Microwave Dielectric Sensing of Free-Flowing, Single, Living Cells in Aqueous Suspension
Clare Watts, Stephen Hanham, James Armstrong, Munir Ahmad, Molly Stevens, Norbert Klein.
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Inductive coupling between the two resonators enabled separation of microfluidic chips from RF connectors and allowed for time-resolved continuous-wave measurements on flowing single cells via the coaxial ports of a dielectric-loaded microwave cavity. Analysis via an equivalent circuit model showed that the novel resonator assembly maintained the permittivity-dependent sensitivity of a split ring resonator while operating at quality factors >1000 with lossy aqueous media (typically ~1900). Using a microfluidic channel with a 300 x 300 μm cross section, at a water-loaded resonant amplitude of ~-22 dB at 0 dBm input power level, shifts in amplitude due to individual cells passing through the sensing region of up to -0.0015 dB were observed. Correlations between averaged amplitude shifts and cell size as well as material properties demonstrate the diagnostic potential of this technique.
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- An inductively-coupled resonator assembly is shown to allow the detection of significantly sub-wavelength diameter biological cells by combining the strong field confinement provided by a split ring resonator with the high quality factor resonance of a dielectric resonator.
- Measurements of single, free-flowing cells in a natural aqueous environment at ~10 GHz have been carried out using a coupled resonator sensor, without the need for trapping, immobilizing, culturing or fixing cells in high-field areas.
- The coupled resonator approach proposed in this work shows potential as a method of discrimination of cells based on hydration levels, which in other works has been linked to carcinogenesis, as well as cancer aggressiveness grade; therefore the sensor described herein may represent an alternative method of cancer diagnosis or disease progression monitoring via non-invasive liquid biopsies.
- In this paper, measurements of living, free-flowing, single cells in aqueous buffer solution, at a frequency sensitive to cell water content, have been made.
- The inductive coupling employed in this sensor allows for physical separation of the sensing elements from microwave electronics, allowing for cheap, disposable chips to be used with biological fluids.
Photovoltaic Power Harvesting Technologies in Biomedical Implantable Devices Considering the Optimal Location
Jinwei Zhao, Rami Ghannam, Man Kay Law, Muhammad Ali Imran, Hadi Heidari.
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For example, current energy harvesters rely on piezoelectricity, thermoelectricity and solar electricity to drive the implantable device. However, the majority of these energy harvesting techniques suffer from a variety of limitations such as low power output, large size or poor efficiency. Due to their high efficiency, we focus our attention on solar photovoltaic cells. We demonstrate the tissue absorption losses severely influence their performance. We predict the performance of these cells using simulation through the verified experimental data. Our results show that our model can obtain 17.20% efficiency and 0.675 V open-circuit voltage in one sun condition. In addition, our device can also harvest up to 15 mW/ cm2in dermis and 11.84 mW/ cm2in hypodermis by using 100 mW/ cm2light source at 800 nm and 850 nm, respectively. We propose implanting our device in hypodermis to obtain a stable power output.
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- This is first time to model the performance of implantable PV cells in different layers of tissue. We demonstrate how the electrical characteristics are influenced by the implanting location of the device.
- A PV cell implanted in the dermis layer can harvest the greatest amount of power.
- We propose implanting our energy harvesting PV cells in the hypodermis layer.
- Our proposed PV device harvests enough energy to supply power for low-cost implants such as cardiac pacemakers, retinal implants or biomedical sensors.
- PV cells implanted in the adipose layer can harvest nearly 11.84 mW using an 850 nm light source.
Comparison of Different Assessment Quantities to Evaluate Lead Electromagnetic Model for Radio Frequency Energy-Induced Heating
Mikhail Kozlov ; Wolfgang Kainz.
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The set included 32 single electrode leads with straight and helical wires. The LEMs were obtained and validated with 3D electromagnetic and thermal co-simulations at 128 MHz. A shift of the position of temperature or SAR sensor from the electrode tip to the electrode pedestal resulted in a decrease of the linear regression coefficient of determination for the LEM calibration factors. Behavior of different assessment quantities in terms of sensitivity of sensor location significantly varied between leads with the helical and straight wires. In conclusion, utilization of analysis made for generic leads with straight wire can be significantly misleading for the prediction of results for leads with helical wires.
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- Four quantities, namely 1) the net dissipated power around an electrode of an active implantable medical device (AIMD), 2) the net temperature increase, 3) the current flowing from the lead into the electrode, and 4) the net specific absorption rate (SAR) increase, were numerically compared for a set of leads with straight and helical wires to evaluate the lead electromagnetic model (LEM) with respect to radio frequency energy-induced heating.
- The most suitable sensor locations were positions from the electrode tip along the first half of the electrode axial axis. A temperature sensor was essential if the net electrode temperature increase required evaluation.
- The targeted medical application is an evaluation of heating induced by radio frequency energy that appears in human tissue near an AIMD during magnetic resonance imaging.
- For leads with helical wire, our results indicate that 1) to achieve a good validation of the transfer function, that is, the linear regression coefficient of determination R2 to be close to 1, the temperature sensor results must be obtained as fast as possible, but 2) the total transient time must be longer than 360 seconds for evaluation of the LEM calibration factor.
- Utilization of result analysis made for generic leads with straight wire can be significantly misleading for predicting results for leads with helical wires.
Study and Suppression of Multipath Signals in a Non-Invasive Millimeter Wave Transmission Glucose Sensing System
Maria Koutsoupidou, Helena Cano-Garcia, Roberto L. Pricci, Shimul C. Saha, George Palikaras, Efthymios Kallos, Panagiotis Kosmas.
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This paper studies the impact of these wave phenomena on the signals transmitted and received from a pair of antennas designed to sense glucose changes via changes in transmission through a sample. Numerical simulations and controlled experiments with glucose solutions demonstrate for the first time that unwanted signal contributions from mm surface waves along the tissue can dominate the received signals but can be reduced with the use of appropriately placed absorbers around the antenna sensors. As a result, the sensitivity of such a sensing system to glucose changes is increased. This finding can be very useful in the design and development of the glucose sensor under study, as well as for other EM-based diagnostic medical applications.
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- The paper studies the significant impact of multipath wave propagation (surface and diffraction waves) on electromagnetic (EM) sensing systems, which is often overlooked in the design and development of EM sensors.
- System simulations and experimental results with a millimeter (mm)-wave sensor demonstrate the need to suppress these unwanted signals in order to increase EM sensing sensitivity.
- Experimental measurements demonstrate that sensor’s sensitivity to glucose concentrations is almost doubled by suppressing multipath waves with appropriate use of absorbers.
- Our study focuses on sensing glucose changes with mm-waves, but this analysis can be useful for any application in EM biomedical sensing which requires the detection of weak signals propagating through lossy tissues.
A Radiating System for Low Frequency Highly Focused Hyperthermia with Magnetic Nanoparticles
Danilo Brizi, Nunzia Fontana, Giulio Giovannetti, Luca Menichetti, Laura Cappiello, Saer Doumett, Costanza Ravagli, Giovanni Baldi, Agostino Monorchio.
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Then, through an electromagnetic software based on the Method of Moments (MoM), we performed numerical simulations of the coil that resulted in excellent agreement with the experimental measurements conducted at the workbench on a fabricated prototype. After that, a radiating system consisting of the coil, a high-power radiofrequency signal generator and a set of magnetic nanoparticles have been set up. We carried out several experimental trials with different samples of magnetic nanoparticles in order to demonstrate the focusing property of the proposed system. The results we obtained suggested that a careful design of the radiating system could pave the way towards more efficient and safer magnetic hyperthermia treatments in clinical applications.
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- We present a novel radiofrequency radiating system for focused hyperthermic applications with magnetic nanoparticles.
- Safe, efficient and targeted treatments of hyperthermia with magnetic nanoparticles can be achieved through the proposed RF radiating system.
- In particular, the focus of the system is an innovative and effective therapy of superficial tumors, as, for instance, melanoma and breast cancer.
- Although the challenging low frequency range (hundreds of kHz), the system accomplishes a precise and delimited radiofrequency magnetic field distribution, avoiding indiscriminate tissue exposure.
- The synergy between a careful design of the radiating system and research on innovative magnetic nanoparticles can pave the way towards more efficient and safer magnetic hyperthermia treatments in clinical applications.
Design and Evaluation of Affective Virtual Reality System Based on Multimodal Physiological Signals and Self-Assessment Manikin
Dan Liao, Lin Shu, Guodong Liang, Yingxuan Li, Yue Zhang, Wenzhuo Zhang, Xiangmin Xu.
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Design elements including subject features, sound features, motion features and color features were extracted by referring to the referenced emotion materials, art works and the existing VR scenes. Affective VR scenes were then designed by Unreal Engine 4.12 and their effectiveness was validated by Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM). Furthermore, arousal was used as an indicator to compare the difference of ecological validity between VR and video emotional materials with an intergroup experiment through Electroencephalography (EEG), Heart Rate (HR), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), and SAM. Results proved that VR scenes could achieve the same emotion elicitation as video. Especially, there was significant difference in measures of Fearful in SAM evaluation, indicating that VR emotion materials were expected to deliver a good effect on negative emotional scenes. The proposed AVRS as well as the multimodal physiological signal database with valence, arousal and dominance (VAD) labels could help the development of emotion related studies.
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- This paper proposed a new Affective Virtual Reality System (AVRS), and assessed arousal with Electroencephalography (EEG), Heart Rate (HR), Galvanic Skin Reaction (GSR) and Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM).
- VR emotion materials could deliver a better emotion elicitation effect than 2D video on negative emotional scenes according to an intergroup experiment.
- AVRS was proved as an effective material capable of eliciting emotion for psychological research mental illness diagnosis and virtual reality interaction research.
- This system can be applied to psychological research, mental illness diagnosis and virtual reality interaction research.