scholarly journals Cost-Effective Smartphone-Based Articulable Endoscope Systems for Developing Countries: Instrument Validation Study

10.2196/17057 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e17057
Author(s):  
Youngjin Moon ◽  
Jeongmin Oh ◽  
Jaeho Hyun ◽  
Youngkyu Kim ◽  
Jaesoon Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Human Organ ◽  
Motor Module ◽  
Endoscope System

Background Endoscopes are widely used for visualizing the respiratory tract, urinary tract, uterus, and gastrointestinal tracts. Despite high demand, people in underdeveloped and developing countries cannot obtain proper access to endoscopy. Moreover, commercially available endoscopes are mostly nonarticulable as well as not actively controlled, limiting their use. Articulating endoscopes are required for some diagnosis procedures, due to their ability to image wide areas of internal organs. Furthermore, actively controlled articulating endoscopes are less likely to harm the lumen than rigid endoscopes because they can avoid contact with endothelial tissues. Objective The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of smartphone-based wide-field articulable endoscope system for minimally invasive clinical applications in developing and less developed countries. Methods A thin articulable endoscope system that can be attached to and actively controlled by a smartphone was designed and constructed. The system consists of a flexible endoscopic probe with a continuum mechanism, 4 motor modules for articulation, a microprocessor for controlling the motor with a smartphone, and a homebuilt app for streaming, capturing, adjusting images and video, and controlling the motor module with a joystick-like user interface. The smartphone and motor module are connected via an integrated C-type On-The-Go (OTG) USB hub. Results We tested the device in several human-organ phantoms to evaluate the usability and utility of the smartphone-based articulating endoscope system. The resolution (960 × 720 pixels) of the device was found to be acceptable for medical diagnosis. The maximum bending angle of 110° was designed. The distance from the base of the articulating module to the tip of the endoscope was 45 mm. The angle of the virtual arc was 40.0°, for a curvature of 0.013. The finest articulation resolution was 8.9°. The articulating module succeeded in imaging all 8 octants of a spherical target, as well as all 4 quadrants of the indices marked in human phantoms. Conclusions The portable wide-field endoscope was successfully controlled using a smartphone, yielding clear images with a resolution of 960 × 720 pixels at realistic focal distances. Actively and precisely controlled articulating movements have resulted in minimally invasive monitoring in the narrow space of internal organs providing a wide-area view. We found our smartphone-based active articulated endoscope to be suitable for point-of-care applications in developing and less developed countries.

scholarly journals Cost-Effective Smartphone-Based Articulable Endoscope Systems for Developing Countries: Instrument Validation Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngjin Moon ◽  
Jeongmin Oh ◽  
Jaeho Hyun ◽  
Youngkyu Kim ◽  
Jaesoon Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Human Organ ◽  
Motor Module ◽  
Endoscope System

BACKGROUND Endoscopes are widely used for visualizing the respiratory tract, urinary tract, uterus, and gastrointestinal tracts. Despite high demand, people in underdeveloped and developing countries cannot obtain proper access to endoscopy. Moreover, commercially available endoscopes are mostly nonarticulable as well as not actively controlled, limiting their use. Articulating endoscopes are required for some diagnosis procedures, due to their ability to image wide areas of internal organs. Furthermore, actively controlled articulating endoscopes are less likely to harm the lumen than rigid endoscopes because they can avoid contact with endothelial tissues. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of smartphone-based wide-field articulable endoscope system for minimally invasive clinical applications in developing and less developed countries. METHODS A thin articulable endoscope system that can be attached to and actively controlled by a smartphone was designed and constructed. The system consists of a flexible endoscopic probe with a continuum mechanism, 4 motor modules for articulation, a microprocessor for controlling the motor with a smartphone, and a homebuilt app for streaming, capturing, adjusting images and video, and controlling the motor module with a joystick-like user interface. The smartphone and motor module are connected via an integrated C-type On-The-Go (OTG) USB hub. RESULTS We tested the device in several human-organ phantoms to evaluate the usability and utility of the smartphone-based articulating endoscope system. The resolution (960 × 720 pixels) of the device was found to be acceptable for medical diagnosis. The maximum bending angle of 110° was designed. The distance from the base of the articulating module to the tip of the endoscope was 45 mm. The angle of the virtual arc was 40.0°, for a curvature of 0.013. The finest articulation resolution was 8.9°. The articulating module succeeded in imaging all 8 octants of a spherical target, as well as all 4 quadrants of the indices marked in human phantoms. CONCLUSIONS The portable wide-field endoscope was successfully controlled using a smartphone, yielding clear images with a resolution of 960 × 720 pixels at realistic focal distances. Actively and precisely controlled articulating movements have resulted in minimally invasive monitoring in the narrow space of internal organs providing a wide-area view. We found our smartphone-based active articulated endoscope to be suitable for point-of-care applications in developing and less developed countries.

scholarly journals Are Less Developed Countries More Exposed to Multinational Tax Avoidance? Method and Evidence from Micro-Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 790-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Johannesen ◽  
Thomas Tørsløv ◽  
Ludvig Wier
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Multinational Firms ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Profit Shifting ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Data Requirements

Abstract This paper uses a global dataset with information about 210,000 corporations in 142 countries to investigate whether tax avoidance by multinational firms is more prevalent in less-developed countries. The paper proposes a novel approach to studying cross-border profit shifting, which has relatively low data requirements and is therefore particularly well-suited for the context of developing countries. The results consistently show that the sensitivity of reported profits to profit-shifting incentives is negatively related to the level of economic and institutional development. This may explain why many developing countries opt for low corporate tax rates in spite of urgent revenue needs and severe constraints on the use of other tax bases.

Analysis on the Overall Characteristics and Laws of Economic Development

2011 ◽  
Vol 225-226 ◽  
pp. 174-177
Author(s):  
Yue Huang
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Information Economy ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
History Of ◽  
Economics Model ◽  
Economical Development

In light of current world economics heading towards a direction that demands a refurbished theoretical guidance, Huang, Mu and Huang’s (1990, 1991) “Overall Development of Global Economics” model - also affectionately known as the "4-ways, 2-forms" hypothesis - serves as a research guideline and a basic framework of economical development problems. Economical development throughout the history of mankind has experienced three phases, each phase bearing its own characteristics. While today’s developing countries linger in the era of nature driven self-sufficiency, developed countries have surged ahead into a phase of post-information economy where information technology serves as the backbone of Information Economic Era. At present, the financial disparities between nations often and inevitably produce conflicts driven by socio-economical differences and the resultant ideologies. What are the orientations in economic development for less developed countries, developing countries and developed countries? Why does conflict between them arise and what causes this? How can they be resolved? These have become focal issues of concern among economist.

A Cost-Effective Upper Extremity Prosthesis Design

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Chen ◽  
Vanessa Pau ◽  
Theresa Shar ◽  
Stephanie Tiaden ◽  
Anthony Wong
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Upper Extremity ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Prosthetic Device ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
Lower Complexity

Upper extremity prostheses are a scarce necessity in less developed countries due to the lack of medical facilities, economic resources, and prevalent warfare. Prostheses have become a growing need as fifty-thousand amputations occur annually, with the current market being focused primarily on lower extremities. Leg prostheses have received much more attention and success than their upper extremity counterparts, due to their lower complexity that also yields lower cost. Prosthetic legs only need to fulfill basic motions such as walking and running, as opposed to the more complicated hands that encompass 22 degrees of motion. In less developed countries with few medical facilities, amputees need to travel long distances to find treatment. The objective is to design an affordable and easily assembled body-powered, below-elbow prosthetic device for adults that provides basic arm function and can be widely distributed in developing countries. Therefore, cost, availability, functionality, and simplicity are the primary considerations of the design.

A Comprehensive Approach to Human Factors in Developing Countries

1968 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Lippert
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
High Technology ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Less Developed Countries

Existing human factors knowledge, generated in a high technology environment, can be drawn upon to meet the needs of less developed countries with a lower technology environment. To open up effectively this potentially rich field of human factors activity, a broadly conceived approach to the anticipated problems is needed. Preliminary suggestions and methods are offered towards such an approach. In addition to the cited references, a bibliography containing a variety of references relevant to human factors in developing countries is included.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential Deployment of Biosensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Developing Countries: Technological, Economic and Regulatory Aspects

Biosensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Migliozzi ◽  
Thomas Guibentif
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Point Of Care Diagnostics ◽  
Successful Case ◽  
The Cost

Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance are major burdens in developing countries, where very specific conditions impede the deployment of established medical infrastructures. Since biosensing devices are nowadays very common in developed countries, particularly in the field of diagnostics, they are at a stage of maturity at which other potential outcomes can be explored, especially on their possibilities for multiplexing and automation to reduce the time-to-results. However, the translation is far from being trivial. In order to understand the factors and barriers that can facilitate or hinder the application of biosensors in resource-limited settings, we analyze the context from several angles. First, the technology of the devices themselves has to be rethought to take into account the specific needs and the available means of these countries. For this, we describe the partition of a biosensor into its functional shells, which define the information flow from the analyte to the end-user, and by following this partition we assess the strengths and weaknesses of biosensing devices in view of their specific technological development and challenging deployment in low-resource environments. Then, we discuss the problem of cost reduction by pointing out transversal factors, such as throughput and cost of mistreatment, that need to be re-considered when analyzing the cost-effectiveness of biosensing devices. Beyond the technical landscape, the compliance with regulations is also a major aspect that is described with its link to the validation of the devices and to the acceptance from the local medical personnel. Finally, to learn from a successful case, we analyze a breakthrough inexpensive biosensor that is showing high potential with respect to many of the described aspects. We conclude by mentioning both some transversal benefits of deploying biosensors in developing countries, and the key factors that can drive such applications.

South-South relations: the economic and political content of interactions among developing countries

1975 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jon Rosenbaum ◽  
William G. Tyler
Keyword(s):  
International Economic ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Economic System ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
The Developed Countries

Traditionally, examinations of the international relations of the less developed countries (LDCs) have focused on influences that can be attributed generally as originating in the developed countries (DCs). In fact, relatively few scholarly analyses of inter-LDC relations have been undertaken. Since South-South relations have grown appreciably in recent years, however, it is important that a framework for studying these relations be developed, and this framework must include an awareness of the significance of the international economic system

Mortality and Infectious Disease Associated with Infant-Feeding Practices in Developing Countries

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 702-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine M. Jason ◽  
Phillip Nieburg ◽  
James S. Marks
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Infant Feeding ◽  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Infectious Illness

This review examines the available studies bearing on the relation between infant-feeding mode and infectious illness in the populations of less-developed countries. A companion critical review of studies of the relationship of infant-feeding methods and infection in industrialized countries has concluded that, although laboratory studies provide biologic plausibility for a lower infection rate in breast-fed infants, an effect, if present, is apparently modest.39 The strongest evidence for a protective effect of breast-feeding in industrialized countries is for gastrointestinal (diarrheal) illness. In this review of studies among populations in developing countries we found the evidence for an important protective effect of breast-feeding against infectious illness to be much stronger. This conclusion was reached despite serious problems in the design of many of the studies reviewed. One characteristic that distinguishes populations in less-developed countries from those of industrialized ones is the infant mortality. Even today, infant mortality for much of the world is up to ten times higher than infant mortality in the United States and Northern Europe.46 This undoubtedly reflects differences in sanitation, nutrition, housing, and other indicators of socioeconomic status. Much of the difference in rates of infant and child mortality and morbidity is attributable to high rates of infectious illness, especially gastrointestinal disease. Thus, in these populations, the positive effects of breast-feeding are of greater potential importance for the health of the infant population and should be easier to detect in clinical and epidemiologic studies. In this review we will address the following key questions: (1) whether the method of infant feeding (breast v other) is associated with differences in rates of mortality, both overall and infectious, and in rates of infectious morbidity in less-developed countries;

Business-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries

2011 ◽  
pp. 489-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Toland ◽  
Robert Klepper
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Electronic Commerce ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Consumer Electronic ◽  
The World ◽  
Business To Consumer

Electronic commerce describes the process of buying, selling, transferring, or exchanging products, services, or information via computer networks including the Internet. In business-to-consumer electronic commerce, the sellers are organisations, and the buyers are individuals (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Business-to-consumer electronic commerce provides opportunities for less-developed countries to reduce transaction costs and bypass some of the intermediary linkages to connect to global supply chains (Molla & Licker, 2005). Though predictions vary, statistics seem to point to significant growth of the use of the Internet among businesses and consumers in developing countries in the next 10 years (Hawk, 2004). The focus here is to explore the potential for business-to-consumer electronic commerce in less-developed countries. The approach taken is to review the current worldwide usage of the Internet; to identify the factors necessary for e-readiness; to explore the barriers to business-to-consumer electronic commerce; and to identify strategies that can be adopted by both the public and private sectors to overcome these barriers. By the end of 2003, developing countries accounted for more than one third of new Internet users worldwide. Though Internet access is rapidly increasing, most residents of developing countries still have no access to the Internet. For example, Internet access in Africa is less than 2% in a population of over 900 million, the lowest rate of access in the world (Dunphy, 2000; UNCTAD, 2004). Businessto- consumer electronic commerce in less-developed countries will grow in the future, but progress will be slowed by technological, cultural, economic, political, and legal problems (Davis, 1999; Enns & Huff, 1999). Differences in e-readiness and related barriers to electronic commerce will sustain substantial differences between regions of the world, between countries within regions, between urban and rural areas within countries, and between the genders and age groups. Despite the difficulties, when the basic communications infrastructure is available, options do exist to undertake business-to-consumer electronic commerce in less-developed countries.

scholarly journals The Point-of-Care Laboratory in Clinical Microbiology

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Drancourt ◽  
Audrey Michel-Lepage ◽  
Sylvie Boyer ◽  
Didier Raoult
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Clinical Microbiology ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Rapid Diagnosis ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Internet Connections ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Test Operations ◽  
Developing And Developed Countries

SUMMARYPoint-of-care (POC) laboratories that deliver rapid diagnoses of infectious diseases were invented to balance the centralization of core laboratories. POC laboratories operate 24 h a day and 7 days a week to provide diagnoses within 2 h, largely based on immunochromatography and real-time PCR tests. In our experience, these tests are conveniently combined into syndrome-based kits that facilitate sampling, including self-sampling and test operations, as POC laboratories can be operated by trained operators who are not necessarily biologists. POC laboratories are a way of easily providing clinical microbiology testing for populations distant from laboratories in developing and developed countries and on ships. Modern Internet connections enable support from core laboratories. The cost-effectiveness of POC laboratories has been established for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections in both developed and developing countries.

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