Investigating the effect of trigger delay on cardiac 31P MRS signals

The heart’s geometry and its metabolic activity vary over the cardiac cycle. The effect of these fluctuations on phosphorus (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data quality and metabolite ratios was investigated. 12 healthy volunteers were measured using a 7 T MR scanner and a cardiac 31P-1H loop coil. 31P chemical shift imaging data were acquired untriggered and at four different times during the cardiac cycle using acoustic triggering. Signals of adenosine-triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) and their fit quality as Cramér-Rao lower bounds (CRLB) were quantified including corrections for contamination by 31P signals from blood, flip angle, saturation and total acquisition time. The myocardial filling factor was estimated from cine short axis views. The corrected signals of PCr and $$\gamma$$ γ -ATP were higher during end-systole and lower during diastasis than in untriggered acquisitions ($$P<0.05$$ P < 0.05 ). Signal intensities of untriggered scans were between those with triggering to end-systole and diastasis. Fit quality of PCr and $$\gamma$$ γ -ATP peaks was best during end-systole when blood contamination of ATP and Pi signals was lowest. While metabolite ratios and pH remained stable over the cardiac cycle, signal amplitudes correlated strongly with myocardial voxel filling. Triggering of cardiac 31P MRS acquisitions improves signal amplitudes and fit quality if the trigger delay is set to end-systole. We conclude that triggering to end-systole is superior to triggering to diastasis.

Reliability and limits of transport-ventilators to safely ventilate severe patients in special surge situations

Background Intensive Care Units (ICU) have sometimes been overwhelmed by the surge of COVID-19 patients. Extending ICU capacity can be limited by the lack of air and oxygen pressure sources available. Transport ventilators requiring only one O2 source may be used in such places. Objective To evaluate the performances of four transport ventilators and an ICU ventilator in simulated severe respiratory conditions. Materials and methods Two pneumatic transport ventilators, (Oxylog 3000, Draeger; Osiris 3, Air Liquide Medical Systems), two turbine transport ventilators (Elisee 350, ResMed; Monnal T60, Air Liquide Medical Systems) and an ICU ventilator (Engström Carestation—GE Healthcare) were evaluated on a Michigan test lung. We tested each ventilator with different set volumes (Vtset = 350, 450, 550 ml) and compliances (20 or 50 ml/cmH2O) and a resistance of 15 cmH2O/l/s based on values described in COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Volume error (percentage of Vtset) with P0.1 of 4 cmH2O and trigger delay during assist-control ventilation simulating spontaneous breathing activity with P0.1 of 4 cmH2O and 8 cmH2O were measured. Results Grouping all conditions, the volume error was 2.9 ± 2.2% for Engström Carestation; 3.6 ± 3.9% for Osiris 3; 2.5 ± 2.1% for Oxylog 3000; 5.4 ± 2.7% for Monnal T60 and 8.8 ± 4.8% for Elisee 350. Grouping all conditions (P0.1 of 4 cmH2O and 8 cmH2O), trigger delay was 50 ± 11 ms, 71 ± 8 ms, 132 ± 22 ms, 60 ± 12 and 67 ± 6 ms for Engström Carestation, Osiris 3, Oxylog 3000, Monnal T60 and Elisee 350, respectively. Conclusions In surge situations such as COVID-19 pandemic, transport ventilators may be used to accurately control delivered volumes in locations, where only oxygen pressure supply is available. Performances regarding triggering function are acceptable for three out of the four transport ventilators tested.

A new principle of UHVDC line pilot protection based on trigger angle control characteristics

A new principle of UHVDC Line pilot protection based on internal parameters of the trigger angle of converter is proposed, in order to improve the ability of the protection to withstand transition resistance. Through the analysis of UHVDC control system, it is found that, due to the regulation of control system, in terms of trigger delay angle of rectifier side and trigger leading angle of inverter side, the change tendency in internal fault and external fault is different. Thus, the protection criterion is constructed. Compared with the traditional protection principle using voltage and current to establish protection criteria, this principle uses internal parameters as protection quantity. The simulation based on PSCAD/EMTDC verifies the effectiveness of the protection principle.

EARLINET lidar quality assurance tools

This paper describes the EARLINET quality assurance (QA) check-up tools for the hardware of lidars, developed in the recent years to monitor and improve the quality of the lidar systems and of their products. These check-up tools are the trigger-delay test, the Rayleigh-fit, the lidar test-pulse generator, the dark measurement, the telecover test, and the polarisation calibration.