Browse Topic: Age groups

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Test 04J1000004_202507 (Current)7/21/2025
Test 04
Automotive Electronic Systems Reliability Standards
Methods for Laboratory Replication of Rotary-wing Air Ambulance Vibration Conditions for Neonatal Patient Transport ApplicationsF-0081-2025-00715/20/2025
Neonatal patients in need of specialized care may require transport by rotary-wing air ambulances. These patients are subjected to environmental stressors during transport, including elevated levels of mechanical vibration. Aircraft vibration is transmitted through the transport system and incubator to the patient. The unique vibration profile is dependent on vehicle model and phase of flight. To improve safety for these patients, we aim to evaluate the vibration exposure across this complex system. The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate the methods used for aircraft data collection and replication of aircraft vibration profiles in a laboratory setting. Our current focus is on neonatal transportation in Ontario, Canada, where Leonardo AW139 helicopters are used for patient transport. AW139 field data were collected and processed to generate excitation profiles for discrete phases of flight. The vehicle data were used to drive a series of laboratory shaker-table experiments, in three axes, to evaluate the response of different configurations of the transport system. We present the methods used to simulate transport conditions, from vehicle data collection to laboratory shaker experimentation, and evaluate the behavior of the test apparatus. The simulated motion has been verified against the aircraft data to identify sources of error in the experimental setup. Some limitations in the shaker and control system present inherent differences in the input and response; however, it was found that the greatest spectral error occurred outside the frequency range of interest (>80 Hz), and that the shaker controller successfully replicates the energy levels recorded in the aircraft. The shaker experiment results, such as the response of the transport system and incubator, will be analysed in future work to identify equipment configurations and/or modifications which can reduce neonatal patient vibration exposure during rotary-wing transportation.
Gibb, Keely, Francis, Navin, Law, Andrew, Gerson, Eleanor, Greenwood, Kim, Ibey, Andrew A. M., Ngoie, Jean, Redpath, Stephanie, Chan, Adrian D. C., Green, James R., Langlois, Robert G., Chen, Eric
Reducing Vibrations Experienced by an Infant During Air TrasportationF-0080-2024-10445/7/2024
Some infants are born prematurely or with medical conditions that require them to stay in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Typically, these infants spend most of their time in an incubator as it provides a safe and controlled environment. At times, these infants will need to be transported via helicopter from one hospital to another, which exposes their already fragile bodies to higher levels of vibration. Helicopters, while advantageous for medical transport, generate substantial vibration due to rotor dynamics. Current models of incubators lack specific design for reducing vibrations. This project proposes a functional vibration damper that can be integrated into existing neonatal incubators, aiming to enhance infant safety during air transport. ANSYS modeling identified low-density polyethylene foam as an effective material for vibration reduction. Flight simulation tests demonstrated the 2" polyethylene mattress reduced vibrations at low amplitudes and frequencies, but challenges arose at higher values. The prototype addresses the critical need for reducing vibrations in neonatal incubators during air transport. While successful in initial tests, further extensive testing is required for potential implementation in the medical industry.
Piatt, Sophia, West, Isaac, Merlos, Hilcia, Young, Sarah, Deemer, Alexander, Piovesan, Davide, Ji, Xiaoxu
New Solution to Elderly Falls: Drones, Smartphones and SensorsTBMG-361543/1/2020
A new system has been designed by a team of researchers from Iraq and the University of South Australia to remotely monitor elderly people, detecting abnormalities in their heart rate and temperature that can lead to falls, and provide urgent first aid via a drone if a fall occurs.
Making a Great Cardio Product Even Better: The Next-Generation Zio Heart PatchTBMG-357791/1/2020
Nearly half of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease. This group of over 121 million people are often diagnosed with potential arrhythmias but physicians need to be able to diagnose them quickly and efficiently to ultimately save lives. One company is redefining the way cardiac arrhythmias are clinically diagnosed to help physicians do just that. The new device from iRhythm “combines wearable biosensor devices worn for up to 14 days and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms that distill data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information,” the company says.
Unpowered, Lightweight Ankle ExoskeletonTBMG-3571712/1/2019
A lightweight, low-profile, inexpensive ankle exoskeleton could be widely used among elderly people, those with impaired lower-leg muscle strength, and workers whose jobs require substantial walking or running.
Prototype Smartphone App Can Help Parents Detect Early Signs of Eye Disorders in ChildrenTBMG-3562212/1/2019
A Baylor University researcher’s prototype smartphone app — designed to help parents detect early signs of various eye diseases in their children such as retinoblastoma, an aggressive pediatric eye cancer — has passed its first big test.
Wearable Trackers Predict Death RiskTBMG-3562912/1/2019
A recent study shows that wearable accelerometers — mechanical sensors worn like a watch, belt, or bracelet to track movement — are a more reliable measure of physical activity and better than patient surveys and other methods used by physicians at assessing five-year risk of death in older adults.
Wearable Motion Sensors Measure Fetal HeartbeatTBMG-3545511/1/2019
A technique was developed that could allow expectant parents to hear their baby’s heartbeat continuously at home with a non-invasive and safe device that is potentially more accurate than any fetal heartrate monitor currently available in the market.
Wearable Sensors Could Reduce StillbirthsTBMG-3551111/1/2019
A new technique could allow expectant parents to hear their baby’s heartbeat continuously at home with a noninvasive and safe device that is potentially more accurate than any fetal heart rate monitor currently available on the market.
Q&A: Wearable Motion Sensors Could Save Unborn BabiesTBMG-3527510/1/2019
Negar Tavossolian is Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ. She led a project to develop a lightweight, non-invasive sensor to monitor fetal heart rate and motion that could sense abnormalities warning of possible stillbirths.
Portable Electrochemical Sensing SystemTBMG-351419/1/2019
An electrochemical sensing system that significantly improves the ability to rapidly and accurately detect heavy metals in biological and environmental samples was developed. Using a simple blood sample from a finger prick, the system identifies and eliminates exposure to toxic metals such as lead. These dangerous elements continue to pose a significant health concern, especially to children.
Wearable Monitor Continuously Measures Breath Rate and VolumeTBMG-349108/1/2019
Researchers developed a wearable, disposable respiration monitor that provides high-fidelity readings on a continuous basis. It's designed to help children with asthma and cystic fibrosis, and others with chronic pulmonary conditions.
A Case Study on Golf Car Powertrain NVH Sources and Mitigation Methods2019-01-14786/5/2019
The golf market has remained flat in North America. Whereas, it has grown worldwide. A trend is seen where the number of young adults and adults over the age of 65 years involved with the game has increased. The demographics in golf showing the most growth also have high standards for the operation of the golf car. They have transcended their expectations to align with some of the qualities expected of automobiles. There is a shift in consumer expectations. Moreover, the market competition has also increased. This drives the OEMs to deliver refined golf cars with NVH being a key aspect in development. This paper showcases a recent study to improve the powertrain N&V performance of an internal combustion engine golf car. Primarily, a test-based approach is followed. Chassis rolls and on road testing are performed for benchmarking and target setting. System and component tests are performed to root cause issues. The tests further help to provide input for mitigation methods for application on the golf cars. Structural modifications address structure-borne noise and perceived vibration. Component modifications and additions address three key aspects. They reduce air-borne noise, decrease overall SPL, and improve sound quality for brand identity. These mitigation techniques are applied on the golf car. Jury evaluations correlated with on-road testing results for golf car improvement. The improvements were in both sound quantity and sound quality.
Carter, Steven, Buczek, Kenneth, Clark, Adam, Pathak, Mayuresh
Monitor Babies in the NICU Without WiresTBMG-345816/1/2019
An interdisciplinary Northwestern University team has developed a pair of soft, flexible wireless sensors that replace the tangle of wire-based sensors that currently monitor babies in hospitals’ neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and pose a barrier to parent-baby cuddling and physical bonding. The lead researcher was John A. Rogers, a bioelectronics pioneer, who led the technology development. The team recently completed a series of first human studies on premature babies at Prentice Women’s Hospital and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The researchers concluded that the wireless sensors provided data as precise and accurate as that from traditional monitoring systems. The wireless patches also are gentler on a newborn’s fragile skin and allow for more skin-to-skin contact with the parent. Existing sensors must be attached with adhesives that can scar and blister premature newborns’ skin. The study, involved materials scientists, engineers, dermatologists, and pediatricians. It includes initial data from more than 20 babies who wore the wireless sensors alongside traditional monitoring systems, so the researchers could do a side-by-side, quantitative comparison. Since then, the team has conducted successful tests with more than 70 babies in the NICU.
UCI Biomedical Engineers Develop Wearable Respiration Monitor with Children’s ToyTBMG-345836/1/2019
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a wearable, disposable respiration monitor that provides high-fidelity readings on a continuous basis. It’s designed to help children with asthma and cystic fibrosis and others with chronic pulmonary conditions.
Patch Improves Care for NICU BabiesTBMG-344355/1/2019
When a baby is placed into a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), its vitals are continuously recorded through electrodes placed on the skin with wires attached to monitoring platforms. Researchers are working to replace the wires with a patch that would allow parents to hold their little one while it's being monitored.
Development of Subject-Specific Elderly Female Finite Element Models for Vehicle Safety2019-01-12244/2/2019
Previous study suggested that female, thin, obese, and older occupants had a higher risk of death and serious injury in motor vehicle crashes. Human body finite element models were a valuable tool in the study of injury biomechanics. The mesh deformation method based on radial basis function(RBF) was an attractive alternative for morphing baseline model to target models. Generally, when a complex model contained many elements and nodes, it was impossible to use all surface nodes as landmarks in RBF interpolation process, due to its prohibitive computational cost. To improve the efficiency, the current technique was to averagely select a set of nodes as landmarks from all surface nodes. In fact, the location and the number of selected landmarks had an important effect on the accuracy of mesh deformation. Hence, how to select important nodes as landmarks was a significant issue. In the paper, an efficient peak point-selection RBF mesh deformation method was used to select landmarks. The multiple peak points were selected to expand landmarks set, so as to improve the morphing quality compared with the traditional point-selection method. A human head model morphing example was used to verify the effectiveness and stability of the proposed method. Furthermore, the proposed mesh deformation methodology was also applied in a full subject-specific elderly female occupant modeling. The findings of this study demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed mesh deformation method to rapidly develop subject-specific human models in advancing occupant safety.
Dong, Wenxiang, Zhan, Zhenfei, Yin, Yunlei, Li, Junming, Wang, Qingmiao, Jin, Xin
Speeds of Child Cyclists2019-01-04194/2/2019
Many published studies have characterized walking and running speeds of young children. However, there is a paucity of data on the cycling speeds of very young children (4 to 5 years old). The purpose of this study was to obtain an estimate of cycling speed for boys and girls both who are learning to ride bicycles (i.e., younger children who still ride with training wheels) and who have already learned to ride bicycles (i.e., slightly older children who no longer use training wheels). A sample of 32 child riders (17 boys, 15 girls; 17 four-year-olds who still ride with training wheels, 15 five-year-olds who do not) were asked to ride a short pre-defined distance at their usual speed when riding, and again at their highest speed. We found that while age and experience can differentiate riders, there were only small differences between boys’ and girls’ speeds in either age group. These descriptive results can be used in various applications from traffic engineering to accident reconstruction.
Crump, Caroline, Bui, Young
Quantification of Sternum Morphomics and Injury Data2019-01-12174/2/2019
Crash safety researchers have an increased concern regarding the decreased thoracic deflection and the contributing injury causation factors among the elderly population. Sternum fractures are categorized as moderate severity injuries, but can have long term effects depending on the fragility and frailty of the occupant. Current research has provided detail on rib morphology, but very little information on sternum morphology, sternum fracture locations, and mechanisms of injury. The objective of this study is two-fold (1) quantify sternum morphology and (2) document sternum fracture locations using computed tomography (CT) scans and crash data. Thoracic CT scans from the University of Michigan Hospital database were used to measure thoracic depth, manubriosternal joint, sternum thickness and bone density. The sternum fracture locations and descriptions were extracted from 63 International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) crash cases, of which 22 cases had corresponding CT scans. The University of Michigan Internal Review Board (HUM00043599 and HUM00041441) approved the use of crash cases and CT scan data. The sternum morphomics data showed the thoracic depth increased, except for the 60-74-year-old age group. The average sternum thickness was greater in the older age groups. The sternum bone density decreased from youngest to oldest age groups. The angle between the manubrium and the sternum body decreased by 5.6° between the youngest and oldest age groups. The frequency of sternum fractures increased after age 45. Fractures were most frequent in the sternum body. The seat belt webbing was coded as the source of 54% of the sternum fractures.
Bunn, Barbara, Johannson, Suzanne, Kohoyda-Inglis, Carla, Wang, Stewart, Parenteau, Chantal, Holcombe, Sven
Q&A: Siyi Xu, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MATBMG-339303/1/2019
Working with teams from Harvard, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Boston Children's Hospital, Siyi Xu developed a soft, non-toxic, wearable sensor that attaches to the hand and measures grasp force and the motion of the hand and fingers. The sensor is designed to identify neuromotor disabilities in prematurely born children.
Circuit Models for Robust, Adaptive Neural Control19AERP02_082/1/2019
Understanding a nematode's simple circuit could provide a foundation for understanding much more complex behaviors. Air Force Research Laboratory, Arlington, Virginia This project seeks to reproduce the neural circuits used by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for locomotion. Caenorhabditis elegans is a small (∼1.2 millimeter) nematode found in rotting fruit in many parts of the world. It feeds on bacteria and is neither parasitic nor pathogenic. Although capable of sexual reproduction, most laboratory strains reproduce primarily as self-fertilizing hermaphrodites, with each adult hermaphrodite producing approximately 300 progeny (Figure 1). C. elegans is a very simple organism, with only 959 somatic cells in the adult hermaphrodite. Although the total number of cells is small, they are differentiated into the standard array of tissues: 302 neurons, 95 body muscle cells, 32 gut cells, etc. In addition, the position, morphology, and lineage of each cell are reproducible from animal to animal. Because of the small size of the animal, the relatively small number of neurons, and the reproducible nature of the nervous system, it has been possible to provide an almost-complete synaptic connectivity map of the adult hermaphrodite nervous system (Figure 2).
Circuit Models for Robust, Adaptive Neural ControlTBMG-337662/1/2019
This project seeks to reproduce the neural circuits used by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for locomotion. Caenorhabditis elegans is a small (~1.2 millimeter) nematode found in rotting fruit in many parts of the world. It feeds on bacteria and is neither parasitic nor pathogenic. Although capable of sexual reproduction, most laboratory strains reproduce primarily as self-fertilizing hermaphrodites, with each adult hermaphrodite producing approximately 300 progeny (Figure 1).
5 Ws of My Skin Track UVTBMG-336782/1/2019
The device can optimize treatment of neonatal jaundice, skin diseases, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and reduce risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
Dynamic Spine Brace Characterizes Spine DeformitiesTBMG-336291/1/2019
Spine deformities, such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis (also known as “hunchback”), are characterized by an abnormal curvature in the spine. The children with these spinal deformities are typically advised to wear a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve. Bracing has been shown to prevent progression of the abnormal curve and avoid surgery; however, the underlying technology for bracing has not fundamentally changed in 50 years.
Soft Robotic “Sleeve” Fits Around the Heart to Help it BeatTBMG-336161/1/2019
Researchers have developed a customizable soft robot that fits around a heart and helps it beat, potentially opening new treatment options for people suffering from heart failure.
A Biologically Inspired Method of Improving Systems and Survivability Through Self-SacrificeTBMG-3321811/1/2018
In human beings, the self-destruction behavior of human body cells is considered as an intrinsic safety mechanism of the human body. It seems that the lifetime of a cell is programmed, and that cells know when to commit suicide. This self-destruction is an intrinsic property that can be delayed due to the continuous receipt of biochemical reprieves. This process, also known as death by default, or apoptosis, prevents cells from dying due to constant receipt of biochemical stay-alive reprieve signals. Investigations into the apoptosis process have discovered that whenever a cell divides, it commits suicide due to lack of reprieve signals. It is believed that the reason for this is self-protection, as the most dangerous time for the body is when a cell divides, since if just one of the billions of cells locks into division, the result is a tumor.
Handheld Probe Images Photoreceptors in ChildrenTBMG-3324711/1/2018
Duke University researchers have developed a handheld probe that can image individual photoreceptors in the eyes of infants. The technology, based on adaptive optics, will make it easier for physicians and scientists to observe these cells to diagnosis eye diseases and make early detection of brain-related diseases and trauma.
OFFSET: A Global Carbon Cycle GameTBMG-297057/1/2018
The OFFSET video game was designed to teach children the basics of the carbon cycle in a fun and engaging way. The game play is a mix of Pong, Breakout, and RTS. The game has a retro-art style, and uses Game Center, so that players can compare scores with each other.
Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM), Proven Cost-Effective, Add to Quality of Life for DiabeticsTBMG-290076/1/2018
Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) offer significant, daily benefits to people with type 1 diabetes, providing near-real time measurements of blood sugar levels, but they can be expensive. A new study by researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine, based on a six-month clinical trial, finds that use of a CGM is cost-effective for adult patients with type 1 diabetes when compared to daily use of test strips. The results are well within the thresholds normally used by insurance plans to cover medical devices. During the trial, CGMs improved overall blood glucose control for the study group and reduced hypoglycemia — low blood sugar episodes.
Portable Electrochemical Sensing SystemTBMG-285333/1/2018
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed an inexpensive electrochemical sensing system that significantly improves the ability to rapidly and accurately detect heavy metals in biological and environmental samples.
Nonprofit Pushes Design Limits to Develop Life-Saving Technology for Underprivileged CommunitiesTBMG-285173/1/2018
Nearly four million infants in developing countries die each year within a month of birth due to complications of prematurity, low birth weight, and infection. Design that Matters (DtM), a nonprofit organization, is committed to helping prevent these deaths by providing the medical devices needed to give at-risk newborns a warm and clean environment to help them grow strong.
Beating Heart Patch is Large Enough to Repair the Human HeartTBMG-281371/1/2018
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created a fully functioning artificial human heart muscle large enough to patch over damage typically seen in patients who have suffered a heart attack. The advance takes a major step toward the end goal of repairing dead heart muscle in human patients. The study appears online in Nature Communications. 1
Device-Free Motion Tracing Using WiFi SignalsTBMG-2797912/1/2017
Fine-grained human motion tracing — the ability to trace the trajectory of a moving human hand or leg, or even the whole body — is a general capability that is useful in a wide variety of applications. It can be used for gesture recognition and virtual touch-screens (e.g. Kinect-style natural user interfaces), activity recognition, monitoring of young infants and the elderly, or security applications such as intruder detection. Motivated by these applications, depth-sensing-based systems have been developed to implement motion tracing capabilities in cameras; however, these devices are limited because they have a constrained field of view (around 2 to 4 m range with a 60-degree aperture), and do not work in non-line-of-sight scenarios, preventing their use in many applications such as whole-home activity recognition, security, and elderly care.
Using Artificial intelligence to Evaluate Brain Maturity of Preterm InfantsTBMG-2796512/1/2017
University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
Kid: A Telemedicine Solution for Retinopathy of PrematurityTBMG-2784411/1/2017
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disease that affects premature infants. It is the leading cause of childhood blindness. Although effective treatments exist, many infants are still at-risk due to the small window of time for detection. The current standard of care consists of in-person, manual screening by a pediatric ophthalmologist. Unfortunately, the number of infants in need of screening far surpasses the availability of specifically trained ophthalmologists. Consequently, fewer than 30 percent of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide have fully compliant ROP screening programs.
Illuminated Pajamas Treat NewbornsTBMG-2786610/31/2017
To treat newborns for treat, the babies lie in incubators. Irradiation with blue light in an incubator is necessary because toxic decomposition products of the blood pigment hemoglobin are deposited in the skin in newborns with jaundice. Researchers have significantly improved the not-so-child-friendly procedure by combining the treatment with the needs of the newborns.
Soft Tissue Robotic Surgery Outperforms Standard SurgeryTBMG-249927/1/2016
From Trolley to Autonomous Vehicle: Perceptions of Responsibility and Moral Norms in Traffic Accidents with Self-Driving Cars2016-01-01644/5/2016
Autonomous vehicles represent a new class of transportation that may be qualitatively different from existing cars. Two online experiments assessed lay perceptions of moral norms and responsibility for traffic accidents involving autonomous vehicles. In Experiment 1, 120 US adults read a narrative describing a traffic incident between a pedestrian and a motorist. In different experimental conditions, the pedestrian, the motorist, or both parties were at fault. Participants assigned less responsibility to a self-driving car that was at fault than to a human driver who was at fault. Participants confronted with a self-driving car at fault allocated greater responsibility to the manufacturer and the government than participants who were confronted with a human driver at fault did. In Experiment 2, 120 US adults read a narrative describing a moral dilemma in which a human driver or a self-driving car must decide between either allowing five pedestrians to die or taking action to hit a single pedestrian in order to save the five. The “utilitarian” decision to hit the single pedestrian was considered the moral norm for both a self-driving and a human-driven car. Moreover, participants assigned the obligation of setting moral norms for self-driving cars to ethics researchers and to car manufacturers. This research reveals patterns of public perception of autonomous cars and may aid lawmakers and car manufacturers in designing such cars.
Li, Jamy, Zhao, Xuan, Cho, Mu-Jung, Ju, Wendy, Malle, Bertram F.
Development of Bicycle Surrogate for Bicyclist Pre-Collision System Evaluation2016-01-14474/5/2016
As part of active safety systems for reducing bicyclist fatalities and injuries, Bicyclist Pre-Collision System (BPCS), also known as Bicyclist Autonomous Emergency Braking System, is being studied currently by several vehicles manufactures. This paper describes the development of a surrogate bicyclist which includes a surrogate bicycle and a surrogate bicycle rider to support the development and evaluation of BPCS. The surrogate bicycle is designed to represent the visual and radar characteristics of real bicyclists in the United States. The size of bicycle surrogate mimics the 26 inch adult bicycle, which is the most popular adult bicycle sold in the US. The radar cross section (RCS) of the surrogate bicycle is designed based on RCS measurement of the real adult sized bicycles. The surrogate bicycle is constructed with detachable components with shatter resistant material to prevent structural damage during a collision, and matches the look and RCS of a real 26 inch mountain bicycle from all 360 degree angles. The surrogate bicycle rider is a 168 cm tall adult with CNC machined realistic body shape. The skin of the surrogate bicycle rider has the RCS of a real human skin. Combined skin with realistic body shape, the surrogate bicyclist has the RCS matching to that of a same sized real human from 360 degree angles in the view of 77GHz automotive radar. The surrogate bicyclist has articulated leg motion which is important for micro Doppler sensing and can be supported on a sled or a mobile carrier. It can be moved at a speed of 20 mph and can be collided by vehicles from any direction and be reassembled in less than 5 minutes.
Yi, Qiang, Chien, Stanley, Brink, Jason, Niu, Wensen, Li, Lingxi, Chen, Yaobin, Chen, Chi-Chen, Sherony, Rini, Takahashi, Hiroyuki
Dissolution of the Gap between Safety Requirements Written in a Natural Language and Formal Notations2016-01-01334/5/2016
Safety concepts are essential to conform to functional safety standard ISO 26262 for automotive products. Safety requirements, which are a part of safety concepts, shall be satisfied by products to avoid hazards by vehicles to maintain their safety. Incompleteness of safety requirements must be avoided in deriving parent requirements to its children. However, measure for checking is only reviewing when the safety requirements are described in a natural language. This measure for checking is not objective or stringent. We developed a specification technique written in formal notation that addresses some of the shortcomings of capturing safety requirements for verification purposes. Safety requirements in this notation are expressed in goal tree models, which originate from goal-oriented requirement engineering Knowledge Acquisition in autOmated Specification (KAOS). Each requirement is written with propositional logic as the node of a tree. Completeness is automatically verified with a Boolean satisfiability (SAT) solver for each set of a parent goal and its children. We found that the point of view to derive requirements was different between a natural language and the above formal specification. This leads to the difference in the hierarchical structure of requirements, and makes it difficult to convert them from one to the other. A method of supporting this conversion is proposed here as a solution by associating typical structures of requirements in a natural language and the formal specification. This solution is expected to strengthen the reliability of safety requirements by promoting the application of the formal specification technique.
Matsubara, Masahiro, Narisawa, Fumio, Ohno, Atsuhiro, Aoki, Toshiaki, Chiba, Yuki
How 3D Printing Can Aid in Brain SurgeryTBMG-2307410/1/2015
Physicians at Boston Children’s Hospital report that four children with life-threatening cerebrovascular malformations posing surgical challenges have benefited from surgeons having 3D-printed models of their unique brain structures before undergoing high-risk brain procedures.
Predicted Device-Degradation Failure-Rate2015-01-25559/15/2015
There is a concern that the continuing trend on miniaturization (Moore's law) in IC design and fabrication might have a negative impact on the device reliability. To understand and to possibly quantify the physics underlying this concern and phenomenon, it is natural to proceed from the experimental bathtub curve (BTC) - reliability “passport” of the device. This curve reflects the combined effect of two major irreversible governing processes: statistics-related mass-production process that results in a decreasing failure rate with time, and reliability-physics-related degradation (aging) process that leads to an increasing failure rate. It is the latter process that is of major concern of a device designer and manufacturer. The statistical process can be evaluated theoretically, using a rather simple predictive model. Owing to that and assuming that the two processes of interest are statistically independent one can assess the failure rates associated with the aging process from the BTC data by simply subtracting the predicted ordinates of the statistical failure rates (SFR) from the BTC ordinates. The objective of this analysis is to show how this could be done. The suggested methodology proceeds from the concepts that the actual (“instantaneous”) SFR is a random variable with a known (assumed, established) probability distribution, that the experimental BTC can be represented by its infant mortality and the wear-out portions only (the steady-state portion in this case is simply the boundary between the infant mortality and wear-out portions) and that the two BTC portions considered can be approximated analytically. The cases, when the “instantaneous” SFR is distributed normally and in accordance with the Rayleigh law are used as suitable illustrations of the general concept. The developed methodology can be employed when there is a need to better understand the relative roles of the statistics-related and physics-of-failure-related processes in reliability evaluations of electronic products. The methodology can be used also beyond the field of IC engineering, when there is a need to understand and, hence, to separate the roles of the two irreversible processes in question. One of the major challenges of the future work is to determine the probability distributions of the actual (“instantaneous”) SFRs for particular products and applications.
Suhir, Ephraim, Bensoussan, Alain, Nicolics, Johann
Improved Detection of Kidney Stones Using S-mode UltrasoundTBMG-225618/1/2015
Ultrasound has been a useful tool in the detection of kidney stones. It is a low-cost solution that does not require ionizing radiation that would be harmful to vulnerable populations such as children and recurrent stone formers. However, it suffers from a broad range of sensitivity (78 to 96%) and specificity (31 to 100%) in the detection of stones.
Effects of Pretensioners and Load Limiters on 50th Male and 5th Female Seated in Rear Seat during a Frontal Collision2015-01-14604/14/2015
This study was conducted to explore the effect of various combinations of seatbelt-related safety components (namely, retractor pretensioners and load limiting retractors) on the adult rear passenger involved in a frontal collision. The study was conducted on a 50th Male and a 5th Female Hybrid III ATD in the rear seat of a mid-sized sedan. Each ATD was seated in an outboard position with 3-point continuous lap-shoulder belts. On these belts were combinations of pretensioners and load limiters. Since the main objective of this test series was to cross-compare the seatbelt configurations, front seats were not included in the buck in order to avoid uncontrollable variables that would have affected the comparison study if the possibility of contact with the front seat were allowed. Nevertheless, there was a short barrier devised to act as a foot-stop for both ATDs. A design of experiment (DOE) was constructed as a full factorial with and without a pretensioner and three types of load limiters. Each ATD was tested with a progressive load limiter (PLL1). Additionally, the 50th Male was tested with a self-adaptive load limiter (SALL) and the 5th Female was tested with a second type of a progressive load limiter (PLL2). The test pulse was designed to approximate a 35 mph (56 kph) frontal rigid barrier test of a four-door sedan. In summary, for the specific configurations reported herein, it was found that pretensioners were an appreciable factor in improving ATD values, and that load limiters had a greater positive effect in the absence of pretensioners and more so for the 50th Male than for the 5th Female.
Tavakoli, Massoud, Brelin-Fornari, Janet
Auditory Implant Bypasses Inner EarTBMG-216072/18/2015
A team of hearing and communication experts led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC successfully implanted an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) device in four children who previously could not hear.
Detecting Newborn Jaundice with a SmartphoneTBMG-2091311/1/2014
Newborn jaundice is a common condition in babies. While yellowing of the skin is a primary indicator, that discoloration may be hard to see and, if left untreated, can harm a baby. University of Washington, Seattle, engineers and physicians have developed a smartphone app that can check for jaundice and can deliver results to parents and pediatricians within minutes.
Engineering Systems for Special Needs ChildrenTBMG-202608/1/2014
A group of engineers and students at Kansas State University, Manhattan, is developing technology to improve the health and quality of life for children with severe developmental disabilities. The team is collaborating with Heartspring Inc., a Wichita-based non-profit therapeutic residential and day school program, which serves students with multiple diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, other developmental disabilities.
Calculating Helium for Pediatric RadiotherapyTBMG-196655/1/2014
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna/AKH Vienna, Austria, say that they have been able to demonstrate that the use of helium ions in radiation therapy could provide accurate treatment to tumors while helping to spare healthy organs. A treatment planning study presented at European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology (ESTRO) Congress 33 in April showed that helium may provide effects superior to radiotherapy using protons, which are already a considerable advance on conventional photon beam radiotherapy.
Fiber-Optic Pen Allows View into Children’s BrainsTBMG-167458/1/2013
Scientists at the University of Washington, Seattle, say that for less than $100, they have designed a computer-interfaced drawing pad that can help scientists see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities as they read and write. To create the system, the researchers hollowed out a ballpoint pen and inserted two optical fibers connected to a light-tight box in an adjacent control room where the pen’s movement is recorded. They also created a simple wooden square pad to hold a piece of paper printed with continuously varying color gradients. The custom pen and pad allow researchers to record handwriting during functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to assess behavior and brain function at the same time.
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