, and erosion protection. Due to the characteristics of high strength, low cost, and easy to use, geotextiles are widely used in geotechnical engineering such as soft foundation reinforcement, slope protection, and drainage system. This paper reviews composition and function of geotextiles in geotechnical engineering. In addition, based on literatures including the most recent data, the discussion turns to recent development of geotextiles, with emphasis on green geotextiles, intelligent geotextiles, and high-performance geotextiles. The present situation of these new geotextiles and their application in geotechnical engineering are reviewed.

Weed-Control Systems for Peanut Grown as a Biofuel Feedstock

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson H. Faircloth ◽  
Jason A. Ferrell ◽  
Christopher L. Main
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Peanut Oil ◽  
Oil Yield ◽  
Oilseed Crop ◽  
Application Timing ◽  
The Cost ◽  
On Farm

Peanuts are not often used as a true oilseed crop, especially for the production of fuel. However, peanut could be a feedstock for biodiesel, especially in on-farm or small cooperative businesses, where producers can dictate the cost of making their own fuel. Field studies were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to assess low-cost weed-control systems for peanuts that would facilitate the economic viability of peanut biodiesel. Four preselected herbicide costs ranging from $25 to $62/ha and two application timings were compared with nontreated ($0/ha) and typical ($115/ha) herbicide programs for weed control and peanut oil yield. A peanut oil yield goal of 930 L/ha was exceeded with multiple low-cost herbicide systems in 3 of 4 site–yr. The main effect of application timing was only significant for a single site–year in which oil yield increased linearly with cost of the PRE and POST weed-control system. An herbicide cost of $50/ha, using PRE and POST applications, was consistently among the highest in oil yield, regardless of site–year, exceeding the typical (high value) programs in 3 of 4 site–yr. Use of reduced rates of imazapic (0.5× or 0.035 kg ai/ha) was detrimental in 2 of 4 site–yr. Weed control, and thus oil yields, were most dependent on species present at each location and not on input price. Data from this series of studies will allow researchers and entrepreneurs to more accurately assess the viability and sustainability of peanut biodiesel.

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