Model-Based EEG Analysis: Proposal and Verification of Mathematical Model for Application to Neurotechnology

We have modeled dynamics of EEG with one degree of freedom nonlinear oscillator and examined the relationship between mental state of humans and model parameters simulating behavior of EEG. At the IMECE conference last year, Our analysis method identified model parameters sequentially so as to match the waveform of experimental EEG data of the alpha band using one second running window. Results of temporal variation of model parameters suggested that the mental condition such as degree of concentration could be directly observed from the dynamics of EEG signal. The method of identifying the model parameters in accordance with the EEG waveform is effective in examining the dynamics of EEG strictly, but it is not suitable for practical use because the analysis (parameter identification) takes a long time. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test the proposed model-based analysis method for general application as a neurotechnology. The mathematical model used in neuroscience was improved for practical use, and the test was conducted with the cooperation of four subjects. model parameters were experimentally identified approximately every one second by using least square method. We solved a binary classification problem of model parameters using Support Vector Machine. Results show that our proposed model-based EEG analysis is able to discriminate concentration states in various tasks with an accuracy of over 80%.

Decontamination of Heavy Metals From Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) by Electrokinetic Remediation

A large quantity of sludges resulting from the treatment of MWWTP (Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant) effluent is generated annually following the increase of population density and acceleration of urbanization. Sludge production in Europe has been predicted by around 12 million tons in 2020. As a solid waste, appropriate disposal of Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) has been taken seriously due to its larger volume and toxic substances such as heavy metals. Electrokinetic remediation has more advantages in heavy metals uptake compared to other technologies, due to the ability to treat soils in-situ and to remove heavy metals from soils. In this work, it was studied the remediation of MSS by the electrokinetic remediation coupled with activated carbon (AC) as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB). It was applied an electric current of 3 V cm−1 and it was used an AC/sludge ratio of 30 g kg−1 of contaminated sludge for the preparation of the PRB. In each trial, the evolution of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) removal from the sludge were evaluated. Results proved that this process is perfectly suited for the removal of chromium, nickel and zinc metals from the sludge. At the end of the operation time, it was achieved a maximum removal rate of 56% for chromium, 73% for nickel and 99% for zinc, with initial concentrations of 2790 mg kg−1, 2840 mg kg−1, and 94200 mg kg−1, respectively. Based on these results, it was proved the technical viability of the proposed technology (electrokinetic with AC as a permeable reactive barrier) to treat municipal sewage sludges.

Technical Issues Associated With Arterial Pulse Signal Measurements Using a Microfluidic-Based Tactile Sensor

This paper presents three technical issues associated with arterial pulse signal measurements using a microfluidic-based tactile sensor: motion artifact, overlying tissue at an artery and inter-subject variation. Arising from the sensor-artery interaction upon hold-down pressure on the sensor, a measured pulse signal is a combination of the sensor design, hold-down pressure, overlying tissue at an artery, the arterial wall and the true pulse signal in the artery. Meanwhile, motion artifact causes change in the sensor-artery interaction and also plays a non-negligible role in a measured pulse signal. The influence of motion artifact on a measured pulse signal can be reduced by a sensor with high stiffness. To obtain a pulse signal at near-zero transmural pressure with reasonable accuracy, matching the sensor design with the overlying tissue at an artery is critical for achieving good conformity of the sensor to the artery (for signal transmission) with minimal distortion of the true one in the artery. For simplicity, a uniform layer is utilized to adjust the sensor design. While a uniform layer added to a sensor improves its conformity with the radial artery (RA) embedded deep under the skin, a uniform layer is also needed as a cushion to reduce suppression of the true pulse signal at the superficial temporal artery (STA) near the skin. Due to inter-subject variation (i.e, overlying tissue and artery size), the absolute values of arterial indices derived from a measured pulse signal at the same artery are not comparable between subjects. Post-exercise recovery of arterial indices derived from measured pulse signals is suggested to serve as a better assessment of the cardiovascular (CV) system.

Analysis of Bio-Inspired Structures for 3D Force Sensing Using Virtual Prototyping

3D force sensors have been proven its effectiveness and appropriateness for robotics applications. It has been used in medical and physical therapy applications such as surgical robot and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM) in the recent times. The 3D force sensors have been utilized in robot assisted surgeries and modern physical therapy devices to monitor the 3D forces for improved performances. The 3D force sensor performance and specifications depend on different design parameters, such as structural configuration, sensing elements placements, and load criterion. In this paper, different bioinspired structure configurations have been investigated and analyzed to obtain the optimal 3D force sensor configuration in terms of structural integrity, compactness, safety factor, and strain sensitivity. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation was used for the analysis to minimize the time of the development cycle.

A Model and Vibrational Analysis of a Dolphin’s Acoustic System

In this paper, a vibrational model of a dolphin’s acoustic system is presented. The working mechanism encompasses the dolphin’s lungs and nasal passage which hosts air pockets, the phonic lips, anterior and posterior bursae, the melon, lower jaw, and the brain. However, this study’s components of interest were the phonic lips, anterior bursa, and the surrounding muscle tissues. The phonic lips were modeled as rigid plates, surrounding muscles were modeled as springs, and the bursa was modeled as a damper. The chosen mechanical elements produced an underdamped system. There were two cases considered: a system in which the dolphin produces one click and a system in which the dolphin produces a series of clicks, called a click train. The former case is produced when the posterior phonic lip quickly and suddenly impacts the anterior phonic lip. Therefore, this was modeled as an impulse input. The latter case is produced when the posterior and anterior lip periodically engage one another. This was modeled as a sawtooth input. Using commercial computer software, a total of four different scenarios were considered, a healthy dolphin scenario and sick dolphin scenario for each input type.

Application of the Tornado-Like Flow Theory to the Study of Blood Flow in the Heart and Main Vessels: Study of the Potential Swirling Jets Structure in an Arbitrary Viscous Medium

In previous works it has been proved that the dynamic geometry of the streamlined surface of the flow channel of the heart chambers and main arteries corresponds with a good agreement to the shape of the swirling flow streamlines. The vectorial velocity field of such a flow in a cylindrical coordinate system was described by means of specific analytical solution basing on the potentiality of the longitudinal and radial velocity components. The viscosity of the medium was taken into account only in the expression for the azimuthal velocity component and the significant effect of viscosity was manifested only in a narrow axial region of a swirling jet. The flow described by the above relations is quasipotential, axisymmetric, and convergent. The structural organization of this flow implies the elimination of rupture and stagnation zones, and minimizes the viscous losses. The proximity of the real blood flow under the normal conditions to the specified class of swirling flows allows us to determine the basic properties of the blood flow possessing the high pressure-flow characteristics without stability loss. The blood flow has an external border, and the interaction with the channel wall and between moving fluid elements is weak. These properties of the jet explain the possibility of a balanced blood flow in biologically active boundaries. Violation of the jet properties can lead to the excitation of biologically active components and trigger the corresponding cascade protective and compensatory processes. The evolution of the flow is determined by the time-dependent characteristic functions, which are the frequency characteristics of the rotating jet, as well as functions depending on the dimension of the swirling jet. Previous experimental studies revealed close connection between changes in the characteristic functions and dynamics of the cardiac cycle. Therefore, it is natural to express these functions in analytical form. For these purposes it was necessary to establish the link between these functions and the spatial characteristics of the swirling jet. To solve this problem the analytical solution for the velocity field of a swirling jet was substituted into the Navier-Stokes system and continuity differential equations in a cylindrical coordinate system. As a result, a new system of differential equations was obtained where the characteristic functions could be derived. The solution of these equations allows the identification of time-dependent characteristic functions, and the establishment of a link between the characteristic functions and the spatial coordinates of the swirling jet. This link gives the opportunity to substantiate a theoretical possibility for the modeling of quasipotential viscous flows with a given structure. The definition of characteristic functions makes it possible to obtain the exact solution which allows formalization of the boundary conditions for physical modeling and experimental study of this flow type. Such transformations allow the definition of the conditions supporting renewable swirling blood flow in the transport arterial segment of the circulatory system and provide the basis for new principles of modeling, diagnosis and surgical treatment of circulatory disorders associated with the changes in geometry of the heart and great vessels.

Developing a Cost-Effective and Functional Prosthetic Foot for Below Knee Amputees Using Topology Optimization and 3D Printing

This paper presents the results of an investigative study on the development of an affordable and functional prosthetic foot for below knee amputees. A prototype was successfully manufactured using 3D printing technology. This continuously evolving technology enables the rapid production of prosthetics that are individually customized for each patient. Our prototype was developed after conducting a topology optimization study that interestingly converged to the shape of the biological human foot. Afterwards, a design was envisioned where a simple energy storage and release mechanism was implemented to replace the Achilles tendon, which minimizes the metabolic energy cost of walking. Our mechanism can successfully manage 70% of the energy compared to a normal person during each walking step. A finite element (FE) model of the prosthetic was developed and validated using experimental tests. Then, this FE model was used to confirm the safe operation of the prosthetic through simulating different loading scenarios according to the ISO standard. Our study clearly showed that customizable prosthetics could be produced at a fraction 1/60 of the cost of the commercially sold ones.

Robotic Knee Orthosis for Hemiplegic Patients to Prevent Falls During Walking Rehabilitation

Walking disturbance is one of the dysfunctions caused by stroke. In walking rehabilitation, it is common to shift to an ankle-foot-orthosis after using a knee-ankle-foot-orthosis for patients with stroke. However, there exist such danger of falling due to knee bending. The purpose of this research is to develop a robotic knee orthosis for hemiplegic patients to prevent falls. The equipment prevents falling by locking the knee joint when knee bending occurs. We analyzed the falling motion according to knee bending and designed the control system focusing on the result that the speed of the center of gravity in the traveling direction becomes zero. In the experiments, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method by reproducing the knee bending during walking of a healthy subject. As the result, it was demonstrated that the device was operating before the knee bending occurs and it was possible to prevent falls.

Numerical Evaluation of Recalling Elasticity due to Surface Roughness by Finite Element Modeling of Human Skin

Among human sensations, tactile perception has an important role in physics and in living comfortably. It is already known that surface roughness greatly affects the feel of solid objects, but the mechanics of the relationship between feeling and physics, as well as their effects, are difficult to determine. This study, aims to clarify the numerical relationship between elastic tactile perception and surface roughness of a rigid body by designing various products with surfaces comfortable to touch. The finite element method (FEM) has been adopted for this clarification, and a numerical model of human skin with 3 layers, epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous, has been developed to discuss the mechanical effects of touch movement. This skin model is used to evaluate the distribution of skin deformations during the process of touch movement, and the analysis of the tactile perception is done by discussing the distribution change due to touching objects. The change in distribution of deformation is mainly discussed in terms of pressure under the epidermis, and various patterns of distribution are inspected by changing the diameters and pitch ratio of a uniformly spread ball used as a plain surface. By comparing the relationship between distributions of rigid and elastic surfaces, similar distributions of pressure in the skin model were observed, and the relationships of the distribution are summarized to solve the mechanics of touch feeling. In this summarization, the maximum pressure and the maximum gradient of pressure distribution are adopted as parameters for the analysis. The analysis shows that it is numerically possible to represent the elasticity recalled by the rigid surface from its relationship with the elastic surface when they have the same maximum pressure and maximum inclination of pressure. The importance of maximum inclination of pressure for touch feeling is also shown here.

Dynamic Behaviour of a Dacron Aortic Graft

Woven Dacron grafts are still considered the clinical standard practice in thoracic vascular reconstruction in the case of aortic aneurysm and acute dissection. Despite its characteristics of biocompatibility and durability, very little is known about the dynamic response of Dacron grafts and about their side effects on the heart workload and cardiovascular system. In this study, physiological blood flow conditions are imposed in a Dacron graft via a specifically-developed mock circulatory loop. The effects of different physiological pulsation-per-minute rates are investigated. Since the Dacron prosthesis is extremely stiffer circumferentially and compliant axially with respect to an aortic segment of the same length, bending oscillations are preferred by the graft. This leads to a very significant different dynamic behavior with respect to the replaced human aortic portion altering cardiovascular pressure and blood flow dynamics and eventually causing long-term implant complications.