| 1. |
- Sepehri, Sobhan, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Volume-amplified magnetic bioassay integrated with microfluidic sample handling and high-Tc SQUID magnetic readout
- 2018
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Ingår i: APL Bioengineering. - : AIP Publishing. - 2473-2877. ; 2:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A bioassay based on a high-Tc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) reading out functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (fMNPs) in a prototype microfluidic platform is presented. The target molecule recognition is based on volume amplification using padlock-probe-ligation followed by rolling circle amplification (RCA). The MNPs are functionalized with single-stranded oligonucleotides, which give a specific binding of the MNPs to the large RCA coil product, resulting in a large change in the amplitude of the imaginary part of the ac magnetic susceptibility. The RCA products from amplification of synthetic Vibrio cholera target DNA were investigated using our SQUID ac susceptibility system in microfluidic channel with an equivalent sample volume of 3 μl. From extrapolation of the linear dependence of the SQUID signal versus concentration of the RCA coils, it is found that the projected limit of detection for our system is about 1.0 e5 RCA coils (0.2e−18 mol), which is equivalent to 66 fM in the 3 μl sample volume. This ultra-high magnetic sensitivity and integration with microfluidic sample handling are critical steps towards magnetic bioassays for rapid detection of DNA and RNA targets at the point of care.
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| 2. |
- Xu, Cheng
(författare)
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A Segmented Silicon Strip Detector for Photon-Counting Spectral Computed Tomography
- 2012
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Konstnärligt arbete (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Spectral computed tomography with energy-resolving detectors has a potential to improve the detectability of images and correspondingly reduce the radiation dose to patients by extracting and properly using the energy information in the broad x-ray spectrum. A silicon photon-counting detector has been developed for spectral CT and it has successfully solved the problem of high photon flux in clinical CT applications by adopting the segmented detector structure and operating the detector in edge-on geometry. The detector was evaluated by both the simulation and measurements.The effects of energy loss and charge sharing on the energy response of this segmented silicon strip detector with different pixel sizes were investigated by Monte Carlo simulation and a comparison to pixelated CdTe detectors is presented. The validity of spherical approximations of initial charge cloud shape in silicon detectors was evaluated and a more accurate statistical model has been proposed.A photon-counting energy-resolving application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) developed for spectral CT was characterized extensively by electrical pulses, pulsed laser and real x-ray photons from both the synchrotron and an x-ray tube. It has been demonstrated that the ASIC performs as designed. A noise level of 1.09 keV RMS has been measured and a threshold dispersion of 0.89 keV RMS has been determined. The count rate performance of the ASIC in terms of count loss and energy resolution was evaluated by real x-rays and promising results have been obtained.The segmented silicon strip detector was evaluated using synchrotron radiation. An energy resolution of 16.1% has been determined with 22 keV photons in the lowest flux limit, which deteriorates to 21.5% at an input count rate of 100 Mcps mm−2. The fraction of charge shared events has been estimated and found to be 11.1% for 22 keV and 15.3% for 30 keV. A lower fraction of charge shared events and an improved energy resolution can be expected by applying a higher bias voltage to the detector.
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| 3. |
- Abtahi, Farhad, et al.
(författare)
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Electrical bioimpedance spectroscopy in time-variant systems : Is undersampling always a problem?
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Electrical Bioimpedance. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1891-5469. ; 5:1, s. 28-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the last decades, Electrical Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (EBIS) has been applied mainly by using the frequency-sweep technique, across a range of many different applications. Traditionally, the tissue under study is considered to be time-invariant and dynamic changes of tissue activity are ignored by treating the changes as a noise source. A new trend in EBIS is simultaneous electrical stimulation with several frequencies, through the application of a multi-sine, rectangular or other waveform. This method can provide measurements fast enough to sample dynamic changes of different tissues, such as cardiac muscle. This high sampling rate comes at a price of reduction in SNR and the increase in complexity of devices. Although the frequency-sweep technique is often inadequate for monitoring the dynamic changes in a variant system, it can be used successfully in applications focused on the time-invariant or slowly-variant part of a system. However, in order to successfully use frequency-sweep EBIS for monitoring time-variant systems, it is paramount to consider the effects of aliasing and especially the folding of higher frequencies, on the desired frequency e.g. DC level. This paper discusses sub-Nyquist sampling of thoracic EBIS measurements and its application in the case of monitoring pulmonary oedema. It is concluded that by considering aliasing, and with proper implementation of smoothing filters, as well as by using random sampling, frequency-sweep EBIS can be used for assessing time-invariant or slowly-variant properties of time-variant biological systems, even in the presence of aliasing. In general, undersampling is not always a problem, but does always require proper consideration.
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| 4. |
- Böhler, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Multilayer Arrays for Neurotechnology Applications (MANTA): Chronically Stable Thin-Film Intracortical Implants
- 2023
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Ingår i: Advanced Science. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2198-3844. ; 10:14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flexible implantable neurointerfaces show great promise in addressing one of the major challenges of implantable neurotechnology, namely the loss of signal connected to unfavorable probe tissue interaction. The authors here show how multilayer polyimide probes allow high-density intracortical recordings to be combined with a reliable long-term stable tissue interface, thereby progressing toward chronic stability of implantable neurotechnology. The probes could record 10–60 single units over 5 months with a consistent peak-to-peak voltage at dimensions that ensure robust handling and insulation longevity. Probes that remain in intimate contact with the signaling tissue over months to years are a game changer for neuroscience and, importantly, open up for broader clinical translation of systems relying on neurotechnology to interface the human brain.
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| 5. |
- Jing, Yujia, 1985
(författare)
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Hyperthermia-responsive liposomal systems
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Abstract Sophisticated liposomal systems are emerging at an increasing rate to meet the demands for multifunctional drug carriers in chemotherapies in combined with hyperthermia. For example, liposomal drug carriers for temperature-controlled drug release under hyperthermic conditions have recently been tested in clinical trials. More advanced designs of liposomes are expected to release encapsulated contents and activate hidden surface-functions in response to heat stimulus. Towards this aim, the present thesis is focused on formulating asymmetric lipid systems that can preserve functional moieties, and reactivate the targeted function as well as release the encapsulated compounds upon local heating. The design of the asymmetric liposomal systems utilizes the heat-activated transmembrane lipid diffusion during gel to liquid-crystalline phase transitions of the lipid membranes.Rational design of advanced liposomal drug-delivery systems will require understanding of the physicochemical properties of lipid membranes under, e.g., hyperthermic conditions. Here, supported lipid membranes on planar solid surfaces were used for model studies of lipid composition yielding a gel to liquid crystalline phase-transition temperature in the range 40 – 45 °C. It was found that the liposome-to-membrane formation process is not only size-dependent but also governed by temperature. Two methods of preparing supported asymmetric lipid membranes were investigated. As a proof-of-concept, the upper leaflets were either replaced or chemically transformed by enzymatic hydrolysis. The processes were monitored using surface sensitive techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and dual polarization interferometry (DPI). The asymmetric structures were stable at a room temperature, while lipid flip-flop was induced upon increasing of the temperature. Transmembrane lipid exchange in the asymmetric structure under hyperthermic conditions was demonstrated by detecting, through streptavidin binding, biotinylated lipids appearing at the top leaflet which were first located in the lower leaflet. The protocols developed for the supported lipid systems were adapted for the preparation of asymmetric liposomes. Biotinylated asymmetric liposomes were used as a model system to demonstrate the principle of heat-activated targeting of asymmetric liposomes to streptavidin-coated surfaces. More biologically relevant interaction was utilized to replace the biotin-streptavidin function, where asymmetric cationic liposomes were binding to anionic supported membrane immobilized surfaces upon heating. The described strategies for assembly of asymmetric supported membranes provide a guide to the development of multifunctional drug carriers. The protocols used in experiments with supported membranes were readily adapted to the preparation of asymmetric liposomes. The ongoing study tests the asymmetric liposomes in vitro, which is designed to demonstrate hyperthermia treatment can enhance accumulation of liposomes in FaDu cells, and at the same time activate release of the encapsulated components. The results of in vitro tests can be used to analyze the feasibility of utilizing the asymmetric liposomes as a platform in vivo to explore further improvement in their functions upon microwave hyperthermia.
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| 6. |
- Ottonello Briano, Floria
(författare)
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Mid-infrared photonic devices for on-chip optical gas sensing
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Gas detection is crucial in a wide range of fields and applications, such as safety and process control in the industry, atmospheric sciences, and breath diagnostics. Optical gas sensing offers some key advantages, compared to other sensing methods such as electrochemical and semiconductor sensing: high specificity, fast response, and minimal drift.Wavelengths between 3 and 10 μm are of particular interest for gas sensing. This spectral range, called the mid-infrared (mid-IR), is also known as the fingerprint region, because several gas species can be identified by their sharp absorption lines in this region. The most relevant mid-IR-active gases are the trace gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3), and nitrous oxide (N2O). They are greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming. They are waste products of human activities and widely used in agriculture and industry. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately and extensively monitor them. However, traditional optical gas sensors with a free-space optical path configuration, are too bulky, power-hungry, and expensive to be widely adopted.This thesis presents mid-IR integrated photonic devices that enable the on-chip integration of optical gas sensors, with a focus on CO2 sensing. The reported technologies address the fundamental sensor functionalities: light-gas interaction, infrared light generation, and infrared light detection. The thesis introduces a novel mid-IR silicon photonic waveguide that allows a light path as long as tens of centimeters to fit in a volume smaller than a few cubic millimeters. Mid-IR CO2 spectroscopy demonstrates the high sensing performance of the waveguide. The thesis also explores the refractive index sensing of CO2 with a mid-IR silicon photonic micro-ring resonator.Furthermore, the thesis proposes platinum nanowires as low-cost infrared light sources and detectors that can be easily integrated on photonic waveguides. Finally, the thesis presents a large-area infrared emitter fabricated by highs-peed wire bonding and integrated in a non-dispersive infrared sensor for the detection of alcohol in breath.The technologies presented in this thesis are suited for cost-effective mass production and large-scale adoption. Miniaturized integrated optical gas sensors have the potential to become the main choice for an increasingly broad range of existing and new applications, such as portable, distributed, and networked environmental monitoring, and high-volume medical and consumer applications.
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| 7. |
- Khodadad, Davood, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Optimized breath detection algorithm in electrical impedance tomography
- 2018
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Ingår i: Physiological Measurement. - : IOP Publishing. - 0967-3334 .- 1361-6579. ; 39:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This paper defines a method for optimizing the breath delineation algorithms used in electrical impedance tomography (EIT). In lung EIT the identification of the breath phases is central for generating tidal impedance variation images, subsequent data analysis and clinical evaluation. The optimisation of these algorithms is particularly important in neonatal care since the existing breath detectors developed for adults may give insufficient reliability in neonates due to their very irregular breathing pattern.Approach: Our approach is generic in the sense that it relies on the definition of a gold standard and the associated definition of detector sensitivity and specificity, an optimisation criterion and a set of detector parameters to be investigated. The gold standard has been defined by 11 clinicians with previous experience with EIT and the performance of our approach is described and validated using a neonatal EIT dataset acquired within the EU-funded CRADL project.Main results: Three different algorithms are proposed that improve the breath detector performance by adding conditions on (1) maximum tidal breath rate obtained from zero-crossings of the EIT breathing signal, (2) minimum tidal impedance amplitude and (3) minimum tidal breath rate obtained from time-frequency analysis. As a baseline a zero-crossing algorithm has been used with some default parameters based on the Swisstom EIT device.Significance: Based on the gold standard, the most crucial parameters of the proposed algorithms are optimised by using a simple exhaustive search and a weighted metric defined in connection with the receiver operating characterics. This provides a practical way to achieve any desirable trade-off between the sensitivity and the specificity of the detectors.
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| 8. |
- Rowa, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Automated Malaria Parasite Detection
- 1977
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A system for malaria parasite detection in thin blood-smears is presented. Sample slides prepared with standard methods are accepted. A low-cost TV-camera mounted on an ordinary microscope with a computer controlled stage is used as a picture sensor. Frames, digitized in windows of 64 x 64 pixels are fed into a special purpose picture processor at normal frame rate (25 frames/sec). In the picture processor measurements are made on the images at high speed. The classification problem is split into different levels each having different characteristics such as different sampling density. Four classes, three of which are different types of malaria parasites, are recognized. As a whole the classification is best labelled as a sequential pattern recognition procedure.In its preliminary version the system has been run at a speed comparable to that of a human operator, that is l 500 cells per minute. A test on 80 000 cells gave 25 false negatives out of 283 parasites (9%) and 41 false positives (0.05%).
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| 9. |
- Boyraz Baykas, Pinar, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Design of a Low-cost Tactile Robotic Sleeve for Autonomous Endoscopes and Catheters
- 2020
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Ingår i: Measurement and Control. - : SAGE Publications. - 0020-2940. ; 53:3-4, s. 613-626
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent developments in medical robotics have been significant, supporting the minimally invasive operation requirements, such as smaller devices and more feedback available to surgeons. Nevertheless, the tactile feedback from a catheter or endoscopic type robotic device has been restricted mostly on the tip of the device and was not aimed to support the autonomous movement of the medical device during operation. In this work, we design a robotic sheath/sleeve with a novel and more comprehensive approach, which can function for whole-body or segment-based feedback control as well as diagnostic purposes. The robotic sleeve has several types of piezo-resistive pressure and extension sensors, which are embedded at several latitudes and depths of the silicone substrate. The sleeve takes the human skin as a biological model for its structure. It has a better tactile sensation of the inner tissues in the torturous narrow channels such as cardiovascular or endo-luminal tracts in human body thus can be used to diagnose abnormalities. In addition to this capability, using the stretch sensors distributed alongside its body, the robotic sheath/sleeve can perceive the ego-motion of the robotic backbone of the catheter and can act as a position feedback device. Because of the silicone substrate, the sleeve contributes toward safety of the medical device passively by providing a compliant interface. As an active safety measure, the robotic sheath can sense blood-clots or sudden turns inside a channel and by modifying the local trajectory, and can prevent embolisms or tissue rupture. In the future, advanced manufacturing techniques will increase the capabilities of the tactile robotic sleeve.
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| 10. |
- Khodadad, Davood, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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The Value of Phase Angle in Electrical Impedance Tomography Breath Detection
- 2018
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Ingår i: 2018 Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS-Toyama). - : Electromagnetics Academy. - 9784885523168 - 9781538654552 ; , s. 1040-1043
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this paper is to report our investigation demonstrating that the phase angle information of complex impedance could be a simple indicator of a breath cycle in chest Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). The study used clinical neonatal EIT data. The results show that measurement of the phase angle from complex EIT data can be used as a complementary information for improving the conventional breath detection algorithms.
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