A short-term evaluation of a prototype disposable Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) device in a cohort of children with cystic fibrosis

Background Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) devices are important adjuncts to airway clearance therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Current devices are typically reusable and require daily, or often more frequent, cleaning to prevent risk of infection by acting as reservoirs of potentially pathogenic organisms. In response, a daily disposable OPEP device, the UL-OPEP, was developed to mitigate the risk of contamination and eliminate the burdensome need for cleaning devices. Methods A convenience sample of 36 participants, all current OPEP device users, was recruited from a paediatric CF service. For one month, participants replaced their current OPEP device with a novel daily disposable device. Assessment included pre- and post-intervention lung function by spirometry, as well as Lung Clearance Index. Quality of life was assessed using the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire – Revised, while user experience was evaluated with a post-study survey. Results 31 participants completed the study: 18 males; median age 10 years, range 4–16 years. Lung function (mean difference ± SD, %FEV1 = 1.69 ± 11.93; %FVC = 0.58 ± 10.04; FEV1: FVC = 0.01 ± 0.09), LCI (mean difference ± SD, 0.08 ± 1.13), six-minute walk test, and CFQ-R were unchanged post-intervention. Participant-reported experiences of the device were predominantly positive. Conclusions The disposable OPEP device maintained patients’ lung function during short term use (≤ 1 month), and was the subject of positive feedback regarding functionality while reducing the risk of airway contamination associated with ineffective cleaning. Registration The study was approved as a Clinical Investigation by the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority (CRN-2209025-CI0085).

Reusable Vessel Sealing Device Can Significantly Reduce Medical Costs Compared to Disposable Device in Modified Total Neck Dissection

Vessel sealing devices have been described to be effective, allowing to perform procedures with reduced blood loss and shorter operative times in head and neck surgery. Since the traditional vessel sealing devices are all disposable and expensive, there are not often used even in advanced cancer surgery in terms of cost. On the other hand, ‘marClampCut IQ’ (KLS Martin, Tuttlingen, Germany) is a new reusable vessel sealing device. In this clinical study, a traditional disposable device ‘LigaSure small jaw’ and a reusable device ‘marClampCut IQ’ were particularly compared regarding medical expenses and efficacy in modified total neck dissection. Between October 2014 and April 2020, modified total neck dissections were performed using the ‘LigaSure small jaw’ for 56 patients aged from 26y/o to 88y/o (median:66.0y/o). The ‘marClampCut IQ’ was mainly used between November 2018 and April 2020 for 64 modified total neck dissections in patients aged from 31y/o to 91y/o (median:70.5y/o). The amount of blood loss was significantly more in the ‘LigaSure small jaw’ group than in the ‘marClampCut IQ’ group (U-test, P = 0.006). There were no significant differences in age and operation time between the ‘LigaSure small jaw’ group and the ‘marClampCut IQ’ group. When calculated based on the list price in Japan, ‘LigaSure small jaw’ costed $1,000 each; on the other hand, ‘marClampCut IQ’ costed $240 per operation. We found that we could save $760 per operation using ‘marClampCut IQ’. The new reusable device ‘marClampCut IQ’ provided similar clinical efficacy and safety with a highly reduced cost when compared to the disposable device ‘LigaSure small jaw’ in this clinical study of modified total neck dissection.

Micromirror-Embedded Coverslip Assembly for Bidirectional Microscopic Imaging

3D imaging of a biological sample provides information about cellular and subcellular structures that are important in cell biology and related diseases. However, most 3D imaging systems, such as confocal and tomographic microscopy systems, are complex and expensive. Here, we developed a quasi-3D imaging tool that is compatible with most conventional microscopes by integrating micromirrors and microchannel structures on coverslips to provide bidirectional imaging. Microfabricated micromirrors had a precisely 45° reflection angle and optically clean reflective surfaces with high reflectance over 95%. The micromirrors were embedded on coverslips that could be assembled as a microchannel structure. We demonstrated that this simple disposable device allows a conventional microscope to perform bidirectional imaging with simple control of a focal plane. Images of microbeads and cells under bright-field and fluorescent microscopy show that the device can provide a quick analysis of 3D information, such as 3D positions and subcellular structures.

Directly writing flexible temperature sensor with graphene nanoribbons for disposable healthcare devices

A flexible temperature sensor is developed by directly writing or mask spraying commonly-used paper with graphene nanoribbon ink. The sensor is ultralow cost, degradable, and highly promising as a disposable device for personal healthcare.

A Hybrid Lab-on-a-Chip Injector System for Autonomous Carbofuran Screening

Securing food safety standards is crucial to protect the population from health-threatening food contaminants. In the case of pesticide residues, reference procedures typically find less than 1% of tested samples being contaminated, thus indicating the necessity for new tools able to support smart and affordable prescreening. Here, we introduce a hybrid paper–lab-on-a-chip platform, which integrates on-demand injectors to perform multiple step protocols in a single disposable device. Simultaneous detection of enzymatic color response in sample and reference cells, using a regular smartphone, enabled semiquantitative detection of carbofuran, a neurotoxic and EU-banned carbamate pesticide, in a wide concentration range. The resulting evaluation procedure is generic and allows the rejection of spurious measurements based on their dynamic responses, and was effectively applied for the binary detection of carbofuran in apple extracts.