A Study of the Forces on the Small Intestine From a Novel Suction Based Approach for Robotic Endoscopic Locomotion

Author(s):  
Roberto Montane ◽  
Mihir S. Wagh ◽  
Carl D. Crane

Many studies have been published regarding robotic endoscopes, however, very little has been done to quantify their effects on the intestine [1]. Here, the use of suction to hold onto the small intestine is investigated. These results will be used to develop an endoscope that is capable of being advanced deep into the small bowel. Prototype suction devices have been designed and various rigid suction tips tested on swine cadaveric intestines. Testing consisted of applying vacuum pressure to suction tips within the intestine. Suction tips were pulled in a shearing method against segments of swine intestine. Measurement data acquired determined parameters which generated the greatest amount of holding force while minimizing tissue damage. Vacuum pressures from 64 kPa–85 kPa were applied to suction tips. The measured force increased from 1.62 Newton (6 oz) to 3.89 Newton (14 oz) with increasing vacuum pressure. Even at the highest vacuum pressure employed (85 kPa) there were no visible signs of intestinal trauma. A maximum force of 3.89 Newton (14 oz) could be attained from a single tip. During in-situ experiments this method advanced the endoscope 25cm into the small intestine.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siang-Tai Syue ◽  
Chia-Hsuan Hsu ◽  
Keryea Soong

AbstractAn encrusting sponge, Terpios hoshinota, has the potential to infect all species of stony corals in shallow reefs and killing them. It caused a decline in coral coverage in two south-eastern islands of Taiwan. We proposed two hypotheses to examine how the sponges kill the corals, namely, light blocking and toxins, and tested by in-situ experiments. The results revealed that both light blocking, sponge toxins, and particularly the combination of both factors were effective at inducing tissue damage in stony corals over a short period. Second, to answer why the sponges killed the corals, we tested two hypotheses, namely, gaining nutrients versus gaining substrates for the sponge. By analyzing the stable isotopes 13C and 15N, as well as exploiting an enrichment experiment, it was possible to determine that only approximately 9.5% of the carbon and 16.9% of the nitrogen in the newly grown sponge tissues originated from the enriched corals underneath. The analysis also revealed that the control corals without isotope enrichment had higher δ13C and δ15N than the control sponges, which was an additional indication that T. hoshinota did not rely heavily on corals for nutrients. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that the encrusting sponge did not kill corals for food or nutrients, but rather for the substrate.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (6) ◽  
pp. G1252-G1260 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bisschops ◽  
P. Vanden Berghe ◽  
G. Sarnelli ◽  
J. Janssens ◽  
J. Tack

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41-amino acid peptide with distinct effects on gastrointestinal motility involving both CRF-1 and CRF-2 receptor-mediated mechanisms that are generally claimed to be centrally mediated. Evidence for a direct peripheral effect is rather limited. Electrophysiological studies showed a cAMP-dependent prolonged depolarization of guinea pig myenteric neurons on application of CRF. The current study aimed to test the direct effect of CRF on myenteric neurons and to identify the receptor subtype and the possible mechanisms involved. Longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparations and myenteric neuron cultures of guinea pig small intestine were incubated with the calcium indicator Fluo-4. Confocal Ca2+ imaging was used to visualize activation of neurons on application of CRF. All in situ experiments were performed in the presence of nicardipine 10−6 M to reduce tissue movement. Images were analyzed using Scion image and a specifically developed macro to correct for residual minimal movements. A 75 mM K+-Krebs solution identified 1,076 neurons in 46 myenteric ganglia (16 animals). Administration of CRF 10−6 M and CRF 10−7 M during 30 s induced a Ca2+ response in 22.4% of the myenteric neurons ( n = 303). Responses were completely abolished in the presence of the nonselective CRF antagonist astressin ( n = 55). The selective CRF-1 receptor antagonist CP 154,526 ( n = 187) reduced the response significantly to 2.1%. Stresscopin, a CRF-2 receptor agonist, could not activate neurons at 10−7 M, and its effect at 10−6 M (15.3%, n = 59) was completely blocked by CP 154,526. TTX 10−6 M ( n = 70) could not block the CRF-induced Ca2+ transients but reduced the amplitude of the signals significantly. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ blocked all responses to CRF ( n = 47). L-type channels did not contribute to the CRF-induced Ca2+ transients. Blocking N- or P/Q-type Ca2+ channels did not reduce the responses significantly. Combined L- and R-type Ca2+ channel blocking (SNX-482 10−8 M, n = 64) abolished nearly all responses in situ. Combined L-, N-, and P/Q-type channel blocking also significantly reduced the response to 8.6%. Immunohistochemical staining for CRF-1 receptors clearly labeled individual cell bodies in the ganglia, whereas the CRF-2 receptor staining was barely above background. CRF induces Ca2+ transients in myenteric neurons via a CRF-1 receptor-dependent mechanism. These Ca2+ transients highly depend on somatic calcium influx through voltage-operated Ca2+ channels, in particular R-type channels. Action potential firing through voltage-sensitive sodium channels increases the amplitude of the Ca2+ signals. Besides centrally mediated effects, CRF is likely to modulate gastrointestinal motility on the myenteric neuronal level.


Author(s):  
D. Loretto ◽  
J. M. Gibson ◽  
S. M. Yalisove ◽  
R. T. Tung

The cobalt disilicide/silicon system has potential applications as a metal-base and as a permeable-base transistor. Although thin, low defect density, films of CoSi2 on Si(111) have been successfully grown, there are reasons to believe that Si(100)/CoSi2 may be better suited to the transmission of electrons at the silicon/silicide interface than Si(111)/CoSi2. A TEM study of the formation of CoSi2 on Si(100) is therefore being conducted. We have previously reported TEM observations on Si(111)/CoSi2 grown both in situ, in an ultra high vacuum (UHV) TEM and ex situ, in a conventional Molecular Beam Epitaxy system.The procedures used for the MBE growth have been described elsewhere. In situ experiments were performed in a JEOL 200CX electron microscope, extensively modified to give a vacuum of better than 10-9 T in the specimen region and the capacity to do in situ sample heating and deposition. Cobalt was deposited onto clean Si(100) samples by thermal evaporation from cobalt-coated Ta filaments.


Author(s):  
Charles W. Allen ◽  
Robert C. Birtcher

The uranium silicides, including U3Si, are under study as candidate low enrichment nuclear fuels. Ion beam simulations of the in-reactor behavior of such materials are performed because a similar damage structure can be produced in hours by energetic heavy ions which requires years in actual reactor tests. This contribution treats one aspect of the microstructural behavior of U3Si under high energy electron irradiation and low dose energetic heavy ion irradiation and is based on in situ experiments, performed at the HVEM-Tandem User Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. This Facility interfaces a 2 MV Tandem ion accelerator and a 0.6 MV ion implanter to a 1.2 MeV AEI high voltage electron microscope, which allows a wide variety of in situ ion beam experiments to be performed with simultaneous irradiation and electron microscopy or diffraction.At elevated temperatures, U3Si exhibits the ordered AuCu3 structure. On cooling below 1058 K, the intermetallic transforms, evidently martensitically, to a body-centered tetragonal structure (alternatively, the structure may be described as face-centered tetragonal, which would be fcc except for a 1 pet tetragonal distortion). Mechanical twinning accompanies the transformation; however, diferences between electron diffraction patterns from twinned and non-twinned martensite plates could not be distinguished.


Author(s):  
Kenneth S. Vecchio ◽  
John A. Hunt

In-situ experiments conducted within a transmission electron microscope provide the operator a unique opportunity to directly observe microstructural phenomena, such as phase transformations and dislocation-precipitate interactions, “as they happen”. However, in-situ experiments usually require a tremendous amount of experimental preparation beforehand, as well as, during the actual experiment. In most cases the researcher must operate and control several pieces of equipment simultaneously. For example, in in-situ deformation experiments, the researcher may have to not only operate the TEM, but also control the straining holder and possibly some recording system such as a video tape machine. When it comes to in-situ fatigue deformation, the experiments became even more complicated with having to control numerous loading cycles while following the slow crack growth. In this paper we will describe a new method for conducting in-situ fatigue experiments using a camputer-controlled tensile straining holder.The tensile straining holder used with computer-control system was manufactured by Philips for the Philips 300 series microscopes. It was necessary to modify the specimen stage area of this holder to work in the Philips 400 series microscopes because the distance between the optic axis and holder airlock is different than in the Philips 300 series microscopes. However, the program and interfacing can easily be modified to work with any goniometer type straining holder which uses a penrmanent magnet motor.


2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A183-A183
Author(s):  
H KOBAYASHI ◽  
H NAGATA ◽  
S MIURA ◽  
T AZUMA ◽  
H SUZUKI ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
А.А. Коваленко ◽  
Г.П. Титова ◽  
В.К. Хугаева

Оперативное лечение различных заболеваний кишечника сопровождается осложнениями в виде нарушений микроциркуляции в области анастомоза кишки. Ранее нами показана способность лимфостимуляторов пептидной природы восстанавливать нарушенную микроциркуляцию, что послужило основой для настоящего исследования. Цель работы - оценка влияния стимуляции лимфотока в стенке кишки на процессы восстановления микроциркуляции, структуры и функции тонкой кишки в области оперативного вмешательства. Методика. В экспериментах на наркотизированных крысах (хлоралгидрат в дозе 0,6 г/кг в 0,9% растворе NaCl) моделировали различные поражения тонкой кишки (наложение лигатуры, перевязка 1-3 брыжеечных артерий, перекрут петли кишки вокруг оси брыжейки, сочетание нескольких видов повреждений). Резекция поврежденного участка через 1 сут. с последующим созданием тонкокишечного анастомоза завершалась орошением операционного поля раствором пептида-стимулятора лимфотока (40 мкг/кг массы животного в 1 мл 0,9% раствора NaCl). На 7-е сут. после операции проводили гистологическое исследование фрагмента кишки в области анастомоза. Результаты. На 7-е сут. после резекции у выживших животных (летальность вследствие кишечной непроходимости составляла 30%) имеют место морфологические признаки острых сосудистых нарушений стенки кишки, изменений кровеносных и лимфатических микрососудов, интерстициальный отек всех слоев стенки кишки, дилатация просвета кишки, повреждение всасывающего эпителия ворсин с истончением щеточной каемки клеток, морфологические признаки гиперфункции бокаловидных клеток. Использование лимфостимулятора пептидной природы после операции увеличивало выживаемость животных на 24%. У части животных отмечалось уменьшение расширения просвета кишки, у других практически полная его нормализация. Восстанавливалась форма кишечных ворсин и распределение бокаловидных клеток. Отсутствовали признаки внутриклеточного и межмышечного отека. Отмечено умеренное полнокровие венул. Заключение. Использование лимфостимулятора при хирургическом лечении кишечной непроходимости увеличивает выживаемость животных на 24% по сравнению с контролем, способствует более раннему восстановлению структуры и функции тонкой кишки. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о перспективности использования стимуляции лимфотока при операциях на кишечнике. Surgical treatment of bowel diseases is associated with complications that cause microcirculatory disturbances in the anastomosis area and may lead to a fatal outcome. This study was based on our previous finding that peptide-type lymphatic stimulators are able to restore impaired microcirculation. The aim of this work was stimulating the lymph flow in the intestinal wall to facilitate recovery of microcirculation, structure and function of the small intestine in the area of surgical intervention. Methods. In experiments on anesthetized rats (0.6 g/kg chloral hydrate in 0.9% NaCl), various small bowel lesions were modeled (bowel ligation, ligation of 1-3 mesenteric arteries, gut torsion, combination of several lesion types). In 24 h, the damaged area was resected, and a small intestine anastomosis was creased. The surgery was completed with irrigation of the operative field with a solution of lymph flow stimulating peptide (40 мg/kg body weight in 1 ml of 0.9% NaCl). A gut fragment from the anastomosis area was examined histologically on day 7 after the surgery. Results. On the 7th day after removing the intestinal obstruction, the surviving animals (lethality 30%) had morphological signs of acute vascular disorders in the intestinal wall; changes in blood and lymphatic microvessels; interstitial edema of all intestinal wall layers; dilatation of the intestinal lumen; damage to the absorptive epithelium of villi with thinning of the brush border, and hyperfunction of mucous (goblet) cells. The use of the peptide after surgery increased the survival rate of animals by 24% and provided a smaller dilatation of the intestinal lumen in some animals. In other animals, the lumen recovered. The shape of intestinal villi and distribution of goblet cells were restored. Signs of intracellular and intermuscular edema were absent. Moderate venular congestion was noticed. Conclusion. Using the lymphatic stimulator in surgical treatment of intestinal obstruction increases the survival rate of animals by 24% compared to the control, facilitates earlier restoration of the small intestine structure and function. The obtained results indicated the effectiveness of lymphatic stimulation in intestinal surgery.


1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Garvey ◽  
John E. Tobiason ◽  
Michael Hayes ◽  
Evelyn Wolfram ◽  
David A. Reckhow ◽  
...  

This paper reports on field studies and model development aimed at understanding coliform fate and transport in the Quabbin Reservoir, an oligotrophic drinking water supply reservoir. An investigation of reservoir currents suggested the importance of wind driven phenomena, and that both lateral and vertical circulation patterns exist. In-situ experiments of coliform decay suggested dependence on light intensity and yielded an appropriate decay coefficient to be used in CE-QUAL-W2, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model. Modeling confirmed the sensitivity of reservoir outlet concentration to vertical variability within the reservoir, meteorological conditions, and location of coliform source.


Author(s):  
D.M. Seyedi ◽  
C. Plúa ◽  
M. Vitel ◽  
G. Armand ◽  
J. Rutqvist ◽  
...  

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