| 1. |
- Zeng, Xuezhi, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Investigation of an ultra wideband noise sensor for health monitoring
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sensors. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 20:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Quick on-scene assessment and early intervention is the key to reduce the mortality of stroke and trauma patients, and it is highly desirable to develop ambulance-based diagnostic and monitoring devices in order to provide additional support to the medical personnel. We developed a compact and low cost ultra wideband noise sensor for medical diagnostics and vital sign monitoring in pre-hospital settings. In this work, we demonstrated the functionality of the sensor for respiration and heartbeat monitoring. In the test, metronome was used to manipulate the breathing pattern and the heartbeat rate reference was obtained with a commercial electrocardiogram (ECG) device. With seventeen tests performed for respiration rate detection, sixteen of them were successfully detected. The results also show that it is possible to detect the heartbeat rate accurately with the developed sensor.
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| 2. |
- Andersen, L. M., et al.
(författare)
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On-scalp MEG SQUIDs are sensitive to early somatosensory activity unseen by conventional MEG
- 2020
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1053-8119 .- 1095-9572. ; 221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has a unique capacity to resolve the spatio-temporal development of brain activity from non-invasive measurements. Conventional MEG, however, relies on sensors that sample from a distance (20–40 mm) to the head due to thermal insulation requirements (the MEG sensors function at 4 K in a helmet). A gain in signal strength and spatial resolution may be achieved if sensors are moved closer to the head. Here, we report a study comparing measurements from a seven-channel on-scalp SQUID MEG system to those from a conventional (in-helmet) SQUID MEG system. We compared the spatio-temporal resolution between on-scalp and conventional MEG by comparing the discrimination accuracy for neural activity patterns resulting from stimulating five different phalanges of the right hand. Because of proximity and sensor density differences between on-scalp and conventional MEG, we hypothesized that on-scalp MEG would allow for a more high-resolved assessment of these activity patterns, and therefore also a better classification performance in discriminating between neural activations from the different phalanges. We observed that on-scalp MEG provided better classification performance during an early post-stimulus period (10–20 ms). This corresponded to the electroencephalographic (EEG) component P16/N16 and was an unexpected observation as this component is usually not observed in conventional MEG. This finding shows that on-scalp MEG enables a richer registration of the cortical signal, indicating a sensitivity to what are potentially sources in the thalamo-cortical radiation. We had originally expected that on-scalp MEG would provide better classification accuracy based on activity in proximity to the P60m component compared to conventional MEG. This component indeed allowed for the best classification performance for both MEG systems (60–75%, chance 50%). However, we did not find that on-scalp MEG allowed for better classification than conventional MEG at this latency. We suggest that this absence of differences is due to the limited sensor coverage in the recording, in combination with our strategy for positioning the on-scalp MEG sensors. We show how the current sensor coverage may have limited our chances to register the necessary between-phalange source field dissimilarities for fair hypothesis testing, an approach we otherwise believe to be useful for future benchmarking measurements. © 2020 The Authors
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| 3. |
- Bado, Mattia Francesco, et al.
(författare)
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Distributed optical fiber sensing bonding techniques performance for embedment inside reinforced concrete structures
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sensors. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 20:20, s. 1-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS) are modern-day cutting-edge monitoring tools that are quickly acquiring relevance in structural health monitoring engineering. Their most ambitious use is embedded inside plain or reinforced concrete (RC) structures with the scope of comprehending their inner-workings and the functioning of the concrete-reinforcement interaction. Yet, multiple studies have shown that the bonding technique with which the DOFS are bonded to the reinforcement bars has a significant role on the quality of the extracted strain data. Whilst this influence has been studied for externally bonded DOFS, it has not been done for embedded ones. The present article is set on performing such study by monitoring the strain measurement quality as sampled by DOFS bonded to multiple rebars with different techniques and adhesives. These instrumented rebars are used to produce differently sized RC ties later tested in tension. The discussion of the test outputs highlights the quasi-optimal performance of a DOFS/rebar bonding technique consisting of incising a groove in the rebar, positioning the DOFS inside it, bonding it with cyanoacrylate and later adding a protective layer of silicone. The resulting data is mostly noisefree and anomalies-free, yet still presents a newly diagnosed hitch that needs addressing in future research.
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| 4. |
- Pfeiffer, Christoph, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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On-scalp MEG sensor localization using magnetic dipole-like coils: A method for highly accurate co-registration
- 2020
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Ingår i: Neuroimage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1053-8119 .- 1095-9572. ; 212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Source modelling in magnetoencephalography (MEG) requires precise co-registration of the sensor array and the anatomical structure of the measured individual's head. In conventional MEG, the positions and orientations of the sensors relative to each other are fixed and known beforehand, requiring only localization of the head relative to the sensor array. Since the sensors in on-scalp MEG are positioned on the scalp, locations of the individual sensors depend on the subject's head shape and size. The positions and orientations of on-scalp sensors must therefore be measured a every recording. This can be achieved by inverting conventional head localization, localizing the sensors relative to the head - rather than the other way around. In this study we present a practical method for localizing sensors using magnetic dipole-like coils attached to the subject's head. We implement and evaluate the method in a set of on-scalp MEG recordings using a 7-channel on-scalp MEG system based on high critical temperature superconducting quantum interference devices (high-T-c SQUIDs). The method allows individually localizing the sensor positions, orientations, and responsivities with high accuracy using only a short averaging time (<= 2 mm, < 3 degrees and < 3%, respectively, with 1-s averaging), enabling continuous sensor localization. Calibrating and jointly localizing the sensor array can further improve the accuracy of position and orientation (< 1 mm and < 1 degrees, respectively, with 1-s coil recordings). We demonstrate source localization of on-scalp recorded somatosensory evoked activity based on coregistration with our method. Equivalent current dipole fits of the evoked responses corresponded well (within 4.2 mm) with those based on a commercial, whole-head MEG system.
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| 5. |
- Westin, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of interictal epileptiform discharges: A comparison of on-scalp MEG and conventional MEG measurements
- 2020
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Ingår i: Clinical Neurophysiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-8952 .- 1388-2457. ; 131:8, s. 1711-1720
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Conventional MEG provides an unsurpassed ability to, non-invasively, detect epileptic activity. However, highly resolved information on small neuronal populations required in epilepsy diagnostics is lost and can be detected only intracranially. Next-generation on-scalp magnetencephalography (MEG) sensors aim to retrieve information unavailable to conventional non-invasive brain imaging techniques. To evaluate the benefits of on-scalp MEG in epilepsy, we performed the first-ever such measurement on an epilepsy patient. Methods: Conducted as a benchmarking study focusing on interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) detectability, an on-scalp high-temperature superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (high-Tc SQUID) system was compared to a conventional, low-temperature SQUID system. Coregistration of electroencephalopraphy (EEG) was performed. A novel machine learning-based IED-detection algorithm was developed to aid identification of on-scalp MEG unique IEDs. Results: Conventional MEG contained 24 IEDs. On-scalp MEG revealed 47 IEDs (16 co-registered by EEG, 31 unique to the on-scalp MEG recording). Conclusion: Our results indicate that on-scalp MEG might capture IEDs not seen by other non-invasive modalities. Significance: On-scalp MEG has the potential of improving non-invasive epilepsy evaluation.
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| 6. |
- Ghareh Baghi, Arash, et al.
(författare)
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Forth heart sound detection using backward time-growing neural network
- 2020
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Ingår i: IFMBE Proceedings. - Cham : Springer Verlag. - 9783030179700 - 9783030179717 ; , s. 341-345
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents a novel method for processing heart sound signal for screening forth heart sound (S4). The proposed method is based on time growing neural network with a new scheme, which we call the Backward Time-Growing Neural Network (BTGNN). The BTGNN is trained for detecting S4 in recordings of heart sound signal. In total, 83 children patients, referred to a children University hospital, participated in the study. The collected signals are composed of the subjects with and without S4 for training and testing the method. Performance of the method is evaluated using the Leave-One-Out and the repeated random sub sampling methods. The accuracy/sensitivity of the method is estimated to be 88.3%/82.4% and the structural risk is calculated to be 18.3% using repeated random sub sampling and the A-Test methods, respectively.
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| 7. |
- Ruffieux, Silvia, 1990
(författare)
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High-temperature superconducting magnetometers for on-scalp MEG
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the growing field of on-scalp magnetoencephalography (MEG), brain activity is studied by non-invasively mapping the magnetic fields generated by neuronal currents with sensors that are flexibly placed in close proximity to the subject's head. This thesis focuses on high-temperature superconducting magnetometers made from YBa2Cu3Ox-7 (YBCO), which enables a reduction in the sensor-to-room temperature standoff distance from roughly 2 cm (for conventional MEG systems) down to 1 mm. Because of the higher neuromagnetic signal magnitudes available to on-scalp sensors, simulations predict that even a relatively low-sensitivity (higher noise) full-head on-scalp MEG system can extract more information about brain activity than conventional systems. In the first part of this thesis, the development of high critical temperature (high-Tc) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometers for a 7-channel on-scalp MEG system is described. The sensors are single layer magnetometers with a directly coupled pickup loop made on 10 mm × 10 mm substrates using bicrystal grain boundary Josephson junctions. We found that the kinetic inductance strongly varies with film quality and temperature. Determination of all SQUID parameters by combining measurements and inductance simulations led to excellent agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions. This allowed us to perform an in-depth magnetometer optimization. The best magnetometers achieve a magnetic field noise level of 44 fT/√Hz at 78 K. Fabricated test SQUIDs provide evidence that noise levels below 30 fT/√Hz are possible for high quality junctions with fairly low critical currents and in combination with the optimized pickup loop design. Different feedback methods for operation in a densely-packed on-scalp MEG system were also investigated. Direct injection of current into the SQUID loop was identified as the best on-chip feedback method with feedback flux crosstalk below 0.5%. By reducing the operation temperature, the noise level can be further reduced, however, the effective area also decreases because of the decreasing kinetic inductance contribution. We present a method that allows for one-time sensor calibration independent of temperature. In the second part, the design, operation, and performance of the constructed 7-channel on-scalp MEG system based on the fabricated magnetometers is presented. With a dense (2 mm edge-to-edge) hexagonal head-aligned array, the system achieves a small sensor-to-head standoff distance of 1-3 mm and dense spatial sampling. The magnetic field noise levels are 50-130 fT/√Hz and the sensor-to-sensor feedback flux crosstalk is below 0.6%. MEG measurements with the system demonstrate the feasibility of the approach and indicate that our on-scalp MEG system allows retrieval of information unavailable to conventional MEG. In the third part, two alternative magnetometer types are studied for the next generation system. The first alternative is magnetometers based on Dayem bridge junctions instead of bicrystal grain boundary junctions. With a magnetometer based on the novel grooved Dayem bridge junctions, a magnetic field noise level of 63 fT/√Hz could be achieved, which shows that Dayem bridge junctions are starting to become a viable option for single layer magnetometers. The second alternative are high-Tc SQUID magnetometers with an inductively coupled flux transformer. The best device with bicrystal grain boundary junctions reaches a magnetic field noise level below 11 fT/√Hz and outperforms the best single layer device for frequencies above 20 Hz. In the last part, the potential of kinetic inductance magnetometers (KIMs) is investigated. We demonstrate the first high-Tc KIMs, which can be operated in fields of 9-28 µT and achieve a noise level of 4 pT/√Hz at 10 kHz.
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| 8. |
- Lagerstrand, Kerstin M, et al.
(författare)
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Reliable phase-contrast flow volume magnetic resonance measurements are feasible without adjustment of the velocity encoding parameter
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Imaging. - 2329-4310 .- 2329-4302. ; 7:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To show that adjustment of velocity encoding (VENC) for phase-contrast (PC) flow volume measurements is not necessary in modern MR scanners with effective background velocity offset corrections. Approach: The independence on VENC was demonstrated theoretically, but also experimentally on dedicated phantoms and on patients with chronic aortic regurgitation (n = 17) and one healthy volunteer. All PC measurements were performed using a modern MR scanner, where the pre-emphasis circuit but also a subsequent post-processing filter were used for effective correction of background velocity offset errors. Results: The VENC level strongly affected the velocity noise level in the PC images and, hence, the estimated peak flow velocity. However, neither the regurgitant blood flow volume nor the mean flow velocity displayed any clinically relevant dependency on the VENC level. Also, the background velocity offset was shown to be close to zero (
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| 9. |
- Morin, Maxim, et al.
(författare)
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Skin hydration dynamics investigated by electrical impedance techniques in vivo and in vitro
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1, s. 17218-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Skin is easily accessible for transdermal drug delivery and also attractive for biomarker sampling. These applications are strongly influenced by hydration where elevated hydration generally leads to increased skin permeability. Thus, favorable transdermal delivery and extraction conditions can be easily obtained by exploiting elevated skin hydration. Here, we provide a detailed in vivo and in vitro investigation of the skin hydration dynamics using three techniques based on electrical impedance spectroscopy. Good correlation between in vivo and in vitro results is demonstrated, which implies that simple but realistic in vitro models can be used for further studies related to skin hydration (e.g., cosmetic testing). Importantly, the results show that hydration proceeds in two stages. Firstly, hydration between 5 and 10 min results in a drastic skin impedance change, which is interpreted as filling of superficial voids in skin with conducting electrolyte solution. Secondly, a subtle impedance change is observed over time, which is interpreted as leveling of the water gradient across skin leading to structural relaxation/changes of the macromolecular skin barrier components. With respect to transdermal drug delivery and extraction of biomarkers; 1 h of hydration is suggested to result in beneficial and stable conditions in terms of high skin permeability and extraction efficiency.
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| 10. |
- Phillips, Rachel, et al.
(författare)
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Visual Blood Loss Estimation Accuracy : Directions for Future Research Based on a Systematic Literature Review
- 2020
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 2020 HFES 64th International Annual Meeting. - : Sage Publications. ; , s. 1411-1415
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Visual blood loss estimation occurs in a variety of medical contexts and may impact everything from interventions by immediate responders to the likelihood of receiving blood transfusions in a hospital setting. However, research suggests that visual blood loss estimation is inaccurate for laypeople and medical professionals. The aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic literature review to determine the current state of knowledge on visual blood loss estimation accuracy and identify directions for future research. A structured search resulted in 1799 titles that were subsequently screened. A total of 72 articles were coded for comparison. Based on the evaluation, several gaps were identified, most notably related to factors of the situation that may influence estimation accuracy such as blood flow and victim/patient gender. Directions for future research are proposed based on identified gaps.
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