Technology and Health Care - Volume 23, issue s2

Authors: Zhou, H.-Y. | Li, J. | Zuo, D.-C. | Hou, K.-M. | Vaulx, C. de

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As one of the pervasive healthcare services, Ubiquitous cardiac care (UCC) systems should have at least two significant characteristics: real-time detection capability for cardiac arrhythmia events and a small resource requirement for its computation and storage. PURPOSE: Due to the strict-constrained system support and ambulatory signal quality in the out-of-hospital pervasive healthcare applications, a dedicated real-time AED (Ambulatory Electrocardiograph Detection) algorithm has been implemented. METHODOLOGY: By adopting the piecewise geometric analysis method, this algorithm can provide a real-time continuous detection capability for QRS complexes, which consists of three main functional modules: …the Data preparation; the R-wave vertex discovery; and the QRS complex recognition. Currently, this algorithm has been applied on an on-line UCC application system at the hospital for more than 30 patients. RESULT: The performance evaluation has been made not only on the standard MIT-BIH cardiac arrhythmia database but also on the clinical testing. The experiential results explore this algorithm has in average sensitivity of 99.37% and specificity of 99.72%. CONCLUSION: This AED algorithm has minimal beat detection latency and a less computation consumption, which make it meet the requirements of ubiquitous cardiac care applications. Show more

Keywords: Ubiquitous cardiac care, ambulatory ECG, piecewise geometric analysis, QRS complex detection

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150970

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S335-S342, 2015

Authors: Li, Haigang | Zhang, Qian | Li, Chengdong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As a new authentication method developed years ago, vein recognition technology features the unique advantage of bioassay. OBJECTIVE: This paper studies the specific procedure for the extraction of hand back vein characteristics. METHODS: There are different positions used in the collecting process, so that a suitable intravenous regional orientation method is put forward, allowing the positioning area to be the same for all hand positions. In addition, to eliminate the pseudo vein area, the valley regional shape extraction operator can be improved and combined with multiple segmentation algorithms. The images should be …segmented step by step, making the vein texture to appear clear and accurate. Lastly, the segmented images should be filtered, eroded, and refined. This process helps to filter the most of the pseudo vein information. RESULTS: Finally, a clear vein skeleton diagram is obtained, demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithm. CONCLUSION: This paper presents a hand back vein region location method. This makes it possible to rotate and correct the image by working out the inclination degree of contour at the side of hand back. Show more

Keywords: Vein recognition, image processing, region segmentation, feature extraction

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150971

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S343-S353, 2015

Authors: Mao, Yurong | Chen, Peiming | Li, Lifang | Li, Le | Huang, Dongfeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gait recovery is very important to stroke survivors to regain their independence in activity of daily life. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) coupled body weight support treadmill training (BWSTT) on pelvic control at the early stage of stroke. METHODS: Kinematic and kinetic changes of pelvic motion were evaluated by a 3D gait analysis system and were compared to the results from over-ground walking training. Twenty-four patients having unilateral hemiplegia with subacute stroke were recruited to a VR coupled BWSTT group (n= 12) and a conventional …therapy (CT) group (n= 12). Both of the groups received training of 20-40 min/day, 5 days/week, for 3 weeks. RESULTS: The results showed the tilt of pelvis in sagittal plane improved significantly (P= 0.038) after treatment in the BWSTT+VR group, in terms of decreased amplitude of anterior peak (mean, from 10.99° to 6.25°), while there were no significant differences in the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that VR coupled BWSTT gait training could decrease anterior tilt of pelvis in early hemiparetic persons following a modest intervention dose, and the training may have advantages over conventional over-ground gait training and can assist the therapists in correcting abnormal gait pattern of stroke survivors. Show more

Keywords: Body weight support, gait analysis, stroke, pelvic control, virtual reality

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150972

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S355-S364, 2015

Authors: Wu, Changzhe | Cao, Yue | Huo, Xiaolin | Li, Ming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Bioartificial liver support system (BALSS) based on culturing hepatocytes is an important research field for the treatment of acute liver failure. It is necessary to monitor the state of liver cell functions during the treatment of BALSS in order to guide clinical treatment. OBJECTIVE: To design a micro-channel chip to achieve flash mixing for timely detection of liver cell status in bioreactors and improving liver cells growth environment to ensure the efficacy of the bio-artificial liver support system. METHODS: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Urea are chosen as detection indicators to reflect the …degree of liver cell injury and the detoxification function. A diamond tandem structure micro-channel is designed and optimized to achieve the efficient mixing of serum and ALT or Urea reagent. RESULTS: The simulation and experimental results show that the diamond tandem structure micro-channel can significantly improve the mixing efficiency and meet the online detecting requirements. CONCLUSION: The easily controllable diamond tandem structure micro-channel combines the advantages of active and passive mixer and can effectively mix the serum and ALT or Urea reagent. It lays the foundation for online monitoring of liver cells and will help to improve the viability of liver cell in the bioreactor. Show more

Keywords: Bio-artificial liver, ALT, urea, ANSYS, mixing efficiency

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150973

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S365-S371, 2015

Authors: Wu, Xu | Wanyan, Xiaoru | Zhuang, Damin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human factors involved with visual attention mechanism and fatigue are critical causes of modern aviation accidents. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the connection between attention and flight fatigue, a mathematical model of pilot's visual attention allocation was established based on information processing channels. Multi-task condition and current psychophysical state were taken into account as well. METHODS: Sixteen participants were recruited to perform a long-term dual-task in a Boeing 737-800 flight simulator. The primary task was an envelope flight task and the secondary was an unusual attitude (UA) recovery task. Reaction time of the secondary …task was recorded as a behavior performance index, while heart rate and respiration rate were measured as physiological indices as well as fixation distribution as attention allocation index. RESULTS: The experiment results showed a significant affect of experiment time that indicated the occurrence and influence of fatigue. Eye movement tracking also revealed good agreement with the predictable model and hence verified its effectiveness. Moreover, applicability of the model was validated under flight fatigue and multiple tasks condition. CONCLUSION: The current study provided a quantitative connection between pilot's visual attention allocation and flight fatigue, which was verified in the ergonomics experiment. Show more

Keywords: Visual attention allocation, mathematical model, fatigue, ergonomics experiment

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150974

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S373-S381, 2015

Authors: Yu, Bin | Zhang, Chen | Qin, Chunyu | Yuan, Huaijiang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Because of the complexity and construction, the failure rate of lumbar surgery is still high. It is necessary to find a solution to help improve the accuracy and safety of surgery. OBJECTIVE: Construction and stress analysis of lumbar spine. METHODS: The generated FE model based on CT scan images was validated and used to investigate the motion, and stress/strain of the vertebrae under different physiological loadings. A degenerated model was also simulated by changing the materials properties (E and Poisson's Ratio) of the intervertebral disc nucleus and annulus fibers from 1.0 N/mm^2 …to 3.0 N/mm^2, and 0.42 to 0.45, respectively. RESULTS: When annulus fibrosis is degenerating or under ictal external loadings, the annulus fibrosis will be in a state of protrusion and there will potential for other pathological changes, such as herniation of the nucleus pulpous. CONCLUSION: The effects of these changes in the corresponding motion and stress/strain of the spinal motion segments were investigated with some conclusions drawn in relation to the normal model for future application of medical diagnosis and surgical treatment. Show more

Keywords: Lumbar spine, motion, stress/strain, physiological loadings

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150975

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S383-S396, 2015

Authors: Zhang, Yingfeng | Liu, Sichao | Zhu, Zhenfei | Si, Shubin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: According to the analysis of the challenges faced by the current public health circumstances such as the sharp increase in elderly patients, limited medical personnel, resources and technology, the agent-based intelligent medical diagnosis system for patients (AIMDS) is proposed in this research. OBJECTIVE: Based on advanced sensing technology and professional medical knowledge, the AIMDS can output the appropriate medical prescriptions and food prohibition when the physical signs and symptoms of the patient are inputted. METHODS: Three core modules are designed include sensing module, intuition-based fuzzy set theory/medical diagnosis module, and medical knowledge …module. RESULTS: The result shows that the optimized prescription can reach the desired level, with great curative effect for patient disease, through a case study simulation. CONCLUSION: The presented AIMDS can integrate sensor technique and intelligent medical diagnosis methods to make an accurate diagnosis, resulting in three-type of optimized descriptions for patient selection. Show more

Keywords: Intuitionistic fuzzy set theory, sensing technology, intelligent medical diagnosis, agent, medical knowledge

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150976

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S397-S410, 2015

Authors: Zhang, Junhua | Li, Hongjian | Lv, Liang | Shi, Xinling | Zhang, Yufeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Surgical planning for scoliosis relies on the classification of spinal curve pattern. The widely used King classification is subject to human measurement and judgment errors. To reduce the variability of King classification, a computer-aided method is proposed and its reliability is evaluated in this study. METHODS: At the first step, endplate inclination and position of each vertebra are measured by a computerized system on the posteroanterior radiograph. Based on these measurements, the apical and end vertebrae are identified and then the Cobb angles are calculated automatically. The system subsequently classifies the curve types automatically …based on the computerized Cobb measurements, the vertebral inclination, and the analysis of the relationship between the center sacral vertical line, and the apical lumbar vertebra. Five observers participated in the experiments. The kappa statistic was used to evaluate the variability. RESULTS: Classifications of 105 scoliotic cases by the five observers showed that with the aid of our system, the average intraobserver and interobserver kappa values improved from 0.75 to 0.90 and from 0.66 to 0.86, respectively. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the proposed computerized system can assist a surgeon with the King classification of scoliosis. Show more

Keywords: Computer-aided diagnosis, King classification, radiograph, scoliosis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150977

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S411-S417, 2015

Authors: Xiang, Haiyan | Liu, Yanyong | Qin, Yufei | Cao, Zhengtao | Guo, Tao | Yu, Mengsun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Korotkoff sounds have been used to measure systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressures noninvasively for over 100 years. However, most of the research concerning the Korotkoff sound were focused on the origin and frequency component analyzing the Korotkoff sound signal. OBJECTIVE: To show that the occurrence time of the Korotkoff sounds for each cardiac cycle demonstrates a characteristic value during the cuff deflating process of blood pressure measurement. METHODS: The Korotkoff sound delay time (KDT) decreases as the cuff pressure P deflates and KDT is a function of arterial transmural pressure. In …the present research, an experiment system was established to explore the relationship between the KDT and the cuff pressure in different subjects. RESULTS: A pilot experiment was conducted to obtain different subjects' KDTs and investigate the relationship between KDT and cuff pressure. CONCLUSION: The relationship between KDT and invasive blood pressure was also studied and its potential application in detection of cardiovascular status was discussed. Show more

Keywords: Cardiovascular, noninvasive measurement, Korotkoff sound delay time, transmural pressure

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150978

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S419-S426, 2015

Authors: Cao, Liu | Hao, Dongmei | Rong, Yao | Zhou, Yanan | Li, Mingai | Tian, Yunqing

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of force level and fatigue on brain activity during handgrip tasks. METHODS: Electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded from eleven healthy male subjects when they performed 25%, 50% and 75% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and were in fatigue state. EEG powers in different handgrip tasks were analyzed in the frequency domain and time domain respectively. RESULTS: The EEG power at 25%MVC was significantly lower than that at 75%MVC in gamma band (p< 0.05) for electrode C3, C4, Cz, Pz and Fz. EEG power at 25%MVC was also significantly …lower than that at 75%MVC in beta band (p< 0.05) for electrode C3. However, the handgrip force level and fatigue did not affect the EEG powers for the other frequencies and electrodes (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that handgrip force level may modulate the brain activity in certain frequency bands and cortical regions. EEG power is a useful tool to characterize the motor state. Show more

Keywords: Electroencephalography (EEG), maximal voluntary contractions (MVC), EEG power, brain activity, handgrip force

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150979

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S427-S433, 2015

Authors: Choo, Kan-Yeep | Ling, Huo-Chong | Lo, Yew-Chiong | Yap, Zuo-Han | Pua, Jun-Sheng | Phan, Raphael C.-W. | Goh, Vik-Tor

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide and are characterized by arrhythmia (i.e. irregular rhythm of heartbeat). Arrhythmia occasionally happens under certain conditions, such as stress. Therefore, it is difficult to be diagnosed using electrocardiogram (ECG) devices available in hospitals for just a few minutes. Constant diagnosis and monitoring of heartbeat is required to reduce death caused by cardiovascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: Mobile healthcare system has emerged as a potential solution to assist patients in monitoring their own heart condition, especially those who are isolated from the reference hospital. This paper proposes a …self-diagnostic electrocardiogram system for mobile healthcare that has the capability to perform a real-time ECG diagnostic. METHODS: The self-diagnostic capability of a real-time ECG signal is achieved by implementing a detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) method. The result obtained from DFA is used to display the patient's health condition on a smartphone anytime and anywhere. If the health condition is critical, the system will alert the patient and his medical practitioner for further diagnosis. RESULTS: Experimental results verified the validity of the developed ECG diagnostic application on a smartphone. CONCLUSION: The proposed system can potentially reduce death caused by cardiovascular diseases by alerting the patient possibly undergoing a heart attack. Show more

Keywords: Detrended fluctuation analysis, electrocardiogram, mobile healthcare, self-diagnostic, android smartphone

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150980

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S435-S442, 2015

Authors: Xu, Liang | Yang, Ming | Ye, Lin | Dong, Zhaopeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Hemocompatibility is highly affected by the flow field in Left Ventricular Assistant Devices (LVAD). OBJECTIVE: An asymmetric inflow and outflow channel arrangement with a 45° intersection angle with respect to the blood chamber is proposed to approximate the vascular structure of the aorta and left atrium on the left ventricle. The structure is expected to develop uninterruptible vortex flow state which is similar to the flow state in human left ventricle. METHODS: The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) asymmetric model is simulated using ANSYS workbench. To validate the velocity field calculated by CFD, …a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) experiment is conducted. RESULTS: The CFD results show that the proposed blood chamber could generate a shifting vortex flow that would be redirected to the aorta during ejection to form a persistent recirculating flow state, which is similar to the echocardiographic flow state in left ventricle. Both the PIV and the CFD results show the development of a persistent vortex during the pulsatile period. Comparison of the qualitative flow pattern and quantitative probed velocity histories in a pulsatile period shows a good agreement between the CFD and PIV data. CONCLUSION: The goal of developing persistent quasi intra-ventricle vortex flow state in LVAD is realized. Show more

Keywords: Bionic vortex flow, left ventricular assist device, computational fluid dynamics, particle image velocimetry

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150981

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S443-S451, 2015

Authors: Lin, Lizong | Huang, Chao | Ni, Xiaopeng | Wang, Jiawen | Zhang, Hao | Li, Xiao | Qian, Zhiqin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Nowadays, more and more traffic accidents occur because of driver fatigue. OBJECTIVE: In order to reduce and prevent it, in this study, a calculation method using PERCLOS (percentage of eye closure time) parameter characteristics based on machine vision was developed. It determined whether a driver's eyes were in a fatigue state according to the PERCLOS value. METHODS: The overall workflow solutions included face detection and tracking, detection and location of the human eye, human eye tracking, eye state recognition, and driver fatigue testing. The key aspects of the detection system incorporated the …detection and location of human eyes and driver fatigue testing. The simplified method of measuring the PERCLOS value of the driver was to calculate the ratio of the eyes being open and closed with the total number of frames for a given period. RESULTS: If the eyes were closed more than the set threshold in the total number of frames, the system would alert the driver. CONCLUSION: Through many experiments, it was shown that besides the simple detection algorithm, the rapid computing speed, and the high detection and recognition accuracies of the system, the system was demonstrated to be in accord with the real-time requirements of a driver fatigue detection system. Show more

Keywords: Driver fatigue detecting, eyes detecting and locating, PERCLOS

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150982

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S453-S463, 2015

Authors: Friedrich, Wernher | Du, Shengzhi | Balt, Karlien

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The temporal lobe in conjunction with the hippocampus is responsible for memory processing. The gamma wave is involved with this process. To develop a human brain protocol, a better understanding of the relationship between gamma and long-term memory is vital. OBJECTIVE: A more comprehensive understanding of the human brain and specific analogue waves it uses will support the development of a human brain protocol. METHODS: Fifty-eight participants aged between 6 and 60 years participated in long-term memory experiments. It is envisaged that the brain could be stimulated through binaural beats (sound …frequency) at 40 Hz (gamma) to enhance long-term memory capacity. EEG recordings have been transformed to sound and then to an information standard, namely ASCII. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed a proportional relationship between long-term memory and gamma activity. Results from EEG recordings indicate a pattern. The pattern was obtained through the de-codification of an EEG recording to sound and then to ASCII. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation of gamma should enhance long term memory capacity. More research is required to unlock the human brains' protocol key. This key will enable the processing of information directly to and from human memory via gamma, the hippocampus and the temporal lobe. Show more

Keywords: Electroencephalography (EEG), signal processing, brain protocol, long-term memory, hippocampus

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150983

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S465-S471, 2015

Authors: Jung, Gu-In | Park, Byung Kyu | Kim, Ji-Sun | Lee, Tae-Hee | Choi, Ju-Hyeon | Oh, Han-Byeol | Kim, A-Hee | Goh, Bong-Jun | Kim, Ji-Won | Lee, Ki Sung | Jun, Jae-Hoon

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Evaluation of joint movements is essential to choose an appropriate rehabilitation protocol for a patient. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to suggest an alternative optical technique for measurement of joint angle which is convenient, inexpensive, and can be operated in real time. METHODS: According to the principle of the triangulation method, position sensitive detector (PSD) converts reflected light signals into distance-related voltages. Various parameters were investigated to increase detection range and resolution of joint angle measurements. RESULTS: The accuracy of the suggested optical sensor was verified …by comparing with a commercial goniometer and 3D motion capture system. CONCLUSIONS: This method can be applied to monitor recovery progress for the patient in rehabilitation and sport science. Show more

Keywords: Human joint angle, optical goniometer, position sensitive detector, rehabilitation, range of motion

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150984

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S473-S480, 2015

Authors: Jiang, Fangfang | Song, Shaoxiu | Cheng, Jiabin | He, Siliang | Yang, Xiao

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the main cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. OBJECTIVE: In order to obtain the potential function of cardiovascular system information further, the parameters of the coupling relationship between Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal and Pulse Wave (PW) signal are proposed. METHODS: In this paper, we detected the peaks of ECG and PW signal synchronously from the Fantasia database using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) algorithm, and analyzed the interval between different age groups in the same domain, then calculating the Euclidean distance to characterize the coupling relationship. …RESULTS: Via the experimental results of 20 subjects, the parameters of the old group were always larger than the young group. Thus the synchronization and consistency for PW following the ECG are weaker than the young group, which is in keeping with the clinical rule. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion is that there is a certain representation for the cardiovascular system with the coupling relationship parameter proposed. Show more

Keywords: ECG, PW, coupling relationship, cardiovascular system, EMD

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150985

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S481-S487, 2015

Authors: Zhang, Kexin | Wang, Xuefeng | Han, Fangfang | Zhao, Hong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Crackles are very common abnormal breath sounds in the lung and can be used to diagnose pulmonary diseases. OBJECTIVE: In this study, a method is proposed for the detection of adventitious transient sounds from normal breath sounds. METHODS: This method automatically recognizes crackles based on the extraction and analysis of spectral information from digitally recorded lung sounds. Various mathematical morphology feature sets were extracted through wavelet spectrogram analysis on pulmonary signals. In order to evaluate the effects of different wavelets types on crackle detection, different wavelets were tested. RESULTS: …The results showed that the proposed method achieved an 86% accuracy in the detection of crackles. CONCLUSIONS: The spectrograms of the crackles in the lung exhibit irregular ellipse image features. For lung sound analysis, this is a useful feature that can be used for the immediate recognition and analysis of crackles. Show more

Keywords: Crackles, mathematical morphology, wavelets, lung sounds, spectrogram

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150986

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S489-S494, 2015

Authors: Song, Tianyi | Meng, Baowen | Chen, Baoming | Zhao, Di | Cao, Zhengtao | Ye, Jingying | Yu, Mengsun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Genioglossus myoelectric activity is of great significance in evaluating clinical respiratory function. However, there is a tradeoff in genioglossus EMG measurement with respect to accuracy versus convenience. OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a way to separate the characteristics of genioglossus myoelectric activity from multi-channel mandible sEMG through independent component analysis. METHODS: First, intra-oral genioglossus EMGgenioglossus EMG and three-channel mandible sEMG were recorded simultaneously. The FastICA algorithm was applied to three independent components from the sEMG signals. Then the independent components with the intra-oral genioglossus EMG were compared by calculating the Pearson correlation …coefficient between them. RESULTS: An examination of 60 EMG samples showed that the FastICA algorithm was effective in separating the characteristics of genioglossus myoelectric activity from multi-channel mandible sEMG. The results of analysis were coincident with clinical diagnosis through intra-oral electrodes. CONCLUSIONS: Genioglossus myoelectric activity can be evaluated accurately by multi-channel mandible sEMG, which is non-invasive and easy to record. Show more

Keywords: Electromyography, genioglossus muscle, independent component analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150987

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S495-S500, 2015

Authors: Yin, Hong | Yang, Shuqiang | Zhu, Xiaoqian | Ma, Shaodong | Chen, Liqian

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The widespread access to portable medical devices or new personal devices is boosting the amount of biomedical data. These devices provide a growing massive data that far exceeds the analytical ability of a professional doctor. The computer-assisted analysis of biomedical data has become an essential tool in medicine diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: Due to the advantages of discrete, noise elimination and dimensionality reduction, symbolic representation of biomedical data has attracted great interest. The symbolization results provide efficiently performing at data mining, such as pattern discovery, anomaly detection and association rules mining, so we want to use …the method to improving the biomedical data classification. METHODS: In this paper, we introduce a novel symbolic representation method, called Trend Feature Symbolic Approximation (TFSA). RESULTS: The TFSA focuses on retaining most of the original series' trend features, and it also very suitable for subsequent mining work, such as association rules mining. CONCLUSION: The TFSA provides the lower bounding guarantee and the experimental results show that comparing with some existing methods, its classification accuracy is improved. Show more

Keywords: Symbolic, trend features, ECG series, classification, segments

DOI: 10.3233/THC-151002

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S501-S510, 2015

Authors: Kim, Ji-Sun | Jung, Gu-In | Choi, Ju-Hyeon | Lee, Tae-Hee | Kim, A-Hee | Oh, Han-Byeol | Kwon, Yuri | Lee, Eun-Suk | Cho, Yeong Bin | Jun, Jae-Hoon

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The evaluation and control of lighting is crucial in physiological, biomedical, and industrial fields. Many kinds of lighting techniques based on LED have been developed due to its advantages. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to develop the multi-colored LED system for healing purposes. METHODS: Light source with three-color chip LEDs was investigated to detect the dominant wavelength. RESULTS: The results show that the additive principle by three-color LEDs can be successfully applied to lighting system by generating a variety of colors. CONCLUSIONS: The …results are expected to be useful in the field of light therapy and medicine. Applications of the developed light system are lighting therapies such as stimulating blood circulation and digestive processes, and controlling inflammation. Show more

Keywords: Additive principals, light emitting diode, color combination, color information, color space

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150988

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S511-S517, 2015

Authors: Wu, Yanping | Duan, Huilong | Du, Shufeng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, the use of the fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering techniques in medical diagnosis has steadily increased, because of its effectiveness in recognizing systems in the medical database to help medical experts diagnosing diseases. However, its performance is highly dependent on the randomly initialized cluster centroids which may allow the diagnosis to be trapped into the problem of the local optimum. OBJECTIVE: This paper proposes a multiple fuzzy c-means (MFCM) algorithm for medical diagnosis. METHODS: The new method optimizes the initial optimizing cluster centers by comparing the Euclidean distance between …patient data. Further, this paper assigns a set of weights to the features of a certain disease to equalize their difference influence as a substitute for data normalization. RESULTS: The performance of proposed MFCM algorithm was demonstrated through dividing complex primary headache data into Migraine, Tension-Type Headache (TTH), Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias (TACs) and other primary headache disorders. In addition the superiority of MFCM algorithm was proven by comparing analytical results with other state-of-the-art clustering methods. CONCLUSIONS: This MFCM method has shown a new application in medical diagnosis. Show more

Keywords: Fuzzy c-means, medical diagnosis, primary headache

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150989

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S519-S527, 2015

Authors: Ryu, Jeseong | Son, Jongsang | Ahn, Soonjae | Shin, Isu | Kim, Youngho

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A massage can be beneficial to relieve muscle tension on the neck and shoulder area. Various massage systems have been developed, but their motions are not uniform throughout different body parts nor specifically targeted to the neck and shoulder areas. OBJECTIVE: Pressure pattern and finger movement trajectories of the circular friction hand massage on trapezius, levator scapulae, and deltoid muscles were determined to develop a massage system that can mimic the motion and the pressure of the circular friction massage. METHODS: During the massage, finger movement trajectories were measured using a …3D motion capture system, and finger pressures were simultaneously obtained using a grip pressure sensor. RESULTS: Results showed that each muscle had different finger movement trajectory and pressure pattern. The trapezius muscle experienced a higher pressure, longer massage time (duration of pressurization), and larger pressure-time integral than the other muscles. CONCLUSIONS: These results could be useful to design a better massage system simulating human finger movements. Show more

Keywords: Circular friction hand massage, finger pressure, motion analysis

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150990

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S529-S534, 2015

Authors: Jung, Gu-In | Kim, Ji-Sun | Lee, Tae-Hee | Choi, Ju-Hyeon | Oh, Han-Byeol | Kim, A-Hee | Kim, Jun-Sik | Park, Jong-Rak | Chung, Soon-Cheol | Yeom, Dong-Il | Kim, Hyung-Sik | Jun, Jae-Hoon

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As the most abundant protein in human tissues, the use of collagen is essential in the fields of biological science and medicine. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanical effect of pulsed laser irradiation on collagen tissue. METHODS: With various laser parameters such as peak power, pulse width, and repetition rate, the induced stresses on samples were measured and analyzed. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to investigate the effect of laser parameters on the collagen sample. RESULTS: The results indicated that the magnitude of …mechanical stress could be controlled by various laser parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This study can be used in biostimulation for therapy and mechanoreceptor stimulation for tactile application. Show more

Keywords: Biostimulation, laser-tissue interaction, photomechanical effect, recoil pressure, thermoelastic effect

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150991

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S535-S541, 2015

Authors: Jeong, In Cheol | Finkelstein, Joseph

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Individuals with mobility impairment may benefit from passive exercise mode which can be subsequently enhanced by an active exercise program. However, it is unclear which exercise mode promotes higher adherence to prescribed exercise intensity. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this project was to compare adherence to prescribed speed during passive and active cycling exercise. METHODS: We used cross-over study design in which subjects followed the same cycling intensity prescription for passive and active exercise modes in a random sequence. Coefficient of variation (CV) and speed differences were used to estimate extent of …deviation from the prescribed trajectory. RESULTS: CV varied from 5.2% to 20.4% for the active mode and from 2.8% to 4.5% for the passive mode respectively. Though the CV differences did not reach statistical significance, analysis of cycling speed adherence of 120-second periods showed significantly higher cycling adherence during passive mode for each target cycling speed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the passive mode may promote exercise safety and efficacy by helping patients who have safety concerns such as the frail elderly, patients with cardiovascular conditions or people with other contraindications for excessive exertion during exercise, in following the optimal intensity trajectory prescribed by their provider. Show more

Keywords: Telerehabilitation, cross-over design, exercise, personal health systems, self-management

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150992

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S543-S549, 2015

Authors: An, Zhen | Xiang, Chaoqun | Wang, Jinming | Dong, Liping | Hao, Lina

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: During the process of cell micro operation, the contact force between the entry needle and the cell membrane is usually a very small area to be tested. OBJECTIVE: These two features have been utilized to design a high precision micro force sensor to provide a force feedback in the process of cell micro operation. METHODS: However, PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) has continued to display both a wide range of frequency response and a highly sensitive transform between force and electricity. In this paper a charge signal is obtained. In order to transform …the charge signal into a voltage signal, a signal processing circuit was designed. The data acquisition card PCI-6221 (National Instruments) was used. It was employed to collect the voltage signal. RESULTS: The resultant micro force sensor was calibrated by using a rating test. CONCLUSIONS: The experimental test results demonstrated that the sensitivity and linearity of the designed micro force sensor were higher than the sensitivity and linearity of a traditional piezoelectric sensor. Show more

Keywords: Cell micro-operation, micro force sensor, PVDF, charge amplifier

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150993

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S551-S558, 2015

Authors: Park, Sung Yun | Kim, Sung Min

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Artificial neural networks is one of pattern analyzer method which are rapidly applied on a bio-medical field. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to propose an appendicitis diagnosis system using artificial neural networks (ANNs). METHODS: Data from 801 patients of the university hospital in Dongguk were used to construct artificial neural networks for diagnosing appendicitis and acute appendicitis. A radial basis function neural network structure (RBF), a multilayer neural network structure (MLNN), and a probabilistic neural network structure (PNN) were used for artificial neural network models. The Alvarado clinical scoring …system was used for comparison with the ANNs. RESULTS: The accuracy of the RBF, PNN, MLNN, and Alvarado was 99.80%, 99.41%, 97.84%, and 72.19%, respectively. The area under ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve of RBF, PNN, MLNN, and Alvarado was 0.998, 0.993, 0.985, and 0.633, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed models using ANNs for diagnosing appendicitis showed good performances, and were significantly better than the Alvarado clinical scoring system (p < 0.001). With cooperation among facilities, the accuracy for diagnosing this serious health condition can be improved. Show more

Keywords: Alvarado clinical scoring system, acute appendicitis, clinical scoring system, artificial neural network

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150994

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S559-S565, 2015

Authors: Yang, Xiuxia | Zhao, Guorong | Liu, Di | Zhou, Weiei | Zhao, Hewei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Comprehensive analysis of the inherent laws and the biomechanic principles of human walking with load carriage and building kinematics, and kinematics model of human walking with load carriage, are very meaningful for the development of devices and apparatus that are related to human walking with load carriage, such as a lower limb exoskeleton. OBJECTIVE: The gait experiment of human walking with load carriage is designed and performed in this paper. METHODS: The obtained video is marked and analyzed by using SIMI motion analytical software. The space motion coordinates at each body's …mark point that is needed in the kinematics model of established human walking with load carriage is obtained. Based on inverse kinematics, a dynamic model of human walking with load carriage is established. The SPSS statistical analysis software is used for statistical processing for determining key gait parameters. RESULTS: The influence of load and speed on the walking gait parameters is analyzed systematically. CONCLUSIONS: The method provides a theoretical basis for the design of an exoskeleton. Show more

Keywords: Human walking with load carriage, load experiment, biomechanics model, gait parameter

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150995

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S567-S575, 2015

Authors: Chen, Duanduan | Ren, Jun | Mei, Yuqian | Xu, Yuanqing

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Respiratory ciliary motion is enabled by dynein/microtubule activity. Current observation techniques can hardly capture the dynein activation pattern in moving cilia. Here we introduce a computational model to mimic the ciliary ultrastructure and simulate the dynein-driven ciliary motion. METHODS: A three-dimensional model is established to mimic the ``9 + 2'' ciliary ultrastructure. The dynein force is simulated as point loads embedded along the microtubules. The dynein-triggered ciliary motion is solved by using the Finite Element Method along with grid deformation techniques. RESULTS: By comparing the simulated ciliary movement to the observation …results, the rationality of different dynein activity hypotheses are evaluated and the dynein activation pattern that can produce the planar beating of lung cilia is proposed. The results also reveal that the dynein force alone can only generate longitudinal microtubule sliding and ciliary bending; to produce the ciliary `curl-up' movement, transverse forces (possibly induced by radial spokes) need to be considered. CONCLUSION: This model provides a platform to investigate various assumptions of dynein activity, facilitating us to evaluate their rationality and propose possible dynein activation patterns. Show more

Keywords: Respiratory cilia, dynein, ultrastructure, finite element method

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150996

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S577-S586, 2015

Authors: Liu, Shoubin | Zhou, Yanming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Because protons in fat do not exhibit a temperature-dependent frequency shift, proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS)-based MR thermometry always suffers from disturbances due to the presence of fats or lipids. OBJECTIVE: A new fat suppression method for PRFS-based MR thermometry is proposed to obtain accurate variation of phase angle. METHODS: Similar to the approach of separating fat and water with the two-point Dixon technique, we first scan a complex MR image for reference and then scan another complex image varying with temperature at the same TE point. Based on the …conventional PRFS method, we use geometric relationships to remove the effect of fat on the variation of the phase angle. RESULTS: Two phantoms with different water-to-fat ratios are involved in the temperature mapping test. Experimental results show that the temperature images of two phantoms are approximated under the same conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed fat suppression method is simple and effective for PRFS-based MR thermometry. Show more

Keywords: MR thermometry, PRFS, fat suppression, geometric model

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150997

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S587-S592, 2015

Authors: Li, Mi | Lu, Shengfu | Zhong, Ning

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Although many previous studies have focused on statistical graph comprehension in cognitive psychology, there is no consensus among them. OBJECTIVE: Brain neuroimaging studies on the statistical graph comprehension are useful to account for the cognitive mechanism of interpreting statistical graphic information. METHODS: The present study used two experimental conditions, a statistical graph (SG) and a statistical graph with text (SGT), and one control condition, a text (ST), where the ST task was a verbal description of the information from the SG, and when the SGT is a mixed graph + textual …description. We used fMRI to investigate the brain activity of 36 normal subjects while they passively viewed the statistical information presented in visual forms as SG, ST or SGT. RESULTS: The results showed that compared with the control tasks, both SG and SGT consistently activated ventral and dorsal streams and that compared with SGT, SG significantly activated the ventral stream but not the dorsal stream. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the portions of the ventral and dorsal streams related to object recognition are commonly involved in statistical graph comprehension. These findings provide neuroimaging evidence for the cognitive processing of statistical graphs. Show more

Keywords: fMRI, statistical graph, statistical graph with text, ventral stream, dorsal stream

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150998

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S593-S601, 2015

Authors: Yang, Fan | Yang, Qing | Liu, Xingxing | Wang, Pan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) infectious disease outbreaks are hazardous events. However, if governments sectors do not adequately supervise such outbreaks, these infectious diseases could spread significantly, resulting in large economic losses and social issues. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, an evolutionary game and simulation model based on the interactions between strategies and states was proposed, and the game between the public and government sectors and its impact on epidemic situations was discussed. METHODS: Replicator dynamics equations and the multi-agent model simulation were used for analysis. RESULTS: According to replicator dynamics equations …as well as the multi-agent model simulation, the public all eventually adopted the mobility strategy. In addition, the supervision strength of the governmental sectors was equal to 0 after the strength fluctuated at a low level under the trigger strategy. Ultimately, the entire public shifted to the S state throughout the course of the emergency. CONCLUSIONS: Social order was maintained and social loss was controlled to a certain extent in the final analysis. Show more

Keywords: SIS evolution, evolutionarily stable strategy, evolution game, replicator dynamics equations, cellular automata, multi-agent simulation

DOI: 10.3233/THC-150999

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S603-S613, 2015

Authors: Shi, Han | Du, Dong | Xu, JianFeng | Su, Zhihong | Peng, Qiyu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Despite being the conventional choice, whole body PET cameras with a 76 cm diameter ring are not the optimal means of human brain imaging. OBJECTIVE: In fact, a dedicated brain PET with a better geometrical structure has the potential to achieve a higher sensitivity, a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and a better imaging performance. METHODS: In this study, a polyhedron geometrical dedicated brain PET (a dodecahedron design) is compared to three other candidates via their geometrical efficiencies by calculating the Solid Angle Fractions (SAF); the three other candidates include a spherical cap …design, a cylindrical design, and the conventional whole body PET. RESULTS: The spherical cap and the dodecahedron have an identical SAF that is 58.4% higher than that of a 30 cm diameter cylinder and 5.44 times higher than that of a 76 cm diameter cylinder. The conceptual polygon-shape detectors (including pentagon and hexagon detectors based on the PMT-light-sharing scheme instead of the conventional square-shaped block detector module) are presented for the polyhedron PET design. Monte Carlo simulations are performed in order to validate the detector decoding. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that crystals in a pentagon-shape detector can be successfully decoded by Anger Logic. The new detector designs support the polyhedron PET investigation. Show more

Keywords: Positron emission tomography (PET), brain imaging, polyhedron geometry

DOI: 10.3233/THC-151000

Citation: Technology and Health Care, vol. 23, no. s2, pp. S615-S623, 2015